The ancient emblem of the Kingdom of Ustalav, the Nation That Was, bears crimson stars surrounding a tower at night, black antlers rising from it. In the golden years after Soividia Ustav founded his nation, the seal symbolized all the realm was and would be. The Palace Tower rose from the heart of the capitol at Ardis, its lit spire window representing the sleepless vigilance of Ustalav’s kings. For each of the realm’s 16 original noble families—and later, 16 counties—a single star shone with the blood spilled by these heroic lords. The Horns of the King stem from the antlers crowning the first king’s battle helm, and even the colors—midnight and royal purple— originated on Soividia’s battle standard.
Yet as meaningful as the realm’s emblem once was, no symbol could better represent the wounds suffered by the ancient kingdom. Of the grand noble families, all but two lie dead. The Palace Tower stands in disuse amid a rotting city, and the Ustav line is ended. All across Ustalav, reminders of the nation’s shameful conquest by the archlich Tar-Baphon still linger, the unquiet shuddering of a past that refuses to keep to its grave.
