Current Monarch : King Stanley Randolph

Current Voice : Alice of Essex

Essex was devastated by the loss of their former monarch, known by many as the Queen of Hearts or the Soul of the Lions, for her gentle nature and the deep rapport she shared with not only those of her own realms but all the people of Albion. Though she is no longer their Queen, all folk of Essex remain devoted to her, and view her ascension to become the Lady of the Lake as a natural, if sad, step for a woman who has always had the care of Albion’s people in her heart. Folk of Essex are fiercely proud of their former queen, and if there is one thing likely to draw their ire, it is insulting her memory.

Into the void left by the Queen's departure was thrust the Queen’s long-time friend and confidant, by unanimous affirmation of the people. The new King has had a difficult role to fill, for he inherited a difficult situation from the former Queen, taking the throne as civil war raged across the Ten Realms. Despite his own reservations about his suitability, the bluff former nobleman has proved he was the right choice for the job, and has earned the loyalty of his people twice over with his benevolent and fair rule. Essex stands in good stead; it’s people happy and healthy, able to rise or fall on their own merit for they are less constrained by birth than in more traditional realms. Indeed, in some ways people have it a little too good, for Essex is also known for its lively social scene. For some, this is masked balls and elegant soirees filled with courtly gossip and idle chatter amongst friends and rivals; for others, it is carousing until dawn, waking half-dressed in a cluttered tap-room or wandering in a haze and passing out in a dark alley.

More than anything, the rhythms and whims of the sea have had, and continue to have, great influence on this largely coastal region. It is unsurprising then that Essex has strong fishing and naval traditions, and the realm is the centre of ship building industry as well as home to many naval contingents of others of the Ten Realms. This is not to say that Essex is a realm of naught but sailors and fisherfolk however, for it also shares a degree of the courtly politics and manoeuvring that are synonymous with Oxford, though to a far lesser extent and with a more progressive take on matters than the more traditional and intrigue laden realm to the west. 

Essex is considered to be one of the more progressive realms in more than politics and social standing; worship of the trickster deity Ranalf, peasant god counterpart to The Seven, is viewed with far more tolerance here than in most of the other Ten Realms, save perhaps for rustic Deira; an unsurprising stance given Essex’s cosmopolitan makeup of travellers from beyond Albion. This broad-minded view across many areas of life should stand Essex in good stead as Albion moves forward into what seems to be an uncertain future as war once again looms. 

Raiders plague the coastal regions of Essex, and King Stanley is hard pressed to defend the coast as he leads his fleet in hunting down these seafaring rogues.