Unreviewed The Consorts of Ta'a VIII (novel)

[Inanna Harth]

"I've been reading this book recently about a Hapan man named Alain Del. He was born a commoner, but rose to become an advisor to the Ereneda." - Ben Khal​

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To codify a piece of lore integral to character development, and for use in RP by the community at large.
• Image Credit: Image made by me using Canva
  • Tex Savario
• Canon: N/A
• Permissions: N/A
• Links: Wolf Hall | Henry VIII

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Media Name: The Consorts of Ta'a VIII
• Format: Book/Holobook
• Distribution: Common
• Length: Long
• Description: A sympathetic fictionalized biography documenting the rapid rise to power of Alain Del in the court of the notorious Hapan Queen Mother Ta'a Chume VIII through to Del's death by execution in 833 ABY.

SOCIAL INFORMATION

• Author: Inanna Harth
• Publisher: Gildenleaf Inc.
• Reception: Initially published under the pseudonym "Geena Galney", The Consorts of Ta'a VIII became an instant bestseller. Critics appreciated the depth of research that went into the making of the novel. However, many Hapans found the book's depiction of a historical figure offensive; they were further incensed when it was found that "Geena Galney" was in fact the well known Shi'ido author and diplomat Inanna Harth, who had previously spoken out against Hapan gender inequality. A holofilm adaptation was released to mixed reviews, but was nonetheless successful, increasing the book's popularity.

FORMAT INFORMATION
The cover of the first edition features a photo of a model in an elaborate golden costume; emblazoned in white letters at the bottom is the title. Inanna Hoole's name is printed below the title in a slightly smaller font.

EVENTS

• Event Name: Reign of Queen Mother Ta'a Chume VIII
• Links: N/A
• Participants: Hapes Consortium
• Overview: Queen Mother Ta'a Chume VIII was the leader of the Hapes Consortium from 802-840 ABY. Her reign was considered prosperous but she is now mostly known for her turbulent personal life, including six marriages in a desperate bid to produce a female heir. Her consorts frequently met with suspicious ends (if they were not executed outright, as was the case with her second and fifth husbands) once she began to show signs of growing tired of them. She was outlived by her sixth and final consort, whom some historians believe may have arranged her death. She was succeeded by her daughter Mirana, who died at the age of fifteen following a long illness; it is generally concluded that she was poisoned. As she died without issue, the royal line was ended and a succession crisis ensued. The next few decades would be marked by periods of political instability leading up until the present day.

CONTENT INFORMATION
Alain Del was born a Hapan commoner, the son of an abusive single mother. In his teens he left Hapes and traveled the galaxy, working various odd jobs before eventually returning to Hapes, where he was employed by the second most powerful woman in the land after the Ereneda: the Dowager. The Queen Mother had been married to her consort Karol for twenty years, but in that time she had given birth to only one surviving child, a son, Prince Gale. Desperate for a female heir, she became infatuated with Joran, a much younger man at court, and wanted to divorce Karol to marry him. But Karol was a Prince of Onderon, and his marriage to Ta'a sealed an important strategic alliance between his world and Hapes.

The Dowager, who usually played the role of chief minister for her daughter's affairs, was having great difficulty resolving the situation. Frustrated by her inability to procure a divorce, eventually the Queen turned on her mother, having her property confiscated and her status greatly reduced. The Dowager grew ill and eventually died in exile, but before her death she urged Alain to do what she could not for the sake of Hapes. Pledging himself to the Queen's service, Alain successfully negotiated the divorce, causing Karol to be cast aside and their son Gale made illegitimate.

For his role in obtaining a divorce from the Ereneda's first husband and allowing her to marry Joran, Alain was promoted to the Queen's team of advisors. He was loathed by his female colleagues both for his low birth and because he was a man, yet he continued to curry favor with the Queen, eventually becoming her chief minister. Despite his role in making him the Queen's consort, Joran was suspicious and hostile of Alain, believing he was only working for himself. Alain harbored resentment toward Joran, partially blaming him for the death of the Dowager. Eventually the Ereneda became pregnant, but she gave birth to another son rather than the hoped for daughter. The marriage between Ta'a and Joran began to suffer strain under the pressure to produce an heir. After having two more miscarriages, the Ereneda turned against the man she had fought for seven years to marry, tasking Alain with finding a way to get rid of him. Alain brought trumped up charges against Joran, leading to his "suicide" via gun of command. He also used the opportunity to get revenge on the noblewomen who helped to bring the Dowager down, ensnaring them in the same web of deceit as co-conspirators of Joran.

Mere days after Joran's death, the Queen married her third husband, the quiet and submissive Isolder. She became pregnant and at last gave birth to a healthy daughter, the Chume'da Mirana. But Isolder was unexpectedly killed in a speeder accident just four months after the birth of the heir. Ta'a mourned his death for four years; Alain noted that this display of extended grief was less out of love and more because he was able to give her an heir. He cautiously began searching for a new candidate to be the Ereneda's consort, and landed on Alistair, a nobleman from Gallinore. Ta'a fell in love with a picture of him and was eager to meet him. Yet when Alistair arrived, it was revealed that the picture was taken in such a way as to hide a facial deformity. Disgusted, Ta'a sent him away and turned on Alain, believing he tried to humiliate her.

Once the most powerful man in the Cluster, Alain Del was suddenly arrested and imprisoned in the Well. The Queen who had once relied upon him to handle her affairs now accused him of plotting against her. The accusations were backed up by Alain's enemies at court, who had been waiting for an opportunity to strike him down. After a brief show trial, Alain was convicted of treason and sentenced to death. The final chapter describes the Hapan style of execution, "suicide via gun of command" in brutal detail as Alain is forced to take his own life.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The Consorts of Ta'a VIII began as a joint effort between Inanna and her old friend Professor Errik Nimdok. Nimdok was primarily a Jedi historian, but would conduct research into subjects that interested him. One evening the two got to talking about Hapes, and Nimdok described the tumultuous reign of Ta'a VIII. Inanna was immediately intrigued by the story, thinking it would make a good novel.

Nimdok's death put a temporary end to the development of the book. Ultimately Inanna would return to the project roughly a year later, dedicating it to her friend's memory. Nimdok had sent her various materials and notes, but the research alone took nearly five years to complete. "I'm not a historian or even necessarily into history," Inanna stated in an interview. "I was just fascinated by this particular time and place and these cutthroat characters." Her research into Hapan culture and history reportedly led Inanna to protest gender inequality on the planet, a fact which prompted her agent to pressure her into having it published under a pseudonym so as to avoid bad press during its initial sales run. The book was destined to cause controversy, however, as reactions from the Hapan public have been decidedly mixed, with some claiming it paints an inaccurate and offensive portrait of Ta'a VIII while others support its unflinching portrayal of the ruthlessness of Consortium politics.