Lylrue

''"A Kingdom built on the foundation of Honesty, Pride and Virtue. A land where any can be welcome; that is my dream." - ''King Hael Domitri, the first King of Lylrue.

Synopsis & Culture
In the forest-heavy region of North-Eastern M'alesi lies the small, but powerful kingdom of Lylrue. The backbone of the culture is their King, and the King's Council of Five. The Kingdom is divided into three different provinces that are spread out across the land, each one being controlled by one of the three Earls. Under their ruling, the people of Lylrue pride themselves in maintaining a culture of self-fulfillment; to treat others with respect and work to earn your keep. The nobles themselves are known to treat all those underneath them with kindness, and so the people return their trust to them. Working together as an entire community, everyone is out to look after not just themselves, but the Kingdom as a whole. The Knights themselves are bound to a life of honor and duty in the name of the nobles and those that they serve. The Council of Five work to maintain this order throughout the entire country, as per the King's desires.

Roles of Leadership
The positions held by nobility within the country act much like a chain, with each role dictating the position and actions of another. These roles are as follows.

Serfs
The bottom of the ladder. Serfs are often in debt and bound to work off what they owe until they have earned their freedom. These serfs are often illiterate, having not been able to afford an education. Working off what they owe is difficult, and these people often lack the right to attend community meetings and therefor get no say in the happenings of the kingdom. However, their primary use for physical labor is what keeps the Kingdom running in many areas.

Freeman
Freeman are simply serfs who have somehow earned their freedom in the eyes of their local noble, and have therefor earned their right to end things such as community meetings and educational services. While Freeman typically tend to stick to physical labor while they work through their education, they are definitely on the path to earning a more esteemed role within the community.

Merchants
If the serfs are seen as the muscle of the community, the merchants are seen as the blood; they keep the community pumping. Merchants have access to and trade items of value or goods needed for the other classes. These merchants often tend to live a better life than the freemen with their access to things such as books, granting them a higher education. Merchants are free to settle in one place, or to move around and sell their wares on the go.

Craftsmen
Craftsmen are the oxygen that the country breathes to survive. These people work hard to provide the country with all kinds of valuable goods; from weapons used by guards and the army, to tools and wares that are traded and used my merchants and the other lower classes. Due to their necessity for the society to function, Craftsmen are held in very high esteem compared to the other roles. In honor of their hard work and service to the country, these people get a three-week long celebration dedicated to their services. This festival is known as Krafsrendrin. Both new and old craftsmen attend these events and compete to show off their own talents and exceptional crafting skills. The winner of this festival is granted a fair sum of coin, but the greatest reward for these people is the honor of what winning such a competition holds.

Guardsmen
The simple foot guards that are most commonly seen around the kingdom, tasked with keeping an eye on the smaller villages or burgs dotted around the provinces. These guardsmen answer to the Knight above them. Their training is usually funded by the Baron or Viscount that runs their settlement.

Knights
Knights are most often found in larger communities like towns (or burgs, to the locals,) but it is not uncommon for them to make posts around smaller settlements The regular guards of the area are all the responsibility of these knights, so they are often in charge of the armed forces of what ever area they are stationed in. Considering the importance of their position, they are considered nobility and therefor have the right to attend events that nobles hold, such as Masquerades and Grand Feasts. These Knights swear allegiance to whoever the Viscount or Earl happens to be for the area their in, but require said Viscount/Earl's permission to change their allegiance to another.

Barons
Barons are typically in charge of small hamlets that contain a minimal amount of people. Their duties include but are not necessarily limited to: Adhering to the concerns of the local villagers, setting up bounties for known criminals in the area, managing the equipment used by both the guards and farmers, and maintaining that guards are being trained to keep their area safe, and making sure that the serfs fulfilling their debts. If any troubles arise in the community, such as bandit raids, it is the Baron's duty to react first and ensure the safety of those underneath them.

Viscounts
Viscounts are in charge of running the larger burgs located around the provinces. Any Barons in the area report directly to the Viscount. It is also the Viscount's duty to ensure that the materials needed in other smaller settlements reach where they need to be, and that proper security is provided to these caravans to make sure they arrive safely. Merchants in the area often work under the Viscount, ensuring that the wares they sell are distributed where the Viscount thinks they are needed.

Earls
Earls are in charge of their entire province from the capitol town of their area. All Viscounts in the area report to one of the Earls. All of the technical sides of running a province are handled by these Earls, including the management of taxes and ensuring the will of the King and the Council are fulfilled throughout their entire province. The Earls only answer to the Eyes of the King, but are often watched without their own notice to make sure their duties are maintained. If an Earl dies, the Viscounts under him or her will convene a Moot and debate to vote an Earl into office.

The King and the Council of Five
Everything that happens around the Kingdom is dictated by the King, and the Council that serves under his rule; acting as his body within the Kingdom. The roles of these five Council members are as follows:

The Eyes
The Eyes of the King are the ones that the Earls answer to in order to make sure that the King's will is being handled properly. It is the Eye's duty to make sure that these Earls are not corrupted by their own power, and that all their actions are in alignment with their exact orders.

The Ears
The Ears of the King are never known to the public. They run a secret service that isn't known about by anybody, with the goal of protecting the King and his family from any who would act against them. Royal spies, messengers and even assassins that work under the King's employment all answer directly to the Ears. The reach of this task force extends beyond the country itself, making sure that outside threats are also dealt with before they can become a threat. In addition, the Ears conduct clandestine investigations in crimes of an infamous nature (Ex: If there a serial killer on the loose, suspected treason, etc.)

The Mouth
The Mouth of the King acts as the main diplomat for the Kingdom, and a representative for Lylrue in other country's diplomacy meetings. In situations where the King is not able to deliver messages directly to his people for any reason, it is also the Mouth's duty to act on his behalf, making speeches that the King is not able to make.

The Will
The Will of the King effectively acts as the King's primary advisor, suggesting laws and changes that the community needs for the King to consider. Anything that the Will suggests towards the King is not able to be voted on by the Will themselves, and any decision made is always down to what the King himself decides.

The Hand
The Hand of the King has the duty of maintaining all of the Kingdom's army forces. Generals around the Kingdom all report to the Hand, and it is their duty to make sure that their forces are ready to handle any situation, through proper training and army size.

Ferriden
Ferriden is a province situated in Northern Lylrue. It shares a border with Ruxtom and Shallowsburg. The terrain there is forested, hilly, and mountainous. The villages and burgs of Ferriden are often situated on a hill, or at the base of a mountain due to their defensive advantage. The farmers here are experts in terracing, and shaping the land for their needs. Ferriden also profits from the mines in the mountains which mainly house functional metals such as copper and iron. As such, Ferriden often exports these metals to the other provinces, making it a prime source for craftsmen to get their materials. Freemen often take advantage of the lucrative trade opportunities this province presents, and take up the mercantile trade.Such trade opportunities also open the doorway for rather seedy business conducted by foreigners for "scarce" goods.

Most noble Houses here instruct their children in the art of the trade and the farm for a number of years. Most children under a House of Ferriden have at least some experience working a plough and a scythe, and even more know how to broker a deal that leaves both parties satisfied. This, in the eyes of Ferridenian nobles, gives the children a good work ethic and an eye for negotiation, two important things to nurture when inheriting a position of power. To become Earl, one must serve three years in the military, further expanding upon the notion of requiring a good work ethic.

The capital city of Ferriden is Coprus, located by the large river that runs inland.

Ruxtom
Perhaps the strongest province, militarily, would be Ruxtom, and for good reason. Ruxtom sits on the border, constantly at danger of being invaded by a warband, or -- if foreign relations were low enough -- a neighboring country. As such, the province places a heavy emphasis on military strength. As a result, most Freemen sign up to become guards here. Knights here always have something to do, whether it is sending patrol parties to scout the borders or practicing drills for the inevitable attacks from the foes of the Kingdom. However, unlike Shallowsburg, they do not have specializations for magic users or wielders. Any magical recruits are trained like normal soldiers, and are not given special treatment. This is because, in the eyes of the Earls from past to present, magic has never been a tool for warfare. It was seen as unfair combat and, more than anything else, an unreliable weapon that could not be properly controlled. As a result, the generals focus purely on the use of their military strategies and diverse formations to win their wars, and not magic.

Most noble Houses in Ruxtom send their children into military service for a number of years. To become an Earl of Ruxtom, one needs at least five years of military experience, as opposed to three for Ferriden. This hardens them, for one must make hard decisions when wearing the mantle of Earl. The Earls learn at the Longdale Military Academy, one of the finest military academies on the Eastern side of M'alesi. It is here that some of the finest generals of Ruxtom have risen to fame, and where apprentice knights or freshly recruited troops go to become true soldiers of the province.

The capital city of Ruxtom is Longdale, affectionately dubbed "The City of the Lion" by the locals.

The current Earl of Ruxtom is Earl Benegar Fuldentis Warinus, also known as the Lion of Ruxtom.

Shallowsburg
Shallowsburg, like Ruxtom, is militarily strong due to an exposed border, but mostly focuses on the magical aspect of combat. Aside from combat, Shallowsburg also possesses a vast navy, due to the capital city, Wilomun, being situated both by the Grand River that leads to Jikara and by the sea. Most of the Freemen here work in the river docks or harbor, either fishing or shipping goods out using the river. Freemen with a magical proclivity can try and scrounge enough coin to attend the Mage's University. In rare cases, a Baron, Viscount, or Earl may provide a Gratuity, which is an official document stating the right of the individual to attend Wilomun's Mage's University free of charge. These Gratuities are not to be taken lightly; to receive one is a token of utmost gratitude and respect. This is because the Mage's University of Wilomun is seen as one of the best mage's universities the continent, if not it this side of the world.

Villages are settled along the floodplains, where they use the rich soil to grow the necessary grains they need to sustain themselves and trade off. Burgs are often settled upon large structures built to withstand flooding in the floodplains of the Grand River. Most of the villages and burgs in Shallowsburg are near some form of water. To the inhabitants of Shallowsburg, this is a normal occurrence. The Grand River and the sea are often their only sources of sustenance.

The noble Houses of Shallowsburg place a strict emphasis on teaching their children the ways of chivalry and magic. Every noble's child knows how to cast at least some minor form of a spell, even if it is considered a mere "party trick" within the circles taught by the University. Some of these noble children grow up to be proficient mages, studying the aetherous currents in the air and using them as a means to an end. The Earl especially must study at the University for five years before being considered a true heir.

The Origin of Shallowsburg
If one truly examined its name, one could see that Shallowsburg has not always existed as a province. Around 132A.T.H, the land that had taken up the province had actually belonged to Ruxtom and Ferriden, respectively; Lylrue then was composed of the two provinces. Shallowsburg was a simple burg ruled over by the Viscount Amadeus Frenkkad the Third, laying in the province of Ruxtom. One day, the heirless Earl of Ruxtom, Earl Vuldvrus Lelryekt, had died mysteriously in his sleep. This caused the Viscounts in the area to hold a Moot. Upon learning that he was not chosen, Amadeus gathered his supporters and marched to the capital of Old Ruxtom, leading a coup that, in the end, was unsuccessful.This loss was due to a bottle-neck strategy employed by Viscount Warinus.

The coup ushered on the first documented use of Council of Five, each using their unique talents -- the Hand, who gathered and oversaw the armies. The Eyes, who notified the King, the Viscounts and the Earl of Ferriden of the attempted coup, so that they may take defenses. The Ears, taking due measures to send spies to Viscount Frenkkad's army, thus learning their plans. The Mouth, trying to negotiate a deal between Viscount Warinus and Viscount Frenkkad. Last, but not least, was The Will, who had penned a bill declaring that Old Ruxtom and Old Ferriden were to give half of their lands in the name of Shallowsburg. The Council had voted an overwhelming yes, and it was left to the King himself to approve it. To this day, it is unknown why the land had been given up -- thus forcing Ruxtom and Ferriden to expand and cover their losses.

It is speculated that the decree had been declared to justify such expansion, and to instill a compromise for the (now former) Viscount Frenkkad's family, who had lost their property in the conflicts. This decree has been, and still is, one of the most controversial decrees ever issued by a Lylruan king. In the end, Viscount Frenkkad was not executed, against the wishes of Viscount Warinus, and was instead stripped of his title and banished from the kingdom of Lylrue. Thus, the newest province, Shallowsburg, had been established, headed by its first Earl, Deudaltas Ammas Frenkkad.

Currently, the capital city of Shallowsburg is Wilomun.

The current Earl of Shallowsburg is Frineleth Artemm Illuorus.