Laetheril

## **Overview**

Laetheril is a nation of elves situated in Laeth, a massive island in the northern hemisphere of the world. It is made up of four main ethnic groups: Etheril, Syndrion, Quanti and Naftyr; the Etheril are the dominating group, ruling from their original territory in the small western peninsula of the island, while the others were gradually annexed over time through either war or diplomacy.

## **History**

#### Antiquity

##### The Punitive Wars (1st expansion, 50AS-100AS)

The origin of the nation of Laetheril can be found in the Etheril tribe, one of the main organized groups of the island, that mainly inhabited the western protruding peninsula. The Etheril tribe was relatively numerous, but aside from that, there was nothing truly notable about them except their historic feud with the Syndrion tribe, that populated the southern area of Laeth. The main reason they became the dominant elven community of the island was pure luck, as the discovery of a small, lush and easily-protected valley allowed them to repel multiple raids from the Syndrion tribe with virtually no casualties, and answer in kind while the enemy was down. These devastating counter-raids caused a snowball effect, that allowed the Etheril to quickly take control of the southwestern part of the island, delimited by the central mountain.

Territory distribution of the island of Laeth among elven tribes, 0ASTerritory distribution of the island of Laeth among elven tribes, 50ASTerritory distribution of the island of Laeth among elven tribes, 100AS
##### The Lucky Hunter and the discovery of magic

Since the advent of society, invidiuals have specialized in different complementary tasks in order to contribute to the survival and well-being of their group. While the Etheril are no exception to this, it does make manifest a strange phenomenon. Some elves are not only skilled, but also seem to be lucky beyond what is thought possible: an arrow that should have failed is moved by a streak of wind, a concoction that has already failed to cure an ailment suddenly succeeds, a seed starts growing where it shouldn't be able to... These individuals are looked at with a mix of reverence and suspicion, as it's known that it's not only practice and skill that helps them, but something else, while not being aware of what that "something else" is.

The event known as "The Lucky Hunter" marks the discovery of magic in the Etheril tribes, and the start of its research. Although in retrospective it wasn't the first arcane manifestation known to the elves, it was the first one that was categorized as such and that convinced the wider community of its existence beyond a shadow of a doubt. On a random morning, a skilled elven hunter in a Syndrion-bordering province went out to catch some game for their family, as they were wont to do. Upon their return, a young deer near the edge of the village crossed their sight. As they tensed their string and the arrow left the bow, the sudden cry of help of their children arrived to their ears, the path of the arrow instantly turned towards the sounds of fight, and the Syndrion raider trying to tear down the door of their small house fell slain. The Syndrion raid was repelled, and word of the event quickly spread among the tribe members, until an official meeting was called. It was then decided that the event would be studied as well as new ocurrences, as it was quickly linked to other similar events.

Following the events of the Lucky Hunter, the Etheril tribe at the foot of the mountain started trying to understand how these elves influenced the reality around them. Although they were stumbling in the dark, a small team of elders banded together in order to examine these individuals: as it turned out, they had an innate ability to bend probability in their favour, and this ability was stronger the more experienced they were in the related ability, which is the reason this strange feature went unnoticed for so long. Curiously, when the elf was conscious of it and forced its "luck" for long enough, more strange phenomena started being possible: the main testing group, composed of 3 of these "lucky" archers, went from introducing a slight bend in their arrows' path, to turning their direction up to 3 times mid-air for around 30 degrees.

##### The Mountain Tribes (2nd expansion, 200AS)

After succesfully integrating the Syndrion tribe to the south, the Etheril found themselves with the powerful but peaceful Quanti to the north, and the disorganized but barbarous Naftyr to the east. In a bid for discovery, the elves started rising the sides of the mountain of Laeth. While it was a very different environment to the one they were used to, that being lush coasts and dense forests, the mountain also gave them the opportunity to explore a new area with a fresh point of view, and in turn develop ways of study that hadn't been attempted before, such as making a simple classification system for the flora and fauna that they came across instead of relying on word of mouth. One of such fauna proved to be an important asset to them.

##### The domestication of the Great Mountain Eagles

The small villages near the mountainside took a keen interest in the surrounding wildlife, especially in the big population of eagles that make the peaks their hunting grounds. Resistant at first, these majestic birds of prey soon became the inseparable hunting companions of the mountain Etheril elves, and help them track down game in the tortuous sides of the ridge and even intervene in the slaughter of small prey. Fed and cared for as an essential part of the tribe, domesticated eagles started being bred into specialized species: smaller and faster, so they could be the hunter's eyes in the sky, or bigger and stronger, to turn them into another hunter for the tribe. Both of these eagles quickly found an use in war, as their usefulness in battle against other elves became indisputable after the first catastrophic Naftyr raid attempts to the mountain tribes. Shortly after their domestication, a small group of people migrated to the mountains to breed and care for these eagles; these breeders would become masters of their craft over their generations, and allow for the eventual creation of the Eneriades order.

##### The Trader's Deal (3rd expansion, 250AS)

After a period of relative calm, in which the Etheril leaders' efforts were mainly pointed inward, a quick succession of both battles and negotiations allowed the valley elves to claim as theirs the south-western coasts of the Quanti territory. Unlike the Syndrion, the Quanti were mainly traders and merchants, and were more interested in keeping their ports intact and their trade routes safe than in resisting the occupation. As a result, they managed to stay at the top of the food chain in their territories, while being officially under Etheril control.

With access to a new and massive market for Quanti goods, and the protection of Etheril troops, the Quanti provinces developed swiftly. Their economic and demographic weight in the burgeoning nation quickly became a worrying matter in the Etheril valley, where it was decided to force the southern Syndrion provinces to export more of their own goods to the Etheril homeland in order to compensate for the growth in the north. Although this did work, the strain in the Syndrion tribes was great and set the foundation for a long-lasting inequality and animosity between the north and the south.

#### Middle Ages

##### The foundation of Laetheril

The origins of the nation of Laetheril can be found in a myriad of tribes in the island of Laeth, that generally fell under one of four cultural groups: Etheril, Syndrion, Quanti, or Naftyr. While the savage Naftyr were very resistant to assimilation, the Syndrion were integrated in the very first days of Etheril expansion, and the western Quanti coast was quick to follow when they heard word of these battles. However, the internal instability of those days crippled the burgeoning nation for centuries before any kind of centralization was possible.

In the year 464 AS, the Etheril elders declared the unification of the territories under their rules as a single nation called Laetheril, or "Laeth of the Etheril". While the internal situation had been relatively calm for the previous years, it was a known fact that it could explode at any moment; the rulers decided to take the chance to establish a centralized government that would allow them to keep power at their hands' reach reducing the risk of treasons and rebellions. While active resistance was indeed reduced, subtle instigations and political games became more common, and the Quanti demonstrated to be quite fond of them.

##### The White Wars (4th expansion, 650AS)

The "White Wars" receive their name from an anonymous writer of the time period, due to the fact that almost no blood was spilled during the annexation of the independent Quanti regions. These annexations were mostly peaceful, and actually willing by the independent territories, which sent diplomats and emissaries to the Etheril capital with offers to join the young nation. Although it wasn't official, it was no secret that the Quanti leaders under Etheril rule had convinced their siblings to submit themselves in order to increase their collective weight in Laetheril's political landscape. It was a power play that the Etheril noticed, as they were familiar with the Quanti's schemes, but the perspective of increasing their territories and wealth for virtually no cost was too good to pass up on.

Although the Quanti leaders did cause trouble in the new nation, at the time this "war" was still considered a net positive for the Etheril: exchanging internal stability for territory and resources was considered a good deal, and the new cities were quickly integrated into the economical structure of Laetheril, in part due to the similarities between the two Quanti groups.

##### First Naftyr campaign (5th expansion, 800AS-900AS)

Historically, the north-western Quanti territories have been protected from Naftyr raids by the buffer provided by the free Quanti provinces; with the annexation of these provinces in the White Wars, this problem became the problem of Laetheril. However, the solution came under the initiative of the Quanti houses on their own: a wave of swift conquests was launched by the bordering nobles, and the chaotic Naftyr tribes, while hard to pin down durijg their raids, were no match for the organized forces of the Quanti. A massive stretch of land in the north-east was declared as part of Laetheril in only a few years, although raids from small Naftyr tribes to the Laethian cities were still common.

The second half of the century was marked by the answer of the Etheril to the situation: while these new territories were officially under their legal control, they were in practice rules by the Quanti houses that conquered them, which made the balance of political power too skewed to the Quanti for the Etheril's comfort. Their reaction was to turn to the southern Syndrion elves, to coordinate a push to the savage territories of their own.

Territory distribution of the island of Laeth among elven tribes, 800ASTerritory distribution of the island of Laeth among elven tribes, 900AS
##### Second Naftyr campaign (6th expansion, 1050AS-1150AS)

The expansions of the XIth and XIIth century were kicked off by the encounter of the Laethians with foreign populations, specifically the Ianiǧžer and the Ma'atali. The former were the first people they met that were considered as civilized, and the implications of such an event prompted a wave of mistrust in the nation that resulted in a rapid expansion to the remaining Naftyr free territories.

This period of annexation created political instability in the nation due to the military conflicts with these foreign nations: the conquest of the southern half of Ianiǧžer's territory was possible due to the agreement between the Ruling Council of Laetheril and the northern Quanti houses, but after a successful first offensive, the houses withdrew their forces and declared that they would not keep supporting the war effort. This created a tense situation in which the Etheril did not trust the Quanti enough to send their forces away for an extended military campaign, which stopped any ideas for further attacks.

Territory distribution of the island of Laeth among elven tribes, 1050ASTerritory distribution of the island of Laeth among elven tribes, 1100ASTerritory distribution of the island of Laeth among elven tribes, 1150AS
## Politics

The political landscape of Laetheril is rife with internal conflicts: multiple groups vie for dominance, and subtle competition is common. The Ruling Council is the governing body of the island, but other factions like the Quanti houses frequently maneuver to increase their political capital.

### Organizations

Laetheril is home to multiple groups and organizations that influence the lives of everyday citizens, subtly manipulate the politics of the nation, or dedicate themselves to unique and specific tasks.

#### The Ruling Council

*(Main article)*

The Ruling Council is the main body of government of Laetheril. It is made up of 9 elders, all of them Etheril, that vote on important issues and otherwise are each unofficially in charge of different areas of governance.

#### The Eneriades order

*(Main article)*

Due to the reverence that the tamers of the central peaks had for their animals, they were very selective in who they gifted their beasts to; inadvertently, this process made being the owner of a duo of great eagles become a sign of great prestige, as it meant having gained the trust of the mountain tamers through a series of rigurous trials that included both physical and mental challenges. The Laethians that came out unscathed, or at least alive, were considered worthy and allowed to bond with one of these duos. The honor that this entailed commanded respect among the general population, and these elves often climbed the social ranks to positions of power; after multiple decades, these individuals gathered together and founded the order of the Eneriades, where they pooled together their influence and created the first unified organization in the history of Laetheril. These Eneriades knights took all kinds of roles in Etheril society, from military generals to royal counselors, researchers, philosophers or diplomats.

#### The Deimus Aelle

*(Main article)*

The Deimus Aelle is a group of sages and elders, formed in the year 545 AS, tasked by the rulers of Laetheril to investigate all things arcane. From their inception, their numbers have been deliberately kept reduced, in the order of 20 to 30 people. The goal of this policy is to guarantee the secrecy of their research, and to avoid a big accumulation of power in a single extra-governmental group. The Deimus Aelle were granted a sizable plot of land near the base of the central mountains, where installations were built to serve as their base of operations and laboratories.

#### The Quanti Houses

*(Main article)*

While the Ruling Council is the official government of the island, the economical weight of the northern provinces makes the Quanti houses the *de facto* co-rulers of Laetheril: they have the tools to manipulate the economy, and their plentiful coffers are often key to fund construction projects or military campaigns, beside having a military force of their own. Although the Quanti houses aren't a singular entity and often engage in political wars between themselves, they usually present a united front when it comes to national matters.

## Geography

The geography of the island of Laeth is marked by its central mountain. West of it, there are mainly dense forests and a few wetlands in the coasts, while to its east, massive grasslands span across miles and miles. The mountain itself is not very tall compared with others worldwide, but it's had historic importance for the inhabitants of the island as the highest point in the area.