Moss

**The Confederations of Moss**, which has other names such as "Realm of War God" and "Dukedoms of the Dragon", is located on a large plateau in the southwest of Lodoss. The country is made up of a coalition of city-states scattered around "The Green and Brown mountains" or the Albora Mountains. Each of the city-states that make up the Confederations of Moss are segregated into countries that are also referred to as duchies. Therefore, the rulers of these nations are dukes and at the same time act as governors. Each of these nations has two names, their original name, and the name that it uses when it unites with the other nations of Moss that have entered the Dragon Pact. These secondary names are titled after various parts of a dragon’s body, and each nation’s coat of arms symbolises this name. The titles represent that the nations of Moss act as one powerful entity.

In the Confederations of Moss, the ruler who controls the nations becomes the ruler of all the nations. The ruler of the confederation, referred to as an emperor, is selected by a meeting between the Duke of Harkane and the Duke of Highlands. The current Emperor of Moss is the Duke of Harkane, who made Harkane the public capital. The Moss region reaches to the brown mountainous Lalauza Mountains to the north, where Highland is located, with the majority of the region depending on the steep Albora mountains in the south as a natural fortification. The Mirror Forest in the northeast is widespread with many Common Elves inhabiting it.

**Moss Social System**

The Confederations of Moss is a feudal state with the dukes of the country at the top. The aristocratic system from the king to the upper knights to the lower knights is strong, and marriages of convenience are also frequent. Not as much as the Kingdom of Alania, were power struggles in the event of murder, etc. are far more numerous. The knights of Moss display far less examples of corruption than the other knight orders of the kingdoms of Lodoss. The war god Myrii is widely worshiped among the aristocrats and the soldiers whose discipline is relatively well maintained. Also, unlike most other countries, talented female knights may be actively promoted beyond their status. As the region of Moss is a poor land for agriculture, many of the inhabitants, including royalty and senior knights cultivate their land by welding iron.

**Moss Founding History**

The region of Moss, housed a number of small nations that fought repeatedly, scattered amongst its mountainous land. Surrounded by steep mountains, the cities of Moss were difficult to attack and easy to protect. The terrain also prevented the emergence of a unified nation. However, in the 258th year of the New Kingdom calendar, the nations did unite against the invasion of the rising power of Raiden, located north of the Moss region. Therefore, the following year, the lords of each nation signed an agreement called the "Dragon Pact" and the Duchies of Moss was established. Under this pact, the nations would unite against internal threats. An election system for the rulership of the Moss region was also established. The candidates being chosen from the dukes of each of the nations under the pact. The term Duchy seemed like a low-ranking title to the other nations of Lodoss. However, it was to display that each of the nations of Moss had a strong sense of independence as a duchy and as a country. However, there were constant skirmishes between the duchies. Such as Skard, and "Dragon Flame" Harkane in the 473rd year of the New Kingdom Calendar.

**The Confederation of Moss in the year 473 New Kingdom Calendar**

Skard’s Duke Bruuk summoned the Demon King which initiated the Demon War. This act was also carried out due to a threat from the powerful nation of "Dragon Scale" Venon. The duke was only trying to protect his child, Nasier, but it unleashed unprecedented horror across the entire island. To put an end to the conflict, in the midst of the Demon War, Mycen, the Hero Duke of Highland, lifted the curse on"The Dragon King of Gold Scales" from the Governor of the ancient kingdom. The forces of Moss were mostly united into a powerful force. These acts, along with Moss’ relationship with the Kingdom of Valis, helped bring the horrific conflict to an end. After the end of the Demon War, the Duchies of Moss did their best to heal the pain of war, on the surface the people kept calm. But the peace was only a cover for their internal turmoil. The rebellion of the Duchy of Venon continued the nation's long history of civil wars.

**The Confederation of Moss in the year 510 New Kingdom Calendar**

When the invasion of the main island of Lodoss was initiated by the Marmo Empire, countries like Alania didn’t send troops to intervene. However, Jester, the Duke of the "Dragon's Eye" Highland, joined the battle at his own discretion and with his twelve Dragon Knights set out for the occupied Kingdom of Kanon. Jester was driven by national orders, he fought the Marmo in the name of "Justice." The thirteen dragon knights, who had been deployed to the south of Kanon, devastated the forces of Marmo, and then travelled to the dark isle of Marmo itself, to deal the empire an even bigger blow. This action eventually pushed the Kingdom of Alania, and the Confederations of Moss, to move their main corps out of their countries to battle the Marmo. The armies of Moss were deployed to Kanon, leaving relatively little manpower to defend the region. Taking advantage of this situation, Duke Wehner of "Dragon Scale" Venon, attacked the Duchy of Harkane "Dragon Scale", and overwhelmed their reduced force with his elite knights. In Grey Rock, the Royal Castle of the Duchy of Harkane, the Duke's family was murdered, and Duke Wehner claimed the throne. This act placed the region of Moss back into an era of civil war. Due to having to redirect their attention to its own borders, the nations of Moss had to withdraw their forces from the fight against the Marmo. The turmoil of the region would continue for the next five years.

**The Confederation of Moss in the years 512-515 New Kingdom Calendar**

The civil war in the Moss Region that was initiated by the ambitious Duke Wehner of "Dragon Scale" Venon, when his forces attacked the Duchy of Harkane, "Dragon Flame", as the armies of Moss joined the Allied Forces to repel the Marmo Invasion, continued long after the War of Heroes. Harkane was under Duke Wehner’s governance after he murdered the royal family. As a result, the outbreak of Moss' civil war lasted for five years. By the 515th year of the New Kingdom Calendar, the territory controlled by Wehner covered most of the Moss region. Wehner also has access to a trump card in his rebellion, he was able to revive the body of a giant, called a "Flame Giant". The Giant had the spiritual power of fire, so they would never be burned by the flames of the dragons. For this reason, the Highland army, which relied on the dragons of the Dragon Knights to exhale flame, was driven into inferiority. However, Highland’s Prince Roderick wished to defeat the "Flame Giant" and discovered the magic sword named "Giant Killer" told about in folklore, and the giant was overthrown. Thus, Wehner’s ambitions were halted and a counterattack was issued by Highland.

**The Confederation of Moss in the year 525 New Kingdom Calendar**

Duke Wehner would still retain power until his army was defeated by Highland led by Duke Rodrick and Queen Shiris. Wehner poisoned himself when he realised that his ambitions of ruling Moss were crushed. After uniting Moss after a decade of civil war, Duke Redrick and his forces joined the Allied Forces on the Dark Isle of Marmo and rescued the Valis army which was struggling with the Evil Dragon Narse.

Locations: Highland , Venon , Harkane , Skard , Muskett , Russen , Renton , Stone Kingdom , Albora Mountains , Lake Above the Clouds, Glass Woods , Deepest Labyrinth