Lacrive

**Lacrive** is a highly feudal society on the south shore of the Trade Lake. It borders Dalfore to the north, Guang to the west, Mamelkert to the south and Gabrainn and Dunfleasel to the east. Lacrivian kings tend to be headstrong and proud, often coming to blows with neighbours and trying to go to war whenever possible. Lacrive was a major contributor to the alliance led by Varhold to fend off the Tungrids in the early 6th Century and even after the alliance's defeat at Vorgebirge, continued to raid across the Trade Lake into ex-Tungrid states such as Krasnar, leading to open hostility between Lacrive and Dalfore's Kumman population after Krasnar was integrated into Dalfore.

Currently Lacrive is at war with the Dalforean League in the War of the South Lake, in which it and Scanbrough are attempting to occupy the entire south shore of the Trade Lake. Having won several major battles, Lacrive and Scanbrough are currently winning the war, though armies from the League are still arriving in the area.

Lacrive has no administrative regions; towns are expected to govern themselves, and all pay tribute to the capital city of Bouchier. Towns in Lacrive can be split into those in the northeast (Clanoît, Rogneus, Bòrmomble, Belluire and Avizieux), northwest (Aritoux, Rolimàr, Sarguemont, Touilliers and Hougoumont) and south (Bourac, Besançons, Villeurzieux, Roumur, Mont Azieu, Argenin, Périconne and Maringues) as well as the three main centres of Bouchier, Clernois and Liniçon.

 History

The geographical region of Lacrivia, surrounding the Lericonne and Alletoix mountain ranges, has always been inhabited by fiercely independent warlords. They are descended from a mixture of three contingents of the Halcyonian Flotilla: the contingent led by Clovis settled in the north of the country along the Trade Lake coast, while a smaller population led by Bertrand du Guesclin took up residence between the mountains and the Balantegue River. Later, the west of the area was settled by Dalforeans spilling over the Merkata River.

Over time the groups balkanised, turning from peaceful collections of settlements into motte-and-bailey cattle lords ruling over areas of several thousand hectares each. The most powerful of these factions sometimes attempted to unify the area, though the mountains in the centre of Lacrivia made this a problem. By the 2nd Century, it had become clear that only a diplomatic solution would bring unification to the area.

This all changed after the Great Gap. Knowledge of warfare and siegecraft had heightened and total war was now no stranger to Lacrivia. Over the next 82 years no fewer than ten warlords came within reach of total domination of the area with Hector Serre, the warlord of Bouchier, finally prevailing in 485.

After unification, King Hector imposed weighty measures on the country to ensure it stayed unified. Around two dozen settlements became the administrative centres of their areas, and the lord of each was expected to send his first-born son to the capital as a hostage - though over time this has become more of a school to teach them skills required by governors.

Hector's son King Guillaume followed in his father's footsteps, but this didn't save him from his father's enemies. Capitalising on his inexperience, the Ardouin family and its allies orchestrated a coup in 492 and put Jerome Ardouin on the throne. Under King Jerome's rule Lacrive became more closed to foreigners - he demanded that they be treated with hostility and that Lacrive must be able to fend for itself. In 502 King Jerome managed to volunteer most of his political opponents into the force Lacrive sent to Vorgebirge, and following the defeat he refused them re-entry.

Lacrive adopted an isolationist policy, aware of the great powers of Faramond, Dalfore and Tianguo on its borders. For the next hundred years it dared not provoke any of them, not even rearing its head when the latter two went to war in the 560's.

Lacrive became more aggressive in the mid 7th Century. The Ardouins had defeated any threats to their hegemony when they sent the Fallen Company to Vorgebirge, and since then focused on solidifying their hold on the country. Gradually Lacrive became more peaceful until the unspoken law was that internal wars in Lacrive were highly frowned upon. They still continued, but on a far smaller scale than before - entire regions no longer marched to war against each other.

This led to Lacrive using its newly-found united power to muscle other countries out of the way. In 638 Cont Bellevue, the ruler of a fiefdom on the border with Faramond, forced King Richaud IV's hand by invading Faramond and taking a large tract of land in what became known as the Attack on the Ruadhain Forest.

Faramond's response was sluggish and weaker than expected, leading Lacrive to make bolder moves. In the 670's Lacrive invaded Mamelkert but seemed to bite off more than it could chew. Mamelkert was protected by its cultural brethren in Tadmor and Falsil and the heavily-armoured Lacrivian army was defeated several times by the mounted forces of the Halarbic states. Nevertheless, a column under Cont Richeleu managed to sack the Mamelquar capital of Saari in 678 and a peace was agreed in which Mamelkert ceded the towns of Aqzar (now Mont Azieu) and Bab El Manduk (now Maringues).

Since then Lacrive has become hungrier. The noble classes are aware of the power they wield and demand constant concessions from the King, namely lands and titles. To assuage these demands Lacrive must be constantly growing, annexing new lands for these noblemen to hold.

## Geography

### **Administrative Regions**

Lacrive is split into nine distinct administrative regions, each described briefly below and in more detail in the page Administrative Regions of Lacrive.

* The region of Arelle lies in the northwest, where its northern borders are defined by the Merkata and Arelle rivers. A fertile, verdant region, Arelle's main exports are wine and olives.
* South of Arelle lies Chuonne. This region lies south of the Alletoix Mountains, and is far dryer and less fertile than its northern neighbour. Chuonne is mostly pasture land.
* Osalletoisia is east of Chuonne. Similarly dry and pastural, this region should be growing wealthy by controlling the only passage between the Alletoix and Periconne Mountains. However, feudal conflict in the area has stifled any such profit.
* The region of Laq Vernier is north of Osalletoisia. It completely encompasses its namesake body of water, and borders the Trade Lake to the north. Laz Vernier is mostly an area of trade, stifling the merchants who depend on the Merkata's eastern mouth for a living.
* The capital city of Bouchier lies in the region of Remouille-Crevier. This is by far the richest and most peaceful region in the country, as well as the second-largest. Many varieties of crops and materials are churned out of the farms and factories of this river-saturated area.
* The Rudan is a new addition to the country, only a hundred years old. This area is covered in forest, and produces lumber by the ton. It is, however, a region resentful of its overlords, and coveted by its former owner the Kingdom of Gabrainn.
* South of the Rudan is Periconnia Nord. This is primarily a farming area, bordering both Gabrainn and Dunfleasel and covering the northeastern foothills of the Periconne Mountains.
* Argenin is named for the city, and has expanded markedly since the War of Aqzar added several hundred square kilometres to its area. This region is very hot and dry, being on the edge of Suren's Desert.
* Lastly, La Prociennes encompasses the centre of the Periconne Mountains. This region is responsible for the ridiculous amounts of iron and steel that Lacrive produces, and is home to many fierce warlords who fight over this resource.

## Politics

### **Government**

Lacrive is an absolute monarchy - the King has final power over everything that happens in the country.

## Demographics

### **Class Division**

There are a number of noble families in Lacrive.

## Society and Ideology

The motto of Lacrive's ruling family, House Ardouin, is 'Glorious, Victorious'. This carries over to the mindset of the people; Lacrivians are aggressive and prideful. They are arrogant and condescending to foreigners, meaning they historically have had bad relations with most neighbours. Even their ally in war, Scanbrough, is only close to Lacrive out of necessity. Lacrivians hate to lose, and this point has escalated in the past - the Lacrivian expeditionary force to Varhold at the turn of the 6th Century, the Fallen Company, was part of the defeat at the battle of Vorgebirge and was summarily exiled from Lacrive upon their return.