Äelar'Ra

Around Lake Äelar, west of the Witchelven Empire lies only what can described as a refugee-camp turned state, centred on the town of **Äelar'Ra**. The population consists of masses of escaped slaves from the Witchelves, elven lower class who lost their homes to the demonic breaches and turncloak nobles either outmanouvered by ruthless rivals or having the realization that dealing with demons might not be the safest idea.

## History

The area around lake Äelar was first inhabited by humans who migrated from the north, from the regions that now consitute Kalydon, Daligrad and the Baalps. These humans settled near the shores of Äelar, as well as in the nearby hills. For many years they lived with little conflict, and the collapse of two neighboring underground Dwarven kingdoms led to a influx of Dwarven refugees in the region.

Thus, most of the smaller towns consolidated into one large city, known as Äelar'Ra, which fell into the Azan Empire's hands around 750 BBE, and so did the surrounding area. Under Azan's administration, Äelar'Ra flourished, although it remained largely autonomous, due to the large distance between Äelar and the empire's heartland.

Around the year 2000 ABE, a large slave revolt occured in the Witchelven Empire, known as the Greyhammer revolt, which was eventually crushed. The consequences were dire for these slaves, many of whom fled towards Kalydon and especially Äelar, who had already received many Witchelven refugees before, either exiled nobles, or serfs from the borders of the Empire. These immigrants quickly settled in Äelar'Ra, which had already turned into a multicultural center.

The century following the Azaneese civil war led to many of Azan's northern provinces either seceding from the Empire or being practically abandoned, and Äelar'Ra counted itself in the latter. Since its de facto independence, tensions have arisen in Äelar'Ra, with even more refugees flowing from the Witchelven Empire, partly due to the appearance of the Succubi Breaches, leading to the emergence of many refugee camps around lake Äelar's shores.

Amidst rumours of the Witchelven war machine arming itself to prepare for a full scale war against Äelar'Ra, several factions have emerged in the city. The Witchelves have stationed themselves in the southern half of Warmog, a forested land that formerly belonged to Äelar'Ra. However valuable millitary information handed out by Witchelven turncloaks have led to the Äelar'Rans conducting a succesful guerilla warfare campaign, which have kept the Witchelves at bay... for now.

## Government

While nominally still a province of Azan, Äelar'Ra is in reality self governing, though barely organized as a state. Its central authority, based in the city of Äelar'Ra, consists of two councils, the Heptarchy and the Low Council. The Heptarchy is the result of desperation and bitter compromise. After the Greyhammer revolt, a failed slave rebellion in the Witcheven Empire was brutally crushed, and thousands of slaves escaped the chaos to Äelar, an area already hosting refugees from the empire, including a number of lower class elves, escaped after the many times that the demonic breaches widened into their homes. When the masses of new people arrived, the attempt by tiny group of local bureaucrats and Azaneese local garrison to keep the order collapsed completely. To reorganize the area, the idea for a group of councillors to take charge was made in a rush. While the human majority wanted complete control, the elf population protested. While severely outnumbered, they had one thing the humans did not, money, resources and weapons taken with them from their homeland. At this time there were rumours of both the noble elves plotting to take power and reenslave the populace, and of radical humans readying for the eradication of elves from the area. Cooler heads, backed by the overworked Azaneese garrison drafted a charter of organisation for a council of seven, with elves and men having equal say, in the council, with a seventh spot as a tie breaker. Thus the Heptarchy was born.

The Heptarchy consists of 7 High councillors, five witch elves, five human and one of another race, usually half-elf or dwarven. The High councillors rule for life, and new members are elected by the rest of the council. They have the authority to decide matters of military, infrastructure, taxation and serve as judges in high level disputes and cases of serious crime. If the High Council wish to act on matters outside of this authority they have to have the permission of the Low Council.

The Low Council is a group of 47 men, chosen from the populace, serving in terms of 7 years. The Low council was formed 15 years after the Heptarchy for two reasons. Firstly, the human majority had begun to yet again criticize the elven overrepresentation in the Heptarchy. Secondly, there was uncertainty about what the High Councillors could do on matters requiring powers not explicitly stated in the original charter. Crucually they could not deal with religious matters, decide foreign policy, nor change the laws which still came from the old Azanese legal code. To deal with these issues the Heptarchy allowed the populace to present 80 candidates for a place in the low council of which the Heptarchs chose 43 to be suitable for the position. Later 4 seats were added, while the number of candidates from the people shrunken to 70, somewhat lessening the power of the Heptarchy. The Low Councillors meet once a week on a field near the shore of lake Äelar, debating cases and requests sent to them by the Heotarchy, recently there has been built a simple roofed structure with seats on the spot. The council quickly decended into factionalism, as different councillors have quite different views on what should be done.

### The Frogs

The Frogs are those sitting closest to the lake shore, being the most radical anti-witchelf faction. They wish for a formally independent Äelar, and for a total war against the witchelves to tear down the entire empire.

### The Flies

The flies is a group of both elves and men, wanting an isolationist Äelar'Ra. While open to formal Independence from Azan, they are more concerned with keeping the state safe from any outside invaders, and to build up local wealth.

### The Snakes

The Snakes consists of elves and the more wealthy of the humans wanting to focus on trade and diplomacy with the smaller nations around Äelar, they are lenient on corruption laws, being seen as a tool for the rich, yet their ideals of trade could secure future stability and wealth.

### The Birds

The pro-Azan faction, consisting of the native Azaneese of the area, intellectuals and religious people following the Azan faith. These want to strengthen ties to the empire, and wish for them to help build a proper local army capable of defending against, and maybe one day even defeating the witchelves.

A remnant of the old days, the captain-governor of Äelar is mostly a ceremonial role. While having no powers, the governor technically is the highest authority of the province, and is the captain of the Azaneese local guard. Thereby the governor is in partial control of the closest thing Äelar'Ra has to a professional armed force.

The rest of the Äelar military comes from a semi-trained militia of archers and light infantry, as well as a small contingent of elven militia cavalry and skirmishers.