Liante

**Liante** was a Night Elf kingdom in Midland. Its population was primarily Night Elves, and acted as a sanctuary for Demonspawn following the War for Midland. Liante was ruled by a monarchy with a single queen ruling over the kingdom for life, known as the Tar'Liante or Spider Queen. Liante once spread from the center of Midland to the eastern shores, but shrunk following a heavy defeat in the War for Midland. Liante now sits in between the Savage Lands and the Aranian Empire, from the Hilon Lake to the eastern shoreline. Its capital city is Lun, located on the north side of Hilon lake in the foothills of the Bordermonts.

## History

Liante is one of the oldest Kingdoms in Midland. It was sometime around 14,000 DC, when the Night Elves rebelled against the Purebloods under the leadership of the first Tar'Liante. Liante warred with the tribes of Orks and goblins until a peace pact was made, in which Liante would train worthy Orks and goblins to properly use magic, an agreement which lasted thousands of years.

Liante expanded, engaging in multiple wars that would lead to the enslavement of elves and a genocide of species that were not elven. The conquest would lead to the Kingdom of Liante’s borders spreading across a majority of the southeastern lands of Midland.

## Government

The government of Liante is based entirely around the Tar'Liante, or Spider Queen. It is believed the Tar'Liante is reincarnated every 400 years as a young female Night Elf. This has led to Liante only ever having female rulers, a tradition that has had ripples throughout its society. Females are seen as equal, if not more important than males in Liante, and thus the ruling powers are largely matriarchal in nature.

The Tar'Liante's rule is totalitarian, and she is the final determinate in all things. Directly below the Tar'Liante is a panel of female Night Elves appointed by their communities, along with a separate group of oracles. The oracles are a small circle of female Night Elf mages, who are responsible for seeking the next Tar'Liante. These two ruling bodies represent the spiritual and physical powers of law, with the ultimate decisions made by the Tar'Liante by their guidance.

Laws and commandments from the Tar'Liante are carried out by more localized rulers, male and female rulers of towns and cities throughout the kingdom. These are highly coveted positions, as the leaders of towns and cities gain the possibility to be appointed to the ruling body of the Liante government.

### Transition of Power

The transition of power from the current Tar'Liante to the next is a brutal and ancient tradition. Every 400 years, when the next Tar'Liante is discovered by the Oracles, the process begins to train and educate the potential Tar'Liante. She is pushed to the brink both mentally and physically, culminating in a fight to the death with the current Tar'Liante. The no-holds-barred fight takes place near the shores of Lake Hilon, a ways away from civilization in order to prevent needless destruction of property. However, it is common for observers to become casualties of the combat, as the Tar'Liante is typically one of incredible magical prowess and capability.

## Culture

The people of Liante are primarily Night Elves, with a small population of Demonspawn. Other races of elves are kept as slaves, with a small fraction gaining a limited freedom within Liante society under various circumstances. Over the years, Liantians have grown in their hatred towards the rest of Midland civilization, specifically towards Aranians, who they view as one of the greatest threats to their ways of life.

Night Elves in Liante are quite free and liberal, and equality among the sexes is skewed in favor of females, but largely remains equal.

### Dress

Liantian fashion focuses on the subtlety of dress and dark colors. Much of their clothing is woven from spider silks, specially treated in a secret process that makes the fibers as tough as cotton and far more soft. The upper classes tend to wear little leather, and wear smooth, dark, expertly woven gowns and dresses of Liantian Silk. Men and women alike veil their faces, and often wear elaborate silk cloaks with woven images akin to a tapestry.

The middle classes wear much more leather, with smaller pieces of silk clothing. The poor and lower classes often must sew their own clothing, and are found with distinctly shorter hair styles.