Lyria

The typical view a Lyrian might see everyday.

**Lyria**, the capital of the Kingdom of Lyria, is a large fortified city in Korinth located east of Tychon, south of the Tethered Woods, and north of Zephrun.

## Geography

Lyria is built in a fertile valley where the Speared River met the Tethered Woods. The land is rich in soil, making it one of the most agriculturally built cities in Korinth. Having the connection to Hastia Lake they are able to trade to its neighboring countries at ease.

A large meteor hangs above the city suspended in time. It originally was crashing toward the city of Lyria, however several powerful mages were able to halt its descent directly above the city by stopping time itself around it. Through magical means, they built inside the floating rock now named Necesse and created a school for magic initiates to learn and build their craft.

## History

Built by refugees in the early 400s AS fleeing the Sacking of the North, they found a fertile valley full of life and opportunities. They built a settlement along the Speared River, fishing and farming until more and more settled. Soon it became large enough that feral monsters from the Tethered Woods wrecked havoc to nearby livestock. A wall was erected, and soon even more flocked to the fertile valley.

In the Year of the Beasts, 842 AS, Lyria was infiltrated by extremists of the Animist Cult. They let loose wild monsters and creatures inside the city, killing and destroying innocents and all that they held dear to them. This led to a ban on the Animist Cult as a whole. Now, they must do it in secret lest they wish a death sentence if found out.

In 1002 AS, the famous paladin sect Order of the Black Rose established their first chapter house inside Lyria. They protected the roads and lands, bringing a boon to trade to the kingdom as a whole.

In 1074 AS, Queen Adrianna, also known as the Bloody Queen, held power during what is known as Reign of the Damned. She ruled with an iron fist, executed all that spoke against her, and introduced new laws reducing nobility's control in the kingdom in order to gain more power for the crown. The Populace Revolution occurred at the end of her reign, led by the Order of the Black Rose. They overpowered the military, dragged her out of her palace, and executed her after she killed the leader of the Order of the Black Rose for defying her commands.

In 1096, the Vostarian Empire in the south invaded the kingdom. They sought to unseat the crown and install a puppet king so they could fully take control of the kingdom. The Vostarian Empire made its way to the city itself, sieging the city for several days before reinforcements from the Kingdom of Zalencia caught them off guard and sent their army into retreat.

In 1209 AS, the current ruler Queen Isabella inherited the crown. Normally this wouldn't be of note, however she is the first of the bloodline to show signs of inheriting magic. This has led to many rumors regarding her legitimacy as none of her parents nor theirs have innate magic.

## Government

The city is ruled by the current royal ruler or their regent when they are not present. They ruled through a Parliament, a group of nobles that decide the laws of the country which gets final say by the ruler. The current ruler, Queen Isabella, is known to be a kind and benevolent leader that has the respect and admiration of her people. She is vigilant, and is well known for her disdain of criminals in the land giving them harsh punishments. Often seen riding her royal griffin Nadia, escaping from her royal duties from time to time to mingle with commoners and drink at their local taverns.

Citizens and adventurers that earn the crown's trust and admiration are heralded into the kingdom with the title Iron Heart of Lyria. Some are even granted land and in special cases nobility.

## Relations

Their culture is diverse and welcoming to all. They consider each creature a loved soul in the family of the gods, and they do their best to treat all with compassion. They openly oppose slavery in the Vostarian Empire, and help any escaping slaves by escorting them to the Broken Chains Guild inside the city giving them a fresh start and a new life.

## Defenses

The city is surrounded by a stout stone wall, shielding all but the southern river side. There are two gates, on the northwest and northeast sides. Inside the eastern wall, a canal served as a partial moat.

Lyria's main defense are the Lyrian Guard, a 2000-strong elite unit of well-equipped, loyal, and close-knit mounted troops. For a city guard, they outmatch the armies of whole realms. They are not only the guards and police of the city, they also patrol the Speared River and surrounding roads, and escort caravans. They maintain guardhouses in the kingdom and warning beacons in the surrounding farmlands.

They are joined by the Order of the Black Rose, a well-armored mounted knighthood of paladins who defend the city and kingdom, swore oaths to the realm and share its goals, even if the members do not all share faith in Oreskos. Courageous, righteous, and zealous, they are proud of their dedication to the cause of good, their clear morals, even their intolerance. They are identified by the flowery insignia of a Black Rose that they wore.

## Law and Order

Well policed by the Order of the Black Rose, Lyria is very safe city for travelers. Its dockside areas are among the safest in Korinth, thanks to their organization, the loyalty of the handlers guild, and the alert Black Rose patrols. The main threat is theft by pickpockets, not mugging by thugs. Otherwise, there are no thieves' guilds. Just rumoring about a possible band of thieves was enough to see one interrogated by zealous Black Roses. Nevertheless, "Pinch" runs his own small gang there and stole the A*mulet of the Dawnbreaker* from the Temple of the Dawnlord.

The city is much stricter than most and even bad language and irreverent humor can draw the ire of authorities. Lyria's laws were rigid, intolerant, and persecuted evil with inquisitorial zeal, leading to a host of problems. Those who broke the law three times are sent to the Dungeon of the Inquisitor. Here, they are punished and set to work mining new tunnels. The inmate population was always being replenished. Nevertheless, it remains the safest city in the land.

## Trade

Lyria is the farming center of the kingdom and thrives on the trade that passes through its domain. It is commonly rated as the second-most economically powerful city in Korinth after Andros and it is quite wealthy. Linking overland caravan and river barge trades, it also serves as a market for farms on fertile fields and the banks of Hastia Lake. Thousands of cattle and sheep are assembled in Lyria every year for trade across Korinth. Traders greatly appreciate the protection afforded them by the Order of the Black Rose; caravans and convoys of riverboats choose routes through the Kingdom of Lyria's zone of control so they can relax their own security, if only for a day or two. Summer sees the peak of trade through the city.

Its primary exports are livestock and the products of them, namely meat, cheese, leatherwork, wool, and glues rendered from hooves and horns. Equipment shops in the city have moderate availability of goods. Lyria supplies fabric and leather to Enzo's Emporium, which traded clothing and shoes. Lyrian Grey is the premier cheese of Lyira, and was also sold through Enzo's Emporium, though counterfeits under similar names are produced.

There are a guild of handlers who take care of loading and unloading goods, both on the wagons and on the docks. They are faithful and assist the streetsellers.

## Culture and Society

It is said that every boy and girl of Lyria and the lands around dreamed of being a Black Rose some day, even those whose talents lay in the intellectual more than the martial arts. To call such a child a "hellion" was not an insult but a compliment, marking one as having the courage and drive to ride the Rose's warhorses. Though they don't all get special training, Lyrians are practically raised in the saddle, learning how to ride and growing familiar with how horses behaved in any situation, even those that never became Black Roses. The downside is that, rightly or wrongly, some folk think Lyrians always smelled of horse.

In turn, all true warriors of Lyria are most likely Black Roses. Those who resigned are stripped of their gear, exiled from the city, and named a heretic in the eyes of Oreskos for abandoning their post. Many members of the Black Rose die in mounted combat due to their stubborn reliance with horses.

Lyrian wizards, meanwhile, are safer in the saddle, being skilled at attacking from their mounts. They are much more capable of avoiding or resisting attacks while mounted than they on foot, being less able to react fast enough.

Often overlooked in the city's commercial success, Lyrian rogues were themselves merchants and traders. They are charismatic, talented in subtle negotiations and driving slick bargains, and skilled in appraising items. However, fighting is bad for business, and Lyrian rogues make poor and less-resilient combatants.

Instead, as a legal outlet for the poor, desperate, unruly, maladjusted, or just violent citizens, there is the Honorable Griffin Heroes' Guild. This adventuring band make regular expeditions to the Abandoned Plains "scouring" whatever they found. They also tutor each other and other adventurers.

Lyrian citizens often dream of joining Lyrian's honor-bound knighthood. This time, many succeed. Inspired by the Guard and the Black Rose, the folk of Lyria are typically devout in both their faith and the pursuit of justice. Both troops are loved and respected by the people. Lyria is known as a holy city to Oreskos and his worship is almost mandatory.

## Description

The city is split into two districts: an upper city known as the Noble District and a lower city known as the Dock District. The Noble District spreads over the slopes of a rising, defensible hill with a rocky cliff on its south side, where it meets The Spear. In this crowded space, the buildings are constructed of stone, with tall narrow houses topped with spires and bedecked with balconies and windows, and the cobbled streets are narrow, steep, and winding. Their cellars are dug out of the solid rock. This area is home to the city's nobility. Atop the cliff overlooking the river is the Honor Hall, marked by its soaring turrets and its walls encircling the summit. This is where the King and Queen live, government is based, bureaucracy is managed, political and religious leaders are housed, and large commercial meetings are held.

The Dock District, meanwhile, covers the flatlands around. It is home to markets, stockyards, and warehouses, as well as wagon-makers and yards and officers of other trades associated with caravans. It is dirty, disorderly, and smelly, with buildings designed only for function and business. In the east side, it is known for hovels and warehouses clustered around the docks. In the west side there are tidier and more well-off homes and shops, and the area is more often being called Westerly to distinguish it as cleaner and more prosperous than the east side. Those in the east think those in the west are lazy, soft, arrogant, and pretentious.

The city is not all utilitarian. The Garden, also known as "the Winter Garden" in local songs and stories, runs right through the middle of the city along the ridge of the hill, long, straight, and narrow "like the blade of a naked sword", in the words of Kalim the Winter Bard. It begins at the High Hall, where a powerful freshwater spring rises in the cellars and feeds a stream that winds through the Garden and guarantees the city's water supply, before spilling over a cliff in the north called Maiden's Leap, forming cascades that joined the canal. The Garden is an open space of woods and flowers, crossed by paths and arched bridges but keeping a wild beauty in wintertime. Lyrains enjoy meeting one another here. The wealthiest citizens of the Noble District have their houses nearest the Garden.

The canal begins at Maiden's Leap in the north and runs east and south within the walls before joining the Speared River. It forms a partial moat for defense and a passage for barges servicing the eastern Dock District. Four bridges cross it. The canal is crossed by Maiden's Bridge just north of the cascades.

Lyria is home to two major temples: Orseskos' Shieldhall and the High Harvest Home. Thanks to the Queen's patronage, the fortress-like Shieldhall is both the most influential temple in the city and one of the strongest temples of Oreskos, God of Justice and Protection, in the North. High Shield Rafael Kais rules it with an iron fist and is aggressive in defense of the Oreskian faith. The High Harvest Home, meanwhile, is dedicated to Xenagos, the Grain Goddess, and was managed by Raulia Fleura. Both provide aid and shelter to the faithful. Another is the Temple of the Dawnlord, dedicated to Iora, and the secret Temple of the Animists There were also a few shrines, to Haroun, the Crying God; Hastia, Lord of Battles (the Hand That Swings the Sword); Lhasa, Lady Luck; and Hyrax, the Merchant's Friend. The city's official faith is in Oreskos the True, the state religion of Lyria, and it is ruled by its high priest, the High Judge of Oreskos. However, the people commonly worship any god besides the Animists. The "grand cemetery" lays in the westernmost past of the city, within the walls. Surrounded by a brass fence and gate 10 feet, it hold gravestones, statues, monuments, and mausoleums for the departed; a ossuary below ground; and a chapel dedicated to Iora, Oreskos, and Skophos. It is a beautiful place, being filled with grass and flowers.

Queen Isabella decreed that inns and taverns could not operate under the same roof, nor could inns serve drinks, so in Lyria these are distinctly different businesses. The better inns stand in the High District, but are simply converted houses and often several neighboring houses linked into one. Those in the Dock District are simpler, not to mention noisier, but are usually the only accommodations available in summer during the trade season. Inns and taverns are generally good in quality. A Pair of Black Antlers is the best-known tavern, and a favorite of adventurers.

Renée's Market is held within a town square, actually more of an egg-shape, in the eastern Dock District. It is known for crammed stalls. There are a number of farmers' markets.

## Notable Locations

Government Buildings
Honor Hall
Dungeon of the Inquisitor
Temples & Shrines
Oreskos' Shieldhall
High Harvest Home
Temple of the Animist
Temple of the Dawnlord
Hand That Swings the Sword
Inns
Black Gryphon
Dwarf's Pot Inn
Gallowgar's Inn
Hondakar's House
Phontyr's Unicorn
Oar and Wagonwheel Inn
Symbril's House
Taverns
A Pair of Black Antlers
The Bent Helm
The Glowing Goblet