The Republic of Montclaire

## Montclaire

The flag of the Republic of Montclaire

Although the province of Montclaire is the smallest, and least inhabited, among the three regions that make up the world of

Toussaint, its rule is by no means the weakest. Montclaire has been ruled as a **magistocratic republic** for centuries. This means that each relevant cultural *peoples* of Montclaire (e.g. the wood-elves of the *Lucent Glade*, or the high elves of *Ghelden*) elect among them the most talented mages and witches to represent their voices in the ***the Convocation***, the governing political body of Montclaire as a whole. This congregation of the wisest of elves decide the fate of the republic and seek primarily to maintain the strong connection between nature and elf within their society.

## Notable Locations

* **Ghelden** *(Capital)*
* **Arlevaux**
* **Charlevière**
* **The Lucent Glade**

## Environment

### Climate

The climate of the Republic of Montclaire is similar to that of the South-East of France in our own world. The closer to the Fine Line that you get, the warmer it is and the more vegetation there is, generally. The further North you get, the colder it gets; and it happens fast. Vast swaths of tundra of the largely unexplored region of Oxhem lie beyond the frontier of Charlevière, providing too harsh a climate for any settler to venture forth towards.

Montclaire's forests are a mix of a plethora of different wild-growth and trees, often coloured soft autumn-colours all year round, lined by the golden-yellow grasses that cover the entirety of the *Vermillion Meadows* of Montclaire. But most iconically are the *rust mountains* that carve their way through the region and defend it from the cold ever-winter air from up North. These reddish-brown, almost copper-coloured mountains can be seen from anywhere in Montclaire and serve as gentle giants, protectors of sorts, to the elves that call Montclaire home.

#### Orichalcum

No one knows exactly why they are such a vibrant copper-colour, but many alchemists believe that it has something to do with the mystical crystalline rock that are found deep beneath the earth, specifically beneath the capital of Ghelden. These red and purple crystal-formations, known as orichalcum to the Montclairoise, are deeply magical in essence; shown perhaps by the fact that underground clusters of Orichalcum appear to cause the soil above to curl slightly in strange ways, creating beautiful patterns of natural crop-circles and mandela's in the copper-like soil.

### The Fine Line

The once so beautiful borderlands known as the Fine Line are little more than ruins and barren fields today. There are rumours of its slow, yet steady revival, which have sparked a movement of hopeful Montclairoise youth near Arlevaux to prepare themselves for a second war with the Empire.

The Fine Line was once a beautiful and blossoming natural region of largely untouched fields, except for the Dorenese and **Montclairoise** farmers that settled there harmoniously. It served as a large stretch of land that stood for the century-long peace between the regions of Toussaint, as well as a physical buffer between the culturally vastly different civilisations of elves and men.

In 1379, a terrible plague that would later come to be known as the Cobalt Plague broke out on the Fine Line, near the Dorenese Melchior Becker's farm. The plague would spread through the vegetation of the region and would ravage the borderlands in the years to come. The Cobalt Plague and destruction of the Fine Line, including the heightened racial tensions that followed, ultimately led to the breaking of the century-long peace and the start of the Great War in 1380.

*"Without a sound,*

*This hallowed ground*

*Sings song of loss and woe.*

*Yet ash and grime*

*Shall due decline*

*And from it, rust will show."*

**- An elven rhyme**

## Culture & Society

### Demograpics

The province of Montclaire is primarily inhabited by elves, although there are some outliers. Defectors from the Alberean Empire's ranks sometimes find a new home on the other side of the Fine Line. These individuals often either harness a great hatred for their former empire, or are simply too desperate to not cross the borderlands, for to get Montclairoise to trust a human outsider is no small feat to accomplish. Those successful often live silent lives among the elven communities of the Republic.

During the Great War of 1380-1385, the population of Montclaire has decreased significantly as many lives were lost. The Republic is still recovering.

### Religion

In contrary to Doren (which is culturally largely atheistic) and **Alberea** (whose population primarily believe in the deistic Faith of the Chant), the Montclairoise have a much more complex relation with religious belief. Many of the elves of Montclaire believe in, and practice a form of worship focused on ancestral spirits.

It is commonly believed that once an elven body passes and withers, the soul is released and scattered to the winds for eternal rest. However, the part of the soul that embodied mortal emotion is left behind, too chaotic and wilful to simply cease to exist. These aspects of the ancester's soul 'imprint' itself on the land and animals around it as a sort of *memory* of those long past. In this way, the Montclairoise ancester-worship is a worship of the natural world and communion with it.

#### Paragons

The most impressive of elves, often powerful mages who have carved the rivers of history, are called paragons by the elves of Montclaire. It is said that their final resting places are vistas of great, lingering magic. Paragons are heralded as heroes of old by the Montclairoise and worshipped as saints. Some of the most well-known paragons include:

* **Cyrielle** ('*the Sovereign Seed*'), who brokered peace on the Fine Line that lasted for centuries.
* **Innora** ('*the Kindled Architect*'), who constructed the famous *Orrery of Kindling* in Ghelden.
* **Arzhel** ('*the Violet Thane*'), who founded the Delphine Division and trained its members.
* **Lathandre** ('*the Morninglord*'), who first harnessed the power of *Orichalcum* to create artifacts of power.

## Military

The military forces of Montclaire look vastly different when compared to those of both Doren and Alberea. It holds relatively few foot soldiers, yet (seeing as elves are born with innate magical talents) a great number of arcanists and military specialists that have learned to bend the power of the land to their will over the course of centuries. Montclaire's standing army has also always been much smaller in comparison to that of the Alberean Empire, but also that of the old Doren, seeing as elves reproduce at a much slower rate than humans.

### The Hemlock.

    As the main line of defense for the Montclaire border and its cities, though mostly relying on physical prowess and combat training, the Hemlock enjoy a double-sided notoriety and renown. On the one hand, they are upheld by many to be the hands that have kept out human invaders for all elven history. On the other, they are often seen as 'lesser than' to the other, more magically gifted, divisions of the Republic's military. The Hemlock serve as the Republic's common forces on the borderlands of the Fine Line, as well as the official guard of Montclaire cities and watchpoints.

Hemlock soldiers typically wear long wine-red and magenta uniforms that cover chain- or scale mail suits to protect them while still allowing for agile movement, as well as a large feathered hat in similar colours. Hemlock-preferred weaponry typically consists of flamberge greatswords or similarly wave-bladed longswords, yet rarely carry shields to accompany them into combat. The Hemlock are capable of magic, like all elves, to some extent. They are known to weave small bursts of spells in between strikes, commonly such spells as '*Green-Flame Blade*', '*Fire Bolt*', and '*Mold Earth*'.

### The Delphine Division.

This long-disbanded order of elven knights and arcanists used to constitute a major part of Montclaire's forces. They were a group of specialists renowned for their skills in espionage and stealth, as well as their reputation for overwhelmingly swift assaults that would leave enemy forces unaware of what hit them. The order of the Delphine fulfilled a much more specific purpose as a division within the Republic's military than the Hemlock, as they were only called upon by the *convocation* for specific tasks of great import (such as the uprooting of a suspected group of insurgents).

The Delphine were largely feared by Alberean Empire soldiers during the great war, as they had a reputation as monsters lurking in the shadows of the woods, able to strike at any minute. This fear did not help them, for many squadrons of Alberean soldiers died at the hands of Delphine blades during the war.

However, the Delphine were permanently disbanded when the Treaty of Arlevaux was signed as part of the negotiations. It was Emperor Solidor II that demanded this fact, as he believed the Delphine to have started the Cobalt Crisis in a cunning plot.

Delphine soldiers typically wore cobalt blue and magenta suits of piecemail armour and leather, covered by a black cloak. Weaponry varied widely between members of the division, depending on personal preference. Delphine arcanists were known to wield such magic as that of '*Disguise Self*', '*Invisibility*', and '*Thunder Step*'.