Kingdom of Enroth

The **Kingdom of Enroth**, or more simply just **Enroth** or the **Griffin Kingdom**, is one of the westernmost realms to occupy Antagarich and among the most powerful, being viewed by many as the contrasting power to the Lanthyrian Empire in central Antagarich.

Enroth borders the open seas to the west and south, the kingdom of Kercer and the vast Andals and Alders to the north, and shares a long eastern border with the elvish kingdom of Ard'oril, the dwarven clans of Mahakam, dryad-queendom of Ard Gwyncaed and the kingdom of Vatania, the latter two of which are separated from Enroth by the Gwynloc river (*Gwynloc* meaning white river in elvish and the dryad dialect).

## Terminology

The name "Griffin Kingdom" is owed to the vast population of griffins that dwell in the highland regions in the interior of the country, but since the ascescion of the Gryffinhearts to the throne it has taken on a more dynastic meaning, with the royal house often called the House of the Griffin, owing to their long and proud history of taming and mounting wild griffins, their sigil and the name of their ancestral seat: Gryphon Hill, located in the eastern edge of the Blue mountains in a narrow valley surrounded by griffin roosting and mating grounds.

## History

*Enrothian history follows the western-style system of eras, namely the Dawn Era, First Era, Second Era, Third Era and (current) post-Cataclysm Fourth Era. The eras can be divided into individual periods and ages, such as the Age of the First Men. The Dawn Era is unmentioned in the following,*

### Ancient History - First Era

It is theorised that western Antagarich was first populated by beastfolk, lizardfolk, halflings, gnomes, spirits and nymphs (dryads, godlings, lilits, etc), prior to the arrival of the elves and dwarves. Goblins, kobolds, orcs and other such monstrous races are believed to have also inhabited Antagarich around the time. Dragons are said to have been here "since forever," although it is unknown if they originate in the dragon mountains or if the region owes its name to the dragon population that migrated there at some point.

#### Landing of the White Ships

The elves believe their ancestors came aboard white ships during *Agwetheill* (The Opening in elvish), crossing through great portal gates - Ard Gaeth - that opened up in the seas of western Antagarich. The ships were led by an elvish sorceress and goddess known only as *Aen Dearinn aep Gwynsoitheach* (Lady of the White Ships), she led the armada through the portals from the waters of the elves' original homeland following an unknown reckoning referred to as *Cáerme Deireadh* (Destined End). The elves led by the goddess settled on the coasts of western Antagarich and migrated further inland over time, coming in contact with beastfolk, lizardfolk, halflings and others.

According to related legends, the elves eventually split from one another and some ventured as far as the eastern coast of modern-day Lanthyria, those that settled there became the pre-Lanthyrian *Faeinn Seidhe* (Sun Elves). It is theorised that these now extinct elves were related to the *Caed Seidhe* (Wood Elves), although may have shared some cultural ties to the *Dorch Seidhe* (Dark Elves), who are known to have worshipped the sun and moon as well. It is often theorised that the Lady of the White Ships was one of the *Ard Seidhe* (High Elves), but she may have as well been a wood elf.

#### Arrival of Dwarves

Dwarves are said to have came from the mountains of the distant northeast, potentially the mountain ranges in the interior of modern-day and northern Lanthyria. They came in great number and with determination, establishing colonies in the hills and highlands east and west of the river Jealousy, moving further west with time and fighting great many wars against mountainous beastfolk, kobolds and orcs, driving them westwards, following behind them and repeating the processes until they eventually reached the Andals and Alders, and the northern Dragon mountains. Upon coming in contact with the great orcish kingdoms of the region, the dwarves launched a colonial campaign for the mountains and pushed not only the orcs, but also great many goblins, west and south, uprooting them from their homes and establishing many mountain clans and strongholds.

Years later, dwarven splinter groups would migrate further west to the mountains of Reimoras, south to Mahakam, and north into the dragon mountains and the Bones, where they would come to fight wars against dragons and kobolds.

#### Great Goblin Migration

As a result of dwarven conquests in the Andals and Alders, goblins were forced to migrate on mass southwards and westwards, coming through elvish and beastfolk realms and tribes in great numbers and sacking great many settlements on their journey away from the dwarves.

#### Dragon Migration

As a result of dwarven conquests in the Dragon mountains, many dragons migrated from the region to other parts of Antagarich. Notably: green dragons settled and formed an alliance with the elves of Ar'oril who were, at the time, embroiled in a war against dwarves of the east; golden dragons migrated to the far southeast to modern-day Sicair, possibly led by great Sicairzement or his ancestor; many blue dragons fled south and settled in the Blue mountains, which were populated by small numbers of non-dwarven races, notably bear-like beastfolk and spirits.

#### Great Exodus and Advent of Man

4,000 years after the arrival of elves through portals aboard their white ships and roughly 1,000 years after the Dragon Migration, human exiles and settlers from the continent of Jadame - or perhaps a continent near Jadame - arrived upon western Antagarich. It must be noted that this was not a singular invasion, but rather a prolonged migration over hundreds of years that saw humans assimilate, procreate and wage war upon the races of Antagarich, expanding their dominion across the continent for generations. It must also be noted that not all humans are believed to have originated in Jadame, over the hundreds of years of migration many of the distinct human cultures that would come to develop and the many tribes would come to originate from settlers, exiles and arrivals from lands such as Ghiscair, Hannu, Sangvebar and elsewhere.

### Second Era

The Second Era began directly following the Great Exodus that began the wars of human expansion that ushered in the Age of the First Men, some 4,000 years after the Landing of the White Ships. This period of history is the longest period of recorded history and the first segment of human history in what would become Enroth thousands of years later, but as with all ancient histories, it is based entirely on stories, folk tales and legends told and retold countless times over countless generations.

#### Age of the First Men (2E0 - 2E2000)

The Age of the First Men refers to a two-thousand year period following the Great Exodus that saw humans gradually settle further east, north and south across Antagarich, as far as the lands of modern-day Fabiola and Lanthyria, and even into the desert dunes and scalding canyons of the Sicairi interior. During this time, distinct human cultures would emerge independently of each other, many taking influences from the elves, halflings, gnomes and beastfolk in the process. Over a millennium, human dominion would come to cover most of Antagarich, from the shores of the west to the east, much of the distant lands of the south and north, and the many islands surrounding the continent.

### Third Era

#### Unification of Enroth (3E560 - 3E660)

The disjointed kingdoms and polities of western Antagarich were unified over the course of a century by Roland Harlaus and, later, his successor, Edward Harlaus, between 3E560 and 3E660 through a series of wars and marriage-pacts. House Harlaus would continue to rule a united Enroth until they were deposed during the Ascension War by House Gryffinheart and their allies.

#### Ascension War (3E759 - 3E763)

House Gryffinheart ascended to the throne in the late third era, 237 years prior to the Cataclysm, on 3E763, following a civil war that deposed the ruling royal Harlaus dynasty. The war began after it was uncovered that Roland III Harlaus was a demon worshipper and cannibal, and that his two wives were practitioners of necromancy.

#### The Cataclysm (3E1000 - 0AC)

When the Cataclysm occurred, Enroth, and much of western Antagarich (but also the rest of Antagarich, in varying intensity), was made subject of immense magical anomalies that distorted the very fabric of the world. It was during the Cataclysm that many "unnatural" beings, such as ghouls and rotfiends, first appeared and magic as a whole intensified. It is also widely believed that the Cataclysm is what granted sapience to goblins and hobgoblins, and allowed for increased demonic and spirit activity in the world. The Cataclysm is widely used as the basis for the theory of many worlds. The theory states that because the Cataclysm had trapped creatures from other worlds in this one, there must be other worlds and maybe it is possible to travel between them.

### Fourth Era

#### Reign of Nicholas I (43AC - 88AC)

King Nicholas I Gryffinheart continued his father's work by implementing many reforms and finishing the unification of Enrothian law into the Books of Law, he also abolished slavery universally throughout the realm in 66AC.

### Reign of Oswald I (104AC - 154AC)

Between 112AC and 116AC, Enroth subjugated the various clans and pirate lords of the Shields, ending generations of Shieldsmen piracy in the seas and along the southern coast, however once word reached the High King of the Black Islands that their cousins in the north had been conquered, he amassed an armada of hundreds of longships and thousands of warriors and sailed north for Enroth. High King Caladog's Armada of 119AC did not retake the Shields, but it succeeded in sacking the island of Evenstar, various towns on the southern coast - notably Seagate and Rowan - and burned much of the royal fleet docked in Oxenfurt, plundering the lower levels of the city before returning back to the Black Islands. A splinter force of the armada sailed north along the Shaned as far as Lordsport and sacked nearby villages and hamlets, although could not mount an attack on Lordsport itself and was forced to return southwards. There were numerous rebellions launched in the Shields in response to the proselytising conducted by the Faith and Enrothian occupation throughout the rest of Oswald I's reign, some more successful than others.

#### Reign of Oswald II the Honourable (266AC - 282AC)

During Oswald II's reign, a man under the name of Yoren the Twice-Drowned declared himself the priest-king of the Shields and launched a rebellion on the islands of Greyiron and Blacktyde in 270AC. The rebellion was quickly put down entirely by loyalist Shieldsmen led by Balon Wyk of House Wyk, the Lord-Reaper of Kaer Fhajen, who sailed for Greyiron and Blacktyde with "a thousand swords" and put the priest-king and thousands of his followers to death, sending the pickled head of the rebel to the king as he, the royal army and navy were gathering near Oxenfurt in preparation for an invasion of the rebelling islands. Oswald II, impressed with Balon's ability and quick action, granted him one boon of his choosing. Balon, hoping to prove himself as a true son of the Drowned God after he had put down what was, in essence, rebels of the Drowned God, asked that the king allow him to expel all priests, priestesses, paladins and clerics of the Faith on the Black Islands. Oswald II, being an honourable man beyond fault, did not refuse, and in 272AC all elements of the Faith were expelled and torn down. Largely unbeknownst to the king, Balon Wyk ordered hundreds of followers of the Faith be put to the sword after they launched a short-lived uprising on Kaer Fhajen.

#### Reign of Renfri I and the Crisis of the 4th Century (320AC - 357AC)

Renfri I Gryffinheart, the Blood-Queen, (born Renfri Stone of Darklyn) succeeded her father, Edmund VII, in 320AC after he was assassinated by the Necromantic Order. She was legitimised a year prior but had been living in a noble court in Lordsport from 310AC, when she was first discovered at the age of ten during Edmund VII's effort to find and locate all his bastards. In her youth, she was knighted and trained at Lordsport by the Master-at-Arms, quickly proving her martial prowess and keen mind for warfare, being granted her first command over a 60 strong force at the age of 16. By the time she was 20, Renfri was already held command over 360 men-at-arms and was advised by an experienced sellsword captain, a Sicairi-born alchemist and pyromancer, a dwarven explorer and a number of experienced knights, among them the mysterious and unmasked Knight of the Falling Star. Quite controversially, she bore a coat of arms identical to the Gryffinheart sigil but with the colours reversed (blue griffin on a chequered blue-white field) before she had been legitimised in 319AC, later adopting it as her personal sigil when she was legitimised and permitted to carry the royal sigil.

When she was crowned in 320AC, the realm was tittering with paranoia as the Necromantic Order - a foul and outlawed cult of necromancers - was operating at a vast scale and was raising armies of undead in secret. Her father, both trueborn brothers and four bastard siblings were all assassinated by agents of the necromancers, leaving Renfri as the eldest - and only legitimised - heir to the late Edmund VII. With the support of the Hand of the King, Roland Stokeworth, and the backing of key council members and the Marshal of the Army, Renfri was named Renfri Gryffinheart, First of Her Name, Queen of Enroth and the Griffins, in the summer of 320AC. Her reign is remembered as a harsh time in Enroth's history because of the wide-scale conflict that wrecked the realm. Renfri herself is remembered as an absent ruler and skilled commander, more concerned with matters of war than ruling from Steadwick, which she left primarily in the hands of her Hand. Her title of Blood-Queen was granted posthumously, intended neither as a compliment nor insult, but a mere highlight of her blood-soaked reign and the troubles that plagued the realm.

Renfri I was buried in the Temple of Faenya, the Goddess of war, by her son, Nicholas, following her death of old age. She was buried in full steel armour alongside her blade, *Heartbreaker*, and her funeral was attended by tens of thousands of people.

#### Reign of Nicholas II the Wise (357AC - 400AC)

King Nicholas II Gryffinheart, remembered as the Wise, began his reign in the ending stages of the Crisis of the 4th Century. Nicholas II assumed the throne following his mother's death in 357AC from old age. Unlike his mother, Nicholas possessed a learned and academic mind, and approached his role as monarch with a very intellectual step, preferring duties of the court and council to leading armies and brigades against Enroth's enemies, instead entrusting this task entirely to the officers and commanders of the Royal Army and the knights of the realm. Nicholas II was a progressively-minded ruler and oversaw the increase in the rights of non-human inhabitants of Enroth and the persecution of the Humanists, a cult dedicated to the extermination of all non-humans in the kingdom, and issued the Land Reform Decree of 572AC, which seized the lands and estates of many nobles and guilds accused of mistreating non-human subjects and granted them to his court allies and lesser houses.

He was the first ruler to place significant effort into improving education in the realm, heavily funding the realm's existing academies and establishing schools in smaller towns, he also brokered an agreement with the Citadel of Sorcerers and Enrothian military-religious orders to send out travelling teachers across the realm to bring studies and education to rural communities. He invited in a number of eastern exiles and granted them modest estates in return for them introducing theories of evolution into the country's mainstream scholarly fields, and also brought in scholars from the Sicair to enhance Enrothian study of dragons. During his reign, the Royal Academy and Adventurer's Guild launched expeditions into the distant realms such as Mag Turga. Using funds seized from the Humanists, Nicholas II also funded extensive research into medicine and invited many expert surgeons from Sydia and Sicair to tutor in the Royal Academy.

#### Reign of Edmund VIII (400AC - 438AC)

In 402AC, Edmund VIII ordered the massacre of all Lanthyrian professors and their students in the Royal Academy, but refrained from destroying their scholarly works.

#### Reign of Morgan I (438AC - 468AC)

In 440AC, Morgan I brokered an agreement with the Enrothian-Lanthyrian families residing in Steadwick to permit them to establish a chapter of the Cult of the Great Sun in eastern Enroth if they agreed to vacate Steadwick and swear oaths of fealty to the crown.

#### Recent Events

King Henry II Gryffinheart ascended to the throne in 538AC at the age of 17, shortly after his father, Nicholas III Gryffinheart died while hunting. He inherited a tumultuous realm plagued by growing racial animosity, religious terrorism and political intrigue. His position is threatened both by political rivals, but also by his young age and the fact he is not yet a griffin rider, as no royal griffin would allow itself to be tamed by him yet. King Tommen's reign has, thus far, been uneventful, and guided both by his Queen-Mother, Cersei, and his late-father's closest ally and friend, the current Hand of the King, Robert Stokeworth. It is believed by many that the Queen-Mother and Hand are at constant odds, vying over influence over the young king in an attempt to sway him one way or another.

Animosity between humans, beastfolk and humanoids has continued to grow, with instances of both sides attacking the other. Animosity boiled over in 536AC when two human thieves were hung by beastfolk members of the City Watch, igniting the 536AC Steadwick Riots which resulted in over a thousand deaths at the hands of the rioters when they began archaically setting fire to beastfolk homes and slaughtering civilians in the streets and alleys. The riots were put down violently by the City Watch, resulting in several hundred dead rioters. The brutal suppression led to animosity growing, and continued deterioration of the reputation of the Steadwick City Watch in the eyes of the human population of the city. Religious tensions between the Church of the Sacred Flame, extremist and moderate elements of the Faith continue to grow, causing tit-for-tat violence between the groups, which is only furthered by religious terrorism conducted by worshippers of the Nine Children and Lucius, the God of defiance.

## Geography

### Fauna

Plant-life in Enroth is not dissimilar to the one found in the rest of western Antagarich, with a few notable exceptions. In the majority of the human-occupied western continent, dryad-trees such as those found in the Ard Gwyncaed and parts of Ard'oril are entirely gone, having been felled centuries ago and purposed for furniture, construction and weapons because of their natural resistance to fire, immunity to rotting, solidity and strength. In Enroth there are still isolated groves of such trees, usually in vicinity to the dryad-Queendom across the Gwynloc river but also elsewhere, such as in the far and isolated north where centaurs, ents and faeries are still known to coexist in comparatively large populations. Ancient forests are found throughout Enroth, some largely undisturbed and still teeming with rare creatures and beings such as godlings, lilits, centaurs and ents, but the number of such woods has steadily decreased over centuries.

Plants can be found anywhere in Enroth, even in the least hospitable of locations. Flora such as frostberries can be found in the north and in the Andals and Alders, being an important element of local diets, and there are many documented and undocumented species of fungi across the realm, many of which are under the surface in underground cavern networks. Nightshade, silverthorn, moongrass, bloodroot, dragon's tongue, bloodlotus, firethorn, liferoot, gravedust and trethistle are among many notable plants and herbs which can be found in Enroth. Elvish weavegrass can also be found in northern Enroth, particularly near ancient elvish ruins in the vicinity of Gors Carraigh. Dryad bark, not to be confused with the derogatory name for dryad skin and scalps used by scalp-hunters, can be harvested from dryad-trees of the Ard Gwyncaed and used as a natural remedy when properly used, it can also be brewed alongside tea.

### Flora

Wild griffins are known to roost in the Griffin Highlands and in the Blue mountains, but also in the higher ends of the Riverwood highlands. Wolves, bears, deer and wild game are high in number in Enrothian woods and forests.

Dragons inhabit the Andals, Alders and Dragon mountains in the far north, but can be occasionally seen in the Blue mountains near Dragon Point: an ancient dragon burial ground near the northern edge of the mountain range. In the past dragons were far more common but had been hunted down and forced into increased isolation over the last 500 years. Golden dragons, previously believed extinct, were sighted again in Enroth in 360AC, 20 years after their return was prophesised by an elvish oneiromancer from Ard'oril. Among the dragon population of Enroth, one can come across black, white, red, green, blue (or azure), brown and golden dragons, collectively known as "true dragons." One can also come across amethyst, ruby and diamond dragons, although these are much rarer and believed by some to be entirely mythical. Draconids of all types are known to also inhabit Enroth, including wyverns, basilisks, forktails, sea serpents, among others. Basilisks are not native to Enroth, instead having been brought here from Sicair in pre-Catacllysm times and bred for entertainment, until they were eventually released into the wild and became a pest.

Sirens and mermaids are known to inhabit the Celestial Straits below the conflux city of Celeste, as well as the Narrow Sea and and coasts of Enrothian island possessions such as the Shields, Evenstar and Minerva. Sirens are known to nest in jagged rocks off the Enrothian coast, while harpies build their nests in cliffsides and often harass fishermen and coastal explorers. In the past harpies infested the cliffs to the north-east and north-west of Oxenfurt, but their entire population was exterminated prior to the turn of the 6th century. The Siren Charms, a series of jagged rocks and karsts in the Maiden's Sea west of Gors Carraigh and north of Highport, are an epicentre of siren activities, causing sailors to carefully avoid the nearby waters to avoid a terrible fate.

Drowners, water hags and other drowned dead inhabit many of the rivers and lakes, but are especially present in the swamps, marshes and the Shaned riverside near Shaniham and Oxenfurt, making travelling there perilous to inexperienced travellers. Their numbers have steadily declined over the decades, but in the past the abundance of bodies caused by conflict allowed their populations to expand exceptionally. Oxenfurt's citizenry are warned against tossing bodies into the Shaned from the dockside and bridges to prevent increasing the population of drowners and other watery necrophages in the region. Drowners have been known to sometimes appear in sewers and underground catacombs that had flooded. Necrophages often appear in cemeteries and crypts that are rarely visited and where bodies are not buried properly.

Trolls make their homes in many hills and mountains, although their populations have steadily declined with the expansion of human settlement. Some of their species still persist, particularly in the Blue mountains and adjacent highlands, parts of the Alders and Andals - where they tend to live amongst dwarves and orcs - and parts of Mahakam, where much of their race was integrated into dwarven society (usually in the form of thralls) or was driven out. There is a sizeable population of trolls on Minerva, in the cliffs and hills overlooking the settlement of the same name.

The primeval forests of Enroth in the far north are populated by leshens, spriggans and ents, among other woodland creatures and beasts you would have a difficult time finding elsewhere: godlings and faeries in particular. Leshens and spriggans are known to dwell and mark their territory in more southern parts of Enroth, particularly in deep forests and woodlands, like those of the Blue mountain valley or around Smallwind and Blackfall. The two species, although judged by most with the same disdain, are not related, and, although rare, it is possible for a leshen and spriggan to fight one another over territory. Leshens are entirely malevolent creatures, spriggans on the other hand are more in line with neutral, sometimes malevolent, woodland guardians that hunt those that enter their forests. Near the borders with the Ard Gwyncaed one can find the odd ent or faeries, but by this point in time almost all of them had either crossed the Gwynloc river and re-settled into the Ard Gwyncaed, or were exterminated during human, and previously beastfolk and dwarven, campaigns. Protective woodland spirits, such as Kernun, are known to sometimes manifest in areas heavily effected by magic on a basis similar to archespores, but whereas archespores manifest where terrible murders are committed, kernun manifests to protect the magically-effected forest from destruction by the humanoid races, bringing death to all that venture with ill intent. Coming across such a spirit is incredibly rare, but incidents have occurred where entire logging expeditions, sometimes nearby settlements, were destroyed by such spirits after the woodcutters and village folk angered the powers affecting the forest.

Centaurs used to inhabit much of Enroth prior to the advent of beastfolk and man, who - upon arrival - found these forest dwelling creatures an obstacle to their settlement and expansion, leading to lengthy wars against the centaur to drive them out of the forests. Although never truly brought to extinction, unlike certain other wood dwelling races, the centaur were certainly put on the brink and forced into deep isolation in the deepest reaches of isolated Enrothian forests. Today, their population remains limited and hidden, with most scholars and explorers in agreement that there are no notable centaur communities and groupings outside of the primeval forests of the far north and the Ard Gwyncaed. Although some believe that centaurs still live in isolation in the foothills of the Blue mountains alongside spriggans.

Aguaras and other antherions inhabit many parts of Enroth and can sometimes hide in plain sight. They are animals who are able to transform into humanoids or humanoid/animal hybrids. Unlike therianthropes, who are humans or humanoids that are able to shapeshift due to a curse, antherions are a distinct species. Some of them, however, reproduce similarly to cursed creatures – aguaras, for example, are said to be created through the transformation of abducted elven girls.

Lesser vampires dwell in many different parts of Enroth. Alpats often live in urban centres under the guise of prostitutes and ladies of the night, fulfilling their inexplainable succubus-like desire for copulation, and sometimes standing behind great massacres and bloodbaths. Katakans, ekimerra and other lesser vampires in turn are known to dwell in caverns, catacombs, certain woods, hills and so forth, with the odd katakan or ekimerra perhaps dwelling in the sewers of a settlement.

## Government

### Royal Council

The Royal Council, occasionally called the Wise Council of Gathering of the Wise Men, is a small body that advises the King and performs duties assigned to them. Traditionally, council members are appointed either by the King, Lord-Protector of the Realm (during regency) or the Hand of the King, and only the appointed members of the council can attend council meetings - but in practice royal consorts, such as the Queen-Mother Alyssane Gryffinheart, and valued advisors, including lowborn ones or minor nobles, have been known to be appointed as advisors without titles.

* Robert Stokeworth, Hand of the King
* Enid aep Selwyn, court mage and representative of the Citadel of Sorcerers
* Eddard Varner, Lord-Treasurer
* Thomas Payne, Lord-Justiciar
* Ivar Seaworth, Lord-Admiral
* Elias Morvend, Marshal of the Royal Army
* Criston Rowan, Lord-Commander of the Royal Guard
* Pipin Rosegold, representative of the Five Counties
* Morgana Samera, a half-elvish oneiromancer
* Cersei Gryffinheart, Queen-Mother
* Roger Densle, beastfolk representative

### Law and Justice

The oldest single law in Enroth is the King's Peace, issued by King Edward Harlaus I in 3E660 following the end of the Unification of Enroth, began by his father. The King's Peace implemented the penalty of death for vassals of the realm who settled dispute using violence and war. Under the King's Peace, liege lords are to adjudicate disputes of their vassal petty lords or landed knight, while those between the great houses of the realm are to be settled by the throne. Those nobles who go to war without the leave of the monarch are to be considered rebels and traitors to the crown. Although the King's Peace has gradually decreased in significance with the growing centralisation of Enroth in the years following the Cataclysm and reign of Edmund V, the concept still holds strong and the King's Peace is often invoked by royal agents sent to execute the law.

The laws of Enroth have been codified into the Books of Law during Edmund V and Nicholas I's reforms of the early 1st century AC, unifying the previously disconnected and contradictory laws of the land into a multi-volume collection of laws, punishments and penalties for breaking the King's Law. Since its inception, executing the law has been entrusted not to lords and nobles, but rather to the King's magistrates and courts, with the crown exercising oversight over the functions and operations of local judicial bodies and instruments through the Lord-Justiciar and Royal Justiciars. Enrothian law could be considered quite modern, as many old and crude punishments - such as flaying - have largely been phased out, albeit Lanthyrian Imperial law and Sydian civil law are still far more refined in their own ways, although both utilise slavery as a form of punishment.

Slavery was first outlawed in 66AC by King Nicholas I, who viewed the practice as abhorrent and unjustified in the eyes of any morality. By this point in time, slavery amongst humans and demihumans was already non-existent, having been phased out prior to the Cataclysm itself, but it was still prevalent amongst elvish aristocracy and clans which enslaved dwarves, orcs, kobolds, goblins and other monstrous races, and historically enslaved humans and demihumans as well before King Edmund IV bought all human and demihuman slaves from their masters in 3E987. The abolition of slavery in Enroth forced elvish clans to free their slaves, although many refused to do so and launched an insurrection against the crown. By 71AC, the slavers' insurrection had been put down, and all slave masters that had been captured were put to death, although many fled to Ard'oril, where slavery was still a legal practice. Freed slaves were often granted the right to execute their former masters. Although many of the freed races - in particular kobolds and goblins - were seen as little more than animals, and were thus put into reservations or thrown into the wild, although some were found to be useful and were used as labourers on royal estates in conditions only marginally different to the ones they experienced under elvish slavery. Many freed orcs would go onto enlist, finding joy in hunting down their former masters for a wage and lodgings. Following the abolition, the state failed to provide any tangible aid to former slaves to incorporate them into free society which gave way to former slaves turning bandit and brigand, or finding work as sellswords or serfs in conditions not much different to slavery. Roughly a third of all elvish clans in Enroth were toppled or exiled, and the remainder were made considerably poorer.

## Society

### Nobility and Class

In Enroth's society, one is either lowborn or highborn: the former are the majority, ranging from fishermen, farmers and herders to merchants and some knights; and the latter who are members of noble and aristocratic lineages. One cannot gain or lose the status; the exiled and mad Duncan Hellholt is still highborn, as is Alliser Ashford despite having joined and fled with a company of sellswords to avoid execution. Similarly, Sir Victor Appleton is still lowborn, despite holding a title and some lands. His future sons and grandsons, however, will be highborn. Being highborn does not guarantee wealth, one can be born into a noble house but also be destitute while someone can be lowborn but hold immense wealth.

In Enroth's system of nobility, above knights and below the king there are only lords, some greater and some lesser, some sworn to others, but all with the title of lord, except in the case of the Great Houses who hold the title of Lords-Paramount. Lesser and petty lords may be called village lords or town lords, depending on what their estate consists of, or sometimes castellans if they only own a keep or castle.

Mages, regardless of whether they are highborn or lowborn, are extremely privileged, especially if they are experts in their field. Paladins, clerics and healers in general are also very high in the social hierarchy, as druids, hermits and sorcerers. Witches and warlocks are generally dealt with under an air of distrust and are treated with suspicion because of the myths surrounding them and their secretive dealings with otherworldly entities and forbidden magic.

#### Knights

A knight in Enroth is a man or woman who have been awarded with knighthood by the king, a lord or a landed-knight. The title offers prestige and, usually, a place in a lord's court or retinue, and a piece of land to administer. Knights are expected to be protectors of the innocent and weak, and to follow chivalric values and moral codes, although not all do. Lordly houses can be reduced to landed knights as punishment from the crown and knighthood can also be stripped from individuals, through attainder or royal decree. In the past a knight was expected to provide military service to their liege in times of war, but in recent centuries the practice was eroded with the standardisation of the armed forces, although experienced knights are still highly valuable in matters of conflict and often command formations and units, or carry out missions of high importance. In times of peace, knights largely concern themselves with maintaining peace in their lands or the lands of their liege lord, or if they have neither, they may find employ as sellswords or adventurers, or can be called into service by the crown to relieve settlements and communities plagued by evil.

Tieflings could not receive knighthood until the reforms of Edmund V and even in the 6th century it is rare to see it occur. Most tend to deem knighthood a joke and disregard the limited opportunities they have at receiving it, coming from a worldview that there is no glory or honour in serving a crown and lords who actively look down upon them. For this reason most eligible tieflings tend to seek out their fortune as sellswords and hired blades, preferring hunting monsters and demons for gold and silver to receiving a salary for knightly services.

Descendants of Lanthyrian families settled in Enroth during the reign of Nicholas II the Wise have been known to receive knighthood but without estates. Enrothian-Lanthyrian knights are rare, more so than tiefling knights. Most of these families own estates in eastern Enroth and have at least modest wealth to their name, allowing their sons and daughters to arm and style themselves in a manner very similar to knights without actually holding the title and privileges or rights, such individuals often go by the Lanthyrian title "Riedire," which in the Imperial tongue means knight. Enrothian lords and knights are unwilling to grant knighthood or hereditary estates to descendants of Lanthyrians, even if by this point in time they may be Lanthyrian in name only.

Types of knights:

* Landed-knights are knights with a keep and lands of their own. Although members of nobility, and wealthier landed knights might hold more land than the poorest lords do, they rank below in terms of status to lords, including petty lords, but above landless knights. They often have their own coat of arms.
* Knight-without estate, or landless-knights, are knights who do not hold a keep and lands of their own. They rank below landed-knights.
	+ Household knights are knights that hold a position in a lord's court and retinue, but do not own lands or estates. Most landless-knights are household knights, swearing allegiance to their liege lord in return for a salary, protections and a home, in a manner not to dissimilar to sworn-swords.
	+ Hedge knights are so called because they "sleep in the hedges as often as not". They are nearer to common servants than noble knights in the eyes of most lords. They spend their lives riding from keep to keep, taking service with different lords until the lords have no more need for them and send them off. Hedge knights have an unsavoury reputation, and merchants are notoriously mistrustful of them.
	+ Free knights are much like hedge knights, except that they do not seek service with a lord and instead choose to live their lives as protectors of local communities, nomads or sellswords. White Rhea is a notable free knight, she is the captain of a marauding sellsword band.
* Robber knights are knights, often hedge knights or free, who turned to banditry and robbery as a means to get by.

### Demography

The population of Enroth can be measured in the millions, spread out across various villages, towns, holdfasts, keeps and castles, and five cities. Although primarily human, anywhere from one-fifth to a quarter of the population is believed to be comprised of beastfolk and humanoids, in particular elves and dwarves. High concentration of races and cultures is the norm in urban centres such as Steadwick and Oxenfurt. Notable minority populations include tieflings, orcs, lizardfolk and goblins.

There are notable groups and communities of settled-Sicairi missionaries, pilgrims and merchants in Enroth. There also significant numbers of refugees in Enroth, majority of whom escaped the Lanthyrian Imperial Army during the last 40 years during which the Empire conquered the kingdoms of Akelia, Lebioda and Fano, coming to control all lands east of the Jealousy. The most recent wave of refugees came but a year ago from Fano, bringing with them stories of the massacres at Drakenborg and Loredo, and the brutal repressions against insurgent forces in the countryside. Although Enrothians view Lanthyrians with nothing but disdain, this has not prevented them from targeting refugees who have began to settle in the country.

#### Race Classification

For purpose of administration and social organisation, the inhabitants of Enroth are divided into following categories:

* Human
* Human-adjacent/Humanoid (referring to elves, dwarves, halflings, gnomes, etc)
* beastfolk/Demihuman (referring to humanoids with animalistic features, includes tabaxi and tieflings)
* Nonhuman (referring to monstrous and generally inhuman races, such as goblins, orcs, trolls, etc)

Members of non-human races (that being everyone not human) are often collectively placed in the nonhuman category, with little regard for the differences that separate an orc from an elf or a halfling from a bear-like demihuman. The "humanoid" classification tends to include races which appear more human than the others while still not being human, but it also excludes tieflings and some descended beastfolk who may only have minor non-human features while still retaining majority human appearance. Many proud elves generally reject being classed as humanoid, stating that the diversity of the elvish race alone is enough to justify a separate elvish racial category.

All non-human races tend to face discrimination and prejudice, which increases the lower on the list they are. Elves and dwarves face substantially less prejudice than a tiefling or a feline-like demihuman, and the latter face less discrimination than a half-orc, true-orc or lizardfolk. In some cases, certain races - such as goblins - are placed even lower than the humanoid category, being branded as pre-sapient. Civilised goblins, although not particularly a common sight, notoriously face incredibly prejudice at the hands of humans and human-adjacent races such as the dwarves or elves.

#### Settlements

Enroth has a total of 5 cities, of which the smallest is Kagen and the largest is the royal capital of Steadwick. Towns, such as Highport, Stoneharbour and Rowan, are large towns or minor cities. Steadwick is among the largest of cities in Antagarich as a whole, being slightly less populous than the Lanthyrian capital but comparable in population to Hegensford in the Hegensford League, Darn Lebioda in the Imperial Province of Lebioda and to Darastrixer (Dragon-Earth in Sicairo-Draconic) in Sicair. Sydia is believed to be twice as populous as Steadwick. Although never truly confirmed, tales from merchants that venture to the distant northeast claim that the Fabiolan capital, Yin, is large enough to encompass all the cities of the west within its walls and houses a palace as large as Steadwick itself.

* Steadwick, over 500,000 inhabitants
* Oxenfurt, 300,000-350,000 inhabitants
* Gors Carraigh, 250,000-300,000 inhabitants
* Bridgerun, 150,000-200,000 inhabitants
* Kagen, 100,000-150,000 inhabitants

Steadwick was founded by the legendary explorer Rion Griffin-Eyes in the early Third Era, established as a mountainside mining colony at the foot of the Griffin Highlands, on the site of a former dwarven stronghold and nearby an ancient elvish ruin (both of which are now encompassed by the city). Steadwick was based entirely in the main section of the dwarven stronghold. During Rion's lifetime, a village-and-later-town was erected at the footsteps of the stronghold atop the ruins of an ancient elvish settlement. Today Steadwick is divided into the royal district (comprising the entirety of the dwarven stronghold), the Old City (built atop the elvish ruins), Westown, Southtown and Northtown (which surround the Old City), and Watertown (located between Southtown and Northtown, on the eastern bank of the Shaned river and outside the city's walls). The city is dotted with manses, arbours, granaries, brick storehouses, timbered inns, merchant stalls, taverns, graveyards, brothels and markets. Hundreds of quays can be found in the harbour of Watertown. Between buildings the roads are broad and made of cobblestone, with branching alleys and streets. The city is guarded by two sets of tall, thick walls, Visenya's Wall (around the Old City) and Edmund's Walls (around the city itself). The city has nine gates: one in the royal district; three in the old city and five in the outer city.

Oxenfurt is the second most populous city. It was founded on an isle that sits in the middle of the Shaned river in the early Third Era by human migrants, initially as a toll town on the site of two ancient elvish bridges that allowed passage over the Shaned river. The city is built vertically, with the uppermost part occupied by a mixed commercial-residential district, halls of government and the two bridges, with the lower levels built into the stone island on which Oxenfurt rests and occupied by loose shops, residential buildings and taverns, as well as garrison halls, guilds and alleyways. Further down the isle are numerous balconies and parapets, and further down via a series of stairways and hoists is the riverside where the city docks are located, marked by countless quays, warehouses and wharves. Although not particularly large, Oxenfurt is densely populated and hosts one of the two most prestigious universities in the country, Oxenfurt Academy of Magic, and various guildhalls. The bridges are maintained by mages of the Academy, who also help maintain some of the more dangerously-placed structures in the city and prevent the island from gradually eroding. The tallest structure in Oxenfurt is the tower of the Archmage, which is part of the academic campus.

Gors Carraigh is the oldest city in Enroth, believed to have been founded by elves prior to the advent of human settlement in western Antagarich, the ancient elvish architecture and design can still be seen in the city's Old Quarter and the name is of elvish origin, meaning "[on the] mouth [of the] Carraigh." It is located where the Carraigh flows into the Maiden's sea. It is the largest port in the realm, surpassing even Oxenfurt and Stoneharbour, and hosts many foreign merchants and trading companies within its walls. It is home to the luxurious, the realm's only joint magical and scientific learning institution. Although not as impressive as Oxenfurt Magic Academy or Fairwind Academy, which are the first and second best magic schools in the country, Aretuza is the third best magic academy and the foremost scientific institution, with its halls being walked by tutors far superior in skill to the teachers at the Royal Academy in the capital.

Bridgerun is a minor city located on both banks of the river Sern, initially built around a bridge of black stone.

Kagen is the northernmost city and sits south of the Twin Lakes.

Prominent towns include Highport, Stoneharbour, Seagate, Rowan, Edemont, Lordsport, as well as the halfling towns of Pinslow, Windbury, Rosewood, Heartshire and Honeywood. The northernmost settlement is Zhasogur's Post, a minor town roughly half a day's travel from the Black Pass. The settlement serves as a post for those seeking to travel through the Andals and Alders, receiving significant traffic of travellers from the south and the mountains themselves, including dwarven and orcish merchants.

#### Discrimination

##### Race

Although the times of widespread racial violence have long passed, tensions between beastfolk, humans and humanoids sometimes boil over and result in pogroms and massacres. Beastfolk and humanoids are generally found to live inside ghettos and slums in cities, or at least worse-off areas of cities, but many are known to hold positions of power and wealth, quite a few are minor lords and nobles sworn to one of the Great Houses. Segregation, although not legally enforceable, is common in urban centres, and beastfolk and humans alike are forbidden from entering certain establishments, and are discouraged from entering certain quarters of their cities out of the fear of racial violence. Tieflings in particular face increased scrutiny because of their perceived connection to demons and the Nine Children of Hatred and Misery, orcs quite similarly are also often targeted with increased hostility by humans, but also beastfolk as well. Half-orcs face discrimination from both sides of the spectrum, including other orcs.

There have been many insurrections and mutinies orchestrated by beastfolk and humanoid civilians and soldiers, usually short-lived, some of them were ended by negotiations while others were ended through brutal measures. There have been over 10 major pogroms in Enroth over the last 400 years, 7 of which were put down violently, 2 were allowed to happen by sympathetic human soldiers and knights, and 1 where the attempt to stop it failed and it continued for another day. During the 321AC Edemont Riots, Lord-Protector Rhaenyra Blackfyre and two knights stopped half-a-thousand strong mob of humans and prevented the massacre of Edemont's beastfolk quarter, although all three protectors were slain in the fighting. Statues were later erected of the lady and her two knights by the returning beastfolk civilians.

Although there has been no major conflict with the dryads of the Ard Gwyncaed in well over 500 years, scalp hunters continue to venture into the ancient forest with the intent of hunting down dryads and collecting bounties placed on them by logging companies and certain nobles. The dryads themselves also carry out irregular incursions into Enroth, usually targeting foresters and loggers that cut down trees along the Enrothian bank of the Gwynloc river, also attacking camps made by scalp hunters and mercenaries. Most scalp hunters are not native to the region, thus are unaware - or actively disregard - the uneasy peace that exists between the dryads of the forest and the inhabitants of the nearby lands. It is not unheard of for locals to secretly inform the dryads of scalp hunter movements, or to outright murder them themselves.

##### Culture and Ethnicity

Enrothians generally view their far eastern neighbours, the Lanthyrians, as antagonistic and the Empire as an overarching antagonist and malevolent force. Enrothian ties to royal and noble dynasties and lineages of the realms beyond the Jealousy, all of which have now fallen to imperial ambition, have allowed for mutual animosity and cold hostility to fester between the two powers. Pure-blooded Lanthyrians are a rare sight in Enroth, apart from merchants, traders and the occasional emissary, but this has not stopped them from being targeted by everyday Enrothians and bands of "concerned citizens." Local authorities tend to look away when the goods of an imperial merchant are stolen, which has led to eastern traders sailing to Enroth accompanied by imperial knights and soldiers to ward off thieves and bandits. The descendants of the Lanthyrian exiles, called Enrothian-Lanthyrians, face a non-zero amount of prejudice because of their faith, lineage and some Lanthyrian features they still retain after generations: such as black hair and dark eyes.

Dragon missionaries from Sicair are often viewed with suspicion because of their different ways and attitudes, but nonetheless Enrothians welcome merchants and traders from the south-eastern desert kingdom. The dragon faith has found a small footing in Enroth in port cities and near places of draconic significance, symbolised by the construction of dragon chapels, altars and temples by Sicairi-born travellers to allow them to practice their faith abroad. Around such holy places communities of settled-Sicairi and those staying in Enroth temporarily. Majority of Sicairi settling in Enroth are missionaries and pilgrims who found purpose in worshipping a local dragon or venerating a tomb or burial ground, although many merchants have settled in the past to open up business in the kingdom. Sicairi goods, such as tea and coffee, have become staples of Enrothian life. According to rumours, Sicairi missionaries who take vows of silence remove their tongues and those that swear oaths of perpetual service are castrated so they have no children to care for.

Westcoasti and citizens of the city-states of the Hegensford League have a reputation to be swindlers and unscrupulous, an idea largely born of the individualistic and avaricious attitudes of their merchants and sellswords who frequent the Griffin Kingdom.

Sydians are generally viewed as being tolerant, progressive and open-minded, but also greedy, envious and dishonest. The Free City of Sydia is known to be the largest known city in Antagarich, with some believing that it is inhabited by over a million people, and has a reputation for being the epicentre of trade, controlling the vital Glistening Strait trade route and being the home of many powerful banking dynasties and businessmen. It is no surprise that Sydians are seen as good with money, but also greedy and self-centred. Much like the citizens of the Hegensford League, Sydians are sometimes treated with distrust because of their individualistic ways. Sydian democracy is largely dismissed conceptually in Enroth, although in the past there have been attempts to implement it on a local level. Sydian sellswords have a reputation to be more professional and effective than Westcoasti or League mercenaries, but also more expensive.

The Blackborn are often seen by many as barbaric and savage, universally despised for their generational practice of piracy and reaving the Enrothian islands and coast. The islanders of the Shields are sometimes treated with similar scrutiny because of their close cultural and ancestral connections to the Blackborn, and their history of rebelling against the crown. Tensions between continentals and the islanders only inflamed after 104AC, when Lord-Reaver Balon Wyk expelled the Faith from the Shields after king Oswald I granted him one boon of his choice as thanks for crushing the rebellion on Greyiron and Blacktyde.

Merchants and travellers from the lands-beyond-the-seas such as Jadame, Ghiscair, Hannu and Sangvebar have mixed reputations and their ways and homelands are shrouded in mystery. The humans of Antagarich can trace their origins to the lands out west, in particular Jadame from which thousands of exiles landed on the western coast of Antagarich thousands of years ago during the Great Exodus.

##### Sexual and Gender Minorities

Same-sex relationships are perceived as normal, especially among elves. Although exceptions exist, among conservative humans and beastfolk, and some view such unions as perverted. The Church of the Sacred Flame has condemned such unions, but no law in Enroth forbids them or enforces penalties.

Physiomagica is studied at the Oxenfurt Magic Academy, Aretuza University and Fairwind Academy, and gender-conversion surgeries utilising it are available in Steadwick, Oxenfurt and Gors Carraigh. Changing one's gender using magic is seen as quite odd, however individuals who undergo such surgeries are not targeted for it. One can be born in the wrong body and correct it using harnessed magic, should they desire it.

### Magic

The people of Enroth have a favourable view of magic and magic users, and many legends revolve around mages, sorceresses and warlocks. Magic plays a major role in everyday life, science and among the learned and noble born, with urban homes often employing magical security systems, craftsmen often utilising it in their trade and nobles seeking the counsel of sorcerers. Engineering and medicine are intensely tied with the use of magic, with artificers, clerics and other healers being very valued and sought-after members of society. Magic is available to almost all members of society, with an exception of the few who are born without an unseen organ. The significance of magic only grew following the Cataclysm when it began affecting the world on a larger and more regular scale.

The Citadel of Sorcerers established a magic academy in the city of Oxenfurt, Oxenfurt Magic Academy, over 800 years ago, and offers courses and studies on all forms of magic with few notable exceptions. Steadwick's Fairwind Academy, founded four centuries ago by Elizabeth Cishar, is the second-best school of magic in the kingdom, surpassed only by the prestigious Oxenfurt Academy. Unlike its more prestigious sister, Fairwind Academy accepts students from all walks of life and is in-part financed by the royal family and lady Cishar's modern descendants. Aretuza University in Gors Carraigh offers lectures and studies on matters of magic as well, although they are not as advanced or informative as those provided in Oxenfurt or Fairwind. The Royal Academy in Steadwick offers a very limited syllabus of magical studies, sticking merely to the essential facts about the art rather than delving deep into it. It is not uncommon for students of the Royal Academy to simultaneously study magic at Fairwind. To study for one-years at Fairwind generally costs 3,500 in gold, but aspiring students recommended to the academy by current or graduated students can hope to enrol for half as much, and those sought out by academic staff will be able to obtain scholarships. Yearly tuition at Aretuza ranges upwards from 1,000 gold for non-magical studies and 2,200 for magical studies.

Necromancy is heavily shunned and practitioners have been historically persecuted, leading to a number of necromancer uprisings known as the Necromantic Wars throughout the history of the realm. Attitudes towards this form of magic have not grown less extreme, with necromancers still widely perceived as deviants and heretics, with regular hunts directed towards them by all factions within the realm, ranging from the crown itself to religious-military orders, independent knights and bands of peasants. Necromancy is not taught in any of the realm's magic schools and the Citadel of Sorcerers makes great effort to exterminate necromantic collectives and individual necromancers wherever they may find them.

The Alchemists' Guild maintains chapters in Steadwick, Bridgerun and Gors Carraigh, and a guildhall in Oxenfurt.

## Culture and Customs

### Religion

The chief and native faith of Enrothians is the Faith. It was brought in its earliest forms to Antagarich as a whole during the Great Exodus when the first men landed upon the shores of western Antagarich some ten-thousand years ago. The Faith eventually began to incorporate elements of demihuman paganism and elvish faiths, notably the inclusion of spirits among the ranks of the divines. The central divines of the Faith are the Three Aspects of Order, Balance and Chaos: Magna El, Toruvel and Minerva - the first creators. Beneath them are a number of Greater Gods, notables including Veles and the malevolent God Lucius, and then Lesser Gods, namely Melisandre and the Dark Mother. The pantheon is supplemented by many important figures that fail to fall into the aforementioned categories, such as the Time Jester, the Oracle and the Nine Children of Hatred and Misery, but also hosts a wide assortment of venerated mortals, notably Saint Priscilla, Saint Ophelia, Saint Royne, Queen Renfri I Gryffinheart, and others.

Temples dedicated wholly to the Faith are few, the largest of which is the Eye of the Gods, located on an isle in the centre of the Shaned southeast of Steadwick. It is more prevalent for temples to be dedicated to a particular God or Goddess, with a clear lack of any shrines, temples or chapels dedicated to the malevolent and evil elements of the pantheon, such as Lucius, Korath, Tasmir or the Nine Children. There is usually a Grand Temple that acknowledges all notable gods of the pantheon in every city and large town, usually they are supplemented by lesser temples dedicated to particular gods.

Sometimes, pious knights will renounce their worldly possessions to take up service with a temple or religious-military order of other likeminded knights and individuals, serving to keep the faithful safe and temples free of heresy and heathenry. Typical commoners can also enter such service, although they would be barred from serving in a knightly order. Instead they can pursue membership in organisations such as the Poor Fellows, a historic order of lowborn, usually downtrodden and poor, who took to protecting pilgrims and remote shrines and temples, or the Begging Brothers, another historic order of both commoners and knights that provided aid to the afflicted and downtrodden. Various mendicant orders have existed throughout history, some still do. The Sisterhood of the Martyred Lady are an all-female order of warriors dedicated to hunting demons and monsters in the defence of temples, common folk and the realm, established in honour of Saint Ophelia following her death at the hands of cultists in 332AC.

Although originally a human religion, over the course of millennia the Faith has gained huge following among demihumans and others. Today, it could be said that most of Enroth's demihumans follow the Faith, and many elves, dwarves, halflings and others do as well. Certain races and groups, such as orcs, have never truly assimilated into the Faith even if they have lived in Enrothian society since birth, and even civilised orcs continue to worship a watered-down form of the ancestral Blood Gods. It must also be stated that there are notable groups of humans who do not follow the Faith: the rebellious islanders of the Shields have repeatedly expelled the Faith from their islands in bloody pogroms and rebellions against the crown, and the Faith was fully removed by the Shieldsmen in 272AC.

Notable sects and cults of the Faith include:

* The **Cult of Lucius**, a cult devoted to the God of defiance, resentment and hatred. The goals and purpose of this cult are sinister and unknown, shrouded in centuries of mystery and falsehoods. It is rumoured that the cult was founded by resentful and defiant slaves toiling away in the lands-beyond-the-seas prior to the Great Exodus, who began to worship the dark god because of the hatred they felt towards their cruel masters. The cult is outlawed and persecuted, and all temples and shrines exist in secret. Lucius appears within the wider Faith, but no prayers or reverence is given with his name, although murderers, killers and savage beasts may revere him.
* The **Cult of the Nine Children** is a secretive cult similar to the Cult of Lucius, but dedicated to his children rather than the God of defiance. The cult has no clear origins and is shrouded in mystery, perhaps predating the Cult of Lucius. Most believe that the cult aspires to break the chains placed upon the Nine Children by Toruvel during the Dawn Era, allowing them to walk the world.
* The **Order of Renfri** is a quasi-religious militant sect established by soldiers and officers who previously served under Queen Renfri I Gryffinheart during her reign and the Crisis of the 4th Century, marching behind her into countless battles against necromancers, demons, rebels and traitors in the darkest period of modern Enrothian history. Following her death and internment in the temple of the Goddess of war, the cult of personality surrounding the late Blood-Queen grew in intensity and began to venerate her as the War Maiden, a physical worldly manifestation of the Faenya, the Goddess of war, upon the world. The order trains and equips paladins who offer their swords to the crown, thus the Order of Renfri is sanctioned to operate by the kingdom.

Outside of the ancestral Faith, the people of Enroth also follow a variety of other religions and faiths:

* The **Drowned God**, known also as the God Beneath The Waves, is a Blackborn deity worshipped on the Shields. The religious customs of those who dwell on the Shields are similar to those of the Blackborn, with both peoples being seafarers and seeking death at sea. The islanders of the Shields believe that they are born of the watery halls of the Drowned God, and upon death return to said halls to feast and dance with the mermaids for all eternity. It is unknown when the Drowned God came to the Shields, but it was likely during the early-to-mid raids and invasions by the Blackborn in the late second and early third eras.
* The **Cult of the Great Sun** first emerged during the reign of Nicholas II, who invited eastern exiles to come teach in Enroth. The Cult has never gained any significant ground with natives, but practice and worship survived to the contemporary age among the descendants of the Lanthyrian exiles who bred with native Enrothians. Followers do not revere the imperial dynasty like native Lanthyrians, but they do worship the Sun as the giver of life.
* The **Old Gods of the Forest** is a folk faith centred around worshipping faeries, woodland nymphs (godlings and lilits) and spirits. In many ways this form of worship is not mutually exclusive with the Faith, as one can simultaneously worship Derwana, the Goddess of nature, and woodland spirits and faeries. The Old Gods can trace their origins to the demihuman inhabitants of Antagarich and halflings.
* The **Aen Dearinn aep Gwynsoitheach** (Lady of the White Ships) is worshipped by many elves. She is an ancestral goddess that led their kind to this world through portals thousands of years ago. The Gwynsoitheach (White Ship), as she is known, is depicted in elvish art and venerated as among the most significant figures in their history. She is the patron of wanderers, travellers and sailors. Her true name is rarely spoken, being a well-guarded elvish secret.
* The **Church of the Sacred Flame**, sometimes known as the Eternal Flame, is a cult of fire worshippers and pyromancers that emerged following the destruction of the Humanists, a they are a cult dedicated to the annihilation of all non-human inhabitants of Enroth. Tamer in rhetoric, the Church still ardently opposes relations between different races, calls for the limiting of non-human rights and expulsion of non-humans from government and the scholarly and religious worlds, viewing the inclusion of beastfolk among the clergy of the Faith and royal government as a vile sin. The Church is small and limited in reach, but has found growing support among humans who ascribe to the "us against them" mindset that exists and grows in strength as animosity between the races continues to increase. The sacred flame is said to cleanse Enroth and the world of impurities and evil through pyres.
* The **Church of Starry Wisdom**, alternatively known as the Cult of Starry Wisdom, is a sinister religion allegedly hailing from the Golden Empire of Fabiola or another realm in the distant northeast. It persists in various port cities in the known world and Enroth. It is rumoured that acolytes and followers worship the stars and a black stone that fell from the skies.
* The **Artifice** is the spirit of machinery and mechanical creations, worshipped by some artificers in private or the Mechanical Hall in Steadwick, a large quasi-temple dedicated to the Artifice. Followers believe that the Artifice is what grants machines life.
* Some mages and others worship magic rather than any deities and gods, believing that all that mortals perceive as divine is just manifestations of magic akin to faeries or spirits.
* The dryads are worshipped by some of those who dwell near the Gwynloc river and the Ard Gwyncaed, although worship has always steadily declined. Persistent worshippers aspire to live in peace with the dryad-Queendom across the river and sometimes go as far as to aid them. Local customs involve bringing gifts and small sacrifices to the treeline, never venturing too deep into the forest, and replanting felled trees.
* Mermaids and sirens are revered on the island of Minerva, although they are not worshipped in temples or chapels. Locals will often leave convicted criminals tied to tall rocks along the shoreline so they are devoured by sirens, either before or after death.

Additionally, Enroth is home to a number of sinister cults and fringe religions, some of which are outlawed and persecuted:

* The **Lionheaded Spider** is an obscure cult dedicated to the worship of the Weaver of Fate, a giant spider with a lion's head that weaves a web that determines the fate of the world. The web is constantly being expanded and corrected. Sometimes some threads are broken, which results in someone's sudden death. When one commits suicide, their thread is broken and they are devoured by the spider. Therefore, it is worshiped as the God of fate and sudden and unpredictable death. Temples of the cult are usually built in seclusion, as most common folk view it with hostility.
* The **Necromantic Order** is an outlawed and malevolent cult of necromancers and death worshippers that have led uprisings and insurrections in the past, often with the intent of usurping the Enrothian crown or breaking away to found an independent kingdom of necromancers. The order remains in hiding and dwells in the shadows, although some believe that it is long extinct and nothing more than a thing of the past. It has been over a century since the last necromantic war.
* Demon Worship has persisted for generations and continues to plague society. Demon worshippers come in many forms and methods, often hiding in plain sight but sometimes choosing to form isolated conclaves in remote parts of the world. Worship of demons it outlawed and persecuted.

### Superstitions and Legends

Many legends, superstitions and folklore circulates around Enroth, such as:

* The **Curse of the Black Sun**: according to a prophecy made by the sorcerer Naldisbad, 40 girls of noble and royal lineages would be born under an eclipse that would turn them into cruel creatures that would prepare the way for the return of the Nine Children of Hatred and Misery. Because of this idea, girls born of this "curse", were hunted down by certain mages. Some were killed and others were locked away in high towers, while others were subjected to autopsy, and at least one to vivisection. The idea lost whatever validity it had under Nicholas II the Wise, who made great efforts to discredit it by funding research into past incidents and notes taken by Naldisbad and mages who took part in hunting down girls afflicted by the curse. Some, mostly superstitious commoners, still believe it, but as a whole the Enrothian scholarly community has entirely dismissed the ramblings of Naldisbad the Mad. It might be that the curse became a self-fulfilling prophecy, for some of the girls who managed to flee the persecution later inflicted cruelty on others because of the treatment they had suffered, such as in the case of Sylvia Deidre, who hunted down four mages that supported the prophecy.

### Idioms, Phrases and Sayings

* The King dreams, the Hand builds
* The King shits, the Hand wipes (a profane version of the above)
* Old Blackfyres slept with demons, now they all have demon-blood (relating to the infernal lineage of the Blackfyres)
* Send a knight to kill a knight, but an archer to kill an archer
* Dark wings, dark times (referring to ravens, an omen of death)
* Nine bastards of Hatred and Misery upon you (a popular, but ineffective, curse)
* A league sellsword is about as honest as an imperial spy
* Trust half-beast (demihuman) before a Westcoasti, a Westcoasti before a man of the League, but never trust a Black One (Lanthyrian)
* Sydian accountants are like a well-forged plate harness: expensive, but worth it

### Festivals and Celebrations

Notable celebrations in Enroth include:

* Last Day (28th of Vigles): an annual event celebrating the coming of a new year and end of the old, a symbol of progress and moving onwards against all odds which may face Enroth and its people. Although began as a festival held by the Faith, it lost much of its early religious meaning as it was culturally-adopted and adapted. During Last Day it is customary to hold bonfires and dance in the village square, sing songs and hold feasts.
* Festival of Life (usually held from the 10th to the 17th of Jeol): a summer festival celebrating life, bounty and growth. The festival is centred on Alana, the goddess of love, procreation and patron of mothers. Traditionally, weddings held during the festival are said to be blessed by the goddess herself, and children born of festival passion are believed to be a result of destiny. The festival is usually celebrated with the opening of grand markets in cities and towns, feasts and singing in taverns and inns.
* Burning of Lucius (18th of Nodfen): an early-winter time festivity during which people burn effigies of Lucius, the god of defiance and hatred, upon pyres to strengthen their faith and protect their communities in the coming winter from demonic and infernal spawns that serve the dark god.
* Festival of the Griffin (12th - 15th of Fengen): a spring-time festival during which the Royal Army holds a griffin fly-by and military parade in Steadwick and the city opens up a grand annual market that is attended by merchants from all around the realm. Food-stands appear throughout the city and cater to the tens of thousands of attendees and onlookers. Traditionally, the monarch gives a speech during the event and provides a showing of the crown griffin.
* Zorysia: a weekly-occurring event on the last day of the week. During Zorysia, named after the god of joy and rest, people refrain from working hard jobs and spend time resting in preparation for work the next day. Although not actively celebrated, many businesses and establishments tend to close on Zorysia in-line with this religious custom.

### Names and Naming Conventions

Because of the blend of cultures and influences upon Enroth over the course of history, names are very diverse and varied among the races that make the kingdom their home.

Traditionally, an elf picks out an adult name upon reaching adulthood, which itself is dependent on familial or cultural prerequisites. Prior to this, they will be known by a child name selected by their parents, which is usually simplistic, such as Bryn, Eryn, Aran, Faen or Rinn. Each elf’s adult name is a unique creation, though it might reflect the names of respected individuals or other family members, or notable ancestors. An elf's full name will generally consist of their child/adult name, followed by the preposition *aep* (of) and their family or clan name, or the place of their birth or origins. Because of centuries of human-elvish mixing over the course of Enrothian history, it is not uncommon to find an elf with an overtly human sounding name, especially in urban centres. Humans can often bear elvish names such as Aran (or Aaron) and Bryn (or Brynn).

Members of House Blackfyre have names perceived as strange and exotic, with the most commonly known ones being Rias, Rhaenys and Aeryn. They are possibly of infernal and elvish origin, and can be traced back to the two founders of the Blackfyre lineage - Rhaenys and Rhaegar Blackfyre. These names often come in pair with an infernal spelling and pronunciation, which once served a function and were used by Blackfyres to identify themselves to demons, but today it is mainly done for the purpose of upholding tradition.

It is not uncommon for children to be named after Minerva, the aspect of chaos and one of the chief creator divines of the Faith, or Melisandre, the Goddess of fire and warmth. Children can also be named or take on the names of virtues, such as Art, Charity, Serenity, Despair. This is particularly common amongst tieflings, who may want to distance themselves from their infernal heritage and further their own individualism.

### Clothing

In Enroth, commoners often dress in raw wool and dull brown rough spun, while nobles wear coloured velvets, silks, and samite. The same is less true in the north, where nobility is known for wearing grey, black and brown clothing. In Steadwick, Oxenfurt and Bridgerun it is not uncommon to see middle-class commoners and tradesmen wearing colourful clothes as well, and in Gors Carraigh the ancient elvish custom of wearing flower crowns and pearls is widely practiced by women and girls of all social standing.

Although not universal, knights often wear the colours or sigil of their house or liege as part of their attire. Members of House Blackfyre often dress in black and red, sometimes including pieces of armour into their everyday attire, and members of House Gryffinheart often adorn their clothes with griffin feathers. Women of House Arryn traditionally wear green attire adorned with pearls, flowers and gemstones, as opposed to the ladies of House Florent who wear brightly coloured dresses and robes adorned with silver and gold. On Evenstar and the Shields it is common for women to wear the same attire as men, usually furs and leathers, and sometimes necklaces made from teeth and animal bone.

### Guest Right

The guest right is a sacred law of hospitality. When a guest, be they common born or noble, eats the food and drinks the drink off a host's table beneath the host's roof, guest right is invoked. Bread and salt are traditional provisions. When invoked, neither the guest nor the host can harm the other for the length of the guest's stay. For either to do so would be to break a sacred covenant that is believed to invoke the wrath of the gods, both old and new. Even bandits and criminals are bound by this ancient law. It is sometimes customary for a host to give guest gifts to the departing guests when they leave the host's dwellings; this usually represents the end of the sacred guest right. In addition, visiting guests will sometimes offer their host guest gifts as gratitude for giving them food and shelter.

A lord with a bared sword across his knees is making a traditional sign that he is denying guest right.

### Right to Arms and Martial Custom

Like in many parts of the world, but unlike some, the people of Enroth are relatively well-armed with a wide range of armaments and armour ranging from the most simple of wood axes to masterfully forged gwyhyrs. It could be said that "everyone in Steadwick is armed." On Evenstar and the Shields, the islanders tend to prefer axes, keeping in touch with the Blackborn influences upon local culture.

Swords are typically carried on the side rather than the back, and demon hunters often carry their two swords - a steel one and a silver one - on the same side, one above the other. However it is not impossible to see warriors carry swords on their back, members of the royal Landsknechts have been known to carry greatswords on their back. Traditionally, a father is to pass down his sword to their eldest child, and they are then to pass it down to their firstborn. It is common for heirloom weapons to carry names: the sword of Queen Renfri I was known as *Heartbreaker*, the ancestral blade of House Blackfyre is named *Deicide* (named such because of an ancestral story) and the longsword of House Arryn is known *Aenye Addan* (Elvish for *Fire Dancer*).

### Gender Roles

Throughout Enroth's history there hasn't been a shortage of female heroes and legendary characters. Women are believed to be just as capable of swinging a sword or casting a spell as their husband would, although their position in the household and court is always lesser to that of their father, husband and brothers. Forced and arranged marriages between families, both common and noble, are still common, with the exception of few.

### Griffins

House Gryffinheart owes its name to the mighty griffins, with the creature also appearing on their sigil and banners, as well as dotting the landscape of Steadwick in the form of statues and monuments. The royal dynasty has a generations long tradition of griffin riding, far longer than any other noble family in the realm and entirely unbroken by the tests of time. The majority of the realm considers becoming a griffin rider to be a great honour, with every boy and girl often dreaming of one day becoming a rider atop a mighty griffin. Craftsmen often fashion toys in the image of griffins, the rich and powerful sometimes compliment their clothing with griffin feathers, griffin riders name their mounts, and legendary griffin riders - such as Falka and Edgar Gryffinheart - are well-known throughout the realm and hold an immense popularity with the masses. The monarch styles themselves as the King or Queen of Enroth and the Griffins.

There are native populations of griffins in the Griffin Highlands, the blue mountains, the cliffs of the Andal and Alder mountains, the deep forests of the north and parts of the south and eastern territories, where they usually nest in the cliffsides along the coast and caves.

## Economy

### Currency

Enroth adheres to the wider-Antagarich Coinage system and uses copper, silver, gold and platinum coins in addition to various non-standard currencies such as gemstones, solid gold or silver bars and, in the Shields and Evenstar, pearls. The four primary denominations are often called *bits* or *crowns, unicorns, griffins* and *dragons* by Enrothians because the latter three bear the images of those creatures, while copper pieces usually bear the image of a crown. Coin minted by the authorities of the lands-beyond-the-seas are generally accepted, with the exception of the Sangvebari iron token, although gold and silver Sangvebari currency is accepted without much issue.

### Industry

Enroth was quick to begin adopting artificery in its economy, with manufactories and factories being established in the later reign of King Nicholas II the Wise (357AC - 400AC) and early reign of King Edmund VIII (400AC - 438AC) like in many other parts of the world such as the Lanthyrian Empire, the Dragon Kingdom of Sicair, the Free City of Sydia and Hegensford League city-states. Much of the backing for this came as a result of Nicholas II's efforts to bring Enroth into a new intellectual era by inviting foreign scholars, engineers and sorcerers to the kingdom. The first factories were built in Bridgerun and Steadwick with loans issued by the crown of Nicholas II, later an artificer's weaver was established in Lordsport, and a brass factory in Oxenfurt, followed by numerous similar projects in the realm's cities and major towns during the reign of Edmund VIII.

Machines powered by artificery remain rare, limited to the cities and major towns where people are rich and influential enough to afford the services of artificers with the proper skillsets to create mechanical wonders of this sort. Enroth is not as industrialised as Sydia or the Hegensford League, but is more industrialised than Sicair and Fabiola, and about as industrialised as Lanthyria.

The Royal Army is largely equipped with mass-produced weapons made in the Royal Armaments Manufactory in Steadwick. Generally, swords produced this way are lesser in quality because they are cast rather than forged, thus lack the strength and solidity of hand-forged swords made by the swordsmiths. They are, however, cheaper because of their abundance. Those able to afford it tend to opt-out for hand-forged arms because they are made to specifications and are forged rather than cast.

## Foreign Relations

Enroth has widespread contact, economic and political relations with its northern neighbours, namely the Hegensford League, Kercer, Westcoast, Vori, the dwarven clans of Reimoras, and the Davos Free State. Merchants from the north, in particular the Hegensford League, are a very common sight in Enrothian port and even in-land towns and cities, trading a wide assortment of goods and services, similar trends apply to merchants and traders from Westcoast who often bring with them domestic goods as well as furs and hides from Vori. Westcoasti sellswords, hired blades and mercenaries frequent Enroth and can often be found in the employ of nobles and the rich and powerful. Timber from the distant northern Vori taiga is very valuable because of its solidity and resistance to the elements and brute force, Westcoasti merchants are known to bring it from the distant north. Vori timber is comparable to the wood of the dryad trees. Vori, Westcoasti and Kercerian adventurers often find their way into eastern Enroth with the intent of venturing into the Ard Gwyncaed and hunting dryads.

The kingdom shares similar relations with its eastern neighbours, it maintains strong economic ties with the kingdom of Vatania and the Free City of Sydia, Sydian merchants frequent Enrothian ports on a regular basis and Enrothian ships heading for eastern coasts often pass through the Sydian-controlled Glistening Straits. Sydian banking dynasties have financed royal interests through loans in the past and offer financial services to many actors in Enroth, including the crown, and Sydian mercenaries and sellsword companies frequent Enrothian ports, often finding work with local merchants or recruiting the destitute into their own ranks. Many Sydian citizens own stock in Enrothian companies. Relations between Enroth and Ard'oril are limited and often tense because of the ongoing territorial conflict between the elves and Vatania, but some level of trade is facilitated by private citizens from both sides. Elvish made bows are sought after by experienced marksmen and hunters who value it over domestically crafted bows. Although Enroth had never been made subject to raiding by the nomadic horsemen of the Vori steppe, stories of their great conquests of Vori have reached Enroth through merchants. The annual Market of Shades held in Sydia is visited by hundreds of Enrothian merchants and traders.

Trade with Sicair is extensive, with desert merchants bringing with them expensive silks and velvet, dyes, ornaments, spices, magical stones and exotic fruit. Coffee and tea were first brought to Enroth by exiles and refugees from Sicair and most of it is still imported from the desert realm. Sicairi merchants and travellers have established small chapels and temples in Enroth's ports to allow them and others like them to worship the divine dragons while away from their homeland, in turn there are some small chapels of the Faith in Sicair established by Enrothians, Vatanians and others from western Antagarich. Sicairi pilgrims and missionaries have steadily made their way to Enroth to venerate dragon burial grounds and tombs, most later returning home but some chose to stay and would go on to establish communities near such sites. Some were ordered to remain to protect living dragons from dragon hunters. There are many active and abandoned Sicairi communities, chapels and temples around Enroth, particularly near dragon tombs such as Dragon Point.

The dwarves of Mahakam tend to be isolated and have long resisted any attempts at integration into Enroth and the many previous kingdoms that occupied the region, flooding their halls and foundries if necessary. In times of peace, Enroth can trust to purchase ore, steel and even sulphur or mercury from the dwarves of Mahakam, but the dwarves often charge a higher rate for their better quality steel. Dwarven mercenary companies sometimes offer their services, sometimes from the mountains bands of dragon hunters and adventurers emerge with the goal of finding glory across the world. The dwarves irregularly come into conflict with the dryads to their southeast, their timber wars are nothing new and the clans of Mahakam have long used the Ard Gwyncaed as the source for their lumber.

Despite the threat of piracy posed by the Blackborn, some are brave or foolish enough to trade with some of the clans and jarldoms on the islands. Mead and pearls from the islands are highly-sought in Enroth and frequently appear in noble banquets and around the necks of wealthy ladies. In the past, the Blackborn raided Enrothian islands and the southern coast and established various duchies and petty realms along the southern coast prior to the Unification of Enroth, when much of their population was put to the sword or forced into exile. Elements of Blackborn culture persist in parts of southern Enroth but are most prevalent on the Shields. Sometimes one can find Blackborn sailors manning Enrothian ships or finding work as sellswords in coastal towns and ports, on occasion - usually ahead of a harsh winter on the islands when granary stocks are low - the old, dying and sickly men and women will board ships and sail north, hoping to either die at sea or land on the Enrothian coasts. Those that land on the coast usually venture out into the wilderness seeking an honourable death, or find work as sellswords.

Trade with the Lanthyrian Empire is conducted entirely by sailing through Sydian-controlled Glistening Straits or around Sicair and then north along the Sicairi-Lanthyrian coast in the east, past the cities of Durquba, Shariz and the ashen coast. The former method is faster and more efficient, but the latter is not subject to Sydian tariffs and allows one access to eastern Sicairi cities and the Imperial heartland, which is located in the Bay of the Sun on the Empire's eastern coast. Goods brought from the western coast of the Empire (via Sydia) include ale, grain and other basic goods, while those brought from the eastern coast include Eiddonese cloth and silk, Angrenian swords, Mechtish marble, Ernan jewellery and wine from the Imperial Heartland, in the past horses from the Mag Turgan steppe have been brought to Enroth for the purpose of husbandry. According to stories, when sailing into the port of the Imperial capital one can see four towers of gold in the centre of the city, believed to be part of the Imperial Palace. Theories of evolution and various advanced medicinal practices and methods were brought to Enroth from Lanthyria. Matters of diplomacy with the Lanthyrians are usually conducted in Sydia, but in times of urgency they may be held aboard the Lanthyrian warship *Ard Feainn*, which belongs to the imperial var Ceilles dynasty and is known for anchoring in the Bay of Derwana, south of Oxenfurt, when urgent diplomatic matters arise. The Lanthyrian diplomat to Enroth is Prince Ahern Lyciea var Ceilles, the empress' younger brother, the prince resides operates from aboard the *Ard Feainn.*

Trade with the distant Golden Empire of Fabiola is almost entirely facilitated through Hegensford and Westcoast, with their sailors and merchants far better suited for the long and perilous journeys to the distant northeast. For this reason, Enrothian understanding of the Golden Empire is limited and based purely on second-hand accounts brought back by northern travellers. Fabiolan goods that are sold in Enroth include rare gemstones and silk. It is presumed that the Church of Starry Wisdom found its way to Enroth and the western realms through the maritime trade routes between Fabiola, Westcoast and Hegensford. Through such efforts Enrothians have also obtained stories of a heavily-wooded and cold northern coast known as Mossovy, said to be populated by ice demons and sorcery-wielding demon hunters and warlocks, a region which may or may not be connected to the northern Vori taiga. According to these other stories, north of Mossovy lay a thousand islands of merfolk, a city of shadowbinders and men paler than death sits on the frozen shoreline, and the border between the taiga and Fabiola is formed by colossal forts made from oily-black stone identical to the stone from which ancient lizardfolk cities in Tatalia are built. Other stories tell that the Fabiolan capital houses a palace of gold and white stone that is bigger than the greatest of western cities, Steadwick, Hegensford and Cinfrid included, and that the realm is vast with many different geographical features including wetlands, cold deserts and taiga, temperate forests and vast plains, mountains and hills.

Being one of the most western realms on the continent gives Enroth a unique ability to trade with lands-beyond-the-seas such as Jadame, Hannu, Sangvebar and Ghiscair, but also the sinister city of Stygai. Western merchants are known to trade in the Gors Carraigh and Oxenfurt, as well as the port towns such as Swordpoint, Rowan, Seagate, Minerva-on-the-sea, Stoneharbour and Highport, among less notable others. Goods brought from the distant west include fused-stone sculptures and spell-fused masonry, spices (from Ghiscair), smooth silk and purple dyes (from Sangvebar), glass weapons and ore (from Hannu) and moonstone (from Hannu and Jadame). Sangvebari piracy in the seas of the west is common, as are Sangvebari and Hannu sellsails (seaborn sellswords) offering protection from pirates.

East of Lanthyria is the continent of Ulthos, entirely foreign conceptually to Enrothians. Next to nothing is known about it, other than that it is covered by jungles. It is theorised that Lanthyrian, perhaps Sicairi as well, merchants originally brought cocoa from Ulthos.

## Military

### Royal Army

Enroth, like the Lanthyrian Empire, Dragon Kingdom of Sicair and, to an extent, the Golden Empire of Fabiola, maintains a professional standing army that is sworn to the royal family. The Royal Army is composed primarily of volunteers, financed through taxes paid by the lowborn and highborn in lieu of military service, and organised into formations and units under the command of capable officers and commanders, primarily noblemen, but some lowborn knights have also held command in the past. The Royal Army consists of roughly 40,000 men, including infantry, missile (archers and crossbowmen), light and heavy cavalry and various magic users. It is significantly smaller in size than the Imperial Lanthyrian Army, which is said to number over 200,000 men, but is equally as well-equipped and organised, has a far superior magical branch and fields elite griffin riders.

Local garrisons will often be supplemented by fighting men provided by the local lord, and may or may not come into disagreements and conflicts with a lord's men. Although most lords do not maintain sizeable forces of their own, they do maintain personal retainers, sworn-swords and household guards. The Royal Army does not man the keeps and castles of lords, instead having their own fortifications and garrisons.