Lairon

Laironese Flag

Geographical Location on Deacledroth

Princess Alissa (Heir)

10% Firbolg

30% Other

### Current Events

Mass Enlistment Increased Banditry (IBNLT Desertion)Outlaws at Large (Madalena's Raiders)

### Allies

EtägtulonDundrasil

The Brangrove

Oakenguard

Bardos

Monastery of the Open Hand

The Alliance

Northern Sadamanah

### Rivals

BalseignSouthern Sadamanah

The name of this region is pronounced Lye-ron, though is often mispronounced by those unfamiliar as Lair-on due to it's spelling.

The land is on the Hotter side of the Mediterranean climate; Dry, hot summers are common throughout the entire nation. The chilling winters and weak snowfalls of the climate are confined to the mountainous areas to in the north-east regions, the southern regions simply having mild and wet winters.

It is a bit too arid in much of the inner territory to properly thrive, things having difficulty growing once you get more than a few days from the shoreline, and though the surface soil is commonly described as sandy, it is quite nutrient rich once you get below, and thus the areas along the shoreline can be relatively lush, especially along the southern shore, which is sometimes attributed to the druidic magic responsible for The Brangrove's generous growth.

## Locations

### Corcaea

The Capital of Lairon built along the south-western shore. The Palace was built atop the Diffusion Crystal Geode to secure it during the 1000 Years War.

In the First and Second Era this was the capital of Southern Lairon, as originally settled and backed by [Greek Influenced Nation]

Houses various major guilds, including the Laironese Adventurer's Guild.

*Main article: Corcaea*

### Mondresa

Trade Capital of Lairon. Only port to receive constant shipments from Phrance.

In the First and Second Era this was the capital of Northern Lairon

Considered the "Trade Capital" following the Consolidation.

*Main article: Mondresa*

### Monastery of the Open Hand

Technically not part of Lairon, though shares it's territory. Those who earn entry into the Monastery are trained to use their body as a deadly weapon.

*Main article: Monastery of the Open Hand*

### Molava

Farming/Mining town (previously one of the main sources of Laironese Whitestone to Mondresa, now has not enough people working to make profits on the simple material.) Has recently opened an Actor's Guild (1269).

*Main article: Molava*

### Dauraei

Town with a Conspicuously Important Tavern. Unique in the sense it has a full Horseshoe thicket surrounding the town despite the arid environment. To the north-east stands a new extremely large statue depicting something similar to a helmeted Gingerbread man.

*Main Article: Dauraei*

### Waystation

A waystation in central Lairon on the road south of Molava, intended to guarantee unprepared travellers can reach Dauraei without running dry. Little more than a large water tank, small storage shed of emergency rations and medical supplies, and a bunkhouse to shelter travellers overnight.

## History

### 1st & 2nd Era summary

* Two nations based in what will become Mondresa and Corcaea land on their respective ends of the peninsula and begin settling their new nations.
* The two nations meet in the middle they begin fighting over Exotic monster Loot (from both the monsters lairs and the monsters themselves eg. alchemy ingredients)
* Greek-influenced culture is on top when Elkenett is invaded, and unites the other factions under their umbrella when nations are being formed at the start

### 3rd Era Summary

* Early 3rd Era the northern leaders (Mondresa based) prioritised forming connections with the mainland (as the Seawolf Pirates had not consolidated at that point) where the Southern (Corcaea-based) leaders focused on keeping the formerly warring nations united. This started by a large united push to drive the monsters back from settlements and into their lairs where they could not be driven away permanently.
* Leaders leaned towards tolerance towards non-[Greek influenced Nation] (need to make this an actual nation to give it a name) religious tolerance, ultimately leading to the Andalusian-esque blend of the cultures with the Greek influence being placed slightly above for political security.
* The Current Anax of Lairon, Andry, spent much of his time overseas prior to his coronation at the allied nation of Phrance, reinforcing good relations and forming trade deals between the two nations. During these visits he met his to-be wife; Jeanne DuSoliel, a lady of lower noble birth.
* 3 generations prior to Devil Hunters Campaign (1270): Mass Aasimar Migration into Lairon

### General/Recent History

Lairon helps operate the Oakenguard Fortress in The Grand Desert of Sadamanah. It was supplied through caravans sent out of Mondresa, though the economic downfall of the Kingdom has led to these supply caravans providing the Fortress with less and less, leading to the almost complete breakdown of its function outside of casting the Sealing Spell.

Following the Death of Anassa Jeanne; the Anax, Andry, has increased the military presence within the nation with the intent to uncover the perpetrators, and prevent a similar tragedy from happening again. This shift began as a slow increase in recruitment but has since accelerated, ultimately shifting from recruitment to conscription to reach the quotas demanded from the Palace. This has caused quite an increase in both tax to pay the soldiers, as well as a generally increased cost of living due to various goods becoming much more scarce due to the former providers being caught up in the conscription.

## Culture

The nation uses the terms Anax and Anassa to refer to their King and Queen in line with [Greek Influenced Nation]'s traditions. The King's daughter is referred to as a Princess instead of Vasilopoúla mostly for ease of pronunciation for foreigners.

Aasimar of a particular descendancy, guided by a vision from their Celestial ancestor, migrated en masse to Lairon roughly 3 generations prior to Devil Hunters Campaign (1270). This mass migration means that the Aasimari population outnumber the other races within the Nation, including the Humans who founded it. One of the most notable result of this migration is a number of locals picking up part of their Celestial (Spanish) Accent. Some Aasimar, mostly of newer generations, have left Lairon for periods of time, though the vast majority of the Aasimar Variant have since lied within Lairon's Borders.

Due to the difficulty with production due to the arid nature of much of their territory, the Laironese prioritised their trade potential through skilled artisans and oceanic sources for their growth. This focus on trade was amplified during the rule of the current Anax; Andry, and his Predecessor due to Andry's efforts to facilitate strong ties with Phrance, especially after the Seawolf Islander's lockdown of the seas. The collective national wealth, alongside the warm climate and architectural aesthetic mean Lairon is often referred to as "a fine place to live, a Lovely place to retire."

This positive view of the nation has slowly shifted after the Death of Anassa Jeanne. In his despair over this event, Anax Andry has not kept these strong ties he forged during his youth. This, alongside many of the new decrees coming from the palace, slowly pulling more and more from the nation into Military under the call for security have caused the territory to begin falling into a recession.

Firbolgs have been joining civilisation within Lairon at a much higher rate than in other territories across Deacledroth. Unlike the Aasimar they don't seem to have a reason why they are doing so in this particular location.

Armour and weapons crafted in Lairon, though made of Steel or more exotic materials once they became easy to manufacture, are for the majority shaped and Bronzed to ape the aesthetic of [Greek Influenced Nation]'s mythical heroes.

### Military

The Laironese military is formed of a front line of Infantry wielding large, round, domed shields containing sheaths for 3 javelins and a short Xiphos-like blade. This front line is backed by a line of soldiers wielding Longspears, able to attack from behind the shield-wall. This team moves up and around their quarry, surrounding them when possible. Additionally, there are the Archers, who fire at the enemy either from behind the Phalanx or from the flanks. Commanders of the Squadrons are usually more free in their choice of equipment, Some even forgoing their issued shields to wield large two-handed weapons.

The Laironese military keep to their classical fighting tradition, fighting in tight formations of many men. This strategy; along with their metallic armour, is understandably vulnerable to magic and thus each squad carries a handful of Diffusion Crystals which, when smashed either on the ground or in one's hand, create a relatively long lasting area of Antimagic, protecting the formation as long as they hold their position.

The Infantry are decked out in armour intended to call back to more historical designs, though made of stronger modern metals. Regardless of the armour worn, they are supplied with a light pale green cloak intended to keep the metal from being directly exposed to and heated by the sun.

**Swordsmen** wear bronzed Breastplates with matching lower arm and leg armour over long chiton-like outfits. They carry large domed shields that contain sheaths for three javelins and their shortsword.

**Spearmen** carry longspears and a smaller shield. Their armour either matches the Swordsmen or are cut down to simply the breastplate depending on the threats in the area.

**Archers** wear light leather armour and are sometimes assigned specialised cloaks to obscure their shape.

**Officers** are given more freedom in their equipment. Though some choose to keep close to the traditional style of their troop's armour, most tend to prefer more protective modern armour, often bearing a proper half plate harness with surcoats. This armour is less suited for the warmer climate of Lairon but the protection provided is generally considered worth the trade of comfort. Many officers take up large two handed weapons, though it is considered more an intimidation tactic than a tactical one.

**The Capital Guard**, often referred to as Bronze Sentinels, wear complete suits of Bronzed plate armour, concealing all details of the wearer beneath the harness. They stand vigil - silent, unmoving but ever watching - along the streets of the Political and Trade capital cities. The large halberds held at the shoulder, paired with their intimidating presence are often considered enough to deter criminals within the two major cities. Though they are likened to that of statues, when called to act they are surprisingly swift, often attributed to enchantments placed on the armour as displayed by runic carvings along it's surface.

The Capital Guard have always had a reputation for seeming slightly inhuman, their almost too smooth and synchronised movements, alongside their succinct speech. Since the Assassination of Anassa Jeanne the number of Sentinels has steadily increased and the small details that may have given a sense of humanity beneath the armour have become more and more scarce.

### Aesthetics

The majority of the Laironese Aasimar population share similar features, most notably a naturally monochromatic colour scheme (usually white or black hair with a marble-white skin tone) hinting at their common ancestry having an appearance similar to an angel like Avacyn from MTG, though as with all things there are exceptions of this rule. As a general rule the Laironese Aasimar are most often described using White, Black and Gold as that is the colours in their celestial shifts. The variant of local Aasimar are known for their accent similar to what we would attribute to a Spanish accent, though some non-Aasimar locals have picked it up parts of the accent through the amount of interaction they have with the Aasimar.

The Humans of this reigon are often dark of skin, or at least carry a heavy tan, due to the heat and generally open environment. Hair is most commonly a dark brown or black, though a sandy blonde or flaming red is not an unusual sight.

The clothing of Laironese people varies quite significantly, not only due to its racial variety but also due to regularly shifting generational fashion trends as facilitated by the wealth of textiles coming in trade from The Other Continent. Older humans tend to gravitate towards a more antique aesthetic, wearing loose, open clothes as would've been seen alongside the equipment the military mimics. It is when you get to the Younger Generations that things tend to spiral into a hundred different trends aping both modern and ancient designs.**Flesh Out More**. The Aasimar tend to keep to the same colours as their Celestial Shifts; White, Black and Gold (the gold usually being accent pieces), though the designs of their outfits stay as varied as the younger humans. Firbolg tend to keep to simple, practical clothing, usually forgoing textiles that are dyed or otherwise extravagant; this is commonly accepted to be due to their Druidic tendencies prior to joining civilisation proper, though this is not a sentiment actively projected by the Giantfolk themselves.

The Architecture of Lairon is mostly comprised of stone, both due to the arid environment making lumber less available, as well as the solidity of stone allowing extravagant carving while reducing it's strength very little. Much of the architecture in the cities is full of intricately carved pillars, engraved arches and domes all decorated with vivid paints and fine textiles. As you shift further away from the cities, these flourishes become less widespread, though are never completely absent. **The actual architectural aesthetic is as much a blend as the rest of the culture, much like the Corithian columns holding up Arabic Arches with colourful Islamic stalagtite vaulting along the ceilng of the Sicillian (roman not greek i know) Cappella Palatina.**

## Political Situation (The Brewing Civil War)

Information here will be repeated elsewhere. this is intended to be a quick introduction.

### Basic overview

After the assassination of Anassa Jeanne, the current monarch of Lairon has been too engulfed in his grief to effectively rule the nation, nor notice how things are collapsing around him. The only commands that have come from him in the past few years have been to keep bolstering the military by taking more and more from various other aspects of the country only to completely hand off the handling of the increased troops to the military command. This was only compounded when Princess Alissa was kidnapped, as it showed him again that what they had was ineffective (in his eyes.)

The military has gotten to a size where it is simply not able to be managed effectively by their current infrastructure, especially over distance. This means that the units deployed further from the capital get less and less support over time and distance. This lack of support and general unprepearedness of the further out units has caused a mass desertion, only making the problem of national security worse.

On top of the desertion, the general population has also taken a significant hit as taxes have been steadily rising and more and more jobs have been forcibly scrubbed out as those within that employ are conscripted. this has obviously caused a large degree of discontent amongst the general population to the point that many suspect a Civil War may be on the horizon.

### The Two Women trying to keep things together

There are two women doing their best to keep the nation from falling apart or breaking into a civil war. Princess Alissa is attempting to keep things together at a National Scale, whereas the former adventurer Madalena is attempting to keep the peace as a Hero of the People.

#### Princess Alissa

Princess Alissa is unofficially taking on more and more of the roles her father has abandoned. Despite this, she only has so much time in the day and as the heir only has very limited effective power, and thus most of what she does is simply setting preperations for either when her father comes to his senses or leaves his place of power (willingly or forcefully.) One of the (seemingly) most effective methods she has employed is dedicating time towards the Royal Address, a fortnightly event where anyone cans step up to the kingdom's leaders and speak whatever they wish without any risk of retribution. Originally used as a way for the lesser heard people to make important requests (such as a borderside hamlet that had a failed harvest to request aid) it is now most often used as a way for the locals to vent their frustrations.

#### Madalena

Madalena returned to Lairon not long after the Death of Anassa Jeanne, and saw what would come of it earlier than most. She took her savings from her years adventuring and got to work preparing who she could for the oncoming collapse. She began with a small group, assisting those who were being forced out of their homes by the increasing taxes and doing their best to whip the emerging bandits into line, making sure that any loot from such expeditions were re-entered into the towns in a way that they cannot be claimed by the government ("oh look at that, this travelling group of adventurers HAPPENED to buy out my entire stock" as opposed to a shopkeep suddenly coming into an unreasonable amount of wealth).

Over time her group expanded to the point that it was most effective to split into sub-factions under Madalena's banner. each of these original groups was led by an original member of Madalena's crew, though since then leadership may have changed, and each of those original groups has likely split themselves.

as most of the bandits were former soldiers, and thus the difference between the two is down to naught but behaviour, reports would reach the capital about their soldiers being taken down by Madalena and her crew, and thus they were branded as Outlaws (originating the title of "Madalena's Raiders). the group was prepared for this, and shifted from a public effort to one that, though widespread, was hidden and accessible to "only those within the circles" (actually meaning anyone who wouldn't sell them out, but the air of mystery was used to their advantage)

Madalenas crew still works as they did, taking hints on corrupt military divisions and making sure the spoils are reintegrated into the nearby settlements, as well as taking in those who are forced out of their homes. Many hidden temporary settlements are set up throughout the territory to house those taken in by Madalena and her crew where they are taught the skills needed to live outside of regular civilisation for the time being.

Madalena herself is of the opinion that "If we need to remove Andry by force when the time comes, so be it. But that time is not here yet." and her focus is to keep as many people alive and safe as possible until the situation is solved.

Some of the other groups under her umbrella are leaning more and more towards leading the revolution themselves as the population gets more and more disgruntled.

## Significant People

#### *Anax Andry of Lairon*

Anax of Lairon after succeeding their Father.

Before his ascension to Anax, Andry was mostly focused on overseas relations, helping consolidate the country's trade agreements with Bordeleaux even following the Seawolf Islander's lockdown of the seas surrounding Deacledroth. These connections led to him spending a lot of time in the other country, eventually meeting Jeanne DuSoliel, who he fell in love with and later married, quoting her connection with the common people as opposed to the usual ring of Nobles as a big part of his attraction.

Since his Wife's death mid spring 1267 he has pulled back from public view, announcements of new laws being brought out to the public by scribes and council members.

#### *Anassa Jeanne DuSoliel of Lairon (Deceased)*

The former Anassa of Lairon (Died mid spring 1267) was a Bordeleaux noble of the lower status DuSoliel family who travelled over to Deacledroth and later courted and married the heir to Lairon; the soon to be Anax, Andry. Their marriage encouraged the two nations to improve their trade relations, even despite the Seawolf Pirates, which led to the famed prosperity of the nation (at least until recently.) Due to the relatively low status of her family in her homeland she has a fondness for the common folk often lacked in the nobility.

#### *Princess Alissa of Lairon*

The Daughter of Anax Andry and Anassa Jeanne DuSoliel of Lairon and the effective heir of the territory.

To help counteract Her father's ignorance to the rest of the country Princess Alissa began taking up many of the roles that her mother had previously filled, most notably reintroducing The Royal Address, wherein regular citizens are allowed to present their claims and complaints to the crown, in a hope that they may be resolved. As Princess, Alissa doesn't have the power to directly implement many of the laws and reforms that would be required to pull the Kingdom out of the ditch, though she has made sure to make preparations and plans for the event that either her Father stops focusing solely on his grief or is removed from the throne.

#### *Elanna of the Open Hand*

A monk from the Monastery of the Open Hand who chose to wander the world after their training was considered complete. After saving Princess Alissa following a kidnapping Elanna requested to become the Princess's bodyguard instead of taking the generous reward, claiming that she was the only one who could effectively keep the Princess safe; quoting the failure of the other 4 adventurers sent out to find Alissa to support her request.

#### *Don Rodrigo*

Considered one of the Greatest Knights of Phrance, who in his older age chose to retire to the Kingdom of Lairon, taking a Villa in the Capital and living his latter years in comfort. Since his retirement he has taken in a few apprentices, teaching them in the ways of Combat, each of which has gone on to make a name for themselves.

Don Rodrigo has a single Son, Noberto, though the two have become estranged, some claiming that Noberto even goes by a false name to keep people recognising them. It hasn't gone public what caused them to drift apart.

#### *Madalena*

Leader of the "Raiders", a name given to them by the Lawmakers rather than one spread by themselves. A female Aasimar in her late 40s, she spent most of her youth travelling the continent, taking up various adventuring jobs before getting a message from her Celestial ancestors telling her to go back to her homeland as she will be needed there soon. When this story is told many are surprised to find she got her message over a decade after the main Aasimar migration into Lairon.

See more: Lairon#Madalena's Raiders

Appearance: Female Laironese Aasimar in her late 40s. Long, curly hair in Aasimar white, usually bound up in a braid. The iris of Her eyes are gold and slightly luminous, sometimes described to be like molten gold. If one looks carefully the molten gold comparison is correct as the colour and pattern slowly flows around the iris. Spending most of her life out adventuring has caused her skin to shift away from the marble-white you usually see of Laironese Aasimar, lying somewhere in between that and what humans would call a more “natural” colour.

## Fallout of Anassa Jeanne's Death

Ever since the death of his wife, Jeanne, Anax Andry has put more and more focus on the military and security of the nation. Unfortunately he planned to do this through sheer numbers, conscripting increasing amounts of citizens and sending them out with little to no training. He made sure that the properly trained guards were deployed in the Capital, sending fresh conscripts out to the further reaches of the Kingdom. Even with their immense numbers these conscripts were not prepared for the kind of monsters that still plagued the land, leading to a large Adventurer Economy as most places preferred to pay travelling adventurers for protection rather than relying on the young guards assigned to them. Naturally this lack of pay from their assigned towns led to mass desertion, only making the problem worse by introducing roving bands of new Bandits. The only areas that have a consistent guard presence are the two major cities, Corcaea and Mondresa,

There are few jobs that exclude you from conscription, notably mining, smithing and farming as without them they would not be able to supply all the guards. Another notable organisation that excludes you is the Adventurer's Guild and all related sub-guilds (such as the Hunter's Guild)

The mix of unregulated monster hordes, constant bandit (most of which being deserting guards and soldiers) raids and not enough citizens left unconscripted to fill the jobs required to keep the Kingdom functioning has begun a decline in the Kingdom's prosperity.

## Recent Major Events

#### *"Spring" 1267 3rd Era: Death of Anassa Jeanne*

Anassa Jeanne was murdered during a regular visit to the Corcaea market. The murderer hasn't been identified, let alone caught. Anax Andry has yet to remarry, to some rumor and controversy.

Military presence throughout the Kingdom has steadily increased since this event.

#### *Early 1268 3rd Era*: *Kidnapping of Princess Alissa*

Princess Alissa was kidnapped. Five adventurers were sent out by the king and one, Elanna of The Open Hand, managed to bring her back after 2 weeks. Elanna waived the reward in exchange for the honour of becoming the Personal Bodyguard for Princess Alissa.

## Trivia

* The towns and cities used to have different names. they have been updated post-lore writing with the northern towns/cities being Spanish(andalusian) influenced and the southern ones being Greek-influenced. Names are pseudo-historic from this generator

## Update Notes

**Things that should be updated, not things that have been updated**\*

* Simple once-over/clean up of information
* Define/Consolidate the Theme/Aesthetic more clearly and update surrounding information accordingly.
* More clearly establish the situation with the Military and Economy and how Madalena's Raiders fall into it.
* Probably find another name for Madalena's Raiders.
* Aasimar Situation likely needs defining
* Move/organise Madalena's section/s