Duchy of Wyrs

The **Duchy of Wyrs** was a Human duchy in the North between the 3rd and 6th century AW. It broke off from the Freehold of Laenius after a series of tax disputes between the Freehold and the Human town of Woodhall, the latter of which formed Wyrs.

Over time, Wyrs became increasingly powerful and began conquering other Human duchies in the area alongside Laenius itself from the 450s onwards. These so-called Wars of Wyrsian Unification ended with the conquest of the Mage-Duchy of Redlyre and the establishment of the modern Kingdom of Wyrsia in 515 AW.

## History

During the Third Human Rebellion and early stages of the Divine War, the Empire of Nytalyria under Lyxis the Blind invaded the North to drive out the Human invaders under the banner of the Kingdom of Humanity. While the soldiers were driven out, a large amount of Freeman settlers had founded homes on the conquered territory, with modern-day Wyrsia being no exception.

These Humans became subjects of one of the so-called New Freeholds, the Freehold of Laenius, based out of the city of Laenius (present-day Sunfort). While the treatment of the Human population was generally fair by the Faerian ruling class of Laenius, there were nonetheless tensions between the two groups. The desire for Human autonomy from Faerian rule and taxes was a big issue that plagued Laenius, which ultimately led to Human settlements being founded away from the capital, including Woodhall.

Woodhall became especially prominent as a Human tax haven away from the rule of Laenius, By 226 AW, their power had grown significantly and, as Laenius tried to move against Woodhall, the town and its surrounding region declared independence as the Duchy of Wyrs. In the so-called Wyrsic Rebellion, Laenius was humiliated and forced to recognise Wyrsic independence, and other regions such as Wyrgate and Whaler's Bay soon followed.

Wyrs continued to thrive as a minor economic centre, with Woodhall acting as an important port city. Life was relatively quiet and simple in Wyrs, with most of the population living an agricultural lifestyle. However, a major upset to the status quo would come under the reign of Duke Darren I. Darren I was an aggressive militarist who recognised weakness in his neighbours. Only weeks after succeeding his father, he raised the Ducal Army and invaded Whaler's Bay, starting a decades-long series of campaigns known as the Wars of Wyrsian Unification.

Darren I died in 487 AW in a struggle against the Mage-Duchy of Redlyre, having previously conquered both Whaler's Bay and Laenius itself. His successor, Harrald I, conquered Wyrgate and also marched on Redlyre, only to die suddenly of illness. Finally, Duke Stephen II finished the conquest of the Mage-Duchy of Redlyre. While some of his generals proposed to continue the streak of invasions into Innyria, Great Skull, or even as far as Hykkfjord, Stephen II was eager to consolidate his power.

In 515 AW, the Duchy of Wyrs was no longer an independent country but the capital duchy of the larger Kingdom of Wyrsia, with Stephen crowning himself King Stephen I of Wyrsia. While a great victory for the supporters of the House of Woodhall, Stephen I ultimately failed to consolidate his power over the new kingdom. In 524 AW, he was assassinated by separatists from Whaler's Bay. In the resulting Wyrsian Crisis, his son Thomas I effectively handed control of Wyrsia over to the Order of the Red Dove of mages from Redlyre, starting the century-long period of Red Dove control over the crown, which led to the eventual downfall and destruction of the House of Woodhall.

## Dukes of Wyrsia

* House of Woodhall
	+ Culp I, 226-250 AW
	+ Delmon I, 250-279 AW
	+ Jerrom I, 279-312 AW
	+ Ken I, 312-320 AW
	+ Rofor I, 320-379 AW
	+ Rofor II, 379-399 AW
	+ Thomas I, 399-441 AW
	+ Stephen I, 441-459 AW
	+ Darren I, 459-487 AW
	+ Harrald I, 487-510 AW
	+ Stephen II, 510-515 AW