Lazari Confederation

**Population**: 94% Westrasi Human, 6% Other, Capital : Port of Lazar

##### **Goverment**

A confederation of sovereign peoples, who contribute to the common infrastructure and economical well-being of Lazaria. They are bound by basic laws of non-violence towards their fellow countryman, as well as non-disclosure agreements about the proprietary methods of the confederation, and confidentiality agreements to their clients.

##### **Culture**

The Confederation of Lazar is made up of sovereign people, with an individualist attitude towards trade and personal freedoms. The population of this nation may not be many, but their Canal is the lifeline of trade between West and East Westrasi. Their mountain fortresses offer an opportunity for high-profile clients to hoard treasures and artifacts away from the inquisitive eyes of taxing governments, and self-important conservationists alike. Most inhabitants come from a Lahailan or Uorosian background, although there are some others. There are bustling port cities on either end on the mountain range, and many Research Rangers within the mountains themselves. Many Lazarians that aren't port city merchants, or research rangers, make a living working on the constantly needed repair of the canals infrastructure.

##### **Rangers of the Strongholds**

In the ancient steel caves, turned research centers and wealth strongholds, reside the Rangers of the Strongholds. With their hippogriffs acting as guard dogs, and occasional mounts, but mostly as companion animals, These rangers uphold the secrecy and integrity of their research, as well as the utmost discretion and confidentiality about their clients' hoards. It is said that unauthorized visitors may be rode down upon for coming within a mile of their great steel caves.

##### **Religion**

Comprising mostly of Lahailan and Uorosian descendants, most Lazarians tend to be quite secular about Gloria-Etalia, although they do believe that having some spiritual belief is important to personal growth and achievement, and more importantly that someone's spiritual beliefs be their own.

##### **Origin**

After the Uorosians separated from the Belarans, the explorers of Uoro began expedetion east into the Wyrdlands, and Northwest into the inhospitable Mountain range between them and the most concentrated part of the Belaran Kingdom. An initial outpost settlement was constructed on the northernmost point of the Uorosian River, where it's headwaters disappeared into the foothills of the mountains. The Uorosian Research Rangers encountered a native population of Hippogriffs, of which they domesticated a small portion. Although large enough to mount, the Hippogriffs could not carry excessive supplies in flight with a rider, and could only fly with a rider short distances. They still proved effective for exploration as they displayed agile footing in the mountains, and could at least fly the riders over patches of otherwise impassable terrain. On the western end of the mountain range, the explorer's found the headwaters of another river, the one they knew flowed into it's estuary in Vesterland Bay in the Vesterland colonies of Belara. They found something else just north of the headwaters as well. In the mountains nearby the rangers found a series of magnificent caverns, the likes of which they'd never seen. They were lined with thick metal, and inside were ancient relics. This was a mother load of ancient knowledge, if they could put together the pieces of such degraded material. They went to work building another major outpost here, both to accommodate their extensive research, and to keep a watch that Belara did not try to invade them through their Vesterland colonies. After the Split of Belara, and then later, the Revolution of Morloux, The westernmost parts of the Vesterland colonies became the Kingdom of Vesterland, and the Lahaila Merchant Republic. One day a ship from the Lahaila Merchant Republic docked at the western research outpost. The leader of this expedition was a scout named Lazar, who was searching for a trade route to Eastern Westrasi. The rangers informed him that there was another headwaters, and settlement on the eastern side of the range, but they were seperated by unfavorable terrain. Lazar had an idea. He proposed that they let Lahaila build a canal joining the rivers, to use as a trade route, They would invest in the infrastructure of the research settlements, and that this trade route would greatly benefit their home kingdom of Uoros, which high in honorable deed, and academic pursuit, was admittedly not economically flourishing. This was agreed upon between the two nations. After a brief time, Lazar learned of the ancienct metal caves, and coveted them as merchandise, which led to a brief conflict between The Uorosian Rangers and Lazar. Ultimately it was agreed upon that Lazar could make more money using parts of the less relic-filled caves as strongholds, which Lazar could charge high-profile clients to hoard secret treasures from their governments and enemies. Then, although he was one of the richest men in all Westrasi, Lazar grew discontent with paying taxes to his homeland of Lahaila. He knew that the Research Rangers of the mountains were sometimes criticized by their homeland for their inability to decipher meanings from the ancient caves and their relics. Lazar and the Researchers from Uoros agreed to declare themselves an independent confederation. They had wealth, and they had a stronghold on the main Westrasi continental trade route, as well as the accumulated hoards on undeclared treasures belonging to many of the most powerful people of Westrasi. Noone dared to stop them. It was decided that the expereinced Uorosian Rangers would actually wield most authority over this new nation, while Lazar was afforded the dominion over national profit, as well as the vanity of naming the nation and it's capital city after himself.

##### **Diplomacy**

The Lazarians are the up keepers of the infratructure of one of the most vital trade routes to all of Westrasi, and their strongholds house many powerful Westrasians' secrets. Nobody in Westrasi would every start a conflict with Lazari, and Lazari would never pick a side in any inter-Westrasi conflict.

##### **Geography**

Lazari's landscape is an inhospitable, mountainous, boreal forest, with most of it's civilization residing in it's two port cities, and along the canal in it's foothills.

##### **Economy**

The people of the Lazari Confederation makes their money by heavily taxing non-citizen's using their canal connecting the Vesterland River and Uorosian River, as well as many of it's citizens being involved in continental trade themselves. They also make substantial money acting as a private confidential treasure horde to wealthy clients.

*Meta-Lore: The great metal lined caves of ancient relics, were actually a system of bunkers where elite members of the ancient bygone society and their extended families hid during the nuclear extinction event at the dawn of our current world. When they ran out of resources, they were forced to exist the bunkers. They found the mountain range inhospitable, and most of that area and northward and westward were still on the tail-end of a nuclear winter. They migrated southeastward to the site of modern Uoros, where they found a more temperate forest and settled. This is the true secret origin of Westrasi Hunter-Gatherers.*