Grand Duchy of Eparchia

The Grand Duchy of Eparchia, also known as Sotha, is a city state which lies to the north of the Commonwealth of Pem and is situated in the region of Eparchia, in the northern Centrelands. It is ruled by the Grand Duke of Eparchia, who also functions as the head of the Order of Saint Sotha, the Duchy's primary military and theological organisation.

Eparchia was originally settled as part of the Argaivan Oriental Colonies, but was abandoned following the First Catastrophe. It was later settled by exiled Ruby City noble Arkigallus Agios, ancestor of the current Duke, and his followers. The region features a single, joint-settlement of the village of Little Sotha and Old Sotha, better known as the Cathedral City. The region's terrain is rugged, mountainous and has significant forested areas.

Thanks to the extensive and well preserved records of the Order of Saint Sotha, an unusually complete history of the region is available dating back to 1100BGE.

## Economy

Eparchia primarily produces wheat and cheese for local consumption and is relatively undeveloped on an industrial scale. In recent years it has seen a boom in homebrew craft beers, though this has not translated to an industrial scale.

Eparchia's largest export by volume are milk and cheese products and its major dairy producer, Sothan Dairies, is well known across the Centrelands for its speciality cheeses. Eparchia has a Duchy-run gold mine which is used to supply Goldsmiths of Sothica, a specialist goldsmith and supplier of jewellery and religious iconography for the Order of Saint Sotha. The company also produces some goods for international export.

There are rumours that the Duchy uses its virgin gold to produce counterfeit foreign currency on behalf of foreign states and third parties, however the Duchy refutes these claims as unfounded.

## Religion

The religious military organisation, the Order of Saint Sotha, have controlled the region for over a millennia. As a result, Eparchian society centres around theocratic laws, scripture and religious observance at all levels of society. There are many religious stipulations codified in Eparchia's laws and deviation from the religious teachings of the Order are punished harshly.

Eparchia observes the worship of The Many (Paramac, Suradan, Bellathon, Yvir) in a similar manner to the Church of Pem. However, as development of religious scripture and interpretation has been insular and controlled by the Order of Saint Sotha for centuries, there are some notable deviations in worship and belief. Most notably, Endric is not viewed as unfavourably by Eparchians compared to other Centrelanders, although he is not worshipped directly.

## History

#### Argaivan Province

Prior to the establishment of the Grand Duchy, the region of Eparchia was a part of the Eastern colonies of the Argaivan Empire. The region was home to a number of mining settlements that also acted as stop-over points for road and river routes between Ak-polona, Argaivia and Ruby City. A fort named 'Argilla' was constructed beside the mountain in the east of the region.

Following the First Catastrophe, the Argaivan empire collapsed and the region was gradually abandoned as trade routes dried up.

### Resettlement and Early Argilla

In 1103 BGE a succession crisis in Ruby City was resolved, leading to the banishment of the 'pretender' Arkigallus Agios, who was a cousin of the successful claimant. Arkigallus took his supporters and his considerable wealth and repaired the dilapidated fort of Argilla in Eparchia. Following this, Argilla was commonly referred to as Widdlow (named after the "land of the pauper-king" from Prydowan legend), a name that gradually permeated through the Centrelands.

Arkigallus wanted the fort to serve as a training ground for an army, with the intention to invade and conquer Ruby City. Arkigallus provided the townspeople of Argilla with military training, with senior positions within the town being given to those with the most military experience and promise. However, over time the settlers became disillisuioned with Arkigallus' goal of capturing Ruby City. Not only had they begun to build a thriving community, but it was increasingly clear from intelligence reports that they stood no chance against Ruby City. Notably, Ruby City had control over the Ruby Legion, which was one of the only standing armies in the Centrelands at the time.

#### Formation of the Order of Argilla

Gallus, son of Arkigallus' was popular, level-headed and was a promising military talent. Taking advantage of the people's discontent with his father, he overthrew Arkigallus in 1076 BGE and banished him from Eparchia. He declared himself Duke, which was the first step in formalising the ruling sturucture of the region. He also reinvented the army that his father had created, splitting it in two. Half of the army would serve to defend the province and act as a police force, under the name 'the Eparchian Legion'. The other half would serve as a mercenary outfit, under the title the 'Order of Argilla'.

The Order of Argilla became both renowned and infamous over the next three-quarters of a century as a tightly-knit, ruthless and effective military force. In 1001 BGE Ruby City employed them to join in the Ankhosian Crusade. Ser Sotha Agios, grandson of Gallus, was master of the Order and participated in the Sacking of Ankhos. Upon his return, Sotha brought back a variety of "relics" and valuable treasures made of precious metals and gemstones.

#### Return of Sotha from the Ankhosian Crusade

Along with the riches that he brought, Sotha also told his people of the destruction wrought by the gods in the Second Catastrophe that destroyed Ankhos. Sotha founded the Holy Order of Argilla in 998BGE, in order to ensure the "proper worship of the Many" among the Eparchians. The new order served as a collection of priests, theologians and scholars, as well as warriors who vowed to extol and embody the values of the Many in all their efforts.

On the death of his father in 994BGE, Sotha became the Duke of Eparchia and ordered the construction of a cathedral fortress where fort Argilla stood. The construction was funded through the vast riches plundered from Ankhos and over the next 15 years a large fortress "cathedral" was constructed that dwarfed the small town beside it.

### Death of Sotha and Establishment of the Holy Order

In 976BGE, Sotha was ambushed and killed whilst hunting in the woodland north of Woleseat. Sotha's Relic, a treasure from Ankhos that he always carried upon his person, was also stolen from his body. Following Sotha's death the Holy Order of Argilla declared Sotha a saint and renamed itself the Holy Order of Saint Sotha, in reverence of their fallen leader. Thasos Agios, brother of Sotha, was less popular than his recently deceased brother. As such, he readily endorsed this change and installed himself as Grandmaster of the Order of Saint Sotha, merging it with the Order of Argilla and the Eparchian Legion to consolidate his power and please his citizens.