Leyroch

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 Established
 Founder
 Population
 Language

Leyroch is a city in the Aurian Empire.

## History

350BE: A town is founded by a man called Leyroch at the Crossroads. He calls the town after himself.

45BE: Enerest at the riverbank is born near Leyroch.

7-4BE: The First Commerce Wars scare some of the local peoples. Rak Danning in the north becomes a major trading partner of Auria. This worries Leyroch who are already dependent on both.

0BE: The Aurian Monetary Union becomes the Aurian Empire when announced by Jomark. Tor Armakan capital of the old city state Armakania is officially made centre of learning, research and magic in the new empire. This is just south of Leyroch. Leyroch does not elect to join the Empire though they were in the Union.

2-22PE: Unification Wars Leyroch is conquered as part of these.

2-3PE: Members of the Aurian Monetary Union who did not originally opt into the Empire at its founding, such as Leyroch, are pressured to join the Empire properly.

Records of this time are not reliable. Some things however are not disputed: Leyroch was governed by a leader called by the title the 'Waymarker' and the Viperlord Enerest at the riverbank was in residence at Leyroch. It is clear Enerest resisted Aurian influence. Though whether this was representative of public feeling or directly opposed to it is disputed.

4-10PE: Tor Armakan provides wizards and engineers to Auria's Tor Kalash trained armies. With these, the new empire conquers states in the eastern Protectorates gaining land for farming and building.

4PE: The initial efforts to take Leyroch fail. In the end it is mainly due to the impact of wizards from Tor Armakan, who neutralise the powerful wizard, the Viperlord Enerest at the riverbank.

6PE: The War of Thorns begins with the 'Bold Offensive'. Leyroch initially avoids having to provide soldiers as a concession to its 'recently acquired' status.

12-16PE: The Northern Campaign, Leyroch is a natural muster-point for the armies attacking Wrennost and later the Oakreach Conglomerate.

20-22PE The Mountain Campaign to take the dwarvern state of High Grange is fueled by many men from Leyorch. The initial reversals which result in many deaths are keenly felt by the city and erode Aurian support there. The archmage Infernal Blade and agrees to leave Tor Armakan and personally support an army in the field. He is the first archmage to agree to do so. This becomes important as he establishes that wizards of a certain level have to be beyond regular military officer's control. When he is told to level the town of Cullstone he simply refuses. Resulting in the Cullstone Policy. In the end the wizard and his apprentices are crucial to the success of the campaign and the fall of High Grange. This benefits Leyroch and brings an end to their losses. In many ways Leyroch's pro-wizard attitude can be traced to this origin.

34PE: End of the War of Thorns with Torash.

43-44PE: The Second Commerce Wars begin in earnest with Auria taking chunks of what are now called the Protectorates. Leyroch is one of the recruitment centres for Auria's armies until Middleholm is secured.

50PE: Protectorate forces embark on the Forked Offensive into Saracan and Alkan. They fail and their loss damages the economic stability of Leyroch.

59PE: Race riots break out in Rak Danning leading to a culling of the old races present in the city. Leyroch experiences a minor copycat effect. Non-humans are targeted in several assaults and some mysterious killings. A clever group of investigators are able to uncover the ring of perpetrators and bring this to and end.

260PE: Rak Danning under a new charismatic leader attempts to reassert its independence and become an independent state.

260-261PE: The Split Walls Succession: Unfortunately for Rak Danning Auria moves its legions directly against them and Wrennost,who inspired by their move, kill their own imperial governor and declare independence also. (It was hoped that ten or twenty of the sates would all do this making it impossible for Auria to react but that did not occur).

Leyroch for example did not even lose an hours sleep over the 'foolishness' They sent significant military forces to muster at Middleholm to bring the recalcitrant states in line. Under pressure the Emperor is forced to declare the insurgents as an opposing nation within the Empire.

261PE: The armies marched and retake Rak Danning easily then march on Wrennost and with the use of key wizards Crimsonsky and Tremorfist they are able to take it back by force. Leyroch forces are present throughout the campaign.

262PE: Aftermath of the Split Walls secession, where the Emperor Jonah III gains the title 'the Merciful'. He pardons many of those who rebelled in the north while also excessively rewarding all the loyalists including Leyroch's general and govenor placing them into positions of power and authority. Leyroch enters a phase of growth and prosperity.

445-449PE: The Third Commerce Wars or the Tatrak Conquest. Leyroch is not involved militarily other than a few of its local units are weakened in order to send men to the front. However economically it burgeons in size as it becomes the first grain hu for the capital cities of the Tor Honarik Trading Area during the war as well as sending huhge convoys of grain to Middleholm for distribution to the army in the west.

493-512PE: Reign of Aluap the Organiser. The Trading Areas are organised and Middleholm uses its previous treaty under Jonah The Merciful to become the recognised centre of the Protectorates.

As a member of the Protectorates Leyorch is now technically under the Middleholm Trademaster. This causes smoe tention as Leyroch is closer to the the powerful cities of the Tor Honarik Trading Area... much closer than Middlehom. This leads to tensions between Middleholm, representing the protectorates and Tor Armakan in particular as thye both exert significant influence in Leyroch.

The Trade Area Legions are reorganised and the Protectorates military, nicknamed the Riders, is stationed at Middleholm. They also assign a permanent general and garrison to Leyroch among other large Protectorate cities. Public approval for Tor Honarik and the Emperor soar.

505-507PE: The Wargak Invasion. When the Wargak horde invade through Saracan Leyroch send forces along with the rest of the Protectorates to support the Border Guard. The Trade Area Legions system proves its worth and under the direction of the first ever Commander in Chief Nik Firehand the invasion is turned back. This was the first time the Sapphire Wizards Guild worked so seamlessly with the military and it was proven a huge success.

515: Protectorans are founded under Peter I. The Black Protectoran's base of power is chosen predictably as Middleholm with Nife Dohanar as its Marix.

525PE: Kolaran officially joins the Empire and this creates a new trade stream for the Empire. Leyroch however continues to favouritise Yewdon.

650PE: During the Protectoran Mutiny Middleholm itself remains loyal but many of the units ride off and go rogue. The mutiny is put down by marshaled loyalist forces. However not all for example some of the deserters, such as the Shadow Banner mercenary group, are never brought to heel.

674-675PE: The successful campaign against the Danoran Mountain clans is planned and executed. Black Legions ride from Middleholm at the same time successfully stopping the mountain clans from being able to retreat. The infamous razing of the Eagle Moors clans occurs during these conflicts. It results in the removal of the First Lance by uncertain means. Surehoof becomes the First Lance. He has Alkar heritage and founds the Outriders within the Riders.

687PE: Failed Saracan invasion formalises the Aurian northern border which outlines the upper limit of the Kolaran Trading Area, it also formally acknowledges the existence of Free Country. Through Rak Danning, Middleholm has connections to Saracan and Kolaran.

700PE: The Yellow Protectoran is split now being set to guard the southern border centred in Tor Zeric and the northern border centred in Rak Danning. This is not a popular in the north many arguing the Black Protectoran should cover the south or that a new Legion Group should be founded. Surehoof argues the point and is instrumental in ensuring the Yellow Splits instead of the Black.

1050-1102PE: The reign of Peter IV the Seafarer results in more trade products than ever being made available in Middleholm.

1193-1221PE: The reign of Gerard the Waymaker huge roads are planned across the empire. Fortunately for Middleholm several were aimed specifically at widening its trade routes. Several of the roads connect at Middleholm and it uses the river as well. The network increases the level of economic prosperity in the business classes of the city. Many of the workers on the road network were recruited in Middleholm forming huge work groups and roaming villages.

1234-1271PE: The reign of the Warmaker and the Northport War. This involves the Black Protectoran very little but Middleholm does contribute forces.

1486-1491PE: Emperor Kavad embarks upon the War of Vengeance with Torash. Almost all military units that can be are sent to the front. This is a very unpopular war with the Protectorates as they are emptied for the war. The Red Famine strikes the Protectorates. This was Kavad's food tax on the farmers to support the war. Imperial sympathy went down and the Emperor's popularity takes a dive as well in the normally loyal Middleholm. Some of the Black Protectoran Legions turn a blind eye to farmers avoiding the Food Tax, yet others use the military expedients as excuses to rule ruthlessly.The Trade Master/Governor Melthis specifically over blew the threat of the Torans. Suggesting they would rape, pillage and plunder their way through the Protectorates. The attack on **Leyroch** by the Toran insurgent force is used to fuel this fear and that helps reinforce support for the war.

1512-1514PE: 1st Dragon Army Invasion affects Middleholm somewhat. They send significant cavalry forces to the assistance of the Eastern Protectorans that are engaged in the fighting. There is some draft dodging due generational anger about the War of Vengeance and the Red Famine.

1643-1677PE: New roads are built enhancing Leyroch's trade links especially with Middleholm trade links. Its economy booms in these years and the city is significantly enlarged.

1898PE: Second Dragon Army Invasion

## Geography

Leyroch is located in the East Riding in the Protectorates of the Aurian Empire. It is a large city with two a fortified wall and its own castle. It is built over a underground river and both docks and sewers have been built to take advantage of this waterway.
It is surrounded by good flat land ideal fore farming and is directly on the route of the Oakland Trail the largest paved road in the world.

## Economy

A powerful market town Leyroch has access to the huge traffic of the Oakland Trail as well as benefiting from its underground river. It is also a clear buying and selling point between the Protectorates and the central cities of the Tor Honarik Trading Area. With this in mind it is not surprising that Leyroch is for many a very prosperous town. Nevertheless, it is also not surprising that it suffers from its own inequality, slums and a dangerous criminal underground.

## Demographics

Dominated by humans but still large enough to have a few representative minorities. At least a few thousand people move through Leyroch on an ongoing basis, due to its prominent position on the Oakland Trail and its underground river. This helps keep the population fresh.

 Dwarves
 Other

### Religion

All six Avatars worship is represented of course in a place as large as Leyroch.

But the church of Celer dominates as is does in most of the Empire. Its buildings and congregations are by far the largest, widest spread and most frequented. There is a shrine built, it is said, on the remnants of the abode of the Viperlord himself. He is said to have manipulated the river that flows beneath Leyroch and that underground river affects the economy and the the livelihood of many, which has an effect in bringing some worshipers to remember the god of nature in their prayers.

## Politics and Government

Leyroch has a senator specifically to represent it, as it is considered a city, in the Senate.

The Govenor is the leader of the city, but the Senator of the city has influence as does the local General who manages the Black Protectoran Legions in the area. They are however supposedly subordinate to the Governor.

## Military

Leyroch is in the East Riding of the Protectorates and the largest city of that region. Fore this reason it serves as a military base for the Black Protectoran in the area. There are always at least two mobile legions and one fixed legion around Leyroch. The Lancemarks have significant impact on the area but their general has even more.

## Culture

A Leyroch's culture is now almost entirely Aurian normal.

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There is one idiosyncrasy that has remained from their days as a city state before being consumed by the Empire in 4PE, that is their naming convention. It is still normal to name a child by where it was born. Usually these days these are street names but there is an effort to have your child born in an interesting location so as to effect its name. There are many people in the city called 'at the Light' or 'at the Bank' for these reasons.

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## People of Note

* Enerest Viperlord and called Enerest of the riverbank