Forest of Liande

video File:PlaceholderIn a wood home to legends, of creatures and cryptids, it is impossible to find two identical patches of forest. Clearings of crystals, brooks of silk, trees of lilac, of copper, of green. In Hora and Nagai the faith of most residents is assured, though some worship Kamara for her magical ties. Strangers are watched from the shadows with weariness and some will enter the forests to never return. There are very specific customs to entering and leaving the forest involving gifts and promises of causing no damage to the spirits.  Fae, spirits and imps rejoice in the forest’s heart and guard it jealously from the world beyond the tree border. Other strays have wandered in and become a part of the ecosystem, adopted into the very fibre of the forest’s expanse.

Overall the forest is an expanse of division, North, South, East and West, governed from the central Heart of the Forest, where the High Seer Order and Ruler ensure the forest’s health. Each district has a Leader who operates mostly independently except during Super Moons when all of the families meet at the palace of the High Seer Order to speak, perform rituals and plan for the next quarter.

Since the Forest of Liande was first occupied centuries ago, a single ruler has taken charge of the forest. She is Lucie, the daughter of the Old One Sirius and the First Queen [insert name]. After Lucie died at the age of 20 a strange magical force from the forest, and from Sirius, returned the lost Queen to life, but she was not the same. Sirius had to remake Lucie as a demigoddess. Since this time she has reincarnated through different mothers, seemingly at random. Once the new Lucie is found she is brought to Liande's capital, Ichorwood, and placed in the custody of the High Seer Order. From there she is taught politics, magic but never about her past. Once her magic begins to develop fully, at around 16, she is crowned in The Ceremony of Light. The people of Liande come from all over to bear witness to the new Queen's rise to power and give blessings to the Gods for another lifetime of protection. Many view the life of the forest in line with Lucie's cycle, so as long as Lucie returns, the Forest of Liande will survive another lifetime. However, Lucie cannot live forever and the arrival of a strange, grey unicorn usually signals the end times. This is Virgil, Lucie's forbidden paramour who has been with her for many, many lifetimes. When they arrive Lucie's past life memories are triggered and she will be consumed with even more power. Ultimately, this will end her life and the cycle will continue.

## Government and Rulership

Write the first section of your page here.

## Culture and Society

Culture

Society

A great portion of magic users within both Liande and Avalon belong to the Five Great Houses. These influential nobles are primarily sorcerers and orb witches, hailing from six different ancestral houses of magic users. They typically marry within royalty, have careers in politics and high arts, and influence fashion trends and magic uses.

## Ranks

* '**The Liurigh'** *- The Light Queen* (in the Liandian tongue)
	+ The title Lucie is given. She is seen as the light of the forest and bringer of new life to the nature there. Each Lucie is seen as the new Ruler of the Forest of Liande, and has supreme governship after The Ceremony of Light and her official crowning. Before that time she is assisted by the High Seer Order, her mother The Madonna and the Matrons of the Torch; mothers of the previous incarnations of Lucie. This rank is locked as Lucie is an admin character.
* **‘The Anurigh’** *- The Lost Queen* (in the Liandian tongue - Queen here is neuter and non-gendered)
	+ This is the title for Virgil, who is seen as an omen of end times and ultimate destroyer of The Liurigh. Their presence is feared by many of the tribes who will actively drive them away. Only the Fantazona seem to support them. However, after Lucie's 16th birthday is Virgil permitted to come near as their arrival does bring about Lucie's ultimate power and her memories of decades of rulership. But before then, Virgil is an outcast. Once in the palace with The Liurigh, The Anurigh is treated like Lucie's consort; respected but not obeyed or revered. This rank is locked as Virgil is an admin character.
* **The High Seer Order**
	+ The High Seer Order is made up of the family members from the various tribes who have been trained in politics. Chosen at a young age, and usually the second or third child to the governing families, they are sent to Ichorwood to learn from the current representative of their tribe. There are multiple layers to the High Seer Order, with some operating within the palace in Ichorwood as direct advisors to Lucie, while others scour the forest to rid it of dark magic users. They may also choose to elect a child from one of the families to stand in Lucie's place for a time so that the Order is kept trained on how to teach and manage children. This child (or children) are called Rion(s) meaning 'Little Stars'.
* **The Madonna** *- The Current Lucie's Mother*
	+ The Madonna is the mother of the current Liurigh. She can be anyone from Liande and once she is discovered, once the new Lucie is born, she and her daughter are brought to the capital. The Madonna is taken in by The Matrons of the Torch to be taught about how to mother Lucie. This includes political training, lessons in literacy and diction, she is taught horticulture, basic medicine and how to deal with The High Seer Order. The Madonna is respected as the bringer of the new Lucie and revered by many. Whichever tribe she has come from is generally favoured for that Lucie's lifetime as The Madonna and sometimes Lucie herself can appoint new members of the Order and promote and demote whomever they please. However, the Madonna holds much less political power than her daughter and is really given charge over Lucie's psychological wellbeing. The Madonna's role is to be a good mother, not a politician. Some Madonnas have been political in the past, but this can cause a lot of conflict. The Madonna is not allowed to bear any further children after their Lucie is recognised. If they are pregnant after Lucie's birth but before she is recognised this is accepted. But after her recognition there can be serious repercussions. Lovers are also forbidden. This rank is locked currently and depends on the cycle of Lucie currently in play.
* **The Matrons of the Torch** *- The mothers to the previous Lucies*
	+ The previous mothers of Lucie are not allowed to bear any further children. As such they, and any children they had before Lucie, live in the palace in Ichorwood to help find and teach the next mother of Lucie. The oldest of the group is usually in charge, but there are no ranks within the Matrons and it varies depending on who is a part of it. The Matrons come from every corner of the Forest of Liande, and are generally an apolitical entity. Their sole purpose is to ensure the continuation of the education of Lucie and the next Madonna. The Matrons are viewed by the Order as advisors to ensure they do what is vest for Lucie's mental health, but can be overruled at any time. The Matrons will collectively tutor Lucie in what they are good at, such as minor healing, gardening, sewing, cooking, sword-play and so on. The background of each Matron is respected, and they are allowed to do as they please. If a Matron is discovered to have taken on a lover or to have born another child, after their Lucie was recognised, they may be banished into the mists of the forest or even executed depending on the Order and the current Lucie or ruler(s)'s decision. If they wish to have a lover it must be discussed with the Order and with the other Matrons. It is incredibly rare to be approved.