Byrrohin

Byrrohin is a small country (and capitol of that country) located on the north coast of South Dalandorov, just east of Al Kharid. It is a rich trade city known for gem mines, dyes, fine fabrics, art, its peculiar brickwork masonry, and its marvelous palaces. It remained autonomous even during the turbulent Livingston dynasty and the various conquests of ancient Al Kharid thanks to the military genius of its leaders and its intense isolationism, allowing the city to maintain a defensible position instead of expanding.

Much has been written, spoken and speculated about the curiously long life of Byrrohin's notable rulers, the High Lords. They are often secluded in their luxurious palaces, and come out only for brief audiences in which the Viziers normally speak. Some believe the Viziers created the Darius personas from whole cloth, and use decoys and actors to represent a family of long-lived monarchs who do not exist. Others say that the High Lords dabble in dark magic. No one has confirmed any of these theories, and the High Lords see no need to clarify.

The Library of Byrrohin is notable for its vast repositories of knowledge. More impressive than its above-ground collection, though, is its constantly changing underground section. The Librarians are often trained warriors who delve into the lower Library to find new sources of knowledge among the perhaps-infinite collections of books.

## History

Byrrohin as a nation was unified under Darius I. He ascended from obscurity in the distant past as a noble in Byrrohin, and waged war on the other six Kingdoms in the name of peace between these warring states. His primary foe was the kingdom of Madra and its king, Basorus the Mighty. After uniting four of the other kingdoms under his banner, he and his General pushed against the city for a siege of nearly fifty years. In the end he razed the city to the ground, striking its location from all maps and records, claiming the fertile lands for Byrrohin. The island state of Caramet soon bowed to Byrrohin under the threat of invasion.

Darius II ascended to the throne after the death of his father some 300 years later. He reigned over Byrrohin with an iron fist, and made a concerted effort to erase Byrrohin's pre-Darian history, establishing the dynasty as an eternal, divine rulership. He had no interest in conquest, but his life was during the height of ancient Al Kharid kingdom. He and his General managed to fend off three enormous sweeping conquests by Al Kharid. He died 100 years before the Livingstonian dynasty took over Al Kharid.

Darius III had a relatively short reign, holding the throne of Byrrohin only 160 years before his early death. He was a scholar and patron of the arts. His government discovered the Library of Byrrohin, established the Conservatorship, and delved deep into the knowledge the Library provided. He was criticized during his short reign for loss of many of the Seals of Byrrohin, items of power passed down from the kings of the pre-Darian period and related to each of the kingdoms of Byrrohin. His inattention to matters of state was to blame, and while no one knows how many of the Seals were lost, speculators say more than half of the seven seals are gone. Rumors among the nobility say that the only Seals remaining to the High Lordship are a few of the Common Seals, lesser but more plentiful versions of their more powerful cousins.

Many historians suspect internal politics killed this High Lord, and he was perhaps poisoned by one of his own viziers, though none know the true cause of his death. This event is often pointed to as a counter to the No High Lord theory; why would the viziers kill their non-existent puppet? He was succeeded by his third son, who took the name Darius IV.

Darius IV's reign has cemented the country as isolationist in the face of widespread collapse across Northern Dalandorov. The ancient nations of Koureund and Al Kharid crumbled in mere centuries; meanwhile, Byrrohin remained a small collection of seven kingdoms on the coast. Some nobles attempted to stir up the spirit of conquest among their people, but none succeeded. Without support from the High Lord, and without the ancient Seals to bolster the nation's martial power, the nobility's dreams of empire remain unfulfilled.