Elluria

From #BlkDragon*Inn
Jump to navigation Jump to search
The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.
Elluria
Country Information
Capital: Garusk
Languages: Ellurian, Tollorian, Alesian, Aslarian, Tyranori
Ethnic Groups: Humans, Giants, Elves
Religion: Ellurian Religion
Government: Alesian protectorate state
Current Ruler: Prince Etaudus Paralor


Though recovering from a recent depression caused by a devastating combination of war, famine, and plague, Elluria is an area of agricultural and marine abundance, with a well-educated and civilized populace. It is the cultural and religious heart of the Southlands Peninsula, along with its neighbor Tollor, which has been both ally and rival over the centuries.

Most Ellurians are humans, who tend to be tall and fair. There are scattered populations of elves and giants. The realm's key exports include crops like celery, peppers and spices, as well as fish, shellfish and salt. Ellurian and Tollorian explorers colonized multiple South Sea islands that have since become independent, including Bahija, Arrantiada, El-Ekki and Sevule.

Elluria's history is replete with conflicts against its neighbors. The latest generation grew up among the fires of war and it is very common to see Ellurian mercenaries and condotierri throughout the south. The most recent conflicts ended with Elluria becoming a client state of the Alesian Imperium, which has assigned it a provincial governor and a legion for protection.

History

Main Article: History of Elluria

Kel Ellure became the first Queen of Tollor in 196 BT (334 ER) after liberating the Southlands from the Aslarians, and the Ellure Dynasty ruled Tollor for the next three centuries. When King Regari died without issue, the Vilgren family seized power in the year 91 (621 ER). King Treshire I instituted an oppressive, autocratic style of rule that favored the Tollorian peoples over the closely related Ellurians, and was especially harsh toward the J'Lontz of the Northland. The Vilgren dynasty ruled until 466 (996 ER), when Winthorpe II and his Imperialist forces were defeated at the battle of Potter's Hill by Sir Charles Ruflin and the Loyalists. What followed was five years of war and turmoil that completely re-drew the map of the peninsula several times. At the conclusion of the bloody Southland War, a new Alesian protectorate of Elluria was formed from the former Tollorian provinces of East and West Elluria, the forested Northland, and the territory annexed from Tyranor in the Tyranori War.

Notable Historical Figures

Kel Ellure: The great hero of the Ellurian and Tollorian peoples. Kel Ellure drove the Aslarians out of the Southland and became the first Queen of Tollor.

Treshire I: Founder of the Vilgren Dynasty, King Treshire dissolved the Tollorian High Council and instituted the oppressive Rules of Conduct.

Sir Charles Ruflin: Leader of the Loyalist faction in the Tollorian Civil War that overthrew King Winthorpe II. Sir Charles was deeply affected by the high price of his victory and the loss of several close comrades in arms during the battle of Potter's Hill. He declined a seat on the newly formed Tollorian High Council, and retired from public life. He came out of retirement briefly to lead troops during the Tyranori War, and was instrumental in forcing the surrender of General Redsword. Following the death of his adopted son, King Eldryn I, he retired to a life of religious contemplation. His last known whereabouts were in Secca.

King Eldryn Ruflin: Also known as Eldryn the Chosen. Eldryn was the son of Katerin, a priestess of the goddess Ekki, and he was adopted and raised by Sir Charles Ruflin after his mother's death. His natural father was Uril Grendeck, a half-giant J'Lontz warrior who was Sir Charles' second in command during the Tollorian Civil War, and who perished saving Sir Charles' life in the Battle of Potter's Hill. Young Sir Eldryn distinguished himself with his eloquent oratory and skillful mediation of the secession crisis that followed the Civil War, and was elected as the King of the Tollorian and Ellurian peoples. When he married Laravel of Marland, the nations of Tollor, Elluria, and Emil were briefly united into a single kingdom. King Eldryn died a year after his coronation in a tragic accident, and the new Pan-Ellurian kingdom proved short-lived.

Geographical Features

Elluria is located on the Southland Peninsula

Garusk, the capital under the Alesian regime, is located at the southern end of the country, at the foothills of the mountains that divide Elluria from neighboring Emil. The famous Cliffs of Garusk jut out into the sea, creating a sheltered spot on their western side, where the city has grown up around the excellent deep water harbor. A fortress at the top of the cliffs overlooks the bustling harbor and shipyards below, and keeps watch for invaders. Garusk has been a point of contention between Tollor and Emil for centuries, and the two kingdoms have clashed multiple times over control of the city and its port over the last six centuries. The city is an eclectic mix of styles, with traditional Tollorian architecture standing side by side with new Alesian-style buildings erected during the post-war reconstruction. An ancient statue of Kel Ellure stands guard in the square in front of a brand new temple to Jornos.

Vor Spont is the administrative center of the former Tyranori territory, and Elluria's port city on the eastern side of the Southland peninsula. Norlin is an important port city along the western coast, and does much sea trade with the western nations of Veth. Midland is seated deep within the rich farmlands of central Elluria, and the hub of the system of roads that the Alesians have built or improved since their conquest to facilitate travel and trade within the new Protectorate.

J'Lontzek Elves and Giants

The J'Lontzek Trail leads deep within the forests of the Northland to J'Lontzek, the city of the J'Lontz people, a mixed society of elves and giants. The city is built high in the trees of the forest, much like Elfspire in Elvendeep, with no access from the forest floor except for ladders and stairways lowered down from above. The city is a loud, bustling center of activity, which is quite a contrast to its serene surroundings. Giants and elves, including children and the elderly (rarely seen outside the forest) go about their buisness along the wooden walks. Everything seems to continue upward, with more shops along the many levels of catwalks along the wall of the stronghold. At the center of the city is a wooden ziggurat reaching high into the forest canopy, with twin stairs sized for elves and giants beside one another climbing its lofty height. At the top of the structure is the Temple of Gitaro, raised above the treetops so that the sun might shine freely upon it.

Government and Politics

Alesian Elluria is governed in the manner of an Alesian province. Prince Etaudus Paralor serves as Garatos, or governor of Elluria. Underneath him are the Prefects which administer cities and towns and the surrounding countryside. The Alesians have preferred to use Ellurian nobles and officers of Ellurian military units as Prefects where possible. They have granted the J'Lontz peoples of the Northland a large degree of autonomy. Grolek arErok, the ruler of the J'Lontz Nation is nominally the Senior Prefect of the J'Lontzek Prefecture.

Notable Government Officials

Prince Etaudus Paralor: Garatos (Alesian governor) of Elluria. Etaudus is the 17th son of the Alesian Emperor Glindor, and heir to the Alesian throne.

Grolek arErok of the Northland: head of the J'Lontz Nation, feared warrior of the Grand Army of the Northland, champion of the Helek J'Narr, speaker at the Great Temple of Gitaro.

Sorilek of J'Lontzek: a J'Lontz giantess and High Priestess of the Northland.

Military

The backbone of Alesian Elluria's military are the three Falvarniosok (Alesian legions) currently stationed in the country. Two of the Falvarniosok were part of the initial invasion force that brought the Alesians to the Southlands, while the third, the Roaring Lion, is made up of native Ellurians. There are also remnants of traditional Ellurian military units that survived the Southland Wars that now act as auxiliaries to the legions. The Alesians have used the Falvarniosok for an aggressive campaign of public works since the war, and have put them to work building roads and bridges, and assisting the rebuilding of towns and cities since the war.

Religion

Main Article: Ellurian Religion

The majority of the peoples of Alesian Elluria worship the Ellurian pantheon. The Alesians have built temples to their gods in Garusk, Vor Spont, and other areas where they have a significant population. Though there have been some attempts to associate Gitaro with Jornos and synthesize the two religions, the Alesians have opted not to force the issue and let any syncretism between the two faiths happen organically over time as the Alesians and Ellurians intermingle in subsequent generations.

In addition to the Ellurian deities, the J'Lontz peoples also worship an animal god they call Zagrod, whom the elves of Elvendeep have identified with the great Bear spirit, Naenaloss.

Society and Peoples

As a result of the wars in the Southlands during the years 466-471 (996-1001 ER), the people of Alesian Elluria are a diverse mix.

The majority of the people in the central and southern parts of the nation are ethnic Ellurians, though there are populations of ethnic Tollorians near the Rainbow river and in and around the city of Norlin. Tyranori live in the eastern regions of the country that were annexed following the defeat of General Redsword. There are also communities of Aslarians sprinkled throughout the farmlands of central Elluria, who were resettled there after the Aslarian conquest. Due to the depopulation caused by the wars, famines, plagues, and refugee crisis of the late 460s and early 470s, the Alesians allowed the Aslarian immigrants to stay and work the land so that it remained productive.

The dense forest of the Northland (sometimes called the Rainbow Woods because it contains the headwaters of the Rainbow River) is home to the J'Lontz, a mixed society of elves and giants who were often oppressed during the days of the Vilgren Dynasty. The J'Lontz giants can grow up to ten feet tall, and have the supernatural ability to blend in with their surroundings in a woodland setting, making them the masters of ambushes in their home forests. The giants are known for their prodigious strength and have always been in great demand as bodyguards in the Southlands. J'Lontz giants and humans occasionally become romantically involved--both King Eldryn I of Elluria and Arms-Vizier Dhakus Maribagh of Aslar had partial J'Lontz heritage. The J'Lontz elves are related to the Ranni of Elvendeep, and are known for their platinum blonde hair and striking blue eyes.

Language

The people of Elluria speak a variety of languages owing to their diverse ethnic makeup. Many of the people speak the closely related Ellurian and Tollorian languages, while portions of the Aslarian settlers who arrived during the Southland War speak Aslarian and others a Western Telanari dialect. The Alesians speak their own language, and those who have regular dealings with the Alesians have picked up at least a rough knowledge of their language.