Eponllyn
| The Free Cities of Eponllyn
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| Overview | |
| Nobles | 20 |
| Council | |
| King | Guldor D'Espana |
| Chief of Commerce | Samuel II Bathgate |
| Regions | |
Eponllyn is a medium sized Monarchy initially located in the south of East Continent. Following the ice age the state relocated to the central lands of the North.
Government
The King/Queen is the ruler of Eponllyn, responsible for the connections of Eponllyn to the outside world and overseeing the running of the realm. The Chief Justice is the judge of Eponllyn, responsible for the laws and order of Eponllyn as well as arranging conduct with other realms during wartime. The High Constable is the general of Eponllyn, responsible for the armies and strategies of Eponllyn during wartime. The Treasurer is the banker of Eponllyn, responsible for the food situation of the realm, making sure regions are properly fed and for selling our surplus to other realms.
Military
There is currently one army; The Dark Guard of the Free Men, sponsored by Lorelai Chamberlain and marshalled by Arxex Pandorium.
Lands
Eponllyn used to be clustered at the southern tip of the East Continent. The weather was balmy but sometimes ferocious storms blew over the coasts. Eponllyn had always held Semall as its capital and at times also held the cities of Al Arab, Ibladesh and Itorunt. The twin cities of the south are predominantly constructed of dark grey-purple granite stone. Surrounding the cities were the 'seas of grass,' the great southern plains and meadows that provided plenty of food for the realm. The good pasture land helped Eponllyn's horse breeding programs. However, now the southern lands are covered by huge swathes of ice. (See more below) Now, Eponllyn is based around the giant northern city of Oligarch. Legends tell that the city was first built by an ancient race called orcs but was then taken over by elves who practically rebuilt it in their style of architecture which still stands today.
Religion
There are no laws regarding religion in Eponllyn, anyone is free to worship as they like as long as they serve the realm without any conflict of interest. Aelcred was founded in Eponllyn to worship the old deities of the south.
History
The kingdom of Eponllyn was formed December, 7, 1011 when Duchess Siana Deytheur, Duchess of Semall, seceded her duchy from Ibladesh. The secession occurred during the closing stages of Ibladesh's war against Perdan and Caligus. Her enemies were adamant that Ibladesh and her Church would be completely destroyed so after long talks Eponllyn was formed right after Itorunt seceeded to form Armonia. Eponllyn was originally allowed only Semall and to then take over Al Arab which had been driven rogue by Perdan. The lands were completely scorched and most peasants left dead or fled but with perseverance the people of Eponllyn coaxed the lands back to health.
The Free Cities Project
The East Continent, oldest of land masses, favored by pantheons who have turned and abandoned her in greater numbers than all that yet remains. Fertile lands with people willingly seeking rulers, where families may rise and fall within scant generations while barely leaving their mark in the sands of time. These lands that have birthed empires and watched them fail continue in perpetuity to encourage the dreams of those who dare to fight for what might be.
Eponllyn, the lands of the southern Horselords survived wars and turmoil over more than a century. They traveled as a nation to find home as ice devoured their natural plainslands in the south around the great city of Ibladesh during the age of the Ice Trolls. Through the gifts of neighbors and prowess in war they prevailed to secure lands around the ancient city of Westmoor.
Eponllyn survived against the odds, the culture of the Horselords yet remaining despite the privations and hostility of those who would see her fail. Now we grow once again as we strive to act as curators of the cultures that would otherwise fail. Eponllyn becomes the banner of the free cities who choose to stand with her and respect their cultural differences and needs, embracing and respecting that diversity with an ethos of mutual cooperative governance.
The Primacy:
The Primacy is the mode of governance agreed to within Eponllyn.
The government is made up of the Dukes of each of the city states or their chosen proxies alongside the elected monarch, justice, banker and appointed commander. The Primacy is a programme of mobile governance, every three months the capital of the state moves, at which time the Duke or proxy of the capital city become the Viceroy to the monarch and guides the programme of governement for the next three months. It is hoped the diverse cultures of each of the free cities will be aided to thrive during their period as prime and that understanding one anothers cultures will bring bonds of nationhood and understanding that allow all the cities to stand united.
The Primacy of Kazakh
On 22-08-21 Lorelai Chamberlain was elected Queen of Eponllyn on a manifesto of instigating the Free Cities of Eponllyn. Kazakh, the capital at the time assumed primacy of the state for the first twelve weeks of her government.
With her Viceroy Duke Hallvar Schanke, the priorities of the Omsk Peninsula were devised as:
1. To define and secure the borders of the Omsk Peninsula
2. To finance the building of an elite recruitment centre within the City of Kazakh.
3. To celebrate the culture of the Omsk Peninsula.
The first Primacy of Kazakh concluded on 08-11-21 following the celebration of culture that was the The Hallowfest of the Autumn Knight
The Queen's report on the activities of the government was as follows:
Report from Lorelai Chamberlain
Message sent to all nobles of Eponllyn (19 recipients) - 2021-11-08 08:08:17
Nobles of the Free Cities,
Today marks the end of the Primacy of Kazakh. The Viceroy Duke Hallvar set us three priorities for the tenure of the city as capital.
1. To define and secure the borders of the Omsk Peninsula
2. To finance the building of an elite recruitment centre within the City of Kazakh.
3. To celebrate the culture of the Omsk Peninsula.
With regard to the first point we defended our borders from the aggression of Alexandria and secured the land bridge of Gadlock thereby uniting Kazakh with the rest of Eponllyn.
On point two, Kazakh is yet to find the trainers to construct an elite recruitment centre, finance was available but fate was not on Duke Hallvars side.
Regarding the culture of the Omsk, we embrace the diversity of our realm and had a great celebration of some of the Omsk folklore with the Hallowfest of the Autumn Knight being a showcase of a successful tournament.
The parliament of Kazakh has been dissolved and reformed as the Council of Westmoor and her Grace Duchess Storme, will assume the role of Viceroy for the tenure of the Primacy of Kazakh before governance is moved again to Oligarch, sometime around the start of February. The council will publish the new priorities of the realm in the coming days.
Once more I thank you all for your support and patience.
In Faith,
Lorelai Chamberlain Queen of Eponllyn Royal of Eponllyn Duchess of the White Wolf Margravine of Oligarch
Wars of Eponllyn
1. "War of southern Queens". Summer of 1012. The infiltrator Valko D`Este, seemingly bored of working to restore Eponllyn's lands was tempted by the bounty on the head of Dread Phantom, the former King of Armonia. Eponllyn's judge immediately banned the miscreant but it was not enough for Queen Autrey who would not recognise the ban and also insisted that Eponllyn sign an alliance with Armonia. (There had been previous instances of tension between the two realms and the two Queens. A Trader of Armonia was found trading on the black market within Eponllyn and when they were both part of Ibladesh, Autrey had spoken vigourouly against Siana's contemplation of secession.) Armonia declared war 2 minutes before sunset and immediately invaded Ejarr Puutl, catching Eponllyn unawares. They were able to take over the region and hold it. As the war ended, they kept the region but gave up any claim they had on Ibladesh City and the mountains of Ar Raqqah(which were still rogue after the war with Perdan.) Ended with signing peace treaty. Eponllyn got the city of Ibladesh.
2. "Allies against Perdan". Early 1013 (?). There had been rumours from further north on the continent for a little while. Westmoor was keen to spread their religion, the Church of Hummanity and joined forces with Armonia because Autrey wanted to gain favour with Perdan by proving to have renounced the Church of Ibladesh. Perdan had also declared war on Nivemus for some contrived reasons about the Kronogos of Nivemu not treating his peasants very well.There was some following for CoH in Eponllyn, most notably the Duke of Al Arab, Lance Hagakure. Under increasing pressure, Eponllyn decided not to adopt CoH as its state religion and not to join Perdan's alliance against Nivemus and Sirion which was not taken very well.
The Duke of Al Arab was found to have been plotting with Perdan and Westmoor to secede and create a new realm in Al Arab and Ibladesh but when this was found out, the Duke changed his allegiance to Armonia. Caligus leant their support to Eponlllyn, pledging their support in a war if the city wasn't returned. Perdan denounced their part in the plan, placing the blame on Lance and Armonia. The Duke then changed his allegiance to Caligus but King Dobromir made the journey to give it back to Eponllyn. Armonia had sent their armies to Nivemus but scared of Eponllyn attacking their lands while their army was away, Queen Autrey refused to provide military support again, further harming the relationship between Armonia and Perdan (though Eponllyn wasn't planning to make such a dishonourable move). However, Atanamir and Autrey's relationship completely deteriorated very quickly and Autrey switched sides, revealing all to Eponllyn (including Perdan's original promotion of Lance's secession) and suggesting an alliance against Perdan. Caligus wasn't happy with Perdan's meddling and so decided to join the alliance.
In the end it was Perdan who first declared war on Caligus and then Armonia and Eponllyn followed. At first Eponllyn and Armonia enjoyed free reign. The plan was to take over Ar Mosul but Armonia wouldn't keep their army still and instead pushed further into Perdan's lands, unfortunately allowing Perdan's army to get behind them and completely wipe them out. After that Eponllyn was always on the back foot and once again found the lands north east of the Great Lake the target of Perdan's destruction. With Armonia taking week to refit and bringing less strength then promised Perdan drove all the lands up to Semall rogue. The final blow came when Armonia attacked Perdan in Zamor without informing Eponllyn they were moving, suiciding their whole army.
Then the Duke of Isadril seceded from Caligus and King Dobromir disappeared, throwing Caligus into panic. Caligus and Armonia quickly withdrew from the war leaving Eponllyn with little choice but to accept whatever terms Perdan came up with. Perdan claimed both of Eponllyn's northern cities, Al Arab and Ibladesh. Armonia was forced to give Ejarr Puutl back to Eponllyn and Oc Lu Pesh to Perdan and Caligus gave Moyale to Perdan. Perdan also forced their foreign policy onto Eponllyn, preventing alliances with former allies for 6 months, nor less than peace with Perdan's allies.
Later Perdan formed a new realm, Perleone, from these lands.
3. "Payback". Autumn of 1013. Eponllyn, allied with their new neighbor Fallangard, declared war on Armonia, Eponllyn's former ally which abandoned her in previous war. Armonia focused mainly on the Eponllyn front and most of the battles were in Ejarr Puutl, though Eponllyn did occasionally raid into Itor Boss or Priotness. While Eponllyn focused on fighting Armonia's army and destroying military infrastructure, Fallangard plundered the northern regions of Armonia into the ground. Armonia quickly gave up. Eponllyn offered the lord of Armonia the chance to join her and keep their positions. Itor Boss and Priotness took up this offer but the Duke of Xavax switched to Perleone, followed by the remaining regions of the Itorunt duchy.
Perleone announced they would keep the regions, cutting Eponllyn off from the rest of the continent and declaring that Eponllyn could not pass through their lands. Fallengard (allied with Perdan) were quickly distracted by joining Perdan in a war against Caligus with Atanamir giving the reason that the new King of Caligus was unfriendly and not answering his letters quickly enough.
Perleone was afraid that Eponllyn would attack them and jeopardise their war against Caligus so they offered to force the Itorunt duchy out of their realm, recreating Armonia so Eponllyn could have 'fun' fighting them again. Eponllyn was appalled by the idea and when the Duke of Itorunt was told of Perleone's plan for them, he decided to join Eponllyn of his own free will to prevent needless bloodshed.
Perleone had problems looking after their new regions as they preferred to keep sending their armies against Caligus. Starvation and monsters took their toll and Betholm revolted. Eponllyn then took custody of the region.
The Coming of the Ice Age
In the third month of 1014, after a period of relative calm for Eponllyn, panic started to spread among the peasants of the south as a biting wind started to roll off the sea and wild animals seemed to flee north as one. The weather further deteriorated and huge banks of fog enveloped the southern coast. Behind the fog came an impenetrable glacier. Snow trolls and ice daimons came forth out of the fog and stated terrorising the lands. Despite the best efforts of the people of Eponllyn, they could find no way to stop the steady progress of the encroaching ice. One by one, starting with Priotness, the southern regions turned into an uninhabitable tundra and then were fully covered by the wall of ice.
As it became clear that the glacier was not stopping, it was also clear that Eponllyn would lose all her lands. Letters came rolling in from other rulers of the continent offering the nobles of Eponllyn a place in their realms, including Perdan. Interestingly, after first offering no more than allowing Eponllyn to join them, Perdan made another offer, that Eponllyn's nobles could join them and then Perdan, with the help of Perleone, Fallengard and Westmoor would take a city from Sirion to refound Eponllyn. However, many things made Eponllyn decline this offer. First of all, the bad history with Perdan led many members of Eponllyn to refuse to join Perdan, secondly it was debated whether Perdan would uphold their promise to recreate Eponllyn and thirdly of course, it was not deemed a very honourable course of action to try and steal a city from Sirion, who was one of the realms that Eponllyn had always had quite good relations with. The offer from Sirion themselves, to lend Eponllyn Oligarch, made the decision quite easy for Eponllyn in the end.
Of course, Perdan and their 'Southern Alliance' of Perleone, Fallengard and Westmoor did not take kindly to the rejection of their offer and the ease with which Eponllyn acquired Oligarch.
War Archive
Fishermen's tales
Eponllyn culture is largely influenced by the old pagan religions of the fisherman of Itorunt. The symbol of the fish horse is of the mythical creature called a Hippocamp which can be as large as a real horse or as small as a star fish. Legend has it if you happen to catch one in your net you must throw it back into the sea immediately and will be blessed with a year of good fortune. If you take it home it is said that a storm will destroy your house and boat.
Enutpen the immortal lord of the sea occasionally has to fend off Magnus the great serpent from swimming into the Ibladesh bay. It is said that Enutpen struck the volcano at Chaos temple so that he could close the land around the lake and prevent Magnus from claiming the lake. Although he can no longer enter that way he still patrols the coast attempting to gain access to the river but Enutpen is always there to stop him. This explains all manner of bad weather that afflicts the south including storms, hurricanes and tidal waves depending on the ferocity of the battle.
All nobles and peasants alike have great respect for the sea regardless of what religion they follow. Clerics of other religions are sometimes aghast to arrive in Eponllyn and find that their church services have taken on some local sea worship culture. Thankfully the right of sacrifice by drowning has mostly died out since Itorunt was destroyed. The Ibladesh priests were much less tolerant of pagan tradition than their predecessors however with the birth of Eponllyn the old sea traditions have re-emerged with more value in a time where nobles of the south are questioning the old gods who let the empire of Ibladesh crumble into ruins.
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