Kingdom of Leir

This article is about the kingdom. For the region in Eidyn, see Leir.

The Kingdom of Leir was an empire that rose to dominance in the early Renaissance Era. It was located in the northern section of the namesake region.

History

Obtaining the Worldstone

After the Worldstone spent centuries in the hands of an Arbiter named Lucien, an entity known as the Freelancer obtained it in order to use it to stop the Demon known as Abraxas. Abraxas was the perpetrator of the Demon Wars within the Eidyn region. After Abraxas was defeated, the Freelancer returned the Worldstone to the Jad nomads, the previous owners of the Worldstone before it fell into Lucien's hands. The Jad nomads began to use the Worldstone to terraform and reshape the earth. They began by constructing a stronghold known as Leir Castle where they could take shelter from the dangers of the desert.

Rise to power

Leir saw a major economic boost by learning to utilize the salt and export it afar. While its predecessor of Gammel had also used salt as their primary trading good, Leir had taken advantage of the more advanced technology of their era as well as the new trade routes that had been established among Fraengal, Kronen and the Ascensores.

Destruction

The Kingdom of Leir would later be destroyed after they assembled all of the Aard'Vorn in one location in attempt to use it against the Third Heilinthar Empire who had provoked them into war. After the ritual to harness its energies was sabotaged, a resulting explosion destroyed the entire Kingdom of Leir and the Third Heilinthar Empire. There were only about 44,000 survivors after this incident, all of which migrated to the continent of Emsius after the Leir desert was rendered uninhabitable.

Government

Leir is divided into five provinces. At its southern border is a region called No Man's Land which servers as the border to the Third Heilinthar Empire.

List of provinces

Capital Province

The Capital Province is the hub of the Kingdom of Leir. It is the place where the top level governing authorities congregate. It is located in the northwest corner of Leir's territory.

• Leir Castle - An enormous fortress carved into the side of a mountain through the use of the Worldstone. At the castle's base is the River Wasa which serves as a primary water-based trade route to the Kingdom of Fraengal. It has so many floors and rooms in it that this single structure is large enough to be considered a city on its own. It is considered the pride of the Kingdom of Leir.

Wasa Province

A comparatively green province compared to the rest of Leir, it serves as Leir's major agricultural center in the north.

• Apeitho - A city situated in the Great Caldera, a large lake believed to have formed from the entry point of an enormous demon invading Erudite. Apeitho is a border city that houses much of Leir's naval forces. Apeitho enjoys prosperous trade from Fraengal.

Ardas Province

Ardas Province lies in the south of Leir. It has a harsh climate and suffers regularly from Heilinthar invasions. The snow-capped Mt. Ardas is the defining landmark of the region. When the region of Leir used to be a great sea, Mt. Ardas was thought to be an island of great importance.

• LeVasseur - A powerful city of nobles that administers the Ardas Province. A red ekati plague that afflicted the city is responsible for destabilization of the region. This made Ardas extremely vulnerable to the Heilinthar, prompting military action to resecure the region.

Nomes Province

An open desert area that enjoys a wealth of resources from its mining industry. During the Heilinthar War, the Duke of Nomes attempted a rebellion before being stopped by the Steel Sisters.

• Uddenfell - A mining town that has invited many entrepreneurs from all over Eidyn. It prospers from its trade of salt. The cities opportunities tempted the Heilinthar into invading it.

New Gammel

• Nal'Jadoria - An ancient city was inhabited by the Jad peoples, the ancestors of the Leirians. It is a humble city, yet with great value to archaeologists.
• New Gammel - A new city built from the ruins of the Gammel civilization. It is situated over the River Alva which the ancient Gammelians used as a primary source of water.

Religion

Main article: Asmosianism

The people of Leir are worshipers of Asmos, a controversial god among the people of Eidyn. According to legend, Asmos was the indifferent creator of the world and allowed the Shattering to take place. Followers of Asmos believe that nothingness and oblivion are the truest form of peace. A mortal life in their opinion should have a definitive beginning, middle and end. An afterlife of eternal suffering is considered a worse fate. Believers in Asmos have their souls disappear completely when they die with one notable exception. Suicide is considered one of the highest crimes among the Leirians as it is viewed as defiling the natural path to peace or taking a sacrilegious shortcut. Thus, Leirians believe that those who commit suicide are doomed to trap themselves in a cycle where they relive the moments before their death for eternity.

Bringing someone back from the dead is often looked down upon by many Asmosians, but it is considered acceptable if that person died too early for their personal journey to be complete. Golems and automatons on the other hand are considered sacred to the Leirians. Their resiliency and ability to last beyond the lifespan of most humans places them in the role of caretakers and legacy bearers for future generations. This belief goes back to the days of the Jad nomads and has carried over even into Leir's mechanized era. A tradition preserving and passing down golems through generations is common in Leirian noble households.

Technology

Automatons

Leir was ahead of its time when it came to the creation of artificial beings. Having historically descended from a people that heavily utilized clay golems as autonomous servants, Leir was able to use their ancestor's technology into new forms of advanced robotics. The golems were modified to be made of metal with a consciousness powered by soul magic and came to be known as automatons. While the automatons could receive and execute orders, they had no independent thought. Thus, things were taken a step further with the creation of mechanis which were powered by a human soul. The first three mechanis were created from three dying women who wished to continue in the next life, thus the Steel Sisters were created.

Water collection

Although Leir has advanced very far in mechanical engineering and steam technology compared to its contemporaries, they significantly lagged behind in other modern conveniences. Most settlements in Leir do not have plumbing systems due to the scarcity of water in the region. As such, flushable toilets were considered something only reserved for the absurdly wealthy. Electricity was another luxury for the nobility that was incredibly rare in common settlements. Thus, gas lamps and coal were often considered a more viable alternative to lighting and heat. Most of these poor areas frequently rely on magic to obtain basic necessities. For example, spells being cast to collect moisture in the air.

Despite these setbacks, aqueducts and irrigation technology has allowed Leir to settle what is otherwise an inhospitable region of Erudite. Most provinces import agricultural products from the greener Wasa region, but the use of magic makes it possible to build farms often by summoning groundwater from beneath the surface.

Military

Leir's military is built largely around guerrilla tactics. Scimitars and automatic crossbows are among the weapons used by soldiers. Cannons and other forms of artillery are also common. With the invention of mechanis, golems and other automatons are a common sight in Leir's ranks.

Steel Sisters

Main article: Steel Sisters

The Steel Sisters are a trio of mechanis that serve as a special ops team and policing unit. Each of them were former humans that had their souls transplanted into a mechanis frame.

• Vinda Dorchester - A graceful academic and leader of the Steel Sisters. She wields a sword and can create illusionary copies of herself.
• Yora Eddie - A former mining foreman that has piston arms to deal heavy melee damage.
• Stayla LeVasseur - A former noblewoman of Arklight Estate. She wields a machine gun.

Magic Knights

The Magic Knights are a group of elite soldiers who are skilled with magic. They are one of Leir's oldest serving units and often have a rivalry with the Steel Sisters.

• Mago Frihet

Races

• Human
• Atl

Relationships

Kronen

Kronen is a long time friend of Leir. During the Demon Wars, Leir came to Kronen's aid in quelling the demon invasions. As a means of thanks, Kronen returned the Worldstone to them after it was used to stop Abraxas.

Fraengal

The Kingdom of Fraegal is a trading partner. Their geographical made trade between Leir and Kronen advantageous. Relations are healthy although Leir is not particularly fond of Fraengal's tariffs.

Third Heilinthar Empire

Leir has been bitter enemies with the Heilinthar. Heilinthar provoked Leir into a war in an attempt to teach a lesson about elven superiority. The war has strained Leir economically often forcing them to take rash actions that their allies would often find questionable.