Tag: Lyria
Lyrian Rivers
Overview
Lyria has thousands of brooks, rivers, rivulets, streams and tributaries. These are the well known, large waterways.
Rivers
Baugh, a small river in Ashenvale that flows from the west into the Lyrian Gulf at Wulferton.
Bourne, springs in the east, and flows into the Lyrian Gulf, picking up small streams along the way, dividing the Riverlands on the northern bank from Fairfields on its southern bank.
Bray, flows past Brayford and is a tributary for the river Bourne.
Dirk, a small river in Westershire that flows from the west into the Lyrian Gulf at Kenton.
Dunan, a small river in Dunashire flowing into the Lyrian Gulf from the east at Dunagore.
Ivel, a river in the eastern part of Lyria that flows into the Lyrian gulf at Eastray, where it has turned into a swampy delta due to the strange underwater embankments off the coast preventing a free flow from the estuary.
Lea, a tributary that flows into the Ivel from the north, dividing Fairfields to the north from Eastmarsh to the south.
Lyn, large river coming from the border with the Daerlan Empire in the north, flowing into the Lyrian Gulf at Kingsport. It separates the Plans of Strife from the Elder Foothills and the Tiverton Glades from Northshire.
Polivar, large river starting in the north-west, flowing into the Lyrian Gulf at Blue Harbour, dividing the Tiverton Glades along its northern shores from Ashenvale on its southern shores. It has two tributaries; the Lovar coming in from the east, and the Monk coming in from the north at Hungerford.
Tamar, small tributary that flows from the Riverlands in the north, past Green Orchard and into the river Bourne.
Teign, springs in the north-eastern Silverpine Hills, close to Silesia, flows through the Riverlands, past Blackbridge and into the river Bourne at Egremont.
Trident, a river with three sources coming from the north, travelling south before pouring into the river Lyn, dividing the Silverpine Hills and Riverlands on its eastern bank from the Plains of Strife to the north and northshire on its western bank.
Wye, a small river in Fulham, flowing into the Lyrian Gulf from the east at Fulcaster.
Map
Lyrian Nobility – Ranks
| Title | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emperor, Empress | Ruler of two or more kingdoms |
| 2 | King, Queen | Ruler of a kingdom. Often monarchs also have titles in other kingdoms. |
| 3 | Duke, Duchess | Ruler of a large region of any empire or kingdom. |
| 4 | Prince, Princess | Heirs of the first two categories and sometimes a third, depending on treaties. No actual power, just potential, unless the country in question is a princedom, in which case it’s en par with a king or a duke. |
| 5 | Marquess, Marquise, Margrave, Margravine | Owner and governor of border regions. Have roughly equal power to a count, but more autonomy due to the distance from the capital and having a larger army in order to defend the country. |
| 6 | Earl, Count, Countess | Owner and governor of a piece of land. |
| 7 | Viscount, Viscountess | Mostly an honorary title, sometimes owning land, but wielding less actual power. |
| 8 | Baron, Baroness | Owner or governor of a small region. Not terribly different from a count, but with a smaller estate or limitations on hereditary transfer of land ownership. Sometimes it doesn’t come with land at all, just with the ability to govern. |
| 9 | Baronet | An honorary, non-land governing title often given to knights with hereditary title rights, an heir to a baron or baroness, or people of distinction. |
| 10 | Knight | A non-hereditary title for a person recognised as nobility by a king or a duke. Titles are bestowed by recognised knightly orders. |
Unusual Titles
Suzerain
A suzerain is a territory, usually a small kingdom, who owes fealty to another territory, either a powerful kingdom or empire, but is otherwise autonomous. Fintra is a suzerain of the Daerlan empire. The person they owe fealty to is the head of state, but they can defer the relations to another. That person also carries the title of suzerain or suzeraine. In the case of Fintra, they owe fealty to the emperor, who has deferred the title to Duke Eggbert von Rosenberg, making him the Suzerain of Fintra.
Treatise on the Age of Fear, by Falka of Dunagore
Falka’s treatise sets out almost all of what is described in the article on Lyrian history. A lot of it is based on religious myths that seem unlikely to have their basis in truth, which she admits, but they are myths that have become fundamental to our understanding of the Age of Fear. She does include a few bits of information that are not known outside of academics studying ancient history.
Saint Aureus the Golden One
A very strong contender for the role as the spiritual leader of the Senhadrim, Aureus is a saint in the church of Paladine and one of its most prominent historical figures. Legend has it that Aureus was the head of the church of Paladine in the time of Sir Marcus of Garamond and Dame Catherine of Dunagore and was responsible for the early organisation of the Senhadrim as a whole. He was also the one responsible for the canonisation of Dame Catherine of Dunagore after her death at the Battle for Blue Harbour.
One of the most persistent rumours is that Aureus the Golden One was not actually a human, but rather an ageless celestial creature sent by Paladine himself. A rumour made all the more entrenched when he disappeared near the end of the Age of Fear after having participated in the crusade for generations.
Lyrian Population
During the worst period of the Age of Fear, it was estimated that Lyrian population dwindled to less than a quarter of the original population. Most people lived in Westchester, Blue Harbour, Kingsport, Fulcaster and Dunagore, fortifying themselves in the ancient fortresses that dot the verdant kingdoms. The countryside was the demon’s domain, which has had two effects on the human condition;
Humans have come to feel that city’s and towns are the only way to be safe. It allowed people to cooperate in their defence. It allowed for an efficiency in the use of gathered resources. It allowed mothers to give birth within the safety of thick ramparts, which lead to a population boom. And it is this which has lead humanity to become dominant in the verdant kingdoms.
Rural populations tend to be more sensitive to the ebbs and flows of the tides of magic. This also means that they are less ignorant about the unnatural effects left behind by the last conjunction of planes. This was exacerbated by the systematic destruction of unnatural creatures and savage races by urban populations. This has lead urban Lyrians to underestimate the dangers lurking in the countryside.
Knights of Lyria – Ranks
There are two types of ranks and several special titles which fall outside of these two categories. The first category is that of common ranks, which are used for unknighted members of the Knights of Lyria. They cover aspiring knights and men at arms. The latter are paid to be in the service of the knights, and are exempt from any of the vows that the knights take when they are inducted in the order (poverty, no family, etc.) It is simply a paying job.
Common Ranks
Squire
Every aspiring knight, no matter their background, starts off as a squire. They are responsible for a lot of menial tasks in service of the rest of the knights.
Armsman
The armsman are the auxiliary troops that stand in service of the knights. They are either permanent soldiers with no ambition for knighthood, or simply in it for the coin (as knights are to hold no wealth and are to tithe all their earnings to the order), squires who were never accepted as knights, but felt a calling to stay, or conscripts from the lands held by the orders.
Sergeant
This is an armsman who has showed themselves to be naturally gifted leaders. They take leadership of up to eight armsmen.
Sergeant Major
These are veteran armsman who have risen past the rank of sergeant and have proven themselves to be steadfast, reliable and skilled soldiers. They are paid very well by the orders and next to knights they are considered the backbone of their fighting force.
Knight Ranks
Knight
The bulk of the knighted forces. They have been knighted and they are part of an order. This is the lowest, knighted rank.
Knight Lieutenant
The knight lieutenant is no higher in rank than an ordinary knight, but gets special tasks and privileges. This could be temporary, while escorting nobility or a diplomat, or more permanently when overseeing the construction of a new windmill or granary.
Knight Commander
A knight commander oversees up to eight knights and dispenses orders. Also becomes responsible for their actions.
Master Commander
The master commander is, like the knight lieutenant, usually a temporary title, bestowed upon a knight commander for the duration of a special mission. It grants them the ability to do what is necessary in order to complete their task, like commandeering possessions with the promise of reimbursement, conscripting armsmen, committing troops to a theatre, etc. It is considered a very special rank and is very carefully granted due to the wide implications of their actions.
Knight Captain
The knight captain oversees up to eight knight commanders, for a total of seventy-two knights. These knights are organised in a chapter, with their own heraldry. The knight captain is also referred to as the “prior”, if they are a follower of Paladine, or as “chapter master.”
Knight Grand Officer
This is the person who oversees an entire order and all its chapters. They are legendary knights and their names are known in most of the twelve kingdoms. They are the heart and soul of their order and embody everything the order stands for. They are also responsible for writing the statutes, bylaws and the directives for the order. The knight grand officer is also referred to as the “grand prior”, if they are a follower of Paladine, or as “grand master.”
Special Titles
Knight Primarch
During the time of conjunction, a knight primarch is chosen from the grand officers of the three orders. They represent all three of the orders to the outside world and determines the direction of all three orders. There hasn’t been a knight primarch in countless generations. The most famous primarch was Ser William Garamond, the first king of Lyria.
Knight Seneschal
The seneschal is second in command to the knight grand officer and is in charge when the head of the order is indisposed. Other duties include liaising with other orders and overseeing recruitment.
Knight Secretary
Both the knight grand officer as well as the knight seneschal are aided by a knight secretary. These are often veteran knights who are being groomed for positions of high command. They act as bodyguards, councillor and advisors and help in the day to day planning of their charge’s duties.
Knight Chronicler
The chronicler is in charge of records. This is a very broad host of duties, ranging from being the order’s historian, accountant and record keeper. This task is usually kept by a veteran knight with a penchant for letters and numbers.
Heraldry Officer
Lyrian knights take heraldry very seriously as a means of recognition, comradery and pride. Each order keeps track of their own heraldry, the heraldry for each of their chapters and making sure that it’s clear and consistent. Once heraldry is approved, it is also sent to the heraldry officers of the other orders and to the royal palace in kingsport.
Standard Bearer
Before each engagement, a knight is honoured by being allowed to carry the order or chapter’s standard into battle. These are usually junior knights and it is a covetted position carrying a lot of prestige.
Knight Errant
The “errant” adjective to the title of knight simply means that the knight is not attached to one of the three orders. There can be several reasons for that, most commonly they were honourably or dishonourably discharged from their order. Leaving an order doesn’t mean you lose your title as a knight. Once knighted, you remain knighted, but you become a Knight Errant until such a time you join a new or different order of knights.
