- "To surmise that the Lyoncians are one people is to entirely disregard the multitude of peoples and prides laid host to the land. Rarely- or rather, never- have any of these been known to submit to that kind of generalization."
- ―Polymus
Lyoncia [liɔnsia] is the nation at the heart of the Southern Westlands. Due to its location and decent living conditions (not to mention steady employment), its a sort of melting pot, with representatives from all over the world claiming stakes in its land, under its king, Gaspar Renoit the First .
The majority of Lyonica is made up of holds, across which are spread hundreds of different noble families and warlords, all seeking to claim power from the others. It’s a perfect environment for mercenaries and sellswords, as well as merchants seeking to help the lords in their dreams of taking more power than the others. Ironically enough, it’s culture apart from war is quite rich, and the peasants and lords alike take great pride in being true Lyoncians, among a nation with many other peoples within. It’s temperature is typically mild, and its topography is generally pleasent and suitable for a variety of uses.
400 years ago, before the dawn of the second age, a war of unification was fought amongst the Westlands, to bring all of the minor kingdoms into one ruling nation. The Unification Wars were long and blood-soaked, but they resulted in the creation of the Kingdom of Lyoncia, under whom the lesser Kingdoms became holds, and the Lesser kings became Lords.
History
History Summary
Since its beginning, Lyoncia was a misshapen clump of kingdoms and alliances and tribes, each staking out its own piece of land with proud ferocity. So it continued for millenia, so Lyonce soil saw the blood of hundreds of would-be kings and their warriors. It was not until roughly 800 years ago that Lyoncia went through any kind of mass change. Lanis the Unifier assembled the largest alliance the land had seen through cunning military ability and sharp politics. Wars were fought over a decade's period that saw each of Lyoncia's seperate holds brought in, one by one, under a new, all-reigning monarchy. By the end of the Unification Wars, Lyoncia had become one Kingdom.
In order to maintain the relative peace, certain amounts of power were given back to Lords, and laws and systems had to be put in place over time to make things work correctly. Wars continued between holds, but the Monarchy and the Nation were largely unaffected by these.
The most recent change in leadership followed the Breach War, a war of succession fought by multiple allied lords again King Louis Beaufont, resulting in his execution and the ascending of Gaspard Renoit I to the throne of Lyoncia.
Royalty
See Also: History of Lyoncian Royalty
Lyoncia is ruled by his Lord Majesty of the Realm Gaspard Renoit . He has been king over the land for approximately 15 years, since it was taken from Louis Beaufont in the Breach War. Beaufont was for many the picture of corrupt decadance in Lyoncia, and most were glad to see him removed, especially among the poorer classes. Renoit took the kingship during a rebellion of Lords in a war of succession. He was a popular lord among this rebellion, due to his prowess in the courts and the battlefield. He clinched his Kingship during the final siege of Marie, when a part of the wall crumbled from that day’s artillery fire, he rallied his men in less than an hour, and led them- and the other armies behind them- into the breach, fighting at the forefront. That he survived at all has been called a divine act, and so his allies- some reluctantly- appointed him King when Beaufont was defeated.
Renoit is a powerfully confident man, who fiercely protects himself and his legacy. His hand is swift and firm, his ability in battle unparalleled, or so they say. He reigns, like all Kings, from the so-called White Hall, in central Lyoncia. His Kingship has been challenged on three occasions, and each were defeated via a one-against-one duel between the King and the opposer. Each has left Renoit’s opposer dead. He is sometimes called the King of the Breach, the White Mountain, or the Black King, due to his House colors being a duochrome white and black. He is a strong, barrel-chested man, with fading hair, and a heavy set brow. He is generally fair, but deals with problems decisively. Renoit is a strong leader, but typically leaves matters of economy, agriculture, and social issues to his advisors and ministers. He has been criticized in the past for his bloodthirstiness; Renoit duels many warriors to the death for the sport, hanging their corpses up as trophies.
Military
The Military of Lyoncia itself is made up of several regiments and companies loyal to the King himself. These are the Royal Bannermen, also known as the Ivory Ranks. They number in the ten thousands, and are well equipped and trained, with members often recruited from other battle-hardened units across the nation. The Royal Navy, also known as the Ivory Sails, is made up of fine sailors and soldiers from the cities around Lyoncia. It is state of the art, with full ballista-armed galleons and gunships, and enormous frigates. It’s typically used against pirates, when not engaged in war with another nation.
Each Lord and his hold is responsible for maintaining their own military, and so they control it’s organization, training, and equipping. Their army’s are only called upon when the marshal of the realm is organizing a war host; otherwise, they typically guard their hold and fight bandits and other lords. You’ll typically see calvary being prized among these Lordly armies, with spearmen and swordsman coming in behind. Crossbows are typically used, for their convenience when stocking a major force. Mercenaries are in high demand, for when a Lord’s army is low on trained soldiers, or simply needs military padding. Hundreds of thousands of mercenaries make their living in Lyoncia, whether as independent sellswords or in more organized companies. Due to the amount of smaller wars that Lyoncia sees fought on it’s soil, many of these armies are battle-hardened and skilled. If there’s one thing that Lyoncia has learned to do very, very well, it’s open-warfare. Swordsmanship and armor-wearing is nearly a hobby among the upper-class, and to watch two Lords engage in a duel is a sight to see indeed, as they’ve likely been trained throughout their life.
Geography
Greater Lyoncia extends from the Great Central Sea to the Northern Spring Sea, and from the South Spring Sea to the Bay of Lyos. It is the only nation besides Provost to have both central and western coastlines. Lyoncia is the largest nation not only in the Westlands but also compared to the East, and thus has highly varied climates and topographies represented in its borders, from coastal plains in the east, to moors in the northwest of the Helm, to the Rhion Mountain range in the center of the nation.
Lyoncia borders Rhodellia, Hyerocte, and Andern to its north, and Provost to its south.
The province is made up of over one hundred individual provinces called Holds. The exact number of holds often changes at the discretion of local authority, so it is difficult to call. Multiple primary regions exist in Lyoncia, some are as follows.
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Economy
Lyoncia is quite an active trading partner in the world, and has been for millennia- longer than most can remember or record. Due to it’s temperate weather and rich soil, much of it’s land is occupied by farmland, with vegetables, fruits, grain, and in the south-west, grapes. It’s produce is healthy and plentiful, and the nation rarely sees famine.
Smithing is an age-old tradition in Lyoncia, and many famous smiths reside in the country. The weapons and armor produced are of a fine make - artisan armorers and weaponsmiths get plenty of work and experience from the multitude of Lords wishing for their own equipment as a legacy. These beautiful and reliable works are often bought by other wealthy citizens from other lands. Typical weaponsmiths and armorers in the country are also never short of work- the ongoing conflicts Kingdom wide have let them perfect their craft over time.
Most produce was once governed by the Lord of a hold, but over time as that position grew more unstable, city and county Guildmasters have taken over that section of management, and are paid for it by the hold and the Royal House. These managers ensure that the Kingdom is thought of first when it comes to produce and trade, rather than the ever-changing Lord of the Hold. Certain issues seen as controversal have long been left to the autonomy of each Hold, so as to absolve the nation of blame as a whole and dodge potentional trade disputes. That said, even these industries are quietly taxed by the Royalty. Slavery is one such industry, though it in particular is generally though of as distasteful.
Lyoncia Wine is thought to be some of the best, and it’s production remains a well-kept secret by the Vinelords of the southwest - wealthy merchants who are often granted nobility simply for the excellence of their beverage. Cheese too is something that Lyoncia is well known for, though largely in the north east, which may suggest they borrowed that talent from Ansellia at some point.
Religion
Main Article: The Flowered Faith
The Flowered Faith
Worshipped in Lyoncia, Andern. Various colonies and influenced areas.
Holy City: Sint-Lasshalt
A pantheon of seven main deities with multiple secondary deities. Arranged in a flower.
Formed out of various faiths found in Pre-Imperial Lyoncia, by the scholar Saint Mathis Lasshalt, Steward to Lanis the Unifier, first of his name, founding Emperor of Lyoncia.
Primary Deities:
Canis - The Shepherd of Light- Father God of Protection, Time, and Day
Agristyr - The Warden of the Radiant- God of Loyalty, Honesty, Valour, and Poetry - Summer
Rylos -The Apologist of All- God of Justice, Mercy, Freedom, and Forbearance - Autumn
Ísola - The Mother of Dawn - Goddess of Fertility, Hope, Art, and Abundance - Spring
Edar - The Keeper of Night - God of the Hunt, the Night, Funerals, Nature, and Music -Winter
Valus - The Traveler of Sense - God of Knowledge, Cunning, Medicine and Travel
Óenar - The Magistrate of Truth- God of Wisdom, Truth, Logic and Governance
Entertainment
When not occupied with war or industry, the people of Lyoncia find many ways to keep themselves entertained. Festivals, music, and dancing are all popular, dancing especially in the romantic regions of the south west. Unlike most places however, you'll never find any kind of Bear used for entertainment in Lyoncia, due to its venerated status in the country. Despite the nation's penchant for war, many famous poems, epic tales, and songs have been written by Lyoncian artists. The abundance of war results in an abundance of material. Thanks to the overflowing stores of food found in most places, public feasts are often the most common gathering one would witness.
No place experiences as many parties as the Winelord controlled holds of the south west. These gatherings are huge afffairs used to curb favor and keep morale high.
Nobility
Nobility in Lyoncia is an inconsistent yet all-encompassing concept. While nearly all Lords claim some sort of Birthright to nobility based on their bloodline, it’s impossible to tell who is telling the truth, and most seem not to care either way.
The King can grant Nobility on any he likes to, and soldiers, craftsmen, and artisans are often given minor honors for their deeds or works. Nobility is greatly treasured, and grants its holder a sort of higher class than the more common folk of the land. However, it does not demand any real sort of formality, and as such many Lords do the concept disgrace.
The King himself would say that his bloodline is royal back to his Great Grandfather or some such thing, but as nobility is so hard to track and pin-down anyway, these sorts of claims are hard to prove on all sides. Thus, personal nobility, for the individual, is more often what matters.
Culture
The culture of Lyoncia began with it’s original settlers and tribes, and eventually evolved into the Kingdom that it is today. However, over time, it’s society and interests have been tinted by the arrival and melding of other nation’s people and ideals, leading to a nation with sometimes muddled traditions. There is the occasional discrimination from “True Lyoncians” to these other, more obvious outsiders, but at this point most would simply say that Lyoncia is a culture of many cultures. In the north, it’s people are more tinged by Rhodellia, Hyerocte, Aeirlan, and Andern. It’s southwest; Frechrey. And it’s south east, the colder lands of Provost. But these all meld to form one final, colorful picture. A strong, impenetrable nation, with the ferocity and majesty of a wild beast. A nation of many.