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The Grand Duchy of Tys Ygithir
The Grand Duchy of Tys Ygithir:
The Grand Duchy was another of the successor states to the Vilani, but took a different path than the Ostander to the southeast. The Vilani Legions in this region had been seasned by years of warfare with the Northern Orcish tribes and did not easily fall against the barbaric Tys and Yithgiri tribes that rebelled against them. Eventually the tribes and the Legions reached a compromise with tribal chieftans having nominal sovereignty in the land (via their duke), but Legionary commanders having great sway in their legion's area of jurisdiction. Within the century, the Duke title ceased being soley hereditary and the former legionary commanders (Now the Knight-Commanders of their Commandereys) choosing the Duke in council upon the death or abdication of the prior Duke.
As time progressed, the Tys intermarried with the Vilani Legionares to such an extent that in the land today they are considered one and the same. The Tys have almost exclusive control of the Knight Commanderies and much of the landed aristocracy, although the Ygithiri hold a few baronages and counties in the northeast and southwest.
The rivalry between the Tys and Ygithiri has only been exacerbated by this intermingling. The Tys today consider themselves somewhat superior to the Ygithiri in culture and outlook, being more of the mounted knights than the Ygithiri who ten toward foot combat and use of the longbow & axe. The Ygithiri for their part consider the Tys as almost foreign oppressors little different from the Vilani occupiers of the pre-cataclysm (for role playing purposes, consider the Tys vs. Ygithiri outlook similar to the Norman vs. Saxon rivalry of 11-13th century England).
This racial friction displays itself in the rulership of the Grand Duchy. In truth, Tys Ygithir has all the attributes necessary to declare itself a Kingdom and the ruler to rightfully take the title of King or Queen. But the Grand Duke or Duchess, almost always a Tys, is reluctant to do so due to ygithiri legend. In the Ygithiri past, their ancient king Wersengetorix was killed in battle and left no heir. They believe that one day he will return to be their rightful king and will brook no other. Therefore, to maintain even the minor loyalty of the Ygithiri gentry the ruler must take this 'Return of the King' legend seriously. So, the ruler of Tys Ygithiri is accepted by the Ygithir with the subordinate title of Grand Duke but would never be accepted as a King.
Despite this tention between the two peoples, the Grand Duchy of Tys Ygithir nonetheless continues to act as a bastion against the elves and orcs that strive to encroach upon the north.
GOVERNMENT: The Duke is elected upon the death of the prior Duke, and the election is held by the Knight Commanders in the Curia Regis. For the past 200 years, the Duke or Duchess has always been one of the Knight Commanders, and for the last 80 all from the Griffon Commanderey. There are 6 Commanderies, and within each there is a mish-mash of military commanders with land holdings and Lords & Barons of the old school.
MILITARY: The 5 Commanderies and the Ducal Commandery raise levies from their vassals as well as maintain small but well trained garrissons of Knights in their Commanderies and baileys. Each Commandery has between 200-300 of these Knights, and can raise 1000-3000 men at arms, depending on the individual commandery. The six commanderies are:
WOLF COMMANDERY
Location: Northwest along the border of the Greywood and the Orcish frontier
Commander: Knight Commander Sorscha of the Flashing Blades
***Knights of the Wolf Commandery are noted for the 'wolf snouts' and flared visor edges of their helmets.
RAM COMMANDERY:
Location: The northern border, west of the center border along the Orcish frontier
Commander: Knight Commander Alaric von Kreiger
***Knights of the Ram Commandery are noted for the curled rams horns decorating their helmets.
BEAR COMMANDERY:
Location: In the northeast, Wedge between the Orcish frontier and Tir Ardonae.
Commander: Knight Commander Antonio De Rosenwald
***Knights of the Bear Commandery are noted for the 'pig face' bascinets they wear designed to reflect bear faces.
STAG COMMANDERY
Location: To the east, guarding the center of the Tir Ardonae border.
Commander: Knight Commander Simone NewKeep
***Knights of the Stag Commanderey are noted for the steel deer horns decorating their helms, with the point numbers denoting rank.
UNICORN COMMANDERY
Location: In the south east, Guarding the Tir Ardonae & Haven/Eastgard border.
Commander: Knight Commander Daniel d"Arc
***Knights of the Unicorn Commandery are noted for single steel unicorn horns cresting their helms & the head barding of their horses.
GRIFFIN COMMANDERY (Ducal)
Location: at the city of Ral Lanark, on the northern coast of the Azure sea.
Commander: Duke Sigismund IV
***Knights of the Griffon Commandery are noted for having beaked visors and stylized helms in the shape of eagle heads.
RAVEN COMMANDERY
Location: The southwest border, facing the Dwarven Kingdom of Aegol & part of the Greywood.
Commander: Knight Commander Corvus mareno
***Knights of the Raven Commandery are distinct for the use of black armor & visors with stylized wings flaring on either side of the helm.
CITIES OF NOTE:
Ral Lanark: The greatest port in the Grand Duchy and the capital, this walled city boasts several major decisive battles of the past millenium being fought beneath its gates. Deals in fishing, timber, and is the sole location for Azure sea commerce in the Duchy.
Ral Denoth: This city lies to the west and is flanked by the lands of the Raven & Wolf Commanderies. Ral Denoth is a timber center and like all cities in the Grand Duchy is walled and seriously garrissoned.
Ral Stallus: This city is to the southeast and borders the Haven protected lands and falls within the territory (but not jurisdiction) of the Unicorn Commandery. Blessed with open fields and many small rivers, this area is used for horse breeding & cattle runs. Ral Stallus is fortified, but not as well as most other cities due to the lack of heavy stones and high water content.
Ral Partha: This city is located in the center of the Grand Duchy and is a mecca for commerce in all its forms. For military purposes, the roads to all other cities go to and from Ral Partha and only one road connects Ral Lanark & Ral Partha; a transport situation that the merchants of Ral Partha take full advantage of to monopolize most trade with the capital.
Ral Mimbra: Located in the north and east, this city is a forbidding collection of granite & stone with the heaviest fortification in the Grand Duchy. This is necessary due to its proximity to the Orcish frontier. Despite its location within (but not under the jurisdiction of) the Bear Commandery, they do a brisk trade in agricultural products for export to as far away as Aquinas and Haven. Considered the 'bread basket' of the Grand Duchy, its unfortunate proximity to the frontier makes it the first looting target of the invading Orc tribes of the past two goblin wars.
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