Faction Name: The Kingdom of Liandry
Alias: Liandry; The Port City of Liandry; The City-State Liandry
Government Type: Monarchy; Lord Ardenholt the 5th of Liandry presides over the city primarily, with only a tax- and defense-based relationship with the much smaller surrounding mining and farming towns.
Faction Species: Human
Location: Due south of Sebir Tul, situated alongside the coast with claims stretching north west towards the Smoky Mountains that divide the Ashlands and the Rain Lands. See attached map for more detail.
Faction Name: Revolutionary Army
Alias: Insurgent Forces; Traitors; Rebels
Government Type: No formal government
Faction Species: Human
Location: Primarily based in the mountains to the northwest of Liandry.
Faction Description: Situated on a short peninsula stretching into the Oromis Shelf, Liandry has, through history, served as a critical access point to the sea and trade hub for traffic trying to either avoid the dangers of road travel through the Rainlands or speed up movement of goods. Ships tend to travel around the Arm of Azoth, letting traders avoid the mountain pass on their way from Sebir Tul to Kul Nabal.
Liandry itself is not incredibly resource rich, with farmland difficult to maintain on the Steppe. The combination of soot and dry air from the Ashlands hinders the formation of rainclouds, quickly cutting off the forests around Sebir Tul. Perhaps the only benefit of the hard, dry ground is the easily travelled roads. Liandry’s primary export, ore, is pulled down from the Smoky Mountains by the Smoky Mountain Mining Company and shipped to the port city to be traded for the necessities of life. For a time, livestock was also moved through Liandry, but the dangers of travel combined with diminished air quality has made shepherding increasingly difficult in the recent era.
Riverbend marks the effective ‘border’ of Liandry. It sits upon the joint between the White River, which flows down from the highest peak of the smoky mountains down past Sebir Tul, collecting ash, pollution and watershed from a great area; and the smaller but much cleaner River Nevra, which flows from the east. The town is primarily responsible for receiving downriver shipments from Sebir Tul and rerouting them to Liandry, as well as attempting, somewhat futilely, to prevent hostile incursions.
The
Smoky Mountain Mining Company is a city in and of itself. Although the mountains fail to yield the necessities of life to support the workers under the employ of the company, trade of ore and stone with Liandry enables it to continue functioning. Clean water is difficult to come by in the mountains, so the people here have innovated the use of sand filtration to get the ash out of the water. This is effective for its intent, but ichor-polluted waters easily resist the treatment.
The term
Juro’s Divide is used by Liandrians to both describe the two routes of water around the island as well as the island itself. Concurrently with the colonization of Liandry, immigrants were spreading out across the Arm of Azoth, as well as onto the island itself. Though trade between these cities and Liandry was rich, political and cultural relationships were slow to form, due in part to the perceived illegitimacy of the monarchy and religious differences. Currently, the island is home to Ter Kundzil of the Varrod League.
Faction History: The Kingdom of Liandry finds its roots in the emigration of humans from Sebir Tul and other Salished cities looking for a sea route to avoid mountain travel. The origin years were violent and bloody, with beasts and monsters coming out of the northern forests on a nightly basis to terrorize the poorly defended coast village.
After a few years and failed attempts to mount an effective defense with mercenary forces, Gale Ardenholt, then a powerful politician in the village, struck a deal with the Salished Empire to accept vassalage. The terms traded priority shipping rights through the city and the right to levy taxes for the Empire’s promise to protect the lands from both pirates and beasts. However, an extra term was added to the agreement; Gale Ardenholt was to be named Lord of the village and associated holds. This secret clause created significant distrust within the public, but the peace that resulted from the signing of the contract was far too valuable to sacrifice over a leadership dispute. So began monarchy in Liandry.
As years passed, Liandrians set up the outpost town of Riverbend and the somewhat independent Smoky Mountain Mining Company, reaching a metered prosperity in the shadow of the Salished Empire. Five generations of Ardenholts have passed, and the current king is facing a threat unlike those that have come before. Growing taxes and crumbling defensive lines have led to unrest in the public, who believe that, without intervention, the greed of the Crown and the weakening of the Salished will spell the end of Liandry. A revolutionary army, led by former noble Cain Haidryn, the Crimson Reaver, has set up camp in the mountains north of the Mining Company. It draws war supplies from the Mining Company and smuggles primarily food but also weapons from cities in the Varrod League.
Faction Religion: Although life is not distinguishingly difficult in the Kingdom of Liandry—at least not when compared to some of the close by and magnitudes more inhospitable lands to the west—the scarcity of unpolluted food and water, the danger of raids getting through the ever less vigilant Salished Empire, and the unbreathable horror of hot, dry soot storms sliding in from the Ashlands keep its people routinely appealing to the will of a higher power. Whether these Gods are listening, or even exist, often comes into contention in the aftermath of the plethora of natural disasters that strike the broken world of Azoth.
- The Goddess of Wind and Storms, Jitara, is the leader of the Liandrian Pantheon. The people pray to her to maintain the powerful winds out of the south and east that act as a bastion against the brutally thick clouds of ash that curl over the shorter mountains of the southern Arm.
- The God of the Seas and Safe Passage, Juro, is husband to Jitara. He is called upon primarily by traders and travelers, as well as fishermen. His devotees know him well as the arbiter of who passes safely through the treacherously rocky waters around Juro’s Divide.
- The Goddess of Harvest and Fertility, Kunilou, finds her patrons among the spice farmers who rough the dry grasslands of the Liandrian steppe, as well as mothers and wives across the land.
- The God of Battle and Ferocity, Kord, often finds his popularity variable, due to the horrors that war can bring forth. Still, he is highly revered among the Revolutionary Army, as well as by the Liandrian soldiers who carefully watch the forests for beasts, abominations and other nightmares.
It’s important to note that though the Liandrian Pantheon is the most prevalent system of beliefs among Liandry’s holdings, other ideologies and beliefs hold considerable traction; chief among them is that of Liandry’s maternal state, the Salished Empire. The Salished belief system was overtaken in popularity by the Pantheon in the early years of the city, when it was powerfully terrorized by raids and storms, starvation, disease and other calamities. The sheer misfortune caused many to forsake the Gods of the old country and appease those that had more sway in the area.
Important Characters: Cain Haidryn a.k.a. the
Crimson Reaver is a former noble of Liandry most notable for being leader of the Revolutionary Army. Years ago, he self-imposed exile from Liandry, determined not to return until he held the power to change the corruption and properly protect the land from hostilities. He journeyed to the Blood Spring to strike a deal with the Gorelord; in exchange for his left arm, his sword was enchanted to drink the blood of those it cut, elevating both it and its wielder to ever greater power. The blade’s corrupting influence incites a craving for bloodshed—an addictive, ever present urge to cut, kill and maim. It was once passion for a better world that drove Cain. While his intentions remain the same, the motivations behind them have become more sinister.
Lord Ardenholt the 5th is the latest in a line of Liandrian Kings whose rise to power is contested and whose authority is dwindling. While the nobles are mostly supportive of the Crown, taxes and poor border control have set the public convincingly against him.
Important Holdings/Territory/Possessions: The City of Liandry; Juro’s Divide Lighthouse; The Smoky Mountain Mining Company; The Town of Riverbend; Revolutionary Army Mountain Camp
Faction Relations: Vassalage with the Salished Empire; Trade relations with the Varrod League; Support for the Revolutionary Army from the Varrod League
Important Characters: Cain Haidryn a.k.a. the
Crimson Reaver is a former noble of Liandry most notable for being leader of the Revolutionary Army. Years ago, he self-imposed exile from Liandry, determined not to return until he held the power to change the corruption and properly protect the land from hostilities. He journeyed to the Blood Spring to strike a deal with the Gorelord; in exchange for his left arm, his sword was enchanted to drink the blood of those it cut, elevating both it and its wielder to ever greater power. The blade’s corrupting influence incites a craving for bloodshed—an addictive, ever present urge to cut, kill and maim. It was once passion for a better world that drove Cain. While his intentions remain the same, the motivations behind them have become more sinister.
Lord Ardenholt the 5th is the latest in a line of Liandrian Kings whose rise to power is contested and whose authority is dwindling. While the nobles are mostly supportive of the Crown, taxes and poor border control have set the public convincingly against him.
Important Holdings/Territory/Possessions: The City of Liandry; Juro’s Divide Lighthouse; The Smoky Mountain Mining Company; The Town of Riverbend; Revolutionary Army Mountain Camp
Regional Map: 
Member