Duchy of Letha
Structure
Subregions of Letha
The Duchy of Letha is a feudal state made up of 9 vassal states, themselves supported by yet smaller divisions, all existing on a broad spectrum of autonomy, held together in a loose political coalition. These 9 states can be generally divided into three regions. Each of these counties and viscounties are sworn to the ducal throne as part of Letha, but often engage with each other as independent equals, with their own sub-vassals below them. At each level, vassals and lieges owe each other certain Seigniorial Rights and Duties, including the collection of taxes and revenues, the expenditure of the same, managing lands and responding to calls to arms.The Penn-ar-Bed
Also known as Finistere, World's End and Lower Letha, the Western half of the peninsula is made up of the:The Ducal Cities
Located in the Southeast of the Peninsula, the regions controlled by the three "Ducal Cities" are the most populous and wealthy of the Duchy. These are:The Northeast
Located between Dreger and Roazhon along the Mor Breizh, this region is often politically dominated by the semi-independent Penn-ar-Bed and the wealthy Ducal Cities. The region is made up of:The Faerie Realms
In addition to the Bediz Sovereignties listed above, there are numerous Faerie groups operating within the region, with the city of Ker-Malastred and the Goat Brekilien operating as equals to the counties in the interior of the country, although they are nominally sworn to the regions in which they are found. These have almost entirely subsumed the former counties of Poher, Porhoet and Roc'han.Autonomy and Rule
Compared to its neighbors of Akitania, Anjev and La Manche, Letha has largely remained free of direct political control from powerful outside kingdoms, such as Gallia or Logres, although it has been nominally sworn to the former since 841 SI, when Alan II pledged fealty to the Gallian crown. Despite this, however, it has remained largely autonomous, even standing in open rebellion during the reigns of Konstanza I and Eleanor I, establishing a tradition of de-facto independence that continues to the present day. Letha has historically been ruled by an Ard Banrí/Ard Rí until the death of Ard Rí Salaun in 778 SI, when the region collapsed into civil war and a break in unified rule until the ascension of Alan II as Dug, officially a vassal of the Gallian Crown. The Dug/Dugez has remained the Sovereign of Letha since then. The Dug is supported by the 7 Kont/Kontez, and in the case of Pentevr and Leon, 2 Biskont/Biskontez. The Rí Buiden/Banrí Buiden of the Brekilien and the Mac'htiern of Ker-Malestred are considered peers of these 9 nobles. These 11 Sovereigns, in turn, are supported by their own Biskonts, Barons, and lords within their territories, and the independently controlled Free Cities that may fall within their sovereignties. Additionally, the 6 Markiz/Markizez of the Marches of Neustria are given special privileges and have historically served as a direct vassals of the Dug during times of war, although these have been diluted in the present day.Culture
The Armorican Peninsula's location and geography have kept the region comparatively isolated from the more direct cultural and political influences of Gallia and others, allowing it to maintain a distinct and unique cultural identity.
Public Agenda
Located on the Armornican Peninsula, surrounded by rough waters and filled with rocky moorland and dense forests, Letha has long held a unique political identity, more autonomous and separate than many of its neighbors. This isolation maintains the Duchy's independence, but also limits its chances at expansion and empire building, surrounded on the land by powerful neighbors and the delicately balanced chaos of Gallian politics.
Letha's power, therefore, comes from the sea, controlling key ports along the coastal trade connecting the economic engines of The Cloth Cities with the mercantile cities of The Golden Sea. Lethan policy's two-fold approach is typically the maintenance of these trading routes and its own independence from more powerful entities like Gallia or Logres, attempting to strike a balance between these two goals.
Similar to the question of its political identity, the question of Bediz-Fae relations is always on the forefront of life in the Duchy, with strong political and cultural ties with the Korrigan troupes and Sidhe Courts, balanced out by an aggressive historical push by the Faith and, in more recent years, the Staunchist political movement.
Nontraditional forces, such as powerful merchants guilds, Korrigan troupes and the free cities have begun agitating for greater autonomy from the nobility, threatening the delicate balance of feudal power with the spread of new ideas and wealth.
Lethan leaders have shifted back and forth on the question of autonomy over the centuries, from independent minded leaders like Salaun I and Konstanza I, to those seeking stronger ties with the rest of the continent, like Konan I, a major player in the political machinations of his time.
In the present day, these questions have bubbled over as a civil war threatens to break out following the death of Dug Yann III. The Staunchist faction presses for greater ties to Gallia, strong religious revivalism and the supremacy of Bediz over Faerie. The Ermines, in contrast, seek a more autonomous region reinforcing Bediz-Fae relations.
Assets
Letha is a politically powerful region, unified along a unique cultural and ethnic identity, but also a geographically isolated one. Its location on the Armorican Peninsula allows it to control trade between the North and South, with numerous ports along the coast to take advantage of this crucial trade artery. Forests, fields and mines produce a bounty of domestic products in the interior that are then consumed or sold, with fisheries dominating the region's aquaculture.
Wealth is largely centered on the Ducal cities and coastal ports, however, and the interior has a reputation for isolated poverty and simple living. As a result, the nation is not considered as wealthy as some of its neighbors, most notably Anjev and Akitania, but its urban power centers dispel the regions reputation as a backwater.
The region is well defended, with most large towns and cities protected by walls, castles and fortified rivergates. The Marches of Neustria, located along the Eastern border, supports a large number of dedicated fortresses, supplemented by well-trained garrisons, armories, ships and windships that protect the all-important trade network of the region.
History
The Tear and the Kingdom of Great Kernev
Little is known of the region's history prior to The Tear, but it is consistently considered to have been part of The Empire of Tarif. Following the Tear, the region was blanketed in a thick Feth Fiada rolling in from the Fortunate Isles.The Dream of Macsen Wledig
Following the tear, the Empire was in chaos. The Courts of Summer and Winter appeared in the Fortunate Isles and launched an invasion of Albia. The leader of the Imperial Garrison on Albia, Magnus Maximus, and his second in command, the Albian Chieftain Conan Meriadoc fled across the Mor Breizh, landing in Dreger and eliminating the fractured remnants of the Imperial Government. Meridoc was left in charge to protect the region as Magnus marched South against his rivals in Liyon and Lupino. When Magnus was defeated and executed, Conan declared himself Ard Rí of Dumnonea, with holdings in both Armorica and Albia. Conan's forces were not alone on the Peninsula, discovering the Korrigan Troupes already established within the wooded Ar Goat, or interior. Still pressured by the Sidhe to the North and the Imperial remnants to the South, Conan grew increasingly paranoid of Fae incursion, believing those around him to be enchanted or Changelings. He ordered the tongues cut out of all women in his kingdom, lest they be used for Huderezh or the spreading of heretical teachings. This earned the Kingdom the grim Moniker of Llydaw, the half-silent. This was matched with a brutal military campaign against local tribes and imperial holdouts, securing his control over the peninsula and the South of Albia.The War of the Two Brothers
Upon his death, Conan Meriadoc divided his kingdom of Dumnonia between his two sons, Gadeon and Gradlon, to rule the territory in Albia and Armorica respectively. This arrangement quickly collapsed and Gradlon was exiled, turning his attention to the Northern Island of Fjallkonan, where he joined forces with Witch Queen Malgven. The pair returned to Armorica, raising an army of Korrigan and Bediz to march against the treacherous Gadeon, meeting on the Plains of Are. Neither side shared Conan's aversion to Huderezh, however, and the magical battle would reform the very land, the plains becoming the central spine of the Meneziou Are and decimating Pleg-Mor Menez-Mikael. Gradlon was victorious, recognizing the Kriores Troupe of Gargantua as Sovereign over the underground and establishing the Great Kingdom of Kernev and Dumnonia, centered on the city of Ker-Ys. The Kingdom had its first challenge in 39 SI, when the Erlking rode from the Forests of the East towards the Shatterlands. While Ys was never directly attacked, Gradlon's Kingdom was instrumental in establishing the alliance of Bediz and Fae that would thwart the Erlking's ride at the Battle of Tours. The era of Ker-Ys lasted centuries under Gradlon's reign, Bediz and Korrigan living together to establish a new society of great technology and high standards of living, the founding of the Ailhedenneg network ushering in an era of wealth and prosperity. Malgven and Gradlon had a daughter, Ahes Dahut.The Fall of Ys
in 249 SI, the alliance had crumbled, as the Courts of Summer and Winter fought each other and the Bediz kingdom of Logres. Malgven and her witches returned to Fjallkonan and a new force arrived on the Peninsula as missionaries from the Southern Church arrived in the East. Religious fervor spread across the region, exacerbated by Bediz-Fae tensions and the political machinations of the Eastern Chieftains, seeking an edge over their rivals. Things came to a head when the cleric Guenole met Gradlon at Menez Hom while the King was out hunting, returning with him to Ker-Ys. Guenole rose in power as an advisor to the lonely King, eventually converting him to the Faith. This put him at odds with Princess Ahes, herself a leader in the Druids. Their political rivalry culminated in the Fall of Ys, where the sea-walls were opened to a powerful Wyldestorm, plunging the city beneath the waves. The storm destroyed Ker-Ys and ravaged the coastline from Lyonesse to the Ar Briwer Swamps. The Kingdom collapsed, its weakened government fleeing to Kemper. King Solomon, son of Graldon by a second wife, takes over for his father as the Kingdoms of Albia collapse. In 298 SI, the city of Kameled falls. Solomon's son, Aldroneous, turns down an offer of the crown of Albia from the Archperfect of the Faith on the condition he mount a crusade to retake the island. In 302, the Yellow Plague of Rhos sweeps across Alvez. A dragon from the North attacks the Northern port of Dol, forcing an unprecedented crisis in the East for Kernev and Dumnonia. Destabilized from these events, the kingdom falls into chaos during the reigns of Maxreni, Rivod and Erich, three short lived successors dying in quick succession in a violent power struggle.The High Kings of Letha
The Black Dog of Letha
Budig II, High King of the Bretoned, executed Erich I in 323 SI consolidating the Penn-ar-Bed once more. Meanwhile in the East, the Kont of Gwened, Waroch I, establishes the first notable political presence in Upper Letha, building up Gwened and establishing the colony of Naoned on the mouth of the Liger River, courting the influence of the rising power of Gallia. The rise of Budig and Waroch represent a major power shift in the region away from the old Kingdom of Gradlon towards the more modern Letha. Into this chaotic mix steps a new player, the Prince of Poher, Conomor the Cursed. Conomor led a failed rebellion against his father, Jonas Fourtongue and Budig, but is defeated and driven into the Meneziou Are. He emerges with the backing of the Korrigan of the Ar Goat and a great and terrible power. Conomor destroys the town of Pont-Ivi, conquering the interior regions of Poher, Porhoet and Roc'han. Waroch is briefly deposed by his treacherous son, Chanao I. Chanao's brother, Macliau, Perfect of Gwened, conspires with Conomor to position himself on the throne. An Eladan Prince, Muldumarec Artegall steps forward to confront Conomor, building the Alliance of the Brekilien, a coalition of Bediz, Korrigan and Sidhe champions. They oust Chanao, and restore Waroch to the throne, preparing to take the fight to Conomor. Before the Alliance can act, Conomor's Garwaf raiders, the Sea Dogs, attack under a Bloodmoon, overrunning both Gwened and Naoned. The alliance is shattered, several members dead and Gwened broken. Conomor sets his sights of Kemper, marching against Budig and exiling the High King to Albia. Seeing Letha united under Conomor, King Childebert I of Gallia and the Archperfect of Tours marshal an army, coming to the aid of the reformed survivors of Muldumarec's alliance. in 404 SI, Conomor is defeated at the Battle of Relec. Budig's son, Tewdr Mawr ascends the throne, united Kernev, Dumnonea and Gwened.The High Kings
Invigorated by a powerful surge of magic known as the "Second Bleed", the forces of Faerie grow stronger and more involved. The Court of Summer launches an invasion from Albia in 429 SI, but are defeated at The Battle of Keremma Dunes. King Judicael uses this, and the memory of Conomor, to raze large sections of the Brekilien and outlaw the Druids, establishing the Faith as the state religion of Letha. Lower Letha is firmly under the control of Gallia for a time, launching a series of failed and limited rebellions from the Western Kings.Nevenoe and the Odet Raids
Ard Rí Nevenoe I, thought to be a puppet of Gallia, suddenly rebels after the death of the Gallian King, declaring himself King of Letha. He conquers Roazhon, Naoned and Neustria at The Battle of Brissarthe, formalizing Lethan boundaries and indirectly forming the political entities of La Manche and Anjev. Nevenoe dramatically moves against the Archperfect of Tours and the Gallian King by establishing a seat at Dol under the cultural umbrella of Letha, rather than Gallia, and reversing the anti-fae policies of Judicael. in 736 SI, The Marie-Morgane of Ys-Beneath-the-Waves, under the command of Queen Ahes Dahut, re-enter the region with the Odet Raids, a daring incursion along the Odet River and Southwest coastline, growing their numbers and seizing food and tools to rebuild the ruined city. They fail to capture Kemper, but the shock of the attack jolts the region.The End of a Kingdom and Tumultuous Times
In 778, following the death of Ard Rí Salaun, divisions within Letha erupt into a civil war, first between Roazhon and Gwened, then between Gwened and Kernev. Adding to the chaos, a Viking invasion from Tevenn Du, led by Fomorian chieftain Hastings Fireforged lands on the peninsula, raiding along the rivers across La Manche, Letha and Anjev. Despite Lethan success at the Battles ofKistreberzh (785 SI) and Briovère (788 SI), infighting allows Fireforged to sack Gwened, interrupting the line of Kings with a 30 year occupation of the Peninsula.Alan's Campaign
Alan "Al Louarn" II, driven from Naoned by Hastings Fireforged, seeks refuge with the Eladan Rí ruirech Athelstan of Kameled. While under Athelstan's protection, he makes a secret alliance with Judicael Berengar, Kont of Roazhon, and Hugh I, Kont of Cenomannie, to reconquer the Armorican Peninsula. Raising a small army, Alan journeys to the remote regions of Crozon and Kab Sizun, rocky peninsulas in the Penn-ar-Bed whose difficult terrain and treacherous waters had allowed two chieftains Amalgod and Wethenoc to hold off the Viking forces. Recruiting these partisans, known as the Stormbreakers, into the fold gave Alan's alliance the edge in needed to retake Dol from the Formorians, marching along the Liger River to Naoned , finding the city abandoned and overgrown with a dense forest, covered in a thick bank of Feth Fiada . After a series of battles and campaigns, Hastings was defeated at the Battle of Trans-la-Forêt . Alan's victory allowed for the retaking of Breizh from the Formorians, but led to a fracturing of the historical ties between Armorica and Albia. Driven to sea, Formorian piracy out of La Manche and Orkney crippled trade between the two regions, forcing Alan to turn to Louis IV of Gallia , whom he had met in the court of Athelstan, marrying the powerful Gallian vassal Adelaide of Blaez. Swearing fealty to the Gallian King, Alan was made into Dug of Breizh. This alienated his former allies in Cenomannie and incurred the wrath of Fulk II , Dug of Anjev , setting into motion the death of Alan's son, Drogon I who became Duke after Alan's death.The Poisoner's Game
Drogon was assassinated by Fulk II in 862, setting in motion the chaotic struggle known as The Poisoner's Game. Backed by Fulk, Alan II's bastard son, seizes control of the Duchy. Konan "The Crooked" I of Roazhon, allied with House Blaez (following Drogon's line of succession instead of Hoel's), poisons the new dug. Dug Guerech I, Hoel's younger brother, ascends to the throne, but is captured by Geoffery, Dug of Anjev and held for ransom. Guerech's wife, Aremburga successfully invades the March of Ancenis, fortifying the area. Fearing that Anjev will use their hostage to undermine his position in Roazhon, Konan, with the backing of new allies in La Manche, has the imprisoned Dug poisoned in his cell. Guerech's Son Alan III ascends and is poisoned, ending Hoel's line. Konan finally becomes Dug of Letha, where he is poisoned by his brother in law, Fulk III of Anjev.Regional Affairs
Konan's son Jafrez I is crowned Dug, only to find himself wedged between Konan's angry allies in La Manche and Anjev, with new pressures from the Korrigan of the Brekilien. He makes a strategic marriage to La Manche to counter Anjev, but dies on pilgrimage to Lupino. Relations with La Manche deteriorate and Jafrez's successor, Eozen I, goes to war with them and the rebelling Biskonti Dol and Barony of Clos-Poulet. He is poisoned while besieging the La Manche lines. Konan II rises to the throne during the Letha-La Manche war as Dug Gwilherm marches to take the Ailhedenneg of Menez-Mikael, a battle unfolding on the tidal flats around the island. Defeated, Konan II surrenders to Gwilherm, who turns his attention to Albia, sacking Kameled in 962 SI. Konan II takes advantage of the campaign for revenge and marches on Duron, but dies en route, his riding gloves poisoned by Gwilherm's agents. Konan is succeeded by his daughter, Hawiz I, who seeks to repair fractions with the Penn-ar-Bed by marrying Hoel of Kernev. Hoel attempts to claim the right of jure uxoris, but fails, becoming Dug Consort. Her son, Dug Alan IV has an uneventful reign, 2 marriages, one possibly ending with a murder orchestrated by Alan, dying on Crusade in Outremer. Alan IV is succeeded by Konan "The Fat" III. Konan suddenly disinherits his son, Kont Hoel of Naoned, passing succession to Dugez Berta I. Berta first marries Alain Pentevr, then Eozon II of Porhoet. After her death, Eozon refuses to recognize the inheritance of Alain Pentevr's son, Konan "the Black" IV. Konan allies with Geoffrey VI of Anjev, imprisoning Eozon at Fougères . Konan finds himself a pawn of Henry II, King of Logres and Dug of Anjev, when Henry invades the Penn-ar-Bed to punish a rebellion. He is forced to abdicate in favour of his daughter, Konstanza IThe Brekilien Reborn
Dugez Konstanza
The reign of Konstanza I was a dramatic shift for Letha, heavily embroiled in the palace politics of its neighbors since Alan II's reconquest of the Peninsula. Her father, Konan IV, was forced to abdicate in favour of the 5 year old Konstanza, the idea being that she would allow Henry, King of Logres and Dug of Anjev, an easily controlled puppet in Letha and act as regent until she became Dugez 10 years later. During her regency, she was locked in a tower in Kameled to be groomed as a political trophy. Unfortunately for Henry's plans, the Sidhe, angry at losing Kameled to his ancestor Gwilherm of la Manche, and taken with the your princess, became her protectors and advisors. At age 15, she was forced to marry her cousin, the treacherous Jafrez II, who plotted against Henry with his secret lover, a Prince of Gallia. Dismissive of Konstanza and with a cruel nature, the would-be Dug had a habit of raiding both Churches of the Faithful and Druidic Nemeton to support his lavish lifestyle. While riding in a Tournament in Per-Ys, his horse was struck by a Saighead Sidhe and went berserk, tossing him off and trampling him to death. Konstanza was remarried to the Ranulf de Blondeville, Biskont of Avranches. Konstanza, with the support of both the Korrigan Troupes and the noblity of Letha, denied Ranulf's attempts to exercise jure uxoris, essentially cutting him out of direct political power in the Duchy. He conspired with the Dug of la Manche to have her kidnapped and imprisoned. This sparked widespread rebellions across Letha on her behalf. The Korrigan launched an attack on the fortress to rescue the Dugez. Faced with the siege, Ranulf fled to the fortress of Fougères and vanished. Meanwhile, Konstanza's ties with the Korrigan and Sidhe caught the eye of the Southern Church. The head of the Faith, the Archperfect of Lupino, Lotario di Signi, moved against the semi-independent Church of Letha, with its seat at Dol, placing it once again in Tours, reigniting a long simmering dispute in the region. Konstanza protested and was excommunicated. Undeterred, she joined the Druids, their influence and political clout growing exponentially as a result. In Tolosa, the Heresy of Albi had taken root, as Arnaud Amalric massacred thousands of Fae, especially the serpentine Nathair. The survivors fled North towards the Fortunate Isles, finding refuge in Konstanza's domain. Amalric turned his attention Northwards as Lotario di Signi, angered at the multiple public affronts to his power by Konstanza, called for a crusade to be mounted against Letha, as he had in Tolosa. The Crusaders, bouyed by Akitanian and Gallian forces, besieged Naoned, but failed to take it. They marched Northwards to Roazhon, Konstanza's capital. As they neared the Brekilien, largely clear-cut in the East following the policies on King Judicael, as massive Hengoad Bleed erupted before them, the forest once again coming to life, massive trees growing around them. Vines and plantlife spreading over the walls of their palisades and towers as they were subsumed by the reborn forest, its defenders transformed into animals. Magical beasts descended upon the other invaders. The survivors, hounded by the spectral host of the Ar Chase Gouez fled to the Stonevault at Angers. Konstanza's host marched down, breaking the siege at Naoned. In recognition for their aid, Konstanza reaffirmed the Treaty of Gargantua with the Kriores of Ker-Malestrad, while also reorganizing the Counties of Poher, Porhoet and Roc'han, which had sided against her in the war, with increased powers and rights to the Korrigan and Eledan. 2 years after the war, Konstanza vanished into the Brekilien.Into the present
Konstanza was succeeded by her eldest daughter, Dugez Eleonora I, the Fair Maid of Letha. Having seen Almaric's crusade crushed, the powers of Kornôgel treated Letha with guarded distance, continually thwarting Eleonora's claim to the throne of Kameled. The Fae and the Druids built their influence in the region, much to the chagrin of traditional forces. Like her mother, Eleonora disappeared suddenly, leaving no issue. The throne passed to her nephew, Duke Yann "Ar Ruzh" I. Unlike his predecessor's Yann I is a Staunchist, greatly restricting the rights of the Korrigan that had been expanded in Eleonora's time, although he stops short of re-establishing the "lost counties" of the Ar Goat, despite pressure to do so. His legacy is continued by his son, Yann II, who dies in Lupino during a bridge collapse at the Arch-Perfect's coronation. His successor, Arzhur, is pushed to the throne as a result of his sudden death, breaking the Staunchist's plans for Letha and the Lost Counties. His son, Yann III, dies with unclear succession, leading to the present conflict between the Staunchist and Ermine claimants.Demography and Population
Letha has one of the highest populations of Fae peoples in Kornôgel, being the apparent homeland of the Korrigan, as well as home to large populations of Sidhe from the Fortunate Isles and Fomorians from Orkney. Beginning in the time of Gradlon Mwar, Fae have widely integrated with some of their Bediz neighbors, but others exist as separate communities. Wildfae populations of both trouping and solitary fae exists deep within the Faewylde, especially in sparsely populated areas.
Boléguéans The Korrigan of the Mounds hold by far the smallest population of the Korrigan peoples, with populations across the entire peninsula generously placed at the low hundreds. They do not maintain their own population centers, but rather travel amongst their peers, servings as advisors, priests, keepers of ways and elders. They resolve disputes, mark important events like births, deaths and marriages, oversee festivals and offer counsel. Most often, a Boléguéan will travel within a set circuit of communities, rather than wandering at large. While they are not absent from Bediz society, they view their role as a calling to aid the Korrigan specifically.
Boudics - The Korrigan of the Farms may have the largest population of the Korrigan peoples, although specific numbers are almost impossible to determine as a result of their diminutive size, secretive nature and extensive obfuscating glamour. Indeed, there are many who argue that the Boudic are not Korrigan at all, but physical manifestations of genius loci, rather than discrete entities. Many homes, farms and shops, both mundane and magical, are thought to have boudic residents, often acting unseen as bane or boon to the inhabitants. Some even appear on ships.
Fées-des-Houles - The Korrigan of the Swells reside in the seaside caves along the Ar Mor Breizh, building large cities in these sea-level caverns. A monosexual race of only females, the Fées-des-Houles cohabitate with the Jetin Kriores (See Below). They are heavily involved in the day-to-day life of the wider population along the Northern Coast from Aleth to Erquy, teaching local children, tending their herds, and trading at market. Their cousins, the solitary Margot are found in a wider geographic spread, but in fewer numbers.
Gargoul - While the self-proclaimed Korrigan of the Mountains are not true Korrigan, but rather Alfr from the Forest of the Erlking, transplanted by Windships from the Cloth Cities. Nevertheless, the diminutive creatures steadfastly cling to their self-given moniker with pride and passionate arguments. While some populations live in the Meneziou Are and Meneziou Du, most are instead found in urban areas, establishing colonies in church steeples, high roofs, castle towers and similar structures. The largest populations are found in Gwened, Naoned and Roazhon. Gargoul have pushed themselves actively into other communities, both Fae and Bediz, working as engineers, construction workers and alchemists.
Hoseguéannets - The Korrigan of the Cromlechs have made almost no attempt to integrate with the Bediz, or indeed the Korrigan, operating out of tight knit clans and only interacting with non-Korrigan outsiders as individuals or through intermediaries. They have a one-sided rivalry, but apparent great respect for the Boléguéans.
Kornikaned - The Korrigan of the Forests are difficult to count as a result of their aggressive territoriality, small stature and often remote habitat, but are widely spread across the Peninsula in both rural and urban settings, staking out trees and glades in forests or following the lumber to make their home in ships and buildings. Their territoriality makes them difficult neighbors, even for other Korrigan, going so far as to form criminal gangs or standing armies to protect their claimed domain. But some, like the Troupe of Garenne in Gwened, have more positive relations with their neighbors.
Kriores - The Korrigan of the Moors are the second most engaged and populous of the Korrigan raes, and exist in three distinct factions: The Troupes of Gargantua, extant since the days of Ker-Ys, are the largest, based in the underground metropolis of Ker-Malastred in the Landes be Lanvaux near Gwened. The Jetins are a seafaring people, found along the Ar Mor Breizh. Lastly, the Knockers, unaffiliated troupes of wyldfae live deep in Faerie and in forgotten caves, almost feral in their compulsive digging. The Gargantuans and Jetins interact regular with other peoples, with the latter co-habitating with the Fées-des-Houles.
Margot - Also, called the Nathair, the serpentine Korrigan of the Wells, existed in lower numbers in Letha until large populations from Tolosa and Southern Arle began to flee North from the violence and religious persecution during the Heresy of Albi. Here, they were welcomed by their Lethan cousins and Dugez Konstanza. The Margot have since established themselves in small populations throughout the Duchy, both in cities and remote, monastic-style hermitages.
Poulpiquet - The mischievous Korrigan of the Dale originate in the Kastellin Basin, but have spread further out to cover much of the region, living openly in Bediz settlements. They are often living as Pilhaouer, adopting a semi-nomadic lifestyle and traveling in and out of larger settlements as merchants, tinkers and soldiers,
Teuz - The Korrigan of the Meadows are the most common and verifiably populous Korrigan peoples in Letha, working as farmers and craftsmen in their own settlements, or openly among the Bediz. There are very few, if any, Teuz settlements that exist outside the power structure and larger communities of Letha, to the point where most official records will not bother differentiate between Bediz and Teuz majority settlements.
Paolig - The feline Paolig have made themselves at home on the outskirts of Lethan settlements for some time, integrating themselves into society at all levels, from the slums to the palaces. Paolig serve as natural advisors and have risen quite high in the guilds and nobility, but rarely hold high offices themselves, instead serving as counsel and catspaws for those they have attached themselves to. Most reside in urban areas throughout the Duchy.
Tempestarii - The nature of the nomadic Tempestarii makes considering them a permanent population difficult, as individuals and small groups move throughout the region and further abroad regularly. However, Tempestarii Windships and traders are a common sight in the major trade ports of Letha, and a regular presence in the city of Barrad-Faout.
Tuatha de Danaan - The Eladan are the most common Sidhe people in Letha, often holding positions of power with society.
Other Sidhe - Other Sidhe, like the Chough, Glaistig, Selkie and Far Darrig make their home in Letha, but rarely in statistically significant communities.
The Alfr , the mysterious Fae of the East, are rare in Letha, the Erlking's conquest of the continent ending in Tours and never directly entering the Armorican Peninsula. Some individuals, like the plant-like Alraune are found within its borders, but there exists no established communities. The exception to this is the Gargoul, who are sometimes classified as Alfr, despite their own self-identification and distinctions from other Alfr subgroups.
Djinn - Very few true Djinn live within Letha, but a small population of Bilqis make their home in Gwened and other port towns along the Southeastern Coast.
The Marie-Morgane are native to the sunken city of Ys-Beneath-the-Waves, once the capital of Great Kernev, now lost beneath the sea. Since the Odet Raids, the Daughters of Ys have been been growing in number and influence, interacting with Korrigan communities across the Peninsula. The Marie-Morgane are most commonly attached to Ys itself, but some exiles and loners, like the Drifting of Pen-Be, are independent of Queen Ahes' domain. The relationship between Ys-Beneath-the-Waves and the surface world is a complex one, and the return of the Marie-Morgane is sure to bring about introspection and a reckoning for both sides.
The Bediz
Compared to the dense populations of Anjev, Akitania and Gallia, the Bediz population of Letha is comparatively sparse, centered largely in and around the Ducal Cities and major coastal ports. The Ar Goat and the Penn-ar-Bed have a reputation, even within the Duchy itself of being remote, backwater regions. The gender ratio of the Bediz populations skews female, and Lethan culture has adapted to allow a great deal of flexibility in gender roles, with females commonly found in the roles of soldiers, magistrates, merchants and sailors. Women can inherit noble title and estates and administer them in the own names. Notable attempts to exercise jure uxoris in leadership positions have often failed, unlike in neighboring regions for much of history. The native Lethan ethnicity makes up the largest population group, with Manchais, Gallian and Anjevin groups following in large numbers throughout the East and the port cities of the Peninsula. Akitanians make up a large percentage of the population of Naoned and Gwened, while these and other large ports support major population groups from areas a diverse as the Cloth Cities, the Fortunate Isles and Tolosa. The city of Gwened also supports a large population from Ubar and Slaver's Coast. The Pilhaouer, a nomadic people within larger Lethan society, are seen as a separate cultural ethnicity, residing in the harsh moors of the Meneziou Are and living a largely itinerant lifestyle as ragpickers and subsistence farming.Korrigan
The Korrigan are incredibly numerous in Letha, claiming the Peninsula as their homeland, while detractors point to their large numbers as an "infestation". A wide variety of Korrigan peoples inhabit the region, existing within their own communities and Lethan society as a whole. While each is found in their own territory and in metropolitan areas, they are most numerous in the Ar Goat, specifically the Brekilien Forest, the Meneziou Are and Meneziou Du, and the Kastellin Basin.The Sidhe
The Fae of the Forutnate Isles have fewer numbers than the Bediz or the Korrigan, but still make up a notable segment of the overall population in Lethan society, with some communities living on the continent for centuries.Fomorian
The Fomorii arrived in Letha during the campaigns of Hastings Fireforged, even taking control of the Peninsula from 812 to 841 SI. After the defeat of Hastings at the Battle of Trans-la-Forêt, his followers remained in the Baronies of Gwenrann, Bidar and Dardoup. These populations eventually grew and returned to Letha at large, supplemented by the arrival of new Fomorian populations from La Manche and the Orkney Isles. These populations are largely dispersed along a rural/urban divide, with the newcomers working as longshoremen, shipwrights and sailors, while the older settlements farm peat in the wetlands.Other Peoples
Territories
The borders of Letha largely corresponds to those of the Armorican Peninsula, stretching from the remote Western island of Eusa to the Kouenon River marking the Eastern border with La Manche.
Letha shares is borders with vassal states of Normandi in the form of the Counties of Avranches and Mortain, of Akitania in the Counties of Cenomannie and Angers and Akitania with the Lordship of Montaigu. Its northern border is the Mor Breizh, while the south is the Pleg-Mor Gwaskon.
Military
Like many regions, Letha lacks a standing army, instead drawing its forces from the ranks of noble knights and peasant militias, both sworn immediately to lesser lords who in turn have sworn oaths to the Dug. Fighting forces will often be supplemented with the employment of freebooter mercenary companies. Fighting forces of all ranks and skills are made up with both male and female, Bediz and Fae members, although Bediz males remain the most common soldier by a large margin.
The Lethan Windguard, a naval force of windships and Wyvern riders, are similarly aligned with powerful houses, but the Ducal cities each have a sizeable force at their direct disposal, and the others can be theoretically called up with much more direct control than the average knight of peasant militia. Letha also has a sizeable number of Brassguard forces at its disposal, largely originating from Gwened.
Technological Level
Notable Technology -
Ri Benn
Gwele-kloz (Box-Bed)
Rod ar Fortun (The Wheel of Fortune) - A crank-operated wheel with 12 bells of varying sizes.
Religion
The Southern Church has been battling for control of the region since the days of Conan Meriadoc and King Gradlon, with the missionary St. Guenole achieving marked success against the indigenous Druidic faith, which suffered major defeats with the Fall of Ys and the Battle of Keremma Dunes. The Druidic resistance was politically crippled, allowing the Faith to spread across the Peninsula to become the dominant religion.
Throughout Lethan history, the old ways were declared heretical and purged by inquisition and crusade, but never exterminated entirely, surviving in the remote Penn-ar-Bed as folk traditions and in Fae populations, experiencing a formal resurgence at many points, even coming close to achieving status as a state religion under Konstanza I and Eleanor I, but this was officially blocked during the reign of Duke Yann "Ar Ruzh" I. It has nevertheless remained a powerful force in the region.
The Faith itself is not without regional controversy, largely centering on a dispute surrounding the establishment of an arch-bishopric at Dol, rather than the Anjevin Tours, establishing sizeable regional control over the dogma and administration of the Church within Lethan borders.
Foreign Relations
Agriculture & Industry
The Armorican Peninsula has access to a large array of natural resources, hidden within its long coastline, vast forests and rugged mountains.
Wood and furs are plentiful in the forests of Ar Goat, and the mountain ranges of Meneziou Are and Menezio Du provide ample access to minerals, like slate, granite and sandstone, and ores, such as gold, silver and tin. These are mined along the mountainside in vast, open pits, and more recently, shafts dug into the earth. The swamps that fill the Kastelin Basin between the mountain ranges are a good source of peat, and the rivers make for easy transportation to the more populous Ar Mor.
The rough, inhospitable land of the Ar Goat makes agriculture difficult, forcing much of it to the bocages created in the fertile soils of the forests and river abers along the Ar Mor. Buckwheat, known for its hearty stamina, is a favourite crop, greatly influenced by its tax-free status by Ducal decree. Vegetables and legumes, such as green beans, onions, artichokes, potatoes and tomatoes grow well in the Ar Goat. Apple orchards are common to find throughout the region, and Cidre is the drink of choice by many Bretoned. Grapes do not grow well on the peninsula, save for in the County of Naoned, where rich soils are home to Vineyards rivaling those of Aquitaine.
Livestock, such as cattle, pigs and poultry can be found on many noble estates, and sheep graze the moorlands. The Biskonti Leon (Viscounty of Léon) is well known for its prized horses.
Fishing is a heavy industry in the region, taking advantage of its long coastline. Seaweed harvesting along the Ar Mor is also a profitable business. Salt is frequently harvested from the seaside marshes, such as in the town of Gwenrann. On a darker, but no less profitable side, the sharp rocks and submerged reefs hidden along the coastline provide dangers to passing ships, a fact which is seized upon by the wreckers who inhabit remote stretches of shore.
Seaweed Harvesting
Seaweed is harvested as a foodstuff, an animal feed as fuel and as a nutrient-rich fertilizer. Soda ash, extracted from the harvested seaweed has alchemical properties, useful in the production of both glass and soap, making dried seaweed a major export of the Duchy. Seaweed is harvested directly from the sea by large rakes, or collected by hand along the shoreline. Seaweed is collected in large bales in the shallow water, allowing the tide to bring in the heavy loads, which are loaded into wheelbarrows or horse carts.
The carts are taken inland, laid out to dry while long shallow pits, lined with stones, are dug out to serve as ovens. The ash is made into bricks, called "sea bread" and transported elsewhere to be sold.
Textiles are a major industry in many coastal merchant towns.
Trade & Transport
Letha benefits from a series of Imperial Roads, spreading out like the spokes of a wheel from Roazhon and Ker-Ahes, which together make the spine of this stone road network. Smaller roads along the coast connect other major settlements, with bridges and tunnels to navigate the difficult, rolling terrain. These roads have often fallen into disrepair and are frequent targets of bandits and solitary Fae.
A largely maritime region, ships travel between coastal cities with some regularity, and flat-bottom boats move up and down the coastal rivers into the Ar Goat. Windships have become increasingly popular with the well off, allowing direct overland travel for the first time.
Breizh maintains a proud Mercantile tradition, with cities such as Naoned, Gwitreg and Montroulez becoming centers of international commerce.
Kentoc'h mervel eget bezañ saotret (Death before Dishonor)
Founding Date
0 SI
Type
Geopolitical, Duchy
Capital
Alternative Names
Armorica, the Mistlands
Predecessor Organizations
Demonym
Lethan
Leader
Leader Title
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Traditional
Gazetteer
The Duchy of Letha is largely contiguous with the The Armorican Peninsula, located on the Northwestern tip of the continent of Kornôgel and directly South of the island of Albia, located across the Mor Breizh, a narrow channel connecting the Mor Bras and the Mor Marv. Its Eastern border is the Kouenon River where it empties into the Pleg-Mor Menez-Mikael and the Contentin Peninsula begins. The Southern coast lies on the Pleg-mor Gwaskogn, which follows the Akitanian Coast to the Shatterlands
The Armorican Peninsula is largely defined by two distinct concepts. The long coast of the Peninsula is known as Ar Mor (by the sea), a rugged and forbidding landscape, full of stone cliffs and capes, broken up by the occassional stretches of sandy beaches or marshy wetlands. The Ar Mor Breizh has a reputation as one of the most treacherous stretches of water in the North, ships threatened by high winds, submerged rocks and rough seas, compounded by the frequent appearance of thick Feth Fiada and chaotic Wyldstorms. However, those brave enough to face those waters are rewarded with extensive fishing and an unparalleled trade network, commanding all trade between the Northern and Eastern seas. A notable feature on the south side of the Peninsula is the Mor Bihan, a massive natural harbour full of countless islands.
The interior of the region, known as Ar Goat (by the forest), is generally dominated by highlands. Two mountain ranges make up the central spine of the region: the Meneziou Are in the North and the Meneziou Du in the south, the Kastellin Basin, which follows the Aon River until it empties into the Rade de Brest. These ranges and the basin between them are dominated by rolling hills, rocky, desolate moors, thick forests and wetlands. The largest forest is the Brekilien, which takes up much of the interior.
Northwest from the Meneziou-Are is the Plateau de Leon a highlands region beginning in the rocky foothills of the mountains before flattening out into a Bocage dominated landscape, ending with the river valley and Montroulez Bay in the East. At Montroulez, the landscape again rises in the Plateau de Dreger, continuing along the spine of the Meneziou Are, gradually declining in height until it reaches the Marais de Dol, a low-lying region of river valleys and wetlands. Following the Renk river Southwards reaches the Roazhon Basin, situated between the Brekilien Forest in the West and gentle rolling hills to the east. The valley rises once more to the Naoned Plateau, then drops once more to the Ar Briwer wetlands along the Pleg-Mor Gwaskon and across the Liger river, where the plains begin.
West of the Naoned Plateau, the Southern Ar Mor is dominated by the Landes be Lanvaux, rocky moors rising into the heavily forested foothills of the Meneziou Du until dipping down at the Blavezh River at Henbont, rising again in the Kernev Plateau until reaching Douarnenez Bay.
The majority of settlement has taken root along the rivers and fertile coastline, especially in the flat and hospitable East. The landscapes surrounding these settlements has been transformed into Bocage farmland, carefully maintained mixture of pasture and woodland, criss-crossed with sunken country lanes surrounded by hedgerows to break the wind as it races across the peninsula.
The Peninsula is crossed by several rivers, which wind their way through the landscape. These include the Aon, the Gwilen, the Liger the Odet and the Renk River, among others.
Currency
The Duchy of Letha has linked its currency to a largely unified valuation based on the Livre Tournois, a result of pressures from mercantile interests such as the Lugoni or the Julod of Montroulez. As with much of its neighbors, 12 copper Deniers are worth 1 silver Sol (Silver). 20 Sols are worth 1 golden Livre.
The 7 Counties, the Biskontis of Leon and Dol, and several free cities are granted the authority to mint their own coins, which effects their relative value. Ore-rich Kernev has a higher content of precious metals in its coins, and are thus typically worth more than those of neighboring Leon. Dreger's "dragon" coins, emblazoned with their arms, have a history of being counterfeited en masse, and are typically not accepted in more reputable locations. In a strange fluke, due to changes in metal composition and the ratio of ores, even these counterfeit coins can sometimes be worth more than their legitimate counterparts. For the most part however, coins are worth generally a similar amount with mostly minor variances.
Outside of the cities and large towns, however, the barter economy is in full force, enforced by local customs, both mundane and magical. Various Goblin Markets regularly spring up around the Peninsula, trading in more obscure and unorthodox currencies.
Major Exports
Major Imports
Legislative Body
Letha follows three primary bodies of law: Secular, Ecclesiastic and Faerie.
Secular Law
Primary legal power stems from the Dug, and by extension, the nobility. For the most part, laws are created and enforced within a feudal state, with some regularitions and duties existing across the entire Duchy, enforced by Ducal sensechals and ministers. The Estates of Letha exists as an advisory council to the Dug, representing the major noble, ecclesiastic, and economic powers in the Duchy, for the purpose of proposing laws and ensuring a degree of uniformity across the land. The Estates meet every seven years for a full session in Roazhon, with smaller meetings taking place regularly across the Duchy. While the Estates have no executive or direct power, their influence is very strong and their proposals are largely adopted across the region, although final say usually rests with local powers absent ducal enforcement.
The full membership of the Estates of Letha consists of a council of 1000 representatives, representing the nobility, the high-clergy, Sidhe Courts and Korrigan Troupes, as well as representatives from the 42 largest cities and towns in the Duchy. The meeting has become known as a major social event, as the nobility host lavish parties, banquets and entertainment throughout the time of the proceedings. The notoriety of these events has come to dwarf the actual legislative progress typically made during them, a reputation that has only grown with the addition of the boisterous Korrigan troupes.
Ecclesiastic Power
The Southern Church holds itself as immune to temporal noble power, largely administering its own lands and personelle, operating a minor baronies in their own right. Ecclesiastic laws are established and reviewed regularly by councils of scholars and perfects. The Council of Dol and the Council of Tours each hold themselves over the Lethan parishes, often with contradictory rulings, a centuries-long issue for the region.
Faerie Power
Faerie law, by comparison, is arcane and byzantine to an almost incomprehensible degree, a collection of magical compulsions, ancient customs, delicate power balances and alien logic. To a casual, or even dedicated observer, the laws of Faerie often seem incomprehensible or nonsensical, but are all based on their own complicated internal logic.
Each Sidhe Court and Korrigan Troupe has its own rituals and laws, but the latter also take direction from the Boléguéans, the Korrigan of the Tumuli, who serve as elders, spiritual leaders and keepers of ways for the Korrigan peoples are oversee disputes between the troupes and with outsiders.
Judicial Body
Seignorial justice
The most widely accepted method for the resolution of legal disputes among the Bediz is the notion of "Seigniorial Justice." Under the concept of Sovereignty, all laws, representing an exercise of rightful power over and land and its inhabitants, stem from the Sovereign. In Letha, this power is deemed to rest with the Dug or Dugez. However, in the modern world, the complexity of political governance forces the delegation of powers to proxies, more convenient in proximity and cost to the average litigant, and less crushing to the other affairs of the head of state. These typically take the form of lesser nobles, each delegating further down the feudal chain, or to specially appointed seneschals and ministers. These agents are therefor entrusted with both the dissemination and enforcement of noble decrees and edicts at a local level, as well as the administration of local affairs, such as the maintenance of roads, setting of weights and measures and management of markets and trade. These agents are also responsible for the arbitration of disputes and delivery of justice. Three levels of Seigniorial Justice exist as follows:Trial by Ordeal
In the absence of credible witnesses or dispositive evidence, trial by ordeal is common in Letha, especially among the Fae. These include:Korrigan Justice
While most troupes engage in their own brands of justice, they also follow the judgment of the Boléguéans in matters involving disputes between troupes or with outsiders, although the other party in the latter does not always know of these tribunals, and the Korrigan are often not in a hurry to educate their adversaries. Justice is carried out, sometimes under the colour of law, sometimes as vigilante justice, by the Hoseguéannets, the Korrigan of the Cromlechs. Despite their reputation for violence and vindictive "justice", these will respect the ruling of the Council as an iron-clad ere-hud.
Executive Body
Official State Religion
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Comments