Zirdy
Zirdy is the slave capital of the world. The high elves act as an aristocratic class of overseers while others are slaves within the country. Merchants are welcome but those who don't wish to be kidnapped and sold hire heavy guards and stick to the coastline.
This racial barrier of slavery leads many high elves, especially those inside Zirdy to feel that they are the superior race of the world. Even those born outside of nobility, even if they could not afford a single slave, often believe themselves better than any human king. Not all high elves can be nobles and those who aren't are often merchants, sailors, or overseers. Most manual and unskilled labor is done by slaves.
This racial barrier of slavery leads many high elves, especially those inside Zirdy to feel that they are the superior race of the world. Even those born outside of nobility, even if they could not afford a single slave, often believe themselves better than any human king. Not all high elves can be nobles and those who aren't are often merchants, sailors, or overseers. Most manual and unskilled labor is done by slaves.
Structure
The High Lords of Zirdy form the High Council who rule as an oligarchy in the Capital of Zird'Lyrind. Each Noble and Most Ancient House has a spot on the high council and is required to have a keep in Zyrd'Lyrind, but most of the High Lords also have their own cities to run and call into the meetings using a system of magic crystals which project hologram-like illusions into their chairs in the council room. The High Council elects a High Speaker but they have no additional power, and really just run the meetings. The High Council runs Zird'Lyrind and selects the noble steward that runs Amaltheon. They also have veto power over the House of Lords. They also have the power to create new noble houses with a 7/9 majority.
The House of Lords is the main legislative body. Each Noble house has a representative there. Dozens of lower houses debating the laws and future of the country. While Noble and Most Ancient Houses can propose legislation it has to pass the House of Lords before it works its way up to the High Council, with the exception of certain executive actions. This way all nobles get a say in things like taxes and budgets. The House of Lords meets in a large domed building attached to the old royal palace.
The House of Lords is the main legislative body. Each Noble house has a representative there. Dozens of lower houses debating the laws and future of the country. While Noble and Most Ancient Houses can propose legislation it has to pass the House of Lords before it works its way up to the High Council, with the exception of certain executive actions. This way all nobles get a say in things like taxes and budgets. The House of Lords meets in a large domed building attached to the old royal palace.
Culture
Zirdians view themselves as the superior race. They are a people of tradition and often do whatever their ancestors did. Most still believe that Zirdy is allowing the Sumarrians to control much of the oceans because it is more profitable rather than due to Sumarrian technological superiority. Zirdians simultaneously believe that their nation is the greatest in the world and that they are not as great as the glory days. In truth, Elven society was once the envy of all the world, their ancient magics allowing them to dominate. But now they are fading, their cities still have their ancient magics but they have lost the ability to create new cities with the same amenities.
History
In the ancient world, the Zirdian histories say there were 9 elven kingdoms. Each governed by a great city led by noble kings. The Noble and Most Ancient Houses of Luminelle, Moonshadow, Mystraleth, Reymante, Tempeste, Thalendir, and Valtessi all trace their lineage back to these great kings, as well as the fallen house Amalthea and the fallen royal family Eldarex. In ancient Zirdy, magic was everything and these kingdoms were led by some of the greatest wizards in history. The kingdoms existed mostly in peace, with a few ancient wars over border disputes. The ancient Zirdians were fans of champion combat, as two armies of powerful wizards battling it out often led to a situation with no winners. They got their slaves from the rest of the world, most of the kingdoms had decent navies that raided the coastlines of ancient humans, halflings, gnomes, orcs, and minotaurs.
This lasted until the shattered sea began to be conquered by a new empire. The Yuan-Ti, a race of snake-like humanoids, had formed their own slave empire. At first the Zirdians didn't view this as a threat, their superior magic making them feel secure. This lasted until there were several Yuan-Ti raids on elven villages, and the elves scryed on the Yuan-Ti and discovered that their own people were being enslaved. "How could this be?" they said, your average elf could fireball the ship they were taken on and escape. Until they discovered that the Yuan-Ti had created a magic tattoo that forced obedience from slaves and allowed the owner to kill them on a whim. With this even the most powerful wizard could be made to kneel before the serpents. The Elven city-states banded together into an alliance and it was decided that The Noble and Most Ancient House of Eldarex would lead them, as they had the largest city and their leader was capable of casting 11th tier magic. The Zirdian High Kingdom was formed from 8 of these kingdoms. Excluding the Tempeste Kingdom, who initially declined to join.
The Zirdian High Kindom then went to war with the Yuan-Ti Empire, who by this time had taken over most of the shattered sea. The elven fleet went from one island to another destroying the Yuan-Ti bases and slaughtering the serpent people. The campaign took over a hundred years and the elves were becoming exhausted. But the Yuan-Ti home island of Slickfang was well defended, not just by ships and armies but by unholy monsters created by the Yuan-Ti as well as several powerful mages, the greatest of which was the Serpent King. The Serpent King had erected a powerful barrier in the form of a living hurricane around his island.
The Zirdian King blockaded the island with his fleet and went back to Zirdy in search of answers. He went to the greatest magical craftsmen in his kingdom, the noble house of Ostoroth. He commissions 12 legendary weapons, made of mithril and the highest level magics. He distributed them to his High Lords each house gaining a moonblade. That left four, one was kept by house Ostoroth and as thanks for the weapons he elevated them to Noble and Most Ancient Status, one was given to his prized assassin the Lord of House Serfentix, one to his greatest swordsman Lord Astreval, and finally he went to Isol Tempeste and offered the last to King Tempeste. The King of The Zirdian High Kingdom begged him to lend his aid, for he was the greatest weather-mage in the world and King Eldarex believed he could break through the hurricane. House Tempeste agreed to help but said they would not bow to the High Kingdom, a treaty was signed and Isol Tempeste sailed their fleet down to join with the main force.
Tempeste told the king that he couldn't dispel the hurricane but he could protect a single ship. House Astreval was chosen and their ship was loaded with elite troops and the Serfentix assassins. The High King promised that if they could kill the Serpent King and drop the hurricane they too would be elevated to Noble and Most Ancient Houses. The ship sailed in and the Serfentix's went to kill the Serpent King while the Astrevals and Tempestes protected the landing zone. The Serfentix assassins managed to sneak into the golden city and kill the Serpent King, the hurricane dissipated, and the fleet descended upon the island. And that was the end of the Yuan-Ti Empire.
The Zirdians returned home having established ocean dominance once again and having gained the ability to magically tattoo their slaves, later this tattoo would be refined into what is now known as the diamond mark tattoo. The Zirdian High Kingdom became prosperous once again, now with the Royal family and 10 Noble and Most Ancient Houses. Isol Tempeste remained independent but had established friendly relations and a mutual defense pact with Zirdy. And so it was for another thousand years, until the deliverance.
When the Deliverer's Armies arrived in Zirdy they had already conquered the human and dwarven continents and were assisted by hundreds of thousands of conscripts. Even the Elves' ancient magics were not a match for such a force. The city of Amaltheon was the first to fall, to send a message the entire house of Amalthea was butchered. As his armies advanced the Deliverer himself took part in nearly every battle, killing many elven wizards. Finally, the Elves were forced to make a last stand in Zyrd'Lyrind. The nobles led groups of elven troops and even the King himself was forced to fight. The Deliverer killed him personally, ending him and his line for good. The sheer number of troops eventually overwhelmed the elves, the sad thing about magic is eventually you run out of spell slots. While many were forced to bend the knee, the Noble and Most Ancient House of Astreval would not surrender and the Deliverer was forced to end their line as well.
The Deliverer saw arcane magic as unholy, stating that only divine magic was good and just. What followed was the decimation of elven culture, which had been tied to arcane and druidic magic for so long. Many of the most powerful mages were killed, including many nobles. Others were forced to hide their abilities for fear of persecution. The great libraries were burned and the training sites were leveled. Elven society went from having unlimited food and incredible resources to being just as poor and hungry as the rest of the world. There were underground organizations that did their best to preserve the old magics and the old gods but most of these were wiped out. The elves became just another part of the Deliverer's Empire.
After half a century of rule, when the deliverer abdicated his throne, his empire started to fracture. The Elves were among the first to break free from its hold. Elves live a long time and most of them still remembered the old days, when things were good and magic reigned. The Noble and Most Ancient Houses that were left got together with Tempeste and launched a widespread rebellion all over Zirdy. They killed all dwarves on their continent and enslaved the humans who couldn't get away. The Zirdian rebellion took only 1 year before they had regained control.
Having thrown off the invaders the noble houses got together at what would become known as the First Council of Zirdy. At first the intention was to select a new king but they found the task difficult. With their population decimated and all their greatest mages killed no one house could reasonably control the others. So instead they reformed Zirdy into what it is today, they recognized House Tempeste as a Noble and Most Ancient House and created an oligarchy. To this day Zirdy remains an oligarchy of the remaining 9 Noble and Most Ancient Houses.
This lasted until the shattered sea began to be conquered by a new empire. The Yuan-Ti, a race of snake-like humanoids, had formed their own slave empire. At first the Zirdians didn't view this as a threat, their superior magic making them feel secure. This lasted until there were several Yuan-Ti raids on elven villages, and the elves scryed on the Yuan-Ti and discovered that their own people were being enslaved. "How could this be?" they said, your average elf could fireball the ship they were taken on and escape. Until they discovered that the Yuan-Ti had created a magic tattoo that forced obedience from slaves and allowed the owner to kill them on a whim. With this even the most powerful wizard could be made to kneel before the serpents. The Elven city-states banded together into an alliance and it was decided that The Noble and Most Ancient House of Eldarex would lead them, as they had the largest city and their leader was capable of casting 11th tier magic. The Zirdian High Kingdom was formed from 8 of these kingdoms. Excluding the Tempeste Kingdom, who initially declined to join.
The Zirdian High Kindom then went to war with the Yuan-Ti Empire, who by this time had taken over most of the shattered sea. The elven fleet went from one island to another destroying the Yuan-Ti bases and slaughtering the serpent people. The campaign took over a hundred years and the elves were becoming exhausted. But the Yuan-Ti home island of Slickfang was well defended, not just by ships and armies but by unholy monsters created by the Yuan-Ti as well as several powerful mages, the greatest of which was the Serpent King. The Serpent King had erected a powerful barrier in the form of a living hurricane around his island.
The Zirdian King blockaded the island with his fleet and went back to Zirdy in search of answers. He went to the greatest magical craftsmen in his kingdom, the noble house of Ostoroth. He commissions 12 legendary weapons, made of mithril and the highest level magics. He distributed them to his High Lords each house gaining a moonblade. That left four, one was kept by house Ostoroth and as thanks for the weapons he elevated them to Noble and Most Ancient Status, one was given to his prized assassin the Lord of House Serfentix, one to his greatest swordsman Lord Astreval, and finally he went to Isol Tempeste and offered the last to King Tempeste. The King of The Zirdian High Kingdom begged him to lend his aid, for he was the greatest weather-mage in the world and King Eldarex believed he could break through the hurricane. House Tempeste agreed to help but said they would not bow to the High Kingdom, a treaty was signed and Isol Tempeste sailed their fleet down to join with the main force.
Tempeste told the king that he couldn't dispel the hurricane but he could protect a single ship. House Astreval was chosen and their ship was loaded with elite troops and the Serfentix assassins. The High King promised that if they could kill the Serpent King and drop the hurricane they too would be elevated to Noble and Most Ancient Houses. The ship sailed in and the Serfentix's went to kill the Serpent King while the Astrevals and Tempestes protected the landing zone. The Serfentix assassins managed to sneak into the golden city and kill the Serpent King, the hurricane dissipated, and the fleet descended upon the island. And that was the end of the Yuan-Ti Empire.
The Zirdians returned home having established ocean dominance once again and having gained the ability to magically tattoo their slaves, later this tattoo would be refined into what is now known as the diamond mark tattoo. The Zirdian High Kingdom became prosperous once again, now with the Royal family and 10 Noble and Most Ancient Houses. Isol Tempeste remained independent but had established friendly relations and a mutual defense pact with Zirdy. And so it was for another thousand years, until the deliverance.
When the Deliverer's Armies arrived in Zirdy they had already conquered the human and dwarven continents and were assisted by hundreds of thousands of conscripts. Even the Elves' ancient magics were not a match for such a force. The city of Amaltheon was the first to fall, to send a message the entire house of Amalthea was butchered. As his armies advanced the Deliverer himself took part in nearly every battle, killing many elven wizards. Finally, the Elves were forced to make a last stand in Zyrd'Lyrind. The nobles led groups of elven troops and even the King himself was forced to fight. The Deliverer killed him personally, ending him and his line for good. The sheer number of troops eventually overwhelmed the elves, the sad thing about magic is eventually you run out of spell slots. While many were forced to bend the knee, the Noble and Most Ancient House of Astreval would not surrender and the Deliverer was forced to end their line as well.
The Deliverer saw arcane magic as unholy, stating that only divine magic was good and just. What followed was the decimation of elven culture, which had been tied to arcane and druidic magic for so long. Many of the most powerful mages were killed, including many nobles. Others were forced to hide their abilities for fear of persecution. The great libraries were burned and the training sites were leveled. Elven society went from having unlimited food and incredible resources to being just as poor and hungry as the rest of the world. There were underground organizations that did their best to preserve the old magics and the old gods but most of these were wiped out. The elves became just another part of the Deliverer's Empire.
After half a century of rule, when the deliverer abdicated his throne, his empire started to fracture. The Elves were among the first to break free from its hold. Elves live a long time and most of them still remembered the old days, when things were good and magic reigned. The Noble and Most Ancient Houses that were left got together with Tempeste and launched a widespread rebellion all over Zirdy. They killed all dwarves on their continent and enslaved the humans who couldn't get away. The Zirdian rebellion took only 1 year before they had regained control.
Having thrown off the invaders the noble houses got together at what would become known as the First Council of Zirdy. At first the intention was to select a new king but they found the task difficult. With their population decimated and all their greatest mages killed no one house could reasonably control the others. So instead they reformed Zirdy into what it is today, they recognized House Tempeste as a Noble and Most Ancient House and created an oligarchy. To this day Zirdy remains an oligarchy of the remaining 9 Noble and Most Ancient Houses.
Military
The Zirdian Navy is not the powerhouse it used to be, it is much smaller than the Sumarrian navy, but it is still powerful. Each ship is enchanted and thanks to the sail designs and magic they are the fastest ships in the world. Most also come equipped with crystal-powered magical barriers that stop projectiles from passing through, making them immune to long-range bombardment and even mid-range cannon fire. Their ships are fireproof and resistant to damage and some of them can even fly, but creating such ships is a long and expensive process so they are not easily replaced when lost. Zirdy also has a complex admiralty structure. Only full-blood high elves can be captains, though they do not necessarily need to be noble. But only nobles can hold the titles of Commodore (a few ships), Vice Admiral(a small fleet or part of a larger fleet), Admiral(a large fleet), and Grand Admiral(leader of the Navy).
The Zirdian Army is a mixed group of free and slave soldiers. The slave regiments have all sworn magical oaths of loyalty and in exchange are given a monthly stipend, so they get paid but they also can't leave. These slaves generally have a good life, equivalent to that of an artisan and so they are never lacking for recruits. The free soldiers train relentlessly and are treated as elite troops. They recruit from everywhere and are comprised mainly of elves and half-elves. Some Demisangue join the army hoping to find glory and be claimed by their house, then they can become a knight. Zirdy does not maintain large amounts of free soldiers, only around 2,000 individuals. The free regiments are each 500 strong and are trained in both infantry and archery, they have some cavalry training but generally don't bother, using horses as transport rather than battle mounts. Cavalry often suffers heavy casualties and is a job better left to the slave regiments. Sergeants lead squads of five or six, Lieutenants lead platoons of 4 squads, Captains lead companies of 5 platoons, and Commandants lead 5 companies that make up a regiment. Military slaves can hold ranks up to Captain, but only free elves or half-elves can be Commandants or higher. The slave divisions are generally twice the size of the free divisions. Colonels can be placed in command of multiple regiments, known as a battalion, and can promote Lieutenant Colonels to serve under them if there are more than 4 regiments under their command. There are four Generals in the Zirdian army with troops divided between them, they answer to the Grand General, the head of the army, and the only army rank that requires you to be nobility.
Each Noble House is also able to maintain any number of knights, the Noble and Most Ancient Houses are required to maintain at least 100 each. There is an exception for The Noble and Most Ancient House of Serfentix who instead maintains at least 50 assassins. Zirdian Knights ride griffons and must be trained in melee, aerial, and ranged combat. Many are partially trained in magic, the knights' primary purpose is listed as a peacekeeping force and thus skirts the Order of Mizzet Rules. All knights must be nobility and are generally made up of branch nobility who won't ever inherit. In times of war the Noble houses with their own knight forces must choose a Noble and Most Ancient House and pledge their knights to them. Houses may have a knight captain for every 20 knights and each Noble and Most Ancient House has a Knight Commander placed in charge of all their knights.
The Zirdian Army is a mixed group of free and slave soldiers. The slave regiments have all sworn magical oaths of loyalty and in exchange are given a monthly stipend, so they get paid but they also can't leave. These slaves generally have a good life, equivalent to that of an artisan and so they are never lacking for recruits. The free soldiers train relentlessly and are treated as elite troops. They recruit from everywhere and are comprised mainly of elves and half-elves. Some Demisangue join the army hoping to find glory and be claimed by their house, then they can become a knight. Zirdy does not maintain large amounts of free soldiers, only around 2,000 individuals. The free regiments are each 500 strong and are trained in both infantry and archery, they have some cavalry training but generally don't bother, using horses as transport rather than battle mounts. Cavalry often suffers heavy casualties and is a job better left to the slave regiments. Sergeants lead squads of five or six, Lieutenants lead platoons of 4 squads, Captains lead companies of 5 platoons, and Commandants lead 5 companies that make up a regiment. Military slaves can hold ranks up to Captain, but only free elves or half-elves can be Commandants or higher. The slave divisions are generally twice the size of the free divisions. Colonels can be placed in command of multiple regiments, known as a battalion, and can promote Lieutenant Colonels to serve under them if there are more than 4 regiments under their command. There are four Generals in the Zirdian army with troops divided between them, they answer to the Grand General, the head of the army, and the only army rank that requires you to be nobility.
Each Noble House is also able to maintain any number of knights, the Noble and Most Ancient Houses are required to maintain at least 100 each. There is an exception for The Noble and Most Ancient House of Serfentix who instead maintains at least 50 assassins. Zirdian Knights ride griffons and must be trained in melee, aerial, and ranged combat. Many are partially trained in magic, the knights' primary purpose is listed as a peacekeeping force and thus skirts the Order of Mizzet Rules. All knights must be nobility and are generally made up of branch nobility who won't ever inherit. In times of war the Noble houses with their own knight forces must choose a Noble and Most Ancient House and pledge their knights to them. Houses may have a knight captain for every 20 knights and each Noble and Most Ancient House has a Knight Commander placed in charge of all their knights.
Religion
During the Deliverance, all the priests and worshippers of the old gods were killed. This has led to most of the high elves being casual worshippers of God. There is The Zirdian High Church based out of the city Suthtare, which is the official state religion. But the Zirdian government has no laws stating that you have to follow it or can't worship other gods. Generally, the further south you go the more members of the church you find. In the north of Zirdy, many still worship some of the old elven gods or even nature spirits. Most Zirdians simply don't care that much about religion, if they pray it's usually to God but they don't place him on a pedestal above other deities like the dwarves or humans do.
Foreign Relations
Zirdy has very close relations with Bastion, which has once a Zirdian colony. They also are friendly with North Lords Alliance and Kingdom of Southfield, some of the human noble houses actually trace their lineage back to a Zirdian noble. . They are on okay terms with Hansola and Khotland, though they are economically close with Khotland, from whom they sometimes buy slaves.
They have no relations with the Holy Dwarven Empire, having refused to send an ambassador who isn't magically gifted. Things are currently tense with the Sumarrian Empire, not only has the empire usurped Zirdy's longstanding position of naval dominance but rumors say that Wahizu the new Dragon Emperor is very anti-slavery.
They have no relations with the Holy Dwarven Empire, having refused to send an ambassador who isn't magically gifted. Things are currently tense with the Sumarrian Empire, not only has the empire usurped Zirdy's longstanding position of naval dominance but rumors say that Wahizu the new Dragon Emperor is very anti-slavery.
Agriculture & Industry
The Zirdian countryside is covered by farms and orchards where slaves do manual labor under the whip of elven overseers. In the north the mines also use slaves to mine mithril, gemstones, and silver. Zirdy is especially known for its high-quality wines.
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Demonym
Zirdian
Government System
Oligarchy
Power Structure
Confederation
Economic System
Market economy
Major Exports
Zirdy make the finest wine in the world and their other fruits are also famous. They are also known for their bread and cheese. Zirdian cheese goes for almost twice the price of other cheeses.
Major Imports
Zirdy has little to no practical metal income; no iron, copper, or tin. The mountains near the capital provide little more than the white stone they use as building material and the mountains to the north get raided so often that they are rarely profitable unless you can defend them and are mining precious metals. Those who want nonwhite stone or practical metals must have them shipped from elsewhere.
Legislative Body
The House of Lords is the Legislative body of Zirdy. Each noble house gets to send a representative to propose and debate laws, budgets, taxes, and policies. The High Lords can propose legislation but they don't get to vote in the House of Lords. They get around this by creating new noble houses out of their branch families and having them propose legislation. Each Noble and Most Ancient House generally has 1-3 puppet houses that are branches of their old family. These puppets are still outnumbered though by the rest of the elven nobility. After legislation passes the House of Lords by a simple majority, it is moved up to the High Council where they can pass it, veto it, or send it back with suggested edits. To go to war also requires a majority in the Hosue of Lords and a 2/3 majority in the High Council, but can originate in either body.
Judicial Body
Each High Lord is the Judicial authority within their city and appoints city judges. Otherwise, national judges; who have jurisdiction in Zyrd'Lyrind, Amaltheon, and in between Noble and Most Ancient territories; are appointed by the High Council. Cases can be appealed to the Grand Adjudicators, a council of 3 noble judges selected by the High Council. Their cases can only be appealed to the High Council, which rarely happens. Civil court cases are handled similarly unless the dispute is between two noble houses, in which case it can only be handled by the Grand Adjudicators or the High Council.
Executive Body
The High Council functions as the executive body of Zirdy. They can make certain executive decisions without the consent of the House of Lords but any of those decisions can be reversed by a 3/4 majority in the House of Lords, which seldom happens. These executive actions include foreign diplomacy, pardons(with a 2/3 vote), and clarifications on existing laws. They also appoint and dismiss many of Zirdy's most important government positions such as Grand Admiral, Grand General, National Wizard, National Druid, Chief Archivist, Scrymaster(intelligence), and various diplomats and ambassadors. Appointing someone to a position takes a majority vote, dismissing them requires 2/3.
Location
Related Ranks & Titles
Neighboring Nations
Related Species
