Elyra

“Elyra”(ʌlɪəra), officially the “Domains of Elyra” is a sovereign nation on the south coast of Solum. Its borders extend from the Simmering Sea to the Mourning Sea, and is bound in the north by the Wynwal Reaches.

Elyra’s terrain is chiefly deadlands, volcanic wasteland, and shattered earth , though it also possesses the largest swamps and bogs found in Solum. Elyra is a criminal plutocracy overseen by three major syndicates with its capitals in “Nuvarin, Gevion, and Krazurag”, with a majority of its populations residing in the highest portions of its former tiered cities.

Inhabited since before the Calamity, Elyra was settled by Summum settlers during the The Lost Years, and gained its sovereignty after the collapse of Summum civilization. Elyra, south enough to avoid the brunt of the Calamity’s winter, rapidly developed into Solum’s largest empire. Ruling the continent as far north as Frostford, Elyra’s domination of the region lasted nearly 1200 years before its ultimate collapse in the wake of the Sundering. Elyra’s unstable volcanic activity has left it mostly inhospitable for life, its remnants existing in a daily struggle for life. Modern Elyra is an often overlooked country known for its utilitarian and secretive people, and its active smuggling and piracy vessels found across the Unbound Seas.

Geography

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The Sundering of Elyra

While the exact specifics of the cause of Elyra’s volcanic apocalypse is a mystery, it is commonly attributed to an act of incredible malice on the part of Nastil. The weeks prior to the cataclysm saw a rise in Elyra’s volcanic activity as well as a number of earthquakes and land fissures opening. The ensuing destruction wracked the country, the spine of the Smokestacks (a contemporary name, of course) splitting open to unleash the fury of Nastilupon the region.

“(We) had been drinking on one of Kilmarnock’s thousand terraces when we saw the glow from the south-east- like a great eye opening on the horizon. Resuvin (the Smokestack’s largest peak at the time) bellowed forth smoke unlike any I had seen, the sky above releasing stars to come crashing down to the earth below. We both looked east to Nuvarin and Caltrix let out a scream - the earth between our two cities writhed and distorted like a face pushing through sheets from below. There was barely enough time to run, to scream, to hide - Nastil’s Maw opened and smoke, ash, and death became us.”

— Magnate Centaris of Kilmarnock,
Translated by Celenian printers in Elyra’s Final Days

Landscape and Rivers

Historical records refer to Elyra as the “jewel of Solum”, a verdant paradise of rich volcanic soils and beautifully dense wildlife. What remains of Elyra’s former glory can only be found above the ashclouds of the Smokestacks, Elyra’s southern mountain range. What lies below is a sarcophagus of constant ashfall, frequent volcanic outflows, and poisoned waters. The Crux River, Elyra’s once continent spanning artery of fresh water has been reduced to a chasm of slow flowing, sulfur stenched water pockmarked by fumaroles, geysers, and mudpots. Elyra’s once lush south western lowlands have sunken into peat bogs, fens, and coastal tidal swamps.

Climate

Elyra’s weather is typically as inhospitable as its surface - ashfall, cinderstorms, and gales of scorching wind tear through its central regions. Rain, to many’s surprise, is a common feature of the Elyran subcontinent and a dangerous one at that. Flooding in the high plains results in ash slurry that turns the water to the sickly poison found in the Crux River - though immense and complex water catchers dot the higher reaches of Elyra’s towering ruin-cities. Those still living below the Stacks are greeted with an ember-red sun glaring through the smog clouds, though above their bellowing lines the azure blue skies of the Smokestacks are worthy of their poetic legend.

Nature and Wildlife

Elyra’s ruined cities have been willingly allowed to be overtaken by the once-flourishing Elyran wildlife, its many peaks now host to gargantuan fruit trees, wide-eyed mammals, and gargantuan reptiles. Adopting the Hjalmoric method of fungiculture, Elyra’s city-depths are host to an assortment of varied mushrooms and slimes fit for eating. The Harvest, Elyra’s western syndicate is known for cultivating a particular fungus popularly known as Phirio’s Laugh. Inhalation or ingestion of the spores guarantees an agonizing death followed by a cruel reanimation as the fungus utilizes its host as a spore carrier. Below the Stacks is a biological lesson in “survival of whatever works,” acting as a host of emaciated scavengers, corpulent decomposers, and an alarming number of carnivorous plants. Of particular note is the Spinefruit, more commonly known as the Elyran Melon, a carnivorous plant in the southern fens producing vibrantly orange but savagely spined fruit containing an oozing green interior popular in Gevion. The Capital of Elyra: Nuvarin

Governance

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“Governance” isn’t necessarily a dirty word in Elyran, but certainly one that would be met with a long pause and perfunctory sneer. What little remains of Elyran history suggests that at its peak the Elyran Empire boasted a powerful monarchy and a devastatingly corrupt oligarchy. After the Sundering of Elyra and the events of the Calamity, Elyrans found themselves in a landscape not unlike today’s: corrupted air, fetid waters, and slag-earth. Believed to have once held approximately six million souls, Elyra diminished to about five-hundred thousand in little more than twenty five years. For a brief time the expectation of onlookers was Elyra’s fall to fiefdoms and eventually a loose collection of warring states squabbling over resources. This guess was not necessarily far off as several of Elyra’s former nobles attempted to raise armies before coming to the realization (usually at spearpoint) that Elyra’s breadbasket had been reduced to cinders and that armies required feeding.

What arose instead was the pack-unit of Elyrans, twenty-some individuals of different backgrounds and skills coming together to form functioning societies within the highest reaches of what remained of Elyran cities. Most would remain this way, honing into the razor sharp skill-communes of today’s Elyra, but those who managed to lay claim to the highest reaches of Elyran cities found great power. The destruction that had laid waste to Elyra’s valleys and rises had spared her peaks, leaving behind glorious cities draped in still-blooming life looking out over black clouds below. After clearing any former nobility from their marbled halls, these communities would quickly rise to prominence. Three communities would become of long-lasting note in Elyran history: Gevion, Nuvarin, and Azmarus, the former largest cities in Elyra. Capable of feeding themselves and others, these communities became something of local governments to those in the lower reaches.

As aristocracies are wont to do, the newly claiming leaders of Elyra fell to corruption with astonishing speed. Superior weaponry and now greatly outbounding health enabled them to enact strict and brutal edicts over the lower-inhabitants, earning (and later embracing) the name of Elyran Syndicates. The Ivory Syndicate rose first in Nuvarin, Elyra’s former capital, capturing the Stormgate and by far the largest bounty of wealth remaining in Elyra. Their influence spread mostly south to Spangorge, but the eventual scouting and capturing of Parnash Keep more or less guaranteed their continued reign over the region. The Sanguine Fang arose in Azmarus, claiming Elyra’s eastern shores and beginning violent raids on Vedean settlements in unison with the Copoan pirating of the time. The Harvest arose in Gevion, spreading its influence up through Kilmarnock and the Absinthium Rise (their later home) and establishing immediate relations with what would eventually become the Thetlins.

Politics

A Syndicate aristocrat looks over the ruins of Elyra Relationships between the three major syndicates of Elyra have waxed and waned over time. Notably in 423 the arrival of fleeing Copoan pirates in Krazurag called for a brief meeting of the Syndicates, and ultimately the decision was made to expunge them from the city as Elyra could not support more mouths to feed. In an act of deception, the Sanguine Fang enabled these pirates to sail up the wastewaters of the Crux river and assault Parnash Keep. In response the Sanguine Fang were uprooted from their home-on-high by the Syndicate after the pirates were paid off and instead assaulted the Fang themselves. In thanks for their efforts, the pirates of Copoa were joined with the major Krazurag syndicate at the time to form the Venom, and given control of Azmarus as Elyra’s new triad-Syndicate.

Law

The concept of “crime” in Elyra has become hazy in its lack of governing body. What is theft when you are starving, or murder when Nastil’s Bogwalkers require only one meal to be satiated and your friend is faster than you? Mob rule has become the standard punishment-dealer in Elyra, typically forming around broken deals or the selling out of packs. Death is the go-to punishment, not for a lack of sympathy for its criminal’s lives, but general societal apathy towards those who only take in resources. The Syndicates do typically flex an enforcement band, though their interaction with day-to-day crime is limited at best, instead leaning closer to a battalion.

Military

While Elyra possesses no formalized military power it is protected by two major details. The first is most nations in Solum have no interest in marching an army within a hundred miles of Elyra, and the second is no army would last more than a ten-mile march into her clutches. What little military power the Elyrans do utilize they typically use on themselves, usually in brutal syndicate conflicts for a minutia of resources. The Ivory Guard are considered by and large to be the closest thing Elyra has to a formalized military, though the Ivory wields “Torkel’s Finest” like a hammer to swat flies. The Venom has boasted claims of having the third largest armada in the world, but placing three Venom captains in a room will result in the creation of five opinions and at least one dead captain.

Notable Treaties and Conflicts

The Triad Syndicates

The backbone of Elyran functionality, this loose set of agreements defines vague borders of Syndicate control and Syndicate interactions. Only the Venom, the Ivory, and the Harvest are entered into this agreement, so lesser syndicates are typically considered free game - a fact the Ivory takes great pride in. Per the agreement, The Ivory maintains a majority stake in the country’s value creation via the Ivory Casket and the Spangorge mines. The Harvest holds the majority stake in water and food, primarily acting as a middle-man for the Ivory and the Thetlins who find the Ivory to be mostly intolerable. Lastly, the original document names the Sanguine Fang as the majority stakeholder in all of Elyra’s naval holdings, though an addendum in 424 renames The Venom as its rightful holder.

The Silent War

Still considered to be a rumor, the dealings between Unbound Trading Company and the Venom are quickly becoming a heated point of contention for Edos and Vedea. Formally Vedea has denounced Venom vessels and its navy ordered to destroy their ships on contact after a long history of pirate activity. Many have accused the Unbound Trading Company of undermining its government’s authority and making secret dealings with the Venom and fueling the flourishing black market in Qairus. On three separate occasions directors of the company have been called to the High Chamber to investigate the accusations, but have been deemed uninvolved in all three instances. Edos has recently pushed for increased Vedean naval activity in the Quillic Bay but has been met with little response. Helen Torkel’s capture in Fort Ophelian has triggered a fourth investigation into Unbound Trading Company activity.

Guilds and Organizations

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The Syndicates have come to represent Elyra’s ruling class, though not all of its members live a life of luxury. Those in the high-reaches of the cities they call home certainly find abundance in all things, but the most common member of any of the Syndicates will usually find themselves at “the Stacks,” the elevation at which the smoky air of Elyra becomes apparent. Many more will live as liaisons in the lower cities enforcing the Syndicate’s law or traveling the world acting as “ambassadors,” though mostly performing deals with businesses and not governments.

The Ivory

Elyra’s most powerful Syndicate, the Ivory, sits on the largest population of Elyra as well as commanding the control of its Stormgate. Members of the Ivory are by and large considered to be trade experts. While Elyra flounders in its political presence, its economic one still stands tall in Southern Solum, backed by the Ivory Casket, the supposed incredible riches left over from the Sundering of Elyra. Spangorge now possesses one of the largest and most abundant mines in the world in its namesake chasm, and were it not for an afflicted population its output could potentially rival some of those found in the Lowstones. Ivory members pride themselves on their silver tongue and back it up with fast blades. By and large the Ivory are the economic backing of the remnants of Elyra, and are typically the most present in political negotiations.

The Ivory Guard

Hailing from the Parnash Keep, The Ivory Guard are considered by many to be The Ivory’s vagrant bruisers. The group is currently led by Helen Torkel, a Drimmen who gained prevalence in the Ivory during her somewhat sadistic handling of the Mining Riots of Spangorge. Rumors quickly turned to quiet pleas for refuge over the years as Helen’s magmatic Arm of Brogdar elevated her to Ivory leadership through devastatingly efficient eradication of opposing syndicates. Helen’s ire has recently turned towards the Venom, a fact that they find no pleasure in, and was recently imprisoned in Fort Ophelian after supposedly single-handedly executing an entire Unbound Trading Company crew.

The Harvest

Certainly Elyra’s most secretive Syndicate, the Harvest’s capital has been obscured. Its origin of Gevion is well known, but rumors of its transition to the higher peaks of the Absinthium Rise would come of little surprise. Chiefly the Harvest is the breadbasket of Elyra, its diligent underlings working the boggy marshes of Elyra’s lowlands and producing what could be considered food in less picky raccoon dens. Truly the Harvests' greatest addition to Elyra is its density of druids and clerics, the former sowing what little life can remain under the Smokestacks, and the latter caring for its people. Thetlins know Harvest members for their piercing gaze and unmistakable boggy fashion, but their druids are second to none in times of blight, and as such trade flows freely between the two nations.

The Enclave of Gevion Bog

Widely regarded as little but a collection of bog witches, spore druids, and fen-dwellers, the Enclave of Gevion Bog does have some fame in the more southern lands of Thetlin. They are typically known for their work on farmland during times of blight but have been seen as far north as the Goldcrest Wood and Onyx Hallow working tirelessly to cure the land’s afflictions. Many are wary of the group, finding them as frustratingly mysterious as the Syndicate they reside under, but reports of interactions usually give them a favorable disposition.

The Venom

Elyra’s newest and most up-and-coming Syndicate, the Venom find their namesake from the pirate queen of Copoa’s flagship - the Venom Skua. Originally based in Azmarus the Venom were given prominence by the Ivory and the Harvest after the Pulling of Teeth, but opted to keep Krazurag as their home-turf. Hushed words have claimed The Venom has entered into a deal with Vedea’s Unbound Trading Company, and the two have begun to amass profit smuggling goods into the Quillic Bay. This pairs with a rumor that the Venom’s coffers are beginning to exceed that of their neighboring Ivory, a war-inducing rumor that does little else but prove the fortunes to be found on Summum’s shores.

The Vanished

Elyra is a broken nation and after its Sundering many names vanished from her embrace. Some were simply buried beneath an endless ashfall, or choked on mephitic air, but others did as people do - they left. Hordes of Elyrans charged north through the Wynwall Reach and spilled into Thetlin, Edos, and Vedea. Some continued further north, others became roving bands of raiders, but most settled into life as best they could in their newfound lands. As a result, while some bear the emblems of other nations or even march under their banners, they still consider themselves Elyran. These communities have become known to the people who still remain in Elyra as the Vanished - they are often welcomed home with cautious care and a derision for their bodies bearing no ill-marks of “the ‘Stacks.”

Economy

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Elyra is widely considered to be a non-player in the world economy on a major scale, outpaced by many companies found in foreign nations. Its primary monetary trade can be found in the Ivory’s care, usually via purchasing large excesses of materials from Summum and stockpiling them until (usually at the behest of the Venom) those materials become scarce and their price increases. Famously, the Ivory purchased a sizable number of Edos’ Summum artifacts at the start of the Edosian Civil War and have been slowly reselling them to the highest bidders. Recently, the Venom’s smuggling of artifacts (and people) to and from Summum has seen their stores explode in wealth, causing friction between the two syndicates.

People and Society

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Wedged between the Wynwal Reaches and the Smokestacks, Elyra is better described as a cauldron rather than a country. Bubbling away between its blankets of poisonous air and ember-flecked soil is an ancient people too proud to leave. The diminished resources of Elyra demand a utilitarian society to continue functioning, forcing its people to become exceptionally specialized and highly skilled to maintain their “worth.” Visible deterioration in skill, or an upstart of a similar skillset are met with potential dismissal from packs, usually seen as a guarantee of starvation, suffocation, or exsanguination. Brutal competition for resources has forged a nation of people who have mostly forgotten the latter half of “fight or flight”, and as such Elyrans are not known for half-measures. What little remains of the fabled Elyran Empire now gorges on itself, allowing only the cream and the scum to rise to its peak.

The collective noun of Elyrans seems to depend on their internal group, though pack, pod, and pit seem to be most prevalent, for the sake of simplicity ‘pack’ will be used for this document. Packs of Elyrans typically range anywhere from 5-20 individuals, rarely exceeding that save for Syndicate activity. Elyran communities have found little solace amongst each other over time, seeing neighbors more as rivals for resources than potential allies. In contrast to this, what trust can be formed in Elyra is ironclad and usually lifelong. Despite scholars of other nations viewing Elyran society as cut-throat and deceitful, Elyran society seems to demand integrity to continue functioning. Famously during the Pulling of Teeth, the Ivory Syndicate’s current leader was attributed with the quote “What good to the pack serves the selfish and the cheat?” The Sanguine Fang, the specified teeth-to-be-pulled would last no more than two weeks after their famed disavowing. Indeed, Elyrans seem to consider their word their bond and to risk that belief is to gamble with death.

Norms

The ultimate nature of the Elyran people is finely focused survival. The refined and enigmatic focus of Elyrans gives rise to the best-of-the-best and outwardly rejects the praise for the jack of all trades. Were it not for the smog of a ruined empire and the choking of noxious fumes, Elyrans would likely be well known for their attempts to reach perfection. Instead this nation of exceptional people hone their skills on barren earth just to achieve the bare minimum required for survival. Only time will tell if the nation of Elyra will rise among the wreck, or vanish beneath the basalt sea.

Authority

There is a common understanding that “governing bodies” are largely thugs with the power to enforce their will. They’re to be dealt with as a common evil in the world, similar to typhoons or poisonous snakes - avoid interacting with them as much as possible, but when you do have to, make sure to have the correct gear to deal with them. If war’s brewing, make sure to have an effective hidden room for your fighting fit, or be prepared to break a bone or two so they can’t be taken; better to be down an arm for a month or two than be conscripted for someone else’s war.

Pride

While there is a certain lack of “national” pride, there is often a certain sort of pride in being an Elyran. Even after the Sundering and the decimation of the population, years later, you still go to an Elyran if you want the best of the best. The common sentiment of many Elyrans is: Give us salted farmland, give us charred wood, give us brittle rock, and we will still be here. We do not need help, we will take the worst and turn out the best. This stubbornness is both a blessing and a curse. Many Elyrans have died from the impulse to dig their heels in when they should have accepted help. On the other hand, Elyra is where you go if you want the best of the best.

The Little Things

Life is consistently difficult if you’re an Elyran: Either you live in a nation covered in toxic air or you’re an immigrant trying to fit into a new culture. Life is hard work, and there isn’t much time to spare on fun and games, but any sentient creature needs a little fun to make the rest of life easier to deal with. The common Elyran will rarely have a big party or spend a weekend doing nothing, but there will always be time to take five minutes and appreciate a beautiful landscape, or play a quick game of dice. Elyrans see the importance in stopping to smell the roses, particularly when it comes to art and small games of chance.

Word as a Bond

Elyrans place a lot of value in a promise. If you promise something and don’t come through, you don’t get a second chance. Backstabbing a rival to stay on top is one thing, but if you give your word in order to trick someone you become a risk to work with for everyone. It can be incredibly difficult to get rid of that black mark and can often result in being removed from your pack because you’ve become a liability or needing to take the risk and move to a new town to start over.

Competitive Specialization

Elyrans are most well known for their specialization and deep knowledge of the one thing they commit their lives to. This can range anywhere from art to assassination, but either way you can trust an Elyran to be deeply good at what they do - if they’re not they most often don’t survive. Within the Elyran culture, the best way to survive is to have an indispensable skill and be the best of the best at it, which leads to a lot of competition even if there are only two people in an entire city with the same skill set. There is a drive to be the best due to a mixture of pride and survival instincts that lead to a culture that is highly competitive and can often be bloody depending on your profession.

Language and Sound

Elyran language, of no surprise to many, is harsh and guttural - seemingly intent on minimizing their lung’s extended exposure to the toxic air. Of particular note however is the odd, almost Copoan undertoning to Elyran. Under its brutal exterior lies a language rich with elegant vocabulary and a penchant for poeticism. Likewise, the Elyran people are soot-clad and raw, but underneath their eye for the aesthetic is rivaled only by their island-bound neighbors. Elyran music is rooted in its own history, and while joyous fanfare exists the assortment of most Elyran songs can be heard in the key of sorrowful lament or unbridled fury.

Culture

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For Elyrans, art, aesthetics and beauty are a very important aspect to their culture, likely left over from their days as a rich and powerful empire. Their cities are an interesting mixture of dilapidated and artistic, often being very colorful, with rich cloths hanging from partially crumbling walls, beautifully maintained sculptures even in the poorer parts of town and a surprisingly healthy community of artists for a culture that is often working hard to get by. Visitors from other cultures will often be surprised by the seemingly counterintuitive priorities on display in their towns and homes.

Clothing

Elyrans tend to favor more fitted garments above the natural waist, and more flowing garments below. Billowing pant legs or skirts and long tunics are common, accentuated with draped scarves, decorative free-hanging cords, and the like. Elyrans often prefer to have many things at the ready, carrying satchels, bags, backpacks and the like everywhere they go.

Visual Arts

The cities of Elyra are small pockets of indescribable beauty in a completely inhospitable environment. The cities themselves seem older than the earth they spring from, with masonry rivaling that of mountain lords of Hjalmor. Elyrans are commonly fascinated by the art and craft of other cultures, and will often carry small notebooks to take notes in, or sketch while out in the wild during down times. These notes and sketches aren’t always practical, just as often a detail that caught their attention as anything useful.

Games

Low stakes gambling is a common part of Elyran socializing, most commonly for petty cash, or simple baubles the table is interested in. More serious games often center around beloved art pieces or particularly rare or valuable clothing and jewelry. The same piece may change hands many times in a night, or over the course of several sessions, until the “shine” of a piece wears off.

Folklore

Elyra’s unique relationship with the gods (particularly in their ability to be the periodic recipients of their ire) has left the country with the largest number of Undevoted in all of Arcanorum. This has ultimately left significant room for folklore, particularly manifesting in the concept of ‘Small Gods’. This tradition of belief displays in a number of ways, mainly in those that worship limited deities by leaving offerings or making brief prayers to the spirits of fruit trees, bog spirits, or any number of day-to-day blessings that are worthy of praise. Some take this a step further and see the personification of traits; Silver-Eyes being a popular ‘god’ of deceit and betrayal or Queen of the Wil-o-Wisps in the depths of Gevion Bog. Ultimately this worship is done somewhat tongue in cheek and with a certain sense of defiance in the face of the deities that doomed Elyra to fall.

Holidays

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The Honoring

This is a mournful day of remembrance and quiet anger, at the loss of nearly 4 million lives. There is no celebrating, there is no work, cities and villages will often look dead on this day. People largely stay at home with their family units or packs and share stories of the past, of the evils done and the evils that continue to be done in the name of survival, and of the glory and the rich tapestry that once was the Elyran Empire.

Reaping Week

Possibly the most celebrated week of the year, this starts the day after the final harvest, when the resource has been divided up into what can be preserved and everything else left over. It’s very rare that there is enough to go around, but this week, rivalry turns into something akin to friendly competition as people compete to eat as much as they can while chipping in to make sure that the food that needs to be processed gets processed before it starts to decay. There will often be long tables of the food that can’t be saved at the center of towns or districts. People will sign up to participate in the canning, pickling, drying or salting of the food that can be saved and the more they contribute the more of the food they can take from the center table. Packs have their own strategies for getting the food that they want/need and there are often small wagers and friendly competitions to see who can preserve the most over the week.

The Proving

While some packs contain family units, many of the younger folk feel a need to move to a different pack where they might find their particular skills and talents fit more naturally. Between this need to grow and expand beyond the limitations of their family pack and the regular need for new or better talent, every six months in the major cities or towns populated by Elyran people there is a gathering of packs who are missing a skill and individuals who want to join a new pack. The individuals will choose the most effective way to show how far their skill will go. Each person will go one at a time, with similar skills grouped together so that different packs know when to appear and be at the front. This is a highly competitive day - or week depending on the size of the city - between both the individuals and the packs themselves, vying for new and better opportunities.

Nation Info

Official Name: The Domains of Elyra
Capital(s):

• Nuvarin
• Gevion
• Krazurag

Population: ~800,000
Government: Criminal Plutocracy
Leader:

• The Ivory
• The Harvest
• The Venom

Leader Title: Syndicates
Demonym: Elyran
Major Exports: None

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Military

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• 10,000 Combatants
• Warships: 20 Privateers

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Breed Distribution

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• 60% - Chimera
• 25% - Human
• 14% - Gheist

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Religion Distribution

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• 60% -The Undevoted
• 20% - The Tower
• 10% - The Highlord
• 5% - The Ascendant
• 5% - Other