The Grande Duchy of Orlia

Culture

The Grande Duchy of Orlia is a coastal kingdom that spans three large peninsulas and a whole host of islands and isles. Its summers are filled with warm rains, while its winters frequently bring gentle snows. Great shipyards fill the countless bays of Orlia, while quaint rural villages dot the rolling hills of its interior.
Crowned Archduke Laucian Meliamne rules Orlia, though being that he is only fourteen years old, it is mostly his advisors within the Resplendent Courts who are currently pulling all of the strings. Orlia has long been rumored to be a country of political intrigue, where family feuds against family and king against queen, though rarely in the light of day or in view of the populace. As a result, it will be no small miracle if young Laucian survives the multiple assassination attempts that are likely to come between now and his crowning as king in a few years.
Orlia is known for one thing above all others - its ships. The war galleons, brigantines, schooners, and man-o-war’s of the Orlian navy are the most feared and most respected sea vessels in all of Edras. Kingdoms pay small fortunes yearly to purchase and maintain Orlian ships. Other than ships, however, Orlia is also home to some of the finest poetry and prose in Edras.
Orlians fall into two types - salt of the earth commonfolk and the wary, near paranoid, middle and upper classes. Both types are always careful to watch out for bad deals and schemes. Internal conflict among families and houses and courts and companies has led to a societal nonchalance towards the realities of spies, assassinations, and political intrigue. The most common professions in Orlia are shipwrights, farmers, poets, sailors, and nobles.

Les Tribunaux Resplendissants

• La Cour des Fleurs (The Court of Flowers): The Court of Flowers, also known as the golden heart of Orlia, is devoted to the ideals of love, art, and beauty. Centered in the regions of Sevrie, Avenmasse, and Argenmount, this court's nobles are the patrons of nearly every notable artist, ballet company, and salon in Orlia.
• La Cour des Voiles (The Court of Sails): This court is the true economic powerhouse of Orlia, controlling all of the major Orlian shipyards and the vast majority of all mercantile trade taking place within the kingdom. La Cour des Voiles oversees the regions of L'ile de Vierçon, Perpiroux, and Narluire.
• La Cour des Épées (The Court of Swords): The oldest of the three courts and by far the most martial, La Cour des Épées controls the western regions of Vitrollac, Angoulogne, Saurac, and Collès. Tasked with defending the Grande Duchy from its many enemies, the Court of Swords maintains bastions in every region of Orlia.

Les Lois de la Sorcellerie

• Arcane and Divine Magic are both legal.
• Natural Magic is not well-understood and so is viewed with suspicion and sometimes fear.
• Necromancy requires special licensure from the Circle of 12 Seals and is restricted in use.
• Aberrant magic that comes from pledging oneself to Outsiders or agents of the Primordials is strictly illegal.
• Sorcerers are viewed with distrust and fear by some, though like most cullic nations licensure can be obtained for such unnatural abilities through the Church of the Brisingelion or the Circle of 12 Seals.

Structure

Secular Hierarchy

1. Archduke/Archduchess
2. Duke/Duchess
3. Marquis/Marquess
4. Comte/Comtess
5. Chevalier

Demography and Population

Population: 4,300,000
Demographics

• Gnomes 28%
• Tieflings 22%
• Tabaxi 16%
• Leonin 13%
• Elves 10%
• Ikwiikwii 7%
• Misc. 4%

Territories

• Avissy: Hidden within the Marigny Woodlands and imminently defensible, Avissy is the modern capitol of Orlia and seat of the Grande Duchy's monarch. Avissy is one of the newer regions of the kingdom, having been settled in 3097 as a result of the treaty that ended the War of the Lilies. Ostensibly unaligned, Avissy is a neutral territory ruled exclusively by the Archduke or Archduchess of Orlia rather than one of the Resplendent Courts.
• Vitrollac: Located in the gently rolling hills between Saurac to the south and Avissy to the north, the lightly forested region of Vitrollac is known as the Gateway to Orlia. All land-based travel into the heart of Orlia must first pass through the walled city from which this region derives its name - the largest, wealthiest, and most cosmopolitan of La Cour des Épées' regional holdings.
• Angoulogne: The western most region in all of Orlia, Angoulogne stands alone as first line of defense against attacks originating from the wild lands and progenic kingdoms beyond its borders. The heart of Angoulogne is the Bastion d'Angoulogne - a nigh impregnable fortress that rests at the edge of the region. Constantly in a state of war or preparation for war, Angoulogne is the most militant of all of the regions ruled by La Cour des Épées.
• Saurac: Nestled into the edge of the Rochmagne Thicket, Saurac is least martial of the four regions rules by La Cour des Épées. The breadbasket of southern Orlia, the people of Saurac live a quiet, simple existence as farmers, ranchers, and crafters. Tactically, this region serves as little more than a buffer in the case of an attack from the south, likely only serving to give Angoulogne time to marshal true defenses.
• Collès: Isolated on it's own peninsula, Collès is known for its hardy, self sufficient populace and it's skilled woodsmen, hunters, and trackers. It is argued whether the best wood in Orlia comes from Collès, Argenmont, or Avissy, but as to which produces the best lumberjacks - there is no question. This region was won by La Cour des Épées in the War of Lilies and has remained loyal to the court ever since.
• Château-du-Sevrie: The northernmost region in Orlia, Sevrie is the kingdom's center of trade and travel. As with all the regions claimed by La Cour des Fleurs, Sevrie prides itself on its culture and sophistication, though perhaps less highbrow than the court's other holdings. Notably, Sevrie is known as much for its brothels and black markets as it is for its theatres and ports.
• Avenmasse: Built in the foothills of the Whisperwood Alps, Avenmasse is arguably Orlia's nexus of scholarly pursuits and a jewel in the crown of La Cour des Fleurs. This region has more libraries, apothecariums, and colleges than any other region in the kingdom; only Avissy and Vierçon even begin to compare. Dotted with ancient spires, most built and inhabited by mages long before Orlia existed, Avenmasse is quite closely allied with the Circle of 12 Seals.
• Argenmont: The oldest and strongest region of La Cour des Fleurs, Argenmont is second only to Avissy in its beauty. Built amongst the great timbers of Perrin's Bower rather than on the forest floor, the city of Argenmont is a masterpiece of carpentry and woodworking, drawing noble visitors from as far away as Eglarest regularly. Argenmont, along with Avissy and Collès, provides the shipyards of La Cour des Voiles with the rare lumbers required to build Orlian galleons.
• Vierçon: This region sits alone in the distant east of the Orlian kingdom, both a beacon to and a barrier against the great unknown of the Unbroken Ocean. Vierçon keeps a watchful eye on Noz Gorroth to the north and serves as a launching point for the bravest and most foolhardy oceanic explorers in eastern Edras. Notable among the three regions ruled by La Cour des Voiles, Vierçon has no shipyards, though its sandy island is home to myriad docks and ports. Perhaps because of its isolation from the rest of Orlia, this region has a reputation for extreme religious devotion and is home to some of the largest and most ornate cathedrals in the kingdom.
• Perpiroux: Known as one of the two 'twins of La Cour des Voiles', Perpiroux is a region almost entirely devoted to a singular purpose - the manufacturing and maintenance of the vast Orlian armada. Mimicking its sister, Narluire, in nearly every facet, Perpiroux's culture is centered around the love of the water. The people of Perpiroux are regarded as being a bit hardier than the average Orlian and certainly more focused on their work.
• Narluire: Known as one of the two 'twins of La Cour des Voiles', Narluire is a region almost entirely devoted to a singular purpose - the manufacturing and maintenance of the vast Orlian armada. Mimicking its sister, Perpiroux, in nearly every facet, Narluire's culture is centered around the love of the water. The people of Narluire are regarded as being a bit hardier than the average Orlian and certainly more focused on their work.

Religion

Orlia maintains a special devotion to the sisters, Oolene and Sielach.

Foreign Relations

Surrounded on all sides by progenic kingdoms or wild lands, Orlia has little in the way of diplomatic relations with its neighbors. Trade is more-or-less open and relations fairly friendly with most of the other cullic nations, though Orlia's isolation leads it to mostly concern itself with only its own affairs. The Grande Duchy of Orlia is entered into only a singular, official alliance - with the Kingdom of Valonde.

Priesthood

Religious Hierarchy

1. Cardinal
2. Archbishop
3. Bishop
4. Priest/Priestess
5. Abbot/Abbess
6. Nun/Prioress/Monk/Friar

Maps

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  The Grande Duchy of Orlia - Avenmasse

• 

  The Grande Duchy of Orlia

Founding Date

2652

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Capital

Avissy

Demonym

Orlian

Leader

Archduke Laucian Meliamne

Government System

Monarchy, Constitutional

Power Structure

Feudal state

Economic System

Palace economy

Currency

Silver Deniers

Official State Religion

The Brisingelion

Location

The Grande Duchy of Orlia

Official Languages

• Eolian

Controlled Territories

• Avenmasse
• Castille d'Dukrull

Neighboring Nations

• The Myrenaean Peninsula

Notable Members

• Comtess Dukrull
• Duke Mavus Baillairgé