Silimanis
Silimanis is a former province of the Kingdom of Laeryll which, after a period of being a protectorate of the Kingdom, became a colony of the Labarean Empire in 726 LC, after the Invasion of Silimanis.
History
History at a glance
In 1903 BLC, Silimanis was united with other elven regions by Olyxx the Uniter, who then led it as King Olyxx I. But the region, which was sparsely used by elves, became co-inhabited by humans in the fifth century and in 189 BLC these humans were given formal rights as part of the Treaty of Guharr. In the centuries that followed, Silimanis became a human country built on elven ruins. Contact between humans and elves were limited to accidental meetings in the forests north of Silimanis (known now as Northern Silimanis to the elves), occassional contact with elven farmsteads and religious communities such as Aeclyra and the rare elf who entered human civilization. Elves retained right of way and there was some trade between the humans and the elves. After the War of the Sisters, Queen Galythiel of the Kingdom of Laeryll designated Silimanis as a protectorate in which humans were free to live their lives as they saw fit. Yet when the Labarean Empire invaded Silimanis in 724 LC as part of its effort to obtain more human slaves, king Olyxx III did little to help the humans and even called back elves who were actively helping humans in the region . Fighting between the gnomes and the humans lasted for two years, but in [[726 LC]], Silimanis was firmly under the control of the Labareans. In present time, the former elven province is a colony of the gnomes and an important trading hub for the Empire.Detailed history
A country of humans
Many elves left Silimanis once the Treaty of Guharr was signed in 189 BLC. As mostly wood elves had lived in the region, their destination was Qosid, but those who believed Silimanis would again be part of the Kingdom of Laeryll went for a new life in the Forest of Guharr instead, preparing for their inevitable return. The elves who stayed either found ways to blend in with the human economy (e.g. the cheese-making commune of Letthil or were part of religious groups that were tied to specific locations. The most notable example of this is Aeclyra, where a large community of clergy dedicated to Zodan lived until 726 LC. The humans, meanwhile, took the opportunity to cultivate the fertile ground of Silimanis and founded new settlements. Hilltower became one of the larger towns built by the humans and quickly became the de facto capital of a country that was best descriped as a patchwork of farmsteads and fishing villages. 33 BLC, the founding date of Hilltower, is taken by the humans as the founding date of Silimanis as a country. In time, the humans only knew about the conflict with the elves through folk tales and they learnt to stay out of the Forest of Guharr, where elves with fresh memories of the conflict still lived. Silimanis had been important to trade between The Porcupine and the Labarean peninsula before the region became a human country, but as the Kingdom of Labar arrived at the world stage in 0 LC Silimanis' role as a trading hub and food supplier grew. The harbor of Nossed grew rapidly in those days and the humans built infrastructure connecting harbors to the westlands. A collective militia that was active in all larger settlements was set up to safeguard mercantile activity.The Great Reclaim
In 10 LC, the Laeryllian Queen Morsyana sent Laeryllian troops into Silimanis to reconquer the territory on behalf of the elves. The sheer force of these troops, supported by spellcraft, was too much for the humans and they were quickly overcome. Morsyana's forces burned down large parts of Hilltower and occupied all sites of elven heritage. The harbor of Nossed was taken over and humans were rounded up to fight or work for Morsyana. The Great Reclaim kicked off the War of the Sisters, which ended in 39 LC. By that time, Silimanis had become militarized by forces from the Kingdom of Labar, which wanted to secure Nossed and the trade routes west, while elves loyal to Queen Galythiel guarded the region -- often in the conviction that Silimanis would stay back in the arms of the Kingdom of Laeryll. Yet Galythiel decided against this outcome. She restored the order that existed before the Great Reclaim, effectively turning the Treaty of Guharr into a royal decree. She also took special effort to repopulate Silimanis with humans and vowed to protect their species against any evil that would threaten the now human country.The Labarean Invasion
In 724, the Labarean Empire invaded Silimanis in what would be the last imperial campaign in which gnome warriors played a large role. Afterwards, human and orc slaves would do most of the fighting, with gnomes only in commanding positions or manning artillery. The Labarean goal was to not only capture new human slaves, but also to turn Silimanis into an occupied cradle for new slaves. The Labareans had anticipated resistance, but had underestimated the effect that 900 years of shared history could have on humans. Through ambushes, assasinations and acts of sabotage, the humans managed to frustrate the gnomes and impede their progress. Only when the Labareans sent vicious orc slaves to fight their war for them, did the human resistance die down. The elves in Silimanis stood by the humans with whom they shared land and whom their former Queen Galythiel had pledged to protect. They joined efforts directed against the Labareans and Aeclyra even functioned as a seaside hospital for resistance members. This put the Kingdom of Laeryll, destabilized by the attempted Secession of Qosid and still in want of a strong army after the War of the Sisters, in a difficult position. Olyxx the Young ordered all elves in Silimanis to return to the Kingdom of Laeryll to avoid conflict with the gnomes. The elves in Silimanis complied, but found it shameful that Galythiel's promise to the humans was broken.The Labarean Occupation
Under Labarean rule, Silimanis underwent a number of changes. The Nossed harbor was enlarged to provide for military docks and large barracks were constructed in the coastal town. The town was also expanded with a large slave pen and breeding facility. Slaves were regularly shipped from Nossed to the Labarean peninsula and The Mouth. Hilltower became an administrative center for the region and the surrounding farmlands were turned into agricultural experimental zones. The roads from east to west were enlarged. All produce from Silimanis above a mandated sustenance level became property of the Imperial Trading Company. Moreover, the Magic Ban became actively enforced.
Type
Region
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Comments