The Laines

The Rangers of the Laines were mostly littorn carnivates like Indirk, with claws on their hands, sharp teeth, powerful muscles. Some were even more fierce than Indirk was, with gripping clawed feet, horns, and long, barbed tails. They were all adept at climbing trees and rocks, all smelling of the woods, all surrounded by the subtle music of magic if one listened closely enough. They’d charted the entirety of the Warring Lands, constantly sending new maps and intel back to the headquarters of the Rhyqir Valley Alliance.

-"Maniaque" Chapter 25: The Sound on the Stone

In the Rhyqir Valley is a vast, mysterious greenwood protected by an ancient assembly of Rhyqir peoples; both the wood and the nation that govern it are known as the Laines. The people hold that they are indistinguishable from the forest itself, their communities including people, plants, and animals in equal measure. The implications of this came into horrible focus when, 164 UC, the far-off nation of Cradsoun trespassed on the Rhyqir Valley. Cradsoun's peaceful intentions meant nothing to the Laines, which saw the presence of foreigners in the protected deepwood as an unforgiveable incursion. The Laines launched a military campaign known as the Green Word's Reply to chase Cradsoun from the woods and pursue them north, a conflict that would eventually expand into the Starmire War, the Aegis War, and finally The Thousand Year War, shaping the history of all of eastern Sof Sator.
Though a founding member of the Rhyqir Valley Alliance, the Laines is culturally distinct from the other members. They once shared an animistic faith with the people of Pharaul, their closest allies, but Pharaul has recently shed this religion and turned toward the materialistic philosophies of Vont. As of 1088 CR, Pharaul has led the Rhyqir Valley Alliance to membership in the continent-spanning Greater Sabine Trade Compact. Despite these expanding networks, the Laines remains focused inward, its primary attention on maintaining the sanctity of the deepwood, living at peace with nature, and forcing Cradsoun and its allies in the Nor Sator League to pay for their continued incursions.

Economy

For as territorial as the Laines can be, the Rhyqir Valley is horribly permeable, and has been penetrated repeatedly by Cradsoun's infantry throughout the centuries of conflict. In some ways, the Laines has become more isolated in reaction to this, building walls and establishing permanent garrisons surrounding the deepwood. But the Laines has also learned to cooperate with its allies, becoming increasingly reliant upon their strength but paying this back by filling their coffers and their bellies. The other members of the Rhyqir Valley Alliance, Pharaul and Vont, reside in challenging climates encased in permanent ice. The Laines feeds all the peoples of its alliance with the generous bounty of the wood, having mastered a kind of agriculture that doubles natural production without harming the wood in any way. In return, Pharaul and Vont provide the Laines with whatever small amount of resources and manufactures goods they require, though mostly, they send the Laines money, which is then reinvested into the war machines of each nation. This has created a cyclic economy in the Rhyqir Valley Alliance: the peoples of Pharaul and Vont buy their food from the Laines, which in turn funds the militaries of all three nations, providing the basic income for the peoples of Pharaul and Vont, which they use to buy their food from the Laines. If the Thousand-Year War were to ever end, this economic system would be in peril.
As of 1088 CR, Pharaul has become a hub for a larger, continent-spanning economy. Much of Pharaul's exports include luxurious consumables sourced from the Laines. Though Pharaul receives many goods in return, the Laines has little interested in the new spices and foods this gives them access to, preferring as ever to live off the bounty of their own woods. The Laines pays much more attention to the economic competition this larger union has brought. Now that Pharaul and Vont can import food and luxuries from other parts of Sof Sator, easy monetary wealth is no longer guaranteed. Their membership in the Greater Sabine Trade Compact is still new, and the pressure has yet to be fully felt, but they are anxious about what the future might look like.

Government

The Laines began as a union of disparate Rhyqir peoples, but had already collected its governing power into a single body by the time of the formation of the Rhyqir Valley Alliance. This body has not been consistent, however; its structure is such that disagreement about a leader's validity and ruler can lead to loss of a seat on technicality or popular overthrow.
The leadership of the Laines is twofold. The High Warden leads the military and determines matters of infrastructure, with their primary duty being the protection of the people and of the deepwood. The High Mediator is more of a civic role, listening to the voices of the people and the wood (the Green Word) and making determinations about policy and justice; this can be thought of as a legalistic role, as the High Mediator will usually only come into play when there is debate or disagreement. Both the High Warden and the High Mediator are life-long roles. The Warden is chosen by decree, with each Warden naming and training a successor. The Mediator is appointed by Soothsayers of the Green Word, who seek signs and portents that direct their decision.
There have been times when a High Warden has failed to name a successor, or a successor was held to be incompetent and ousted from power after they ascended. Likewise, there has been disagreement among the Soothsayers about who to name as High Mediator, resulting in Mediators being appointed and then later cast out, or in times when two competing Mediators have vied for power. Similarly, there have been situations when the Warden and Mediator have been so at odds that the only resolution was for one to fall from power. There are policies in place for the removal of a leader or for the resolution of conflict between potential leaders, but often these mechanisms fail against the brute demands of the populace, leading to great dramas that leave the governance of the Laines in turmoil for decades.
At the moment, however, the leadership of the Laines is stable. The High Warden is Imeis Lyel, the highest-ranking ranger in the Laines, who has served for more than two decades. The High Mediator is new as of 1089 CR, a young man named Aeoni Lim who worked as a picker in an orchard and hadn't said a prayer in his life until the Soothsayers appeared one day and raised him up to power. As Imeis is a humble leader, he works well with the young and inexperienced Aeoni, whom he says has brought a fresh perspective. The chosen successor of Imeis Lyel is his young daughter, Lauris Lyel, a decision which has drawn some criticism.

Contributions to the Thousand-Year War

While to most other nations in the Rhyqir Valley Alliance and the Nor Sator League, the Green Word's Reply gave way to the Aegis War and the Starmire War, the Reply is still active in the Laines. The words now refer to something else: the Green Word's Reply is an organization of scouts and rangers who harass the Nor Sator League throughout the Warring Lands and even launch attacks as far north as Cradsoun and Gray Watch. While Gray Watch and Vont have spies of their own, the vast majority of on-the-ground intelligence is provided by the Laines by way of the Green Word's Reply, who are constantly tracking enemy movements and supply lines both to keep their allies informed and to choose their own best targets. Throughout the Warring Lands, there is constant conflict between the rangers of the Laines and supply caravans from Gray Watch, and no Nor Sator soldier can sleep too soundly for fear of a ranger's black arrow cutting out of the night and into their neck.
While Pharaul and Vont have both turned to firearms and engineering as their primary weapons, the Laines continues to use blade, bow, and magic, which is the weaponry favored by the Nor Sator League. The fact that the Rhyqir Valley Alliance can bring both sorcery and ballistics to a battle has made strategizing more difficult for the Nor Sator League. Armor that defends against a rifle is less effective against a blade, and the iron barriers that resist magical attack are too unwieldy to use against Pharaul's mechanized cavalry.

The icon of the Laines portrays the trees of the deepwood beneath the Rhyqirja Mountains, with the twin peaks of Meidr and Ydras both featured. The circle defending the deepwood represents the impassable line that must be maintained. In more modern times, the line has become literal with the construction of the great bulwarks around the deepwood. This icon presents an incredible challenge for woodcutters trying to pass a mentor's final test. As a way of demonstrating their mastery over the bounty of the wood, artisan woodcutters will craft a perfect circle icon and include a number of personal embellishments and added designs. The greatest of these often include carefully-engraved patterns or pictures in relief.

Member, Rhyqir Valley Alliance

Population: 500,000 residents.
 Unknown number of uncontacted inhabitants inside the deepwood.

Languages: Rhyqir (primary), Satorian

Government type: Military-Religious Diarchy

Leaders:

• High Warden Imeies Lyel
• High Mediator Aeoni Lim

Closest Allies:

• Pharaul 
• Vont
• Revan

Rivals:

• Cradsoun (Nemesis)
• Gray Watch 
• The Aldalneld Writhe

Type

Geopolitical, State

Controlled Territories

• The Hearkening Bulwark, Gate of the High Warden