Duchy of Æfre

Lufian gets its name from its tourism industry, local customs, and wholehearted welcoming of nightfolk in direct opposition to the Crown - the City of Love, dedicated to love in all its forms from agape to eros, storge to philautia. Their cultural norms are similar to Myrrdin’s on the whole, but do not exclude nightfolk by any means, built by nightfolk who have a great love for the country in which it resides, though not for the laws forced upon them. The Eternal Duchess, V'haidra Vortigern, an elf of Nilmyrion, rules over Lufian and Æfre with her husband, Duke Artem Vortigern, and together they challenge the King’s rule - establishing Æfre as a symbol of hope for nightfolk within Myrrdin as well as displacing members of the Upper Houses in terms of power. This vie for political power has cemented a certain level of warning into Myrrdinian forces, as Lufian nightfolk are not afraid to use their magic despite their outwardly friendly and welcoming disposition. Quite an upset among the Upper Houses, and especially in the capital, though neither the Duchess nor the Duke give a damn.

As Lufian is themed around romance and other forms of love, there are many, many things a couple or group could do and see that would set the mood perfectly.

• It is surrounded by little streams, rivers, and ponds that are perfect for boating, fishing, casting lanterns, swimming, and otherwise romantic outings;
• Fairytale forestry with warm cottage getaways hidden within, the famous Morningstar Bridge crossing the widest river on which a romantic tradition was born - wishes cast in ribbons tied to ornate iron archways and kisses shared with a lover;
• Taverns, inns, and a brothel or two primed for even the most specific couples in mind, wide ranges of imported and local wines and live entertainment from music to stage plays;
• Grand festivals that last days to celebrate the seven forms of love - eros, agape, philia, mania, ludus, pragma, storge, and philautia - elegant but also loose, full of games, feasting, drinking, dancing, and merryment, with ribbons, lanterns, masks, costumes, magical displays and fireworks;
• Jewellers armed with intricately-made, meaningful, enchanted, beautiful, and even simple rings perfect for a promise, or a proposal;
• V'haidra’s Museum of Art, the largest collection of art in the known world, open until late hours, string and wind music echoing through its opulent halls - perfect for dates;
• Greenspaces of cut grass, shade trees, and flowerbeds where children can play, shifters and weres can run, without fear of persecution or threat of violence, incidentally also perfect for picnics;
• Trails to run horses, farmlands, vineyards, ranches, archery ranges, an amphitheater, a school and library, a cathedral dedicated to elven, human, and shifter gods, rich and bountiful - perfect to set roots or begin a new love of any kind, be it a romance, a family, or a friendship that can withstand the test of time.

On its surface, Lufian seems a peaceful place and how they manage this is by compulsory military service. Duchess V'haidra does not take her position lightly, though she is a fair and ultimately rather generous noble, valuing her people’s happiness to in turn recieve their loyalty - when a person’s needs are met and they are given the opportunity to freely seek happiness, they are more likely to answer her call to action. This clashes with the King’s incompetence and often heavyhanded methods of dealing with his subjects, but therein lies the problem: He views them as subjects as opposed to people, and all are unhappy, cruel, and needlessly confrontational, bitter and entitled, breaking into factions upon factions - Æfre included where that’s concerned. The quality of life under her rule, even in so small a duchy, far surpasses most of Myrrdin, and for this, her people are loyal to her, willing to lay their lives down for her and fight alongside her on the battlefield, train with her in the yards - yes, she spends much time among them. Trusting them as they trust her, cultivating a new standard of living and the will to protect that way of life. For over a hundred years, she’s taken great care of Æfre, slowly spreading its territory outward into the Dragon’s Tail and toward the Dife Frèt, urging for more for her people, access to materials, fishing, mining, settling, farming, anything they could need. Putting them first to ensure the protection of their lands and her power.

Duchess V'haidra lives in Lufian, in the old elfhen palace, Phar Nal'len, it was built around. Much of the architecture is sweeping, curved and sharp at points, intricately carved and well-maintained whitestone, any damage caused by time repaired with repurposed whitestone and steel reinforcement, grand banners of green, white, and silver fluttering in the wind, her crest of a seven-pointed star and stylized flame in its center everywhere, green terracotta rooftops, planters for shade and fruit trees and pots of Petta blossom, moonflower, and flowering shrubs, whitestone fountains, terraced gardens- Lufian as a whole is a beautiful city, often decorated with colorful flags, magic lights, flowers, and the costume shop is always open. Its people are almost always in a state of preparation for their seven most prominent holidays, and take great pride in their work, even folk from the villages nearby and outside of Æfre prepare and visit with their offerings in tow.

It seems like a fairytale dream, and it is. It’s one of the safest places in Myrrdin, let alone the entire western half of the continent. Its citizens are armed, well-trained, and willing to fight to the death to protect what they have. Although, that isn’t to say there isn’t darkness within it, within Lufian. Love can be lost as easily as it’s gained, and it’s never to be taken for granted, lest one be cursed, doomed to die- Crimes of passion, adultery, and murder happen more often than one might think, and individual vampires slip in all the time, those who would trespass against them all. There are some who would even say the Duchess is a weak ruler, too focused on the small picture to see the bigger one, questioning her rule - those people are free to have their opinions, but only insofar as they don’t cause harm. Otherwise, they’ll be killed and swiftly. She is just, but she doesn’t have much time for third or fourth chances - much to do, many people to delegate and care for. Don’t cause her any problems, she won’t even hold you prisoner.