Duchy of Lithayne

Overview

As the last gleaming ember of the fallen Orséllian Empire, the Duchy of Lithayne stands proud among the "Li-Ve-Ly" kingdoms along the western shores where Arboria and Empyrion blur. Rooted in ancient traditions of honor, chivalry, and elegance, Lithayne basks in the warm light of Sol, nestled on the sunny side of the Valpine Mountains. Its temperate climate brings warm summers and mild winters, while its verdant fields stretch from the sea to the mountain's foot, dotted with vineyards and storybook villages where Elven grace meets rustic charm, angelic architecture blending seamlessly with nature. Here, the Elancir remain truly free.

Once isolated, shunned by their Vallarei kin for embracing the Faith of Light over the old Nine, and harried by Human incursions from the north, Lithayne endured. From the Great Migrations to the Heimer Incursions, the duchy held firm. When in the north, The Light helped unify feuding peoples into the realm of Veyrun, Lithayne looked on in awe. The miraculous peace resonated with its ideals, and the faith swiftly took root, championed by the Duchess herself. With newfound kinship in northern realms such as Lynora and Sturmgard, Lithayne gained steadfast allies to counter the rising expansionism of the Vallerian Empire.

To the east, Lithayne's coastal flatlands embrace the Gulf of Dacia, eventually giving way to Empyrion’s broader plains. These lands, once being Orséllian, still house many Elancir who dream of a reborn Orsélle. These rebels, known as the Orséllian Resistance, still worship their own gods and back their own claimant to the old crown. Opportunistic and fervent, they remain loosely tied to Lithayne, but not truly aligned.

Government

The Duchy

The Duchy of Lithayne is an absolute monarchy, ruled by a crown duke or duchess who holds supreme authority over law and governance, and serves as commander-in-chief of the nation's armies. Steeped in a legacy of chivalry, the ruling dynasty is known for its fair and just hand, guided by enduring ideals of honor, fairness, and virtue. Trade and travel within the realm remain open and unburdened, with the national guard maintaining peace rather than enforcing fear. In defiance of Vallerian meddling in the past, the duchy enacted reforms to permit female inheritance, securing its sovereignty and ensuring the continuity of its own bloodline on its own terms.

Ruling Dynasty

Duchess Seréline du Lysvair was born into a house of fading traditions, yet she emerged as a radiant symbol of a renewed Lithayne. It was her mother's young niece, spirited, devout, and bold, who first brought The Light into the ducal court. Captivated by the niece's unshakable faith and moved by her quiet strength, Seréline's mother embraced the doctrine, and in time, so did Seréline herself. Raised amid poems and pageantry, yet schooled in both diplomacy and arms, Seréline ascended the throne during a pivotal era. Lithayne had just joined the Pact of Light, and she vowed to be its steadfast torchbearer, adopting the solemn mantle of Protector of Lithayne.

Though nurtured in elegance, Seréline is no stranger to confrontation. She has crushed usurpers and shattered raiding bands with the same resolve as she delivers measured decrees from her rose-adorned throne. Her beauty is said to rival the sunlit vineyards of her homeland, her poise as effortless as the sea breeze. Yet her grace is not weakness, it is tempered with the iron will of a ruler beloved by her people, feared by her enemies, and revered as the living embodiment of honor and resolve.

Geography

Of the three so-called "Lively Kingdoms", Lithayne sits farthest to the south. It is a land of gentle warmth and natural beauty, cradled between the Jagged Sea to the west and the towering Valpine Mountains to the east. These mountains not only shelter Lithayne from the cooler climates of the north, but also gift the duchy with fertile valleys, and crisp alpine breezes.

Stretching from the Vallerian Straits in the south to the Highlands of Veyrun in the north, Lithayne’s lands are a patchwork of flowering meadows, sprawling vineyards, and golden wheat fields. Olive groves and lavender-lined roads wind through gentle slopes, while quaint Elven villages shimmer with marble fountains and sun-warmed stucco. The sea laps gently against its southeastern shores, wrapping around the nation and feeding bustling ports with trade opportunity.

Central to Lithayne’s charm are its serene lakes, vine-covered hills, and immaculate roads that meander between peaceful rural hamlets and elegant hilltop estates. It is a realm painted in soft hues, like sunset gold, forest green, and vineyard purple, steeped in Elven grace but shaped by a spirit of resilience and pride.

At the duchy’s heart flows the River Allura, a lifeline of glistening silver that nourishes the surrounding lands. On its serene banks rises the capital city of Du'claire, crowned by the royal palace, a beacon of Elven artistry and noble heritage.

People & Culture

The Elancir of Lithayne are a proud and elegant people, steeped in tradition and grace. Their culture holds honor, courtesy, and artistic expression in the highest regard, values woven into every aspect of daily life. From their flowing script and gilded tapestries to their formal duels and songs of lineage, the Elancir maintain an identity that prizes refinement without extravagance. Poetry and storytelling are cherished as living history, and nobility is measured not only by blood, but by the poise and wisdom with which one carries themselves.

Though their ways are ancient, the Elancir of Lithayne remain spirited and deeply connected to their land. They cultivate harmony between nature and settlement, villages set among flowering vineyards, bridges wrapped in ivy, and roads lined with silver poplars. Their love for festivals is well known, especially their grand carnivals and masked soirées, where artistry, costume, and music weave into spectacles of joy and mystery. Magic is subtle and ornamental: illusions to inspire, enchantments to calm, and charms to preserve. While they share blood and heritage with their kin across the border in Valleria, the Elancir of Lithayne are distinct in their warmth, humility, and poise, a genteel nobility that flows as naturally as wine from their vineyards.

Religion

The guiding faith of Lithayne is the Faith of Light, a radiant creed that aligns seamlessly with the Elancir ideals of grace, balance, and moral clarity. In Lithayne, the Light is not merely worshipped, it is lived. It represents the eternal pursuit of inner harmony, the uplifting of others through kindness, and the illumination of the soul through wisdom and virtue. To walk in the Light is to act with dignity, compassion, and courage, even in the face of hardship.

Among the Lithaynian Elancir, the Faith of Light is embraced as both a spiritual path and a cultural pillar. Its principles, clarity of thought, gentleness of spirit, and unity in purpose, resonate deeply with the realm’s refined chivalric tradition. Temples are airy, ivy-draped sanctuaries filled with light and music, and its clergy often double as scholars, healers, and arbiters of honor. Magic, far from being feared, is regarded as a divine gift, an extension of one’s essence that, when wielded with grace and discipline, uplifts the world. Thus, many among the faithful are spellcasters who blend divine and Arcane traditions in service to the Light’s enduring grace.

Military

Doctrine

Lithayne’s military doctrine is rooted in the traditions of honor-bound warfare, where skill, discipline, and grace in battle are held above brute strength. Warfare is not seen as a crude necessity but as a noble calling, an art performed by those trained from youth in swordplay, sorcery, and strategy. Lithaynian forces value precision strikes, elite unit cohesion, and battlefield decorum. Their commanders emphasize tactics that minimize collateral damage, seeking victory with elegance rather than overwhelming force. Magical support is seamlessly woven into every operation, often used for shielding allies, controlling the battlefield, or dazzling and disorienting the enemy.

Specialties

Lithayne boasts some of the finest Arcane-knights in the world, warriors clad in light-reflecting armor, skilled in both sword and spell. These warrior-mages channel magic through honed martial discipline, casting illusions to confuse, barriers to defend, and searing bolts of radiant magic to strike foes. Cavalry is also a central pillar of the Duchy’s strength: noble-bred horses, adorned in gilded barding, ridden by heavily trained knights who strike like lances of light across the field. While not numerous, Lithaynian forces are elite and mobile, capable of adapting quickly and holding their ground against far larger hosts. Their battle standards and banners are often enchanted, casting morale-boosting auras across allied lines.

Navy

Lithayne’s navy is modest in size but of exceptional quality. Crafted by Elven shipwrights and often enchanted for speed or stealth, their vessels are sleek and swift, used more for patrolling coastal trade and escorting dignitaries than for open war. Their naval doctrine emphasizes evasion, boarding actions, and magical interference, with warships equipped with mages who can calm storms, blind enemy lookouts, or veil their approach in shimmering fog.

Air

Lithayne lacks a dedicated aerial corps, with no airships, flying beasts, or skyborne siegecraft. However, what it lacks in airborne might it compensates with weather-magic and defensive wards. Skilled mages stationed at watchtowers or atop battlements can manipulate storms, veil skies in radiant illusions, or stir up sudden crosswinds, making it treacherous for enemy flyers to approach. Though vulnerable to extended aerial assaults, Lithayne has proven surprisingly difficult to bully from above.