Dowenshire

Dowenshire
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Goverment
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Type of Goverment	Theocracy
Head of State	High Priest of Dowenshire
Secondary Leaders	Chiefs of Dowenshire
Geography
Location	Westbridge
Capital	Placeholder
Population
Languages	High German
Demonym	Dowians
Religion	R'hllor
Races, and Ethnicity	Placeholder
Population	Placeholder

Dowenshire or The Holy Realm of Dowenshire is a large realm located in southern Thedas, and Northern Westbridge and lying as a protectorate of the Kingdom of Lucerne. The capital of Dowenshire is the town of Vowenshire of which lies along the southwestern section of the Plains of Dowenshire and near the mountains of Heathfall. The Holy Realm of Dowenshire stands on the west bank of the Rhine River where it borders many nations with it sharing a western border with Gnomer, and Lydes, while it shares a southern border with the Kingdom of Lucerne, and a northern border with the Kingdom of Noveria.

The Holy Realm of Dowenshire is a Theocracy that has formed since the victory of the R'hllor elements of Dowenshire during the Vandal Invasion of Dowenshire and while technically not accountable while they are reigning the Theocratic leadership is democratically elected by their local people and then rise from there making Dowenshire's top power base somewhat democratic.

Dowenshire is populated by two distinct groups in the form of the Salians, and the Vandals of which the Salians dominate most of the land of Dowenshire but the town of Vowenshire was changed from Dowenshire to Vowenshire due to the conquest of the town by the Vandals during the Great MIgration. Dowenshire is ruled over by the High Priest of Vowenshire and the entire goverment is largely theocratic in nature with the non-religious section of the goverment dominated by the Four Chiefs of the Plains of whom control one of the four provinces of Dowenshire each.

Dowenshire was before its independence a basically non-inhabited section of the Empire of Numeron which begin to see immigration from Salians before the Great Migration or the Downfall of Numeron. Following the Downfall of Numeron the Numenorians of Lydes attempted to take control of southern Thedas but were defeated by the Salians of Dowenshire and Noveria leading to the capture of Lydes of which would eventually gain its own Independence but remained Salian.

The Holy Realm of Dowenshire is interesting in that religously it is dominated politically by the High Temple of Dowenshire which supports R'hllor, but the actual population a majority R'hllor with a large Dragonoph minority having come to Dowenshire following the influx of Vandals during the Vandal Invasion of Dowenshire during the Great Migration.

Dowenshire was before its independence a basically non-inhabited section of the Empire of Numeron which begin to see immigration from Salians before the Great Migration or the Downfall of Numeron. Following the Downfall of Numeron the Numenorians of Lydes attempted to take control of southern Thedas but were defeated by the Salians of Dowenshire and Noveria leading to the capture of Lydes of which would eventually gain its own Independence but remained Salian. The region of Dowenshire would be converted to the worship of R'hllor by a Atlantian Priest who visited Italy attempting to convert people there but instead was converted himself and returned to Dowenshire where this charismatic priest spread the belief in R'hllor throughout Dowenshire. Dowenshire would be invaded by the Vandals during the Great Migration and while wave after waves of Vandals flooded through the majority left Dowenshire but a several thousand remained and sacked the capital of Dowenshire re-naming it Vowenshire and instigating the true start of the war known as the Vandal Invasion of Dowenshire. Dowenshire would become involved in the Council of Heathfall and they would move heavily to the side of the Kingdom of Lucerne following the agreement by the Lucernians led by Edmure Tully that the religion of R'hllor would be protected within Dowenshire.

Geography

Political Geography

The Holy Realm of Dowenshire stands on the west bank of the Rhine River where it borders many nations with it sharing a western border with Gnomer, and Lydes, while it shares a southern border with the Kingdom of Lucerne, and a northern border with the Kingdom of Noveria.

History

Early History

Dowenshire was before its independence a basically non-inhabited section of the Empire of Numeron which begin to see immigration from Salians before the Great Migration or the Downfall of Numeron. Following the Downfall of Numeron the Numenorians of Lydes attempted to take control of southern Thedas but were defeated by the Salians of Dowenshire and Noveria leading to the capture of Lydes of which would eventually gain its own Independence but remained Salian.

Conversion to R'hllor

The region of Dowenshire would be converted to the worship of R'hllor by a Atlantian Priest who visited Italy attempting to convert people there but instead was converted himself and returned to Dowenshire where this charismatic priest spread the belief in R'hllor throughout Dowenshire.

Vandal Invasion of Dowenshire

Main Article : The Great Migration

Dowenshire would be invaded by the Vandals during the Great Migration and while wave after waves of Vandals flooded through the majority left Dowenshire but a several thousand remained and sacked the capital of Dowenshire re-naming it Vowenshire and instigating the true start of the war known as the Vandal Invasion of Dowenshire.

Council of Heathfall

Council of Heathfall
You can stand alone, and join an evil people corrupted by darkness or...or you can join with us. I don't come here to threaten you. I don't come here to make demands. I come here because my King is tired of these monsters running around doing whatever they want. Today you can make a decision to stop them. Stop them here.

Powers of Southern Thedas
Name	Leader	Powerbase
Kingdom of Noveria	Florian Orlais	Large army, and a sizeable population match a heavily defended kingdom.
Gnomer	Gelbin Mekkatorque	Large army, and population alongside one of the most technologically advanced people in the continent.
Dowenshire	Gran Reville	Medium sized army with large population of which is spread out in the plains of Dowenshire.
Heathfall	Dran Arryn	Large army supported by immense Lucerne forces, alongside large population.
Lydes	Tylor Griggs	Small army, with a large population, but a large navy and influencial control over the large kingdom of Anderfells, and extremely wealthy
Kingdom of Anderfells	Anders Feron	Very large army, with a large population, no navy, and very poor of which forces its reliance upon the Franks of Lydes.

“Following the Invasion of Westbridge the entire south of Thedas was something we wanted to get closer to. It was either we put them in our sphere or wait until Tevinter, or Germania placed them in their own.”
— William Lovie III.

Following the Invasion of Westbridge and the collapse of the House Malfoy control base north of Westbridge the power brokers of southern Thedas would begin to realign themselves with an eye for Lucerne and away from Tevinter. With House Arryn of Heathfall as the leadership caste of Heathfall they had been members of the Kingdom of Lucerne in everything but name, but preceding the Invasion of Westbridge Heathfall was finally made a member and took a heavy role within the Invasion of Westbridge. Dowenshire would become the target of Lucerne due to its power and position and to secure it Edmure Tully a R'hllor Knight, and Edmund Blackwood would travel to Dowenshire in order to try and convince the Theocracy there to join Lucerne. Edmure Tully, and Edmund Blackwood would arrive in the town of Dowenshire with a contingent of Riverland lords including a healthy mix of R'hllor knights, and Dragon Knights, and were treated well by the Dowenshire Theocracy due mainly to their mistreatment by the forces of the Deatheaters of whom had reacted violently to their defeat at Westbridge by massacring many villages on their way north into Tevinter. Using the hatred of the Dowenshire Theocracy of the Deatheaters to their advantage they were able to convince the Theocratic leadership of Dowenshire to support the Kingdom of Lucerne in return for their retaining their religious independence. Due to this Dowenshire, and Heathfall were already all but members of the Kingdom of Lucerne, while the Kingdom of Noveria, and Gnomer were powerful and had independent ideas but also wanted an alliance to assist in defending themselves against the encroachment of The Empire, or Tevinter. Noveria in particular stood right on the doorstep of the Empire of Tevinter and was already seeing a dramatic rise in the number of Tevinter troops amassing on the borders with them without any sign of diplomats coming with them.

Assassination in Hossberg

Main Article : Tevinter Assassinations in Hossberg

“I want you to take some men and go to Hossberg. The Grand Prince of Lydes is travelling to Hossberg. I want you to make sure that the King of Anderfells and the Prince stop breathing.”
— Thomas Malfoy

The city of Lydes, and its dependent Kingdom of Anderfells would also become intertwined after the Tevinter diplomat Cho-Ninimdor Narthriel arrived in the Kingdom of Dole's capital of Inrathous and met with the king of Anderfells son Anders Feron. The meeting would go well enough with Anders being open to improving relations with Tevinter but then collapsed completely following a conversation between Ninimdor and Marik Feron the eldest son of Prince Anders where in Ninimdor let slip the further desire of Tevinter to expand into Thedas and more specifically Lydes. Following this argument Diplomat Ninimdor returned to Tevinter and relayed the now broken relationship, but downplayed his role in this instead blaming Prince Anders for the break down. Following this High Archon Thomas Malfoy would send an elite force of Death Eaters to the Anderfells in order to ambush and kill the Anderfells leadership as well as the Grand Prince of Lydes who had traveled to Hossberg to meet with the King of Anderfells. Arriving in the Anderfells capital of Hossberg it was the Deatheaters who used the meetings of Lydes and Anderfells to ambush both parties and during this ambush they would kill Marik Feron, and his wife while also maiming the face of Anders Feron who survived only due to the arrival of Grand Prince Tylor Griggs and his elite Personal Guard instigating a skirmish in the palace. During this skirmish most of the Deatheaters were killed, while Tylor Griggs was injured quite badly and dozens of guards killed but Anders Feron survived the attempted killing. Following the interrogation of the surviving Deatheaters it was discovered to be a part of a larger plot and with all this evidence the border was closed with Tevinter and while war was not declared the two nations would be in a state of near war.

“They killed my son. Your Dragon King promices me vengeance on those who made the order that killed my beloved son and I will join you.”
— Anders Feron

Anders Feron would thus arrive in Heathfall and without really anyone having to communicate to him about moving forward he gave the distinct impression to Dran Arryn that he and his family wanted and desired two things in the form of revenge for the murder of Marik Feron, and for the Lucernians to assist them in getting Viola Feron back from her holding in Tevinter. Dran Arryn would be the one that was finally able to bring everyone together when he was able to have everyone send representatives to Heathfall for what people came to call the Council of Heathfall. The meeting would take place in the large town of Heathfall only three months following the death of Marik Feron, and six months following the Coup of Tevinter, and the Lucernians would send the Labeouf's, Starke's as well as Saiden Scarlet and a party of his people, while the leaders of all the nations came to Heathfall outside of Lydes of which Tylor Griggs was still recuperating from the injury he had suffered during the Tevinter ambush on the Anderfells capital of Hossberg, and thus instead sent his son Bylor Griggs of whom would act as the Lord of Lydes during the meeting.

“I had never seen a Gnome before. I had seen Dwarves of Lucerne. Elves of the Forest and Ulthuan. Orcs at Tree Hill. A dead Goblin body in Lucerne. A ratman corpse in Lorderon. But I had never seen a Gnome. Seemed like a short human to me.”
— Saiden Scarlet

The Gnomes of Gnomer were the second last group to arrive and led by their High King Gelbin Mekkatorque it would be Saiden Scarlet, and Robb Starke that would meet them at the gates of Heathfall and had a long talk with both the king and Silas Nonu. The Gnome King had brought Silas Nonu alongside Tinken Cogbonk, Fimbus Puddlefizz, and Ressa Beddlespark alongside some thirty Gnomish soldiers of whom would act as his guards of sorts but Tinken Cogbonk would accompany Silas Nonu to speak to Robb Starke, and Saiden Scarlet out of the ears of the guards of both groups. The four would discuss how the Gnomes would side with Lucerne during the council, but they also said that there assistance to the alliance would be minimal as they were fighting a war in their capital of which they had finally turned the tides on.

Anna Orlais II. would be one of the many noble daughters of Southern Thedas that would be married off, or betrothed following the Council of Heathfall in order to further alliances.

The four would discuss the Gnomer invention of underwater boats of which could move men, and supplies without risk of being caught by defending ships, and this was something both Saiden, and Robb Starke needed to be brought to the attention of the King of Lucerne, and made Silas Nonu not discuss the offer with anyone else until the King had heard. Eventually there discussion ended and they were forced to attend the overall meeting with the rest of the group where they found Eddard Starke already beginning the discussion. The final group to arrive at Heathfall was the forces of the Kingdom of Noveria of whom arrived in heavy numbers and influence with the king himself coming to Heathfall accompanied by nearly five hundred men, two of his five council members, and the princess of Noveria also came in the form of Anna Orlais II. of whom he was ready to marry off to further strengthen any alliance he might make while in Heathfall. The Noverian forces were met by Shia Labeouf and his beloved Meghanna of whom took them towards the Heathfall Keep where the meetings would take place and during this time the Noverian King showed himself to also be very hateful towards the forces of Tevinter.

“We were the obvious choice in terms of who was going to care more about their people, but sometimes fear overstates common sence. Sometimes people are so afriad of something that they will bow before it. That fear might have allowed Tevinter to control southern Thedas but instead Lord Voldermorte attacked Anderfells and lost himself that fear. Hate is a stronger emotion that fear.”
— Saiden Scarlet

One of the main things discussed during the council was what there strategy was going to be to resisting the might of Tevinter if the conflict did come to a head. Noveria would be struck heavily as well as the Anderfells, and for that reason it was decided that Noveria would be heavily fortified against attack, and at the same time they were going to send a large troop of the Order of the Grey Dragon to rebuild several of the fortresses of northern Anderfells for the coming attacks. Lydes was prepared to finance much of the rebuild of northern Anderfells under the condition that Lucerne name them an Arch Duke within their kingdom and they became the head of the State that would be created north of Westbridge. This was heavily argued amongst the table, but eventually Dran Arryn was willing to accept this for a position of Grand Lord and lordship over his own province, as well as becoming the vassal of House Lovie over House Griggs. By this point the news was coming southward of how violent northern Tevinter was becoming due to the rising cult falling behind the Deatheaters, and this alone would scare all those assembled at the council to their shared cooperation in regards to defending against Tevinter.

Goverment

Dowenshire is ruled over by the High Priest of Vowenshire and the entire goverment is largely theocratic in nature with the non-religious section of the goverment dominated by the Four Chiefs of the Plains of whom control one of the four provinces of Dowenshire each.

The High Temple of Dowenshire