Lydes is a large city State located in southern Thedas where it is semi-independant despite its proximity to many large kingdoms. Lydes holds a massive level of control over the massive Kingdom of Anderfells of which they give economic aid to in return for protection militarily and a level of political control over the Anderfells direction. The City State of Lydes is dominated by the Salians of whom fled their original home of Noveria for Lydes after there was a conflict between the leadership of the Lydes sect of the Salians. Lydes is controlled by a group called the Six of whom are made up of the Six most powerful Merchant families in lydes, and have historically been dominted by House Griggs the richest of the Six.
Lydes is famous somewhat for the city having invented the Deck of Cards of which has become a popular game throughout Europe, and the designs were made after the six powerful merchant Lords of Lydes.
Lydes was first founded as a trading center by the Empire of Numeron and during this time it was a small town meant to act as a middleground between the main population of the plains of Westros, and the popultion of Tevinter. Following the collapse of the Empire of Numeron the area would remain loyal to Arnor, but this loyalty ended when the town was sacked by Salians from the northwest of whom put the Atlantians to the sword, or sent them away leaving none behind.
History[]
Early History[]
Lydes was first founded as a trading center by the Empire of Numeron and during this time it was a small town meant to act as a middleground between the main population of the plains of Westros, and the popultion of Tevinter. Following the collapse of the Empire of Numeron the area would remain loyal to Arnor, but this loyalty ended when the town was sacked by Salians from the northwest of whom put the Atlantians to the sword, or sent them away leaving none behind.
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. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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
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.
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.
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[]
Lydes follows a mixed government model, combining monarchy in the Grand Prince, aristocracy in the senate and in the major council, and a democracy in the Lydes Assembly.
Grand Prince of Lydes[]
Council of Lydes[]
Lydes is controlled by a group called the Six of whom are made up of the Six most powerful Merchant families in lydes, and have historically been dominted by House Griggs the richest of the Six. Each of the six have historically taken a color with the black of House Griggs signifying there dominance at the top while the other colors signifying how close to the top of the power you had reached, with duels being fought and much death to gain control of a color.
Name | Lord | Heir | Color |
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House Griggs | Tylor Griggs | Bylor Griggs | Black |
House Yelleria | Red | ||
House Yartensia | Blue |
Demographics[]
Ethnicity[]
The City State of Lydes is dominated by the Salians of whom fled their original home of Noveria for Lydes after there was a conflict between the leadership of the Lydes sect of the Salians.
Ethnicity | Share of Population |
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Salians | 96% |
Other | 4% |