Look yonder. Somewhere beyond the sunset, in the far reaches of a great Empire, lay a land of flowered plains and green hills, with great rushing rivers where towers of dark stone rise amidst magnificent grey-blue mountains. Travel there, to Rahlmont, where each mann walks the path he chooses, and has that what he makes for himself.

OOC Introduction:

About myself: I am a pledged Count, having upgraded later on, but overall I am a long time supporter of this game and I've been involved in the community while closely following the development process. Myself being a fan of MMOs for the most part of my life, I enjoy getting engaged in roleplay and creating unique content with others. Specifically in this game, I have been helping out with the leadership of my Duchy, Terenia. There, I have been running a Barony with a few people helping me, but now we have decided upon a bigger and more bold direction. Rahlmont and its concept are meant as a mere extension to the good work we've done over there, and which we continue to expand on over time.

About the project: The intended purpose of this fiefdom is, first and foremost, striving to provide a community tool to foster roleplay in the Duchy of Terenia and beyond. A lot of people in this game have been wondering how they will find meaningful and high quality RP when there is no RP server, and we hope to be the answer they are looking for (one of many, I hope). Our aim is to be an open, welcoming and tolerant community. One of mature and respectful adults, where we share responsibility for maintaining the well-being of our group through our conduct, self-moderation and helping others to support what we are creating. This game, more than any before, promises to bring with it a level of immersion rarely seen before. It will be exciting to see the many different things players choose to be in Elyria, and I hope that people's individual characters and unique arcs will be interwoven into a gripping tale that everyone can choose to be a part of. The general rule of the County is that we do not demand roleplay from those residing there, but we ask everyone to be respectful and not disrupt the RP of others.

The County of Rahlmont:

Rahlmont has, through the ages, always been a vital part of Terenia. The chivalrous values they uphold are adjacent with the virtues they hold dear, and the folk there are well respected for these traits. Since Terenia became part of the Demalion Empire, rule over the County has been given to House Layne. Its current head, Count Grenric Layne, is a loyal servant to Duke Liacan of Terenia and currently holds the position of his regent. He is also sworn in as a military commander in his County, and has vowed to protect the peace by upholding the Duke's laws. Though the Duchy itself is currently embroidered in a bloody conflict, with its ruling lords divided into two factions, Rahlmont and its strongholds stand united on the side of the Duke and fights against the opposing forces that would wish to see him removed. It's hard to say what the future will bring, but upon asuming his position, Count Layne made a promise to his people and the vassal lords, that they will continue to prosper, with justice served and the realm and its people never trampled on.

Scenery: Rahlmont is placed on the lower level of a mountain complex in the the Duchy's southern parts. Trees of pine and old oak make up the bulk of forests that blanket the area known as the Highterran Mountain Valley, and it contains a variety of wildlife - from flower cup porcupines and chipmunks to cannis rabbits and otters bears. The people there have built settlements across the landscape - from small hamlets to larger towns where trade caravans come through on the way to Tenarath. Atop one of the cliffs on the mountain, lies a big fortress made out of grey stone - Watcher's Rock of Rahlmont, the seat of House Layne. Furthern down, by the foot of the mountain, lies the Barony of Vandemar, erected next to the emerald blue lake of Aelin. There the Baron Gaius Uriel Sigismund upholds his garrison and protects the nearby farmers and villagers. On the opposite side along the long flowing river Stehr, the sprawling, gated town of Marscheck is built surrounding the towering castle of Verdarcragg. The town is a popular destination for merchants, and is protected by Lord Zandyl Latos and his men. In the three strongholds of the County, one will find the most capable combatans and knights the realm has to offer. (( It is early to predict the exact biome we will choose, but expect it follow along the lines of this description. ))

Tribes and Customs: The lands of Terenia have always been those of rich culture, where one can find a variety of inhabitants from different tribes. The southern parts have, for a large part, been settled by Neran and so is the County of Rahlmont. Thus it is largerly centered around the Neran culture, and embraces its ways, their social structure and most of all their religious doctrine. Though other tribes are not uncommon in these parts either, mainly the Hrothi who are seen as allies by the citizens due to their Virtori faith, and valued for their skills in smithing. But also Brudvir had settled the area in times yore, closer to the Highterran Mountains where Íngíshorn, a towm of hunters and tanners had been formed by the Darachárd clan. Though they had not adapted their faith or much of their customs, they had lived in peace with each other throughout Rahlmont's history.

Governance: Since Grenric Layne has been granted the lands of Rahlmont by the Duke, he has been actively working with his fellow vassal lords to restore the County to the former glory it had before the Duchy went into a civil war. It was no easy task, but they started by opening up the lands and making them more welcoming to new settlers and refugees fleeing from the conflicts taking place. The Count leases parcels of his lands to everyone willing to live in accordance of the law and the ways of the people. As Lord of Watcher's Rock he oversees the military in his County, but nonetheless he works hard to build up the infrastructure. To both create roads and keep them safe, to see that trade flows through the settlements and our natural resources are best utilized. The Count and his lords are of a conviction that securing the people of Rahlmont an honest living with a fair day's wage can ensure the towns, keeps and settlements working together for each other's well being. That way, prosperity can ultimately be achieved.

The Inner Circle: For the system that has been put into place to work, it is important for the people that make out the social fabric of this County to see eye to eye on the key aspects of governing it. Therefore the Count has assembled his inner circle to consult in such manners, and make sure that each voice is heard. Its members will, for the larger part, be the Lords whose settlements have been granted the status of township and accepted as aristocrats of the Empire, but in some cases also village elders that hold a certain amount of sway in their region. And they talk about how to best ensure a just rule. They always strive to agree on a reasonable and low rate of levies to be paid, and how to offer incentives for individuals that create rather than destroy, for them to grow out their towns and grow out their businesses. It is important for there to be a constructive discussion, because growth can only be achieved when we achieve common ground and choose the best direction for ourselves.

Rahlmont's History:

Rahlmont is an old County in the northern parts of the Demalion Empire. A few days ride south of Tenarath, the capital of the Duchy, where dense alpine forests give way to towns and fields with sprawling farmlands. By the Highterran Mountains, a mountain pass is leading from the south into the heart of Terenia. The people that live here now have been known to guard the pass from northern invaders, settling the region in times yore. It is hard to pinpoint the exact time and date of those migrations, but it happened around the year 500 of the fourth era, when a great Kingdom had risen and conquered the lands and their surrounding area. It was called Zygethia, and the Coshall dynasty that ruled over it was the first to unite those parts under their ruled. Change was brought forth, and instead of the native's former ways of barbarity the Coshall Kings introduced a more stringent social structure with lords, vassals and fiefs. It was then, that the current Count's forefathers were granted rule over Watcher's Rock - one of the three strongholds, it was towering over Rahlmont, making the Laynes one of the oldest houses to lay claim on that land. A common tale they love to pass on to their kin is that of Darian Layne, a noble and valiant knight, who was first to scale the walls when the stronghold was under siege, cutting his way through numbers of the mountain clans that controlled the area prior to Zygethia's conquest. He took the Rock from them, and had to hold it for 30 days during a harsh winter before the remainder of the Kingdom's forces had reached them. For that impressive feat he had been named as the newly styled Lord of Watcher's Rock, and Count of Rahlmont.

The Laynes had seized control over the area, and managed to keep it for well over a century. Yet that could not remain forever in the ever changing landscape. Most scholars of history will claim that even the greatest of Kingdoms will one day come to an end, and in the case of Zygethia that time was marked when it began growing too large for its own good. The ruling class became divided into factions that were in conflict with each other more often than not. And the disputes would range from petty quarrels to blood feuds over the possession of land. All it took was one incompetent ruler to spark the flames of rebellion, and such was the case in the year 650 when all the great houses of Zygethia denounced their fealty to the current sovereign. With little to no support, he was quickly overthrown and saw his realm carved into pieces that were being fought over by his own nobles. In Rahlmont, this meant war. And that which one Layne had previously gained, another had lost. At that time, the lands of Terenia and its neighboring Duchies were seized by the armies of House Romaria, but the folk there were not accepting of its new rulers. Count Daeron Layne, known by his auspices as the Stone Owl, was one of the first to fight back against the Romarian invaders. His most well known and impressive feat was defending Watcher's Rock in a siege that is reported to have lasted for months. This gained him some renown among the names of his great House, but ultimately the war was lost and Watcher's Rock yielded to the Romarians. It was so, that House Layne saw itself removed from power, with the Stone Owl fleeing into exile. Thus, in the middle of spring in the year 700, a new nation was born - The Romarian Empire.

Many will agree that the Romarian Empire was but an Empire only in name. As throughout its reign, which lasted a hundred years, none of the rulers could ever see that vision through and their so called Empire never expanded beyond its initially gained territory. It was a failed state, and could never sustain itself or defend its borders from larger forces. What was perhaps worst of all for the Romarian was that their citizens had started to reject them. A strong sense of national awakening could be seen amongs the citizens, and movements for independence were flaming all across the individual Duchies. All of those tensions were certain to once more go down the path of conflict. War was imminent in the year 804, when the people of Terenia proclaimed themselves an independent nation and crowned Demiqas Liacan as its King, a strong voice for reform from the old Romarian ways. Fortunately for him, the current ruling Lord of Romaria was naught but a child of fifteen, and quickly disappeared after he realized everyone was against him in this. Yet there were some of the Lords that wished for the Empire to remain, and for that to be fruitful they first needed to defeat Liacan and Terenia. It was civil war. A war that still plagues the land to this day, but Demiqas Liacan managed to liberate parts of Terenia by winning the battle for its capital, Tenarath. After that a good amount of his lands were restored to old supporters of his cause - such was the case for Rahlmont, which had once again found itself under the rule of House Layne, and is currently led by its head - Grenric.

Count Layne works actively with Liacan and his fellow abettors to free Terenia of those that don't wish to see it. In their struggle they had found a new and unexpected ally, a great Empire that was rising in the south-east. An Emperor who called himself Vaizer was conquering the lands of the Demalion Peninsula, and his was a real Empire. Through sheer diplomacy Demiqas reached a concession with this Emperor, that Terenia would submit and once more be a Duchy under this new Demalion Empire, as long as they were to remain rule over it. The terms were agreed upon, and some Demalion troops were sent north to defend the settlements under Terenian control, guarding those that could not defend themselves while the Duke and his banners are away, fighting off the remainder of the Romarian loyalists. A more stable future is what they are fighting for, a long lasting peace appears to be just over the horizon. Still this story is far from over, as much has to be done to achieve that peace.

Settlements:

• Watcher's Rock of Rahlmont - The Seat of House Layne
• Barony of Vandemar - The Seat of House Sigismund
• Chiefdom of Íngíshorn - Ruled by Clan Darachárd
• Township of Kestral - Ruled by Mayor Alessandra of Kestral

Organizations:

• The County of Rahlmont - Guilds & Organizations Thread.
• The Rahlmonty Army - A military guild protecting ours and neighboring Counties.

Lore:

• The County of Rahlmont - Lore & Culture Thread.
• The Rebirth of Terenia - A Story from the Civil War.

Disclaimer:

This thread is meant to give people who might be interested in the idea of Rahlmont a general grasp on what we are trying to achieve. While the core concept will of course remain in tact, it is fair to acknowledge that this early in the game (especially prior to land selection) a lot of this is still subject to change and the thread may require adjustments. In extreme cases, even smaller re-writes to certain sections.

Contact:

• The Duchy of Terenia - Discord
• The Rahlmont County RP Discord

Kind regards!

-Count Grenric Layne.