Kingdom of Lotharingia
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The Kingdom of Lotharingia (High Imperial: Regnum Lotharii; Auvergnian: Royaume d'Lotharingie; Savoyardic: Regno di Lotaringia) was an independent human nation located around the southern part on the island of Tahn, stretching north of the Dominion of Malin, up to the Gryphon Mountains that divide Lorraine with Blackwald.
Contents
History
Pre-formation
Augustus d'Amaury (10th of the Grand Harvest, 1501 – 21st of the Grand Harvest, 1547), known as the Iron Duke in the Empire, was an Imperial noble, general and statesman. He was titled Duke of Lorraine and later Archduke of Lorraine and Kaedrin, and is the founder of House d’Amaury. He was an adviser and general in the service of the kings Olivier de Savoie and Guy de Bar and finally (And most significantly) his friend, cousin and brother-in-law, John I, Holy Orenian Emperor, serving on the latter's councils of both war and state as the acting Imperial field-marshal. Before his campaigning in the Eighteen Years' War against the dwarves, he was notorious for his controversial actions during the Dukes' War in repressing the Adrian rebels. He is considered the best general of his generation by some historians, and one of the best generals ever and is held in high regard by most former Imperials.
He is best known for his actions against the revolt of Adria in the service of Olivier de Savoie, where he repeatedly defeated the troops of Hugues Sarkozic and later rebel leaders. He is also known for the brutalities during the capture of Brelus and Barrowyk. As a reward for these military successes, he was declared ruler of the former Adrian territories, taking the title Duke of Lorraine. Though he was by birth the second son of Titus de Sola, upon his accession to the duchy he took the cadet name of d'Amaury, establishing his own, separate dynasty.
John I of Lotharingia (24th of the Grand Harvest, 1547 – 1597, formerly known as John Louis d’Amaury, was the third and posthumous son of Augustus d’Amaury. Having two older brothers, it was because of an unlikely set of circumstances that led to him becoming the Archduke of Lorraine and Kaedrin. His eldest brother Lothaire was Archduke after Augustus’ death but suffered from leprosy and consequently died because of it. His second brother Jacques was Archduke for approximately a decade before abdicating leading to John Louis becoming Archduke in 1585.
The Formation of the Kingdom
In 1593, John Louis became regally known as John I of Lotharingia, first King of Lorraine after rebelling against the Orenian Empire and his brother-in-law Philip I, Holy Orenian Emperor. He is known for joining the rebellion later than most of the other factions, but proved to tip the point decidedly in the rebellion's favor, ultimately leading to the formation of the Kingdom he led until his death in 1597.
Shortly after John d’Amaury’s death, his son Lothar I of Lotharingia arose to the throne at the age of fourteen in 1600. His tenure as King only lasted a few years until his death in the County of Ostwick after which Anna Sophia of House Horen-Preussens (formerly known as Horen-Pruvia) proclaimed herself Queen of Lotharingia, Princess of Pruvia, Duchess of Lorraine, Countess of Ostwick and Summerhall and Warden of the South, however many claimed this to be unlawful and violently opposed it. As a result of this, and because King Lothar had died in her holding, many including Lothar’s rightful heir and younger brother, Prince Philip Owyn of Lotharingia, claimed that Anna Sophia who had murdered King Lothar so that she could seize power. Ser Bruce Hornigold, former City Bailiff, affirmed this stating that he was in Ostwick at the time and had witnessed Anna Sophia murder King Lothar, which she strongly contested, publicly calling the Knight a liar.
Some time before a true civil war could brew and the armies of each faction could be properly mustered, Robert de Anjou, Count of Cleves, marched his way to Ostwick with an estimated troupe of near five-hundred men at his back. The Ashford scion had wrote personally to Anna Sophia ahead of time, citing his congratulations as well as his desire to ride out to Ostwick and swear fealty to the ‘one true Queen of Lorraine’. Anna Sophia, knowing that inevitable backlash and assault upon her lands by the loyalist forces were to come and desiring to feign all the support she could achieve for her cause, summoned Count de Anjou to Ostwick.
When the Count and his men arrived, the Queen barred Robert’s full garrison entry to the fortress, only permitting himself and one of his soldiers proper hospitality. Robert entered personally alongside Christophe Bastien le Rogue (then a humble swordsman in service to Count Robert, and now the Chief Constable of Lotharingia). Whilst Loyalist forces under the command of Ian Highwind began to rally and gather outside the gates of Ostwick, Robert undertook a holy vow of fealty before Anna Sophia and her court. The rebel queen’s brother, Frederick Augustus, took note of the forces beginning to muster outside the gates, and moved on the Count and his man in an attempt to arrest them. The Queen disagreed with her brother, however, citing that with all the time she had known him, Count Robert had always proven to be a leal and noble man. Just as Robert was permitted to exit the fortress, his true motivations and intentions for Ostwick came to light - a military coup to detain Anna Sophia, in favour of the loyalists. All at once loyalist forces swarmed through the wooden gates of Ostwick before they had time to properly close, cutting down the Queen’s meagre resistance and forcing their way into the inner courtyards of Ostwick. Upon detailed searching of the entire keep, however, the Queen and her court were nowhere to be found - it was later discovered not an hour later that Anna Sophia had managed to tactfully escape the grasp of justice by sliding down a rope tied to the balustrade walls, and the rest of her family and a small portion of her court had followed suit.
Robert de Anjou and his men were able to successfully garrison and hold Castle Ostwick for close to a day until, at midnight, the forces of Mardon swarmed about the castle - at the helm of their army rode Arthur Jrent, and at his side Frederick Augustus Horen-Preussens. Launching a counter-assault upon the fortress, the forces of Mardon and the rebels achieved what would be their only decisive triumph throughout the entire conflict, massacring much of the garrisoned loyalists and routing the survivors back to Metz. Anna Sophia was later found and killed by the Knight, Ser Bruce Hornigold, who she had denounced by striking her in the head with his axe.
Within the following year, the second son of King John and King Lothar’s heir, Philip Owyn, was assassinated in 1607. Philip Owyn d’Amaury was never crowned King due to his young age.
In the same year, 1607, the son of Jacques d’Amaury, Odo I of Lotharingia (formerly Odo d’Amaury) was crowned King after the unanimous decision of his cousin’s court. One of his first acts as King was to decide the fate of the County of Ostwick, deciding to grant it back to its original owners and builders, House Horen-Vimmark. Following this, reconstruction of the capital city of Metz began once more. By the time it was done, it was evident how much Savoyard influence had drifted into the city, as the city now very closely resembled the former capital of the Duchy of Savoy rather than the Lotharingian architecture of Metz's previous incarnations. Following this, the Kingdom of Lotharingia entered terms of relative peace, and would remain at such peace until its dissolution.
End of the Kingdom
The Kingdom of Lotharingia officially ended with the foundation of the Sixth Holy Orenian Empire. With it, the Kingdom of Lotharingia would be assimilated into the empire once more as the Archduchy of Lorraine-Kaedrin. However, this did not last long, as infighting among the members of the House of d'Amaury left the house in a severely weakened state. Following the assassination of the Archduke, none of the d'Amaury family stepped forth to take the title of archduke, and the archduchy was assimilated into the Crownlands, thus dissolving the legacy of the House of d'Amaury.
Culture and society
The Kingdom of Lotharingia revolves around the Heartlander culture, this is reflected in the appearance, language and uses of its citizens. The Kingdom of the Lotharingia prizes itself on its heritage and the notable feats and relatively quick rise of its royal house, House d’Amaury, to Archdukes and Kings within approximately the last one hundred years. The nation is not only synonymous with Heartlander culture but is also held in high regard for their militant groups and endeavours, perhaps because of their descent from the ancient noble house, House de Sola, and the houses founder Augustus d’Amaury, born a de Sola, who led the victorious loyalist forces during the Duke’s War.
Due to the mild rainy winters and hot, dry summers, resources are generally bountiful and in good stock year round. Farmers are far more common in this region than most because of the numerous fields and crops, with plenty being transported to the swamplands of the Principality of Savoy as well as having enough for the rest of the populace.
Religion
The Church of the Canon was the official religion of the kingdom.
Politics
Lotharingia was ruled by an absolute monarch, consouled by a selected privy council which advises the head on matters legal, domestic and foreign.
Geography
The provinces of Lotharingia lie on the isle of Tahn, but are segregated in two by way of physical boundaries. The Duchy of Savoy is located within the Blackwald Marsh, bordering only the Duchy of Mardon to the north, while Lorraine itself is located south of the Hesseltine mountains, and directly north of the unbridled forests of the Dominion of Malin. Passage from Savoy to Lorraine is possible only through Bandit Gorge while on land. Chambery and Ostwick provide the only accesses to the Axion sea, serving as an important transport and trade hub.
Coat of Arms
The royal blazon is as follows: Two silver horses stand vigilant, defending a green shield displaying the Golden Tree of d'Amaury.
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