Ardoragh
| Golden Province of Ardoragh | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Capital | Alralysva |
| Official languages |
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| Ethnic groups |
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| Demonym | Kythiran / Ardoraghi |
| Government | Semi-Independent Provincial Government |
• Emperor | Coetzeeclan Viromaro |
• High-Lord of Ardoragh | Whazajottom Von Roterstein |
| Legislature | Mörkren Statehouse |
| Council of Dukes | |
| House of Lords | |
| Establishment | |
• Settlement of Morkren | Minecraftian Dark Ages |
• Consolidation into the Kythiran Empire | Third Era |
| Currency | Kythiran Florynts (F) |
Ardoragh, formally the Kythiran Kingdom of Ardoragh, is a Kingdom within the Empire of Kythira. It lays in the western realms of the Kythiran Empire and is, as one of The Big Three, one of the largest regions of the Kythiran Empire.
Originally Ardoragh consisted of a small area of land around Alralysva, about equal in size of the Kingdom of Camuria. After the Treaty of Solleria, which made Ardoragh a formal part of the Kythiran Empire, Ardoragh began a massive expansion through a combination of diplomacy for the northern expansion and conquest in the south, aided by a massive injection of capital into the new region by Kythira’s elite, support from the experienced Kythiran Legions, as well as through getting access to the extremely profitable trade with the what was at the time the Imperius Reich.
History
The Kingdom of Ardoragh has a long history of oral legends and myths, focused on the ancient Fortress of Mörkren. This fortress, long abandoned, was first discovered during the late Third Era by colonists from the Kingdom of Redstonia. However the location was deemed too remote to be worthy of full colonisation, and it remained abandoned during the rest of the Third Era.
During the Minecraftian Dark Ages, when the Kingdom of Redstonia became threatened by raiders and warlords, King Von Roterstein decided that they should leave Redstonia for a chance to build a new home in a location as far away from the chaos of the Dark Ages as possible. With a formidable fortress already being presented and no local tribes that would be able to offer much resistance, the choice was made that this fortress will become the new home for the remaining population of Redstonia.
The Redstonians were first met with apprehension by the local tribes, but the northern Villmark Tribe was welcoming of the strangers, offering them food and supplies. Soon, trade began to occur, with the Redstonian craftsmen and scholars helping the Villmarks in exchange for growing quantities of supplies. The Villmark Tribe would in turn ask the few Redstonian soldiers who survived the Great Grief to assist in defending themselves against the very hostile southern tribes, such as the Morder Tribe, the Kutthalsen Peoples and the Kvelere Tribe.
Eventually, as trade continued to blossom, people from the Villmark Tribe began moving into Mörkren, Redstonian men began marrying Villmark women, and vice versa, and soon Mörkren became too small to house the growing population. Thus began the construction of the city of Alralysva around Mörkren, once called many years later the Jewel of the West by a member of House Viromaro. House Ulv, the most prominent noble family in Ardoragh, only surpassed by House Von Roterstein, are descendants from the Villmark Tribe.
The city's first landmark was a great cathedral, dedicated to the Villmarkian goddess Lys, the goddess of Wisdom. Under the cathedral a great library was formed, which would house all knowledge of the Kingdom of Redstonia and the House of Roterstein amassed during the Second and First Era respectively. Tall, strong walls were erected around the city, to protect it from attacks from the southern tribes.
In order to feed and supply this city, some lands around Alralysva was annexed. Few hostilities were met during this expansion, and the Redstonians stopped their expansion when reaching the coast of the Mediori Sea. There, King Von Roterstein received the news that the City of Redstonia, with whom they had lost all communications for some years, had fallen to the warlords that roamed Terrantique. Realizing this, the Council of Elders convened in Mörkren, where they formally ended the Kingdom of Redstonia, and began the Kingdom of Ardoragh. The name coming from two Villmark words, Ardor, for New, and Ragh, for Hope.
In the final days of the Minecraftian Dark Ages, scouts from the newly formed Kythiran Empire arrived from the Narrow Sea, expecting the same tribes they had slaughtered and conquered in the lands preceding it.
Culture
The culture of Ardoragh is greatly influenced by their heritage of being descendants from the ancient Kingdom of Redstonia. Redstonia being known for their fine engineering during the Second Era, especially in regards to cannons. With the establishment of cities like Kreonix and Yrticil, the Ardoraghi Kythirans became expert ship builders, making some of the finest ships of the Kythiran Empire, forming the Vestlig Sea Fleet and the Dodehavet Sea Fleet, which are important parts of the Kythiran Imperial Navy.
Although far removed from the wealthiest regions of the Empire, the Ardoraghi Kythirans generally live decent lives within the boundaries of their province. Part of their large fleet doubles as fishing vessels, and allows for the Ardoraghi diet to consist mainly of fish and grains, with the occasional cookie on sundays. These “Rotersteiners”, cookies infused with honey, a famous Ardoraghi delicacy, are presented as small gifts from the High Lord to the populace once every week, and can be retrieved from most town halls.
The Ardoraghi Kythirans are treated with some suspicion both inside the other Kythiran provinces as well as outside of the Empire, although they are free to travel throughout the country. As the House Von Dragestein was not a signatory party at the Pardoning of Von Roterstein, Kythirans that live in Ardoragh are prohibited from entering the Imperius Reich. A limited amount of Ardoraghi ships have access to the Imperius island of Dorwall, located in the Narrow Sea.
Due to High Lord Von Roterstein’s isolationist policies, which became more prevalent during the Fourth Era, many Kythirans don’t identify closely with their brethren from the western most province. The tax evasion that the Ardoraghi provincial government engages in also breeds resentment from other provinces, many feeling that Ardoragh doesn’t contribute their fair share to the Empire. Furthermore, with tax evasion and being associated with tax evasion being a capital crime, being punishable with either execution or life imprisonment, many merchants and traders from the other provinces are weary from trading with their Ardoraghi counterparts, fearing being implicated in a tax evasion scheme.
Overall this has impacted the Ardoraghi economy, having created something similar to self-imposed sanctions, but the natural frugality of the average Ardoraghi has allowed for this to not affect them too much.
The average Ardoraghi are uneducated laborers, like farmers, much like many other citizens across Minecraftia. In the major cities however, generally most people are lettered and schooled, and it is here that the highest standard of living in Ardoragh exists.
Geography
Ardoragh is a vast land that, much like the other Great Three, consists predominantly of large swaths of nature.
Politics
Ardoragh is led by Prince Whazajottom Von Roterstein,