Chailea

Chailea, also known as the Land of Blood and Wine, and archaically known as Cormanthor, is an autonomous dukedom under the banner of the Middangard Empire, famous for its picturesque landscape, its wines, and its current artistic renaissance.

It was founded by Henri III and its capital is Gartinople. Chailea is ruled by a Duke or Duchess.

Chailea is currently ruled by Duchess Caterina Charmant.

Pre-History
Before written history, Chailea was known as Cormanthor. At the time, it was a large, dense forest made up of a variety of species of plants, including some trees that would grow over 100' (30m) high deep in the woods. It’s inhabitants, a group of high elves known as the Sy’Tel'Quessir, founded their kingdom here, having built beautiful cities made of white marble and ivory, with modern-day Gartinople as its capital. Beneath them laid the deep undergrounds, which are still inhabited by the intelligent, yet wary, svirfneblin, or deep gnomes.

The Weeping War, and land fragmentation
Centuries later, elven queen Ilsevele Miritar’s realm faced an invasion led by human chieftain Ludovich. The elves abandoned their ivory cities and left for the Cobalt mountains, taking with them all that they could and destroying everything else. Ludovich marched into the Madet Foothills with his army, demanding Ilsevele to surrender and proclaim him as king. A battle ensued after the elf refused, ending with the Akh'Velahr being decimated. Weeping over the loss, Ilsevele yielded. The following year, the humans decided to celebrate the anniversary of the victory with a pogrom, genociding those that chose not to flee from the Mount Madet slopes. Most of the forest was cut down, following the human occupation, and the only trace of the ancient elven civilization that remains untouched by humans, under the belief that it's cursed, is the necropolis Cállambëa, located within a cavern of Mount Madet.

In the following centuries, the main occupation of early Chaileans was apparently mining, as they hollowed many adits and mines. Several dungeons were also constructed then, probably to imprison political enemies. It was around this time that humans learned of the deep gnomes. The land was divided among several petty lords and dukes. One of such lordships was Epicéa on Madet Foothills, near the very place of Ilsevele’s defeat.

One of the most important and landscape-changing events of this period was Duke Adem's attempt to regulate the flow of the Lontan River to his likeness – and the unwilling creation of the Lontan Marsh in the process.

Reformation Era
In the era to follow, the region witnessed its first reforms, initiated by Divine Sarenrae and Henri Gartin III. Through faith, he tried to civilize the realm, starting with making changes in the punitive law. He also pushed for unity, renaming the realm Chailea.

At the middle point of the century, the power in the country was consolidated by Duchess Adela Gartin, Henri's daughter, who, on one of her journeys North, met the youngest son of the Emperor and wed him, sealing an alliance between Chailea and the Empire. During her rule, she ordered the renovation of the elven capital palace - rechristened The Ivory Palace, and moved her seat there, establishing the capital city of Gartinople. She also planted the seeds of chivalric traditions in the Duchy by organizing a tourney for her suitors, rewarding the qualities she valued most – Strength, Valor, and Cunning.

Carolena Charmant, Adela’s daughter, continued these reforms. It was under her that Chailea began to flourish artistically. And it is also she who recognized the cult of Sarenrae. She is fondly remembered for having forbidden the use of pointed knives during feasts, as she found the custom of using them to pick one's teeth barbarous.

Modern Day
The duchy was most recently ruled by Adela's great-grandson Raymund Charmant. Unlike his predecessors, Raymund is infamously known for his seven marriages, in particular his efforts to have his first marriage annulled. By the time he married his seventh and final wife, Lady Caterina Amell, it was revealed that Raymund was sterile, making all his tribulations of marriage for naught. Due to how he lived his life, especially his lack of temperance and tolerance, it was Caterina who held the greater esteem of their subjects; which ultimately led to her ascending to the throne herself following Raymund’s untimely death.

Geography and Climate
Chailea is located on a peninsula of the mainland. It is known for its rugged hills, rolling plains, fertile fields, and broadleaf forests. The land contains lakes and rivers, and the hills conceal systems of caves and caverns. It is often noted for being of painting potential. It has two mountain ranges, the Cobalt mountains, and Madet Range, centered by the tallest mountain - Mount Madet. With an ideal combination of sunny and rainy days, the volcanic soil left by the region's warm past allows for the cultivation of products such as melons, peaches, apples, and grapes, as well as for Chailea to make what some consider to be the finest wines of the south; from reds to a golden vintage

Society and Culture
Chailea is famed for its culture and extravagance. The Gartin legacy continues to heavily influence Chailean laws and social customs.

Chailea is inhabited predominantly by humans. Due to Chailea's bloody history, non-humans, especially elves - who are often associated with poverty, crime, and barbarism and are used as scapegoats for humanity's difficulties, stay away. Those born in Chailea are often born and raised into indentured servitude.

Tradition is a holy thing in Chailea. Holidays, the most important among them being the Sunwrought Festival, and the Festival of the Vat, are keenly observed. One of the oldest, and most known, traditions is that a bride and groom would exchange gifts on the morning of their wedding.

Jousts and other tourneys are also held often in celebration of special events. On the more passive side of things - the arts thrive here, with plays, musicals, and the like being prime entertainment among both the Nobility and common folk.

Something else seen in Chailea, especially among those who have never left, is the speaking of the ancient Chailean language Elggrisic.