Arinnley is the highland region that sits in the center of the Tora Danyan landmass. It was once home to the Ladinian Monarchy.

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-GEOGRAPHY-

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Landscape

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Arinnley’s hills, considered the tallest and most rugged in the kingdom, are known for producing potent herbs and exotic flowers that require a cooler climate. Underground springs ensure a constant source of water, while the rockier elevations are home to goats and wildcats. A number of ancient valleys are situated among the hills, many sites of past battles and the crumbling ruins of settlements.

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Lake Lessa, named for the Goddess of Life and Birth, sits at the eastern end of the hills. Northern boundaries have been debated, but a royal decree in 1428 TA declared Lake Eryll, which sits on the flatter plains north of the hills, as a part of Arinnley.

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Some consider the central highlands to be foothills of the Sablespires mountain range.

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Major Settlements

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The capital city of Naphburn was constructed on the ruins of Ladinia’s royal castle and remains a well-respected community. Kilboerning is also highly regarded for its well-to-do aristocracy. The town of Rosevale lies at the southern edge of the highlands.

 

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-HISTORY-

 

Formation

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Arinnley was once the site of Ladinia’s capital, the very center from which the old kingdom spread. As such, it was subject to constant attacks during the violent SA.

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After the assassination of Ladinia’s last king, an heirless child, the popular Lord Crael became the throne’s regent. Ugorien and the Niranites marched upon the royal castle and demanded Lord Regent Crael’s surrender, claiming he was behind the assassination. Grand General Lucas stood before the castle with his army, warning Ugorien that any attempt at violence would result in certain death. A battle broke out, climaxing in a moment where spectators swore that the goddess Nira herself appeared and slaughtered Crael, removing the last capable leader from power and possibly sacrificing herself in the process.

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As the already-wounded kingdom crumbled into warring factions, Lucas kept true to his word: he hunted Ugorien to his death and helped in scattering the defeated Niranites to all corners of the land. The motive behind the Niranite attack, as well as what really happened to Crael, has been debated for years, but it did lead to the besmirching of Nira’s name, the rumors of her death, and the rise of anti-Niranite sentiment that has continued for two thousand years.

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Following Ladinia’s collapse, Lucas took it upon himself to protect the throne from neighboring regions, including Bowen and Shuro, both of whom claimed kingship. With his military prowess, he held the castle until his death, upon which his sons declared full independence from the other regions and founded Arinnley, which they saw as the last bastion of Ladinia.

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Throughout the SA, Arinnley trained powerful highland warriors and played a central role in the wars for control, acting as both aggressor and defender, as they fought for the right to sovereignty. However, they also kept a steady peace with Estilan, the region to the west, and were one of the first to accept Estilan’s offer to reopen trade routes in 250 SA.

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Tora Danya

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It took quite a bit of convincing for Arinnley’s proud leadership to join King Edgar of Bowen in his quest to create a new kingdom, but by then, the threat of Shuro’s fanatical warlords had become a menace to all.

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The Trugarane Incident

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Arinnley was a stable part of Tora Danya for many years, until 1518 TA, when the Niranite clan known as Trugarane fell under the command of the disturbed warlord Gabriel Jayne. Trugarane lived in the flatter part of northern Arinnley, near Lake Eryll, and when tales spread in 1522 TA that Jayne had brought back outlawed practices such as human sacrifice, Arinnley’s Baron, Hamish MacDougal, began to investigate them for wrongdoing. When he was unable to catch them, the clan complained that his investigations entailed harassment. They began to harry Arinnley’s most remote villages in return. The situation escalated in 1523, and King Jared II demanded that Baron Hamish do his duty and find a way to defuse the situation before the Monarchy was forced to intervene. A turning point came when Arno Jayne, the warlord’s son, was arrested for raping a village woman. As per Tora Danyan law, Baron Hamish hanged him for his crime. Jayne took revenge by kidnapping the baron’s daughter, Rosie MacDougal, and sacrificing her to Nira as payment for the loss of his son. The Monarchy intervened, sending a contingent of warriors to bolster MacDougal’s army, and marched out to demand the surrender of Gabriel Jayne. Jayne and Trugarane refused to submit, and in the ensuing battle, the clan was destroyed.

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The Trade War

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Arinnley played a powerful role in freeing Orandel from invading Gaventine forces during The Trade War (1539-1541 TA, see entry on Orandel). After Duke Amos Tanarak, a friend of the MacDougals, was killed in the attack, Baron Hamish led his armies into the province and rescued Amos’s son, Adan. Sadly, Adan’s twin sister, Isabelle, had been raped and killed by her captors. A year later, Hamish himself died helping Adan to win back the province. The war ended when the Gaventine prince, Torquil, was killed and the invaders retreated.

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Isabelle Tanarak had been promised to Hamish’s son, Duncan. As a gift of peace, King Oswald of Gaventel offered his niece, Katherine Gale, as restitution for Duncan’s intended. In 1543 TA, when she was 16 years old, she was sent to Arinnley as his bride. Duncan, who had become the new baron, refused to wed her until she turned 18.

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Political

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The MacDougal family claims descendance from Grand General Lucas himself, and they have held Arinnley for countless generations. Many consider them to be a living piece of Ladinia. They’ve been described as strict but fair, with a focused dislike for organized crime and lawbreakers in general. Due to constant patrols, crime within Arinnley is kept in check.

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Recent generations have experienced personal upset and mental instability thanks to the trauma of the Trugarane Incident.

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As of 1561, the Baron of Arinnley is Duncan MacDougal. He is famous for his constant anti-Niranite campaigns, which aim to have Niranism outlawed from Tora Danya forever.

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-ECONOMY-

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Arinnley has a respected economy that exports herbs and minerals from the hills. Rabbit and martin furs also fetch a good price, and the region is famous for venison of the red deer. In addition, Arinnley is known for its colorful clothing, much of which is painstakingly hand-crafted and peddled around the kingdom by merchants.

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A full range of jobs are available to Arinnley’s citizens, but the province produces a high-grade stock of soldiers, explorers, and big game hunters.

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-DEMOGRAPHY AND CULTURE-

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The land has great historic value, but many of its people died during the SA due to plague, war, and famine. By the rise of Tora Danya, the region had shed most of its political influence, and over the next two hundred years, families who had lost their homes began to disperse to other regions that offered brighter prospects. As a result, Arinnley, which was once the center of power on the landmass, tallies about 1,000,000 heads.

The people who remain in Arinnley are known for their vibrant culture, including bold colors and exuberant behavior. Their warriors, rigorously trained in the highlands, are still considered second-to-none.

 

Religion

 

Folk of Arinnley pray to many of the Konalira, especially Aidra and Anarr, but they still revere several of the battle-related Erythira, including Zorus and Shani. Their worshipful ceremonies are long, focused, and emotionally intense.