Morizia

The Kingdom of Morizia (Morizian: Ⴐⴄⴈⴌⴍ ⴃⴄ Ⴋⴍⴐⴈⴆⴈⴀ, Ⱃⰵⰹⱀⱁ ⰴⱁ Ⰿⱁⱃⰹⰸⰹⰰ,  Reino do Morizia), also known as the Realm of the Chalice of Blood (Ⴐⴄⴈⴌⴍ ⴃⴍ Ⴉⴀⴊⴈⴆ ⴃⴄ Ⴑⴀⴌⴂⴓⴄ, Ⱃⰵⰹⱀⱁ ⰴⱁ Ⱌⰰⰾⰹⱌⰵ ⰴⰵ Ⱄⰰⱀⰳⱆⰵ, Reino do Cálice de Sangue), is bridge between the Silver and Emerald Realms, a nation of Vorians and humans, united under the oath and power of the Chalice of Blood. Once a land of riches and of trade, of peace and of happiness, now a nation weakened by war, filled with blood and suffering, where mercenaries make the law and the throne is held by a boy-king sinking every deeper into paranoia. Morizia, once one of the richest realms, is now a shell of its former self, torn apart by the influence of its neighbors.

Morizia is led from the capital of Calicanto, the rock of the Chalice. Other important cities include Iliara, the city of light, Arandelle, the valley of the stars, Nimbélida, the city of mist, Maraponte, the sea bridge, and Ribeiramar, between the river and the sea.

The banner of Morizia shows the Chalice of Blood on a a golden background, and its motto, **Aeternum sanguine iusiurandoque liberari**, can be translated as “Forever freed by blood and oath”.

History
The peninsula on which Morizia stands today was always the closest point between the Silver Realms and the realm of the Loroi of the Sun. Before the Blight, the peninsula was the tip of the lance held by the Silver Throne, aimed at the heart of the Loroi, but no forts and no hosts could have hoped to withstand the chaos the Age of Abhorrence.

The history of Morizia as a realm began at the end of that period. Before the Three Emperors, Adalbrosa, a half-Vorian half-human mage, found or created the magical artifact that is now known as the Chalice of Blood, and used its power to fight against all that was evil in the peninsula. Her struggle freed the region, and created a safe haven for Loroi and human alike, but Morizia’s safety was only guaranteed with the arrival of the Emperor Remigil, who together with Adalbrosa defeated the last Demon Lord. Remigil recognized Morizia’s independence and the rule of Adalbrosa and her descendants, but the death of the Emperor of Thorns led to war, and Adalbrosa’s descendants were at times forced to recognize the suzerainty of Tharnria. It was only after in the final part of Tharnria’s existence that the line of Remigil once again recognized Morizia’s independence, as a reward for its help in the fight against the rebellious Calaria.

This help was however dearly paid for, as from the very beginning, the Archons of Calaria considered Morizia to be their enemy, and again and again, they sought to expand their rule across the southern coastline of the continent. Furthermore, with the decay and collapse of Tharnria, Morizia’s sole ally was replaced with the Oath-League of Anselm, Calaria’s greatest rival. The Kraken and the Crown and Trident fought numerous wars, each trying to gain possession of the peninsula, interfering in the kingdom’s internal affairs, supporting rebels, and hiring bandits and mercenaries.

Morizia itself was not spared during the War of the Deceitful Flame, as Anselm invaded it as part of its alliance with Achysia, and burned the kingdom’s fleet in its ports. The Morizians found no relief in the help of the Holy Covenant, as Calaria was much more important for the war effort, and as Anselm was beaten back and forced to switch side, Calaria’s mercenaries roamed free throughout the realm, killing and looting. And the end of the war brought no end to Morizia’s suffering. In circumstances that are still poorly understood, most of the royal family was massacred near the royal capital, in the town of Trasnoiteira, leaving behind a single survival, the current King, Álvaro. Traumatized by the massacre, the boy-king sinks ever deeper in paranoia while holding the Chalice, as his ministers fail to lead the country. Royal authority is almost non-existent outside of the capital, bandits, mercenaries and cultists roam the lands, and the nobles and leagues of cities are forced to try to defend themselves. And as tensions are rising once again between the Oath-League and the Sublime Republics,

Government
In theory, Morizia is a monarchy by the grace of the Gods, with the throne held only by those who paid the price - the bloodline of Adalbrosa, the first Queen of Morizia and the first holder of the Chalice. The throne was passed from parent to child through a system of absolute primogeniture, but the children did not inherit the position of monarch itself - they inherited a chance to interact with the Chalice. Crowns of gold and jewels and the acclamations of subjects matter not when the position of King was concerned - the Chalice would always choose the next to hold it. The exact ceremony is a mystery known only by the royal family and by the highest members of the court, but it involved adding the claimant's blood into the Chalice, and failing the ritual carried with it the danger of death.

While in theory an absolute monarch, the King or Queen of Morizia never ruled alone. After the great ethnic conflicts which shook Morizia to its core after its initial foundation, successive series of monarchs adopted so called "vows", known as "xuros", legal acts which recognized the rights of the different races initially, and later of individual cities and provinces to organize themselves and to choose representatives in their relation with the monarchs. The Councils of the Vows, as they are known, or as Chapters ("Capitulos"), come in varying sizes and have different responsibility. The highest two are supposed to represent the interests of the humans and the Loroi respectively, but generally, the chapters act as the local administration of cities or certain areas in the realm. They are chosen freely by their respective communities, and generally take charge of the day to day affairs of their areas, which helps explain why life in Morizia has gone on even despite the brutal wars and the destruction of the past years. They have no power to overturn the will of the monarch, but can send petitions and have to be listened to.

The monarch of Morizia is also usually forced by circumstances to listen to the advice of the most important nobles and members of the courts, as it happens in many monarchies in Lonriel. The Conclave of Summons (Cónclave de Convocatoria) is called upon by the monarch itself, but it has not convened in the last three years.

The current King of Morizia is the paranoid boy-king Álvaro, the only survivor of the royal family after the massacre at Trasnoiteira.

Culture
From its earliest days, Morizia’s culture was marked by its diversity and its dual nature. Its close proximity the Emerald Realms, and in particular to the Loroi of the Sun, has led to the existence of a large populations of Vorians, living alongside the descendants of the Thyrian settlers of old. Centuries of living together and the tolerance of the Morizian monarchs have transformed Morizia into one of the few realms where Loroi and humans truly live side by side. Having Loroi blood is considered to be an honor by the Morizian aristocracy, and there are very few communities in the country were the so called “pure” humans or Loroi are still living. The rights of both races and of most communities are recognized by the monarchy, and the two races intermingle almost everywhere, although most pure humans still live in the rural areas, while most pure Loroi live in the cities.

The Faith of the Sixteen and the Faith of the Lore co-exist despite the chagrin of the Haliarchy, with the Loroi deities of the Sun and the Moon often compared with those of the Hexadecism. The Chalice of Blood, the magical artifact which stands at the center of the kingdom, is also often divinized, considered to be a gift from the Gods for the royal family and the people of Morizia. Oaths and vows, be they regular or magical, are often sworn in the name of the Chalice.

Art of War
Morizia was born through war, and its existence has been marked by threats from all directions. Anselm to the north, and Calaria to the south have both tried repeatedly to enforce their rule over the kingdom, and although weakened, Morizia’s forces are the reason for its continued survival. Even if the central command of the King has been weakened, the various domains and free cities of the realm have maintained their won forces, for the protection of their homes and families.

Custodians of the Blood Oath
Known in Morizian as "Custodios do Juramento de Sangue", the Custodians serve as Morizia’s royal guards, fighting under the sole command of the King. Its members swear magical oaths on the Chalice itself, and pledge their lives to protecting both it and the royal family. Much like the country itself, the Custodians have humans, Loroi, and hybrids serving in its ranks, but traditionally they have favored those of Vorian descent, both because of the greater strength of Loroi and because of the guard’s traditions. Custodians are expected to have at least basic magical abilities, and are well known for their proficiency in using curved blades, with both the two-handed polearm known as a fouce, and the curved one-handed sword known as the esglai. Archery also plays an important role in their training, and the Custodians are also known for using enchanted bows much like the Loroi beyond the sea.

Royal Army
The Exército Real, as it is known in Morizian, is the army that serves the realm and its king. It is usually called upon the king in times of war, and it is formed by the aristocracy, the levies, and the companies of the free cities. Despite its relatively small size and the difficulty of gathering and leading a feudal army, Morizia’s forces have generally been successful in their wars against more organized enemies such as the Calarians in part because of such a diversity. With a high portion of the military being formed by Loroi or hybrids, the royal forces make effective use of the tradition of both races, and as such, they are mostly known for their Loroi archers and human pikemen. The cavalry is generally formed by the nobles, but its role in battle is limited, due to the historical importance placed on formations of pikes supported by archers.

Without royal command, the forces of the Royal Army remain divided and located in their places of origin, and without the help of the royal treasury, few domains or cities can maintain all of their forces. As such, the only forces that remain at arms regardless of war or peace are those known as vínculos (bonds), small groups of professional soldiers in the service of free cities, municipal leagues or lords. Their vow prevents them from being used in rebellion against the King, and they are usually employed against bandits, robber barons or monsters. With the chaos that has been reigning throughout the realm in the past three years however, the vínculos have often been the sole defense of Morizia’s people against their enemies.

Royal Navy
The Frota Real, or the Royal Fleet, was once the third most powerful navy of these seas, smaller than the Anselmian and Calarian navies, but strong enough to protect Morizia’s coasts and trades even in the face of ships bearing the banner of the kraken or of the crown and trident. The Morizian navy has experienced a slow but steady decline over the past few decades, and most of its ships were burned in port during the chaos of the Anselmian invasion of the War. Nowadays, the few ships that still sail under the royal banner remain stuck in the port of the royal capital.