02 - Iron Kingdoms W.. - Captain Spud Is Amazing

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to national security. The ideals of the Retribution
are a topic of debate among the consuls. Caelcyr
of House Nyarr in particular endorses their actions
much to the dismay of the Consulate Court. One
thing is certain. As long as Ios continues violently to
defend its borders against those who even venture
near, much less cross over, it matters little whether
they are for or against this radical sect’s policies.
As they aim their barbed arrows at the kingdoms
of men, they are doing the Retribution of Scyrah’s
work for them.
ios FaCts
RuleR: ConsuLate Court
GoveRnment type: oLigarChy
Capital: shyrr
ethniC GRoups & appRox. population: iosan (950,000)
lanGuaGes: shyrr
Climate: teMperate but varies with aLtitude; CoLd, CLoudy
winters with Frequent snow and Fog; sunny suMMers with
Frequent showers and thunderstorMs.
teRRain: heaviLy wooded roLLing hiLLs; rugged Mountains
(iosan peaks in the south) with a CentraL pLateau oF roLLing
hiLLs, pLains, and sMaLL streaMs.
natuRal ResouRCes: arabLe Land, CoaL, iron ore, tiMber, saLt,
stone
The Consulate Court
A constitution was drafted by the gods of the elves
upon the founding of Ios. They appointed a diverse
national body to safeguard the people as well as
lesser ministry councils of eight members for each of
the eight ithyls named for the gods themselves. The
Consulate Court became the second highest agency
in the land after the Divine Court. Its responsibilities
are to arbitrate matters of justice and ensure domestic
harmony as well as provide for the common defense
and promote the general welfare of the people of Ios.
The court holds office at the Consulariat in Shyrr once
every three weeks and has done so since the days their
gods walked among them. To this day eight empty
seats of onyx marble are fixed in a semicircle on a
dais above the common room where the Consulate
members congregate—these are more of a reminder
nowadays than actual seats on reserve.
The Consulate was and is overseen by the
hallyntyrs, or high houses, of influence and advised
by several religious, arcane, and trade representatives.
Of the hundred or so noble houses within modern
Ios, fifteen of them are collectively greater in power
than all of the others combined. The narcissi of these
houses are all members of the Consulate Court.
Though each of these hallyntyrs dominates an aspect
of Iosan culture, they all have broad concerns. Some
of them overlap the interests of another house which
admittedly sometimes provokes tense rivalries. For
instance, House Shyeel specializes in arcanika and has
maintained a steadfast alliance with the Dawnguard of
House Nyarr for centuries. This alliance has created
tension between Shyeel and the other military houses
who are not supported nearly as well as Nyarr by
Shyeel’s myrmidons.
the Five great MiLitary houses
ios has Five haLLyntyr that ControL the entirety oF its
MiLitary ForCes. they are eLLowuyr, issyen, nyarr, rhysLyrr,
and siLowuyr. soMe May argue that house shyeeL is Considered
the “sixth” MiLitary house due to its CoMMand oF arCanika and
MyrMidons whiLe others typiCaLLy LuMp shyeeL in with nyarr
due to their tradition oF support For one another.
The most powerful fifteen high houses of the
Consulate Court are:
Aiesyn: Made up of great builders, this hallyntyr
goes back to the construction of the very first falythi
in Ios, the Forbidden Temple. Not only is Aiesyn
responsible for the care and maintenance of the
magnificent pyramids throughout the realm, but
together with Syllrynal and Rhysslyrr they also devised
the winding, mysterious passages of the Knot. Aside
from civil architecture, Aiesyn oversees Ios’ various
stone and salt quaries and devises Ios’ many great
engines of war in times of conflict.
Ellowuyr: As leaders of one of the more powerful
hallyntyr, the heads of House Ellowuyr take up two
of the seats on the Ministry of Lurynithyl. Ellowuyr is
one of the five great military houses and is renowned
for its expert swordsmen and the founding of Aeryth
Ellowuyr. These elves are very aggressive and noted
for their fanatical loyalty to their homeland—and
for their even greater loyalty to themselves. Ellowuyr
troops swear solemn oaths of allegiance only to each
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