Lapidovir

The Sagalithrat síl Lapidovir (Lapidoviri Sagaviri for Overlordship of Lapidovir) is one of the oldest political entities in the entirity of Rathnir, located in the south-westernmost part of Alteniquia. Ever since the fall of the Empire of Astyllea, Lapidovir is a territory of the City-State of Lirgal, and thereby placed under its governance.

While not being known for its military, Lapidovir has ever since its formation been a nation of builders and architects, having some of the most beautiful cities as well as best and most well known architects of Rathnir residing in it.

Foundation
A group of settlers-mostly builders-arrived in Aldovir in early May 2021, and set up what was originally intended to be a temporary base. Unfamiliar with the land, they consulted various maps and documents until they discovered that they had arrived in land belonging to the Cobblework Mines, a long defunct and mostly deserted polity that had once been a powerful force in the region. With no local authority or settled population, the settlers begin to expand their base into a town. This town came to be known as Erstedam (or Arstedanne).

Shortly afterwards, Arstedanne was contacted by Ljukkti-who was acting as steward of the mostly unpopulated lands of the Cobblework Mines, at the behest of the previous owners. He spoke to the settlers about their lives, their beliefs, their goals, and their ambitions for their town. Ljukkti decided that they were worthy of settling the land, and thus named them rulers of what was once the Cobblework Mines-giving the settlers free rein to expand and develop the region. The founder of the town, Nopper, styled himself as King of Cobblework Mines-reigning from Arstedanne. The land would come to be known as "Lapidovir", very roughly translating from Sagavir to mean Land of Lapis.

The Kingdom of Lapidovir
Lapidovir came into contact with the Kingdom of Sironia shortly after its founding. Sironia, having just founded the Southern Alteniquian Pact of Mutual Assistance (or SAPMA), was keen to bring Lapidovir onside as a potentially strong ally. Lapidovir joined SAPMA, albeit with reservations about the Sironians. The uncertainty about the political situation in Aldovir was worsened when the major power of Theios-Essukdal referred to the subcontinent as their "backyard." Lapidovir prepared for a potential confrontation with Theios-Essukdal, and turn to their closest ally in SAPMA-the Kingdom of Sironia-to assess the situation. Beleiving Sironia to be inefficiently run by the Archon, Ythar II, the Lapidoviri government plan to sponsor a coup d'état; they hoped to replace Ythar with a more favourable candidate, Longbow, in order to reorganise Sironia.

The result of the attempt on the throne of Sironia was a civil war-however much of the fighting was done by the two Sironian factions, rather than by Lapidoviri troops; as the Ythar II Loyalists and the Longbow pretenders fought, Lapidoviri troops infiltrated the city and prepared to occupy it. However, neither side were able to fully rout the other-leading to stalemate. Ythar II contacted Lapidovir in order to indicate that he was open to better diplomacy and further cooperation, bringing an end to the war and beginning warmer relations between Lapidovir and Sironia.

As a result of increasingly good relations-as well as in the spreading of Sagaviri culture to Lapidovir-the Sagalithrat síl Lapidovir would join the Aldovir League, and later the Empire of Aldovir.

Integration into the Lunar City-State of Lirgal
Following the 4th Imperial Elections of Astyllea, an attempt on the throne by a pretender drove the Empire into rapid collapse and civil war. Rather than support either side of the Civil War, Lapidovir-like many other states within Astyllea-declared neutrality, shortly followed by independence. However this independence would be short lived; by this stage, Lapidovir had fallen into disrepair and stagnation. Only a small cabal of devoted leaders remained within the Sagalithrat, who were keen to avoid their nation meeting the same oblivion that had greeted many other seceding states of Astyllea.

Lapidoviri officials approached the Lunar Council of Lirgal, and requested that Lapidovir in its entirety be integrated into the Lunar City-State. Lirgal, as one of the few nations which had emerged from the collapse of Astyllea in a healthy state, embraced their Lapidoviri neighbours and became stewards of the region. From then on, Lapidovir as a distinct political entity all but ceased to exist-instead being reorganised as Boreavir, a County within Lirgal.

Location
Lapidovir is located in the south-westernmost part of the sub-continent Aldovir of Alteniquia, between Sironvir to the north, Carn to the east and Adavir to the south-east. To the west of Lapidovir lies the Sea of Slaves.