Duchy of Lynnmore

The Free County of Oakmarch (traditionally, the Duchy of Rhodes) is a feudal city-state led by the House of Rhodes. The House of Rhodes lends its name to the capital and sole city, Rhodes. The estates making up the territory are divided between the House of Rhodes and lesser noble houses including Oakes, Chaldecott, and Courtland.

Origin
The nomad clan known as the Bophanites followed a path of migration through a mountain range called Kutnubad by the dwarves who formerly dwelt there. The clan was formed from humans and non-humans living in the caves throughout the area, hunting and foraging in the waterways and vegetation. When the dwarves arrived from the Golden Hills and made Kutnubad the seat of their kingdom of Khuzdurin, the Bophanites kept to themselves in caverns and hunting grounds separate from the mountain fortresses of the dwarves and the conflicts of the wider world.

The Bophanites' isolationism made the collapse of the dwarven kingdom of Khuzdurin a surprise. The great halls of Beþenk-dum were discovered to have fallen silent, and the forges and mines were abandoned. The young chieftain of the Bophanites, Rodos, led the first exploration of the abandoned city. In this quest, it is said that he was visited by the angel Isidor, a servant of Theios.

In the presence of the Bophanites, it is said that Isidor revealed he was known as the god Attinstainz by the dwarves, considered by them to be their patron god of the earth and the forge. In the testament given to Rodos, Isidor is said to have revealed his true role as Theios' angel of civilization. The other aspects of the first testament said to have been given to Rodos formed the foundation of the Isidoran faith. At the end of these revelations, Rodos led the Bophanites south in a twelve day march to a fertile land where the mountains met the plains along a great inland lake, claiming the migration was required by divine mandate.

In this new land, Rodos claimed he had been visited and instructed to form the great natural pillars of marble that were distributed on the mountaintops into a great monument to Theios and to settle the valley along the lake. The Bophanites abandoned their nomadic origin to settle this land and constructed the grand marble Dodecan Hall, the seat of Rodos and Isidor's greatest followers, the Council of Twelve, and the First Temple of Isidor, a great monument to the first testament. The mountain upon which these monuments were built came to be known as Isidor's Ridge.

It is said that in Isidor's third appearance to Rodos, the Bophanites were entrusted the role of guardians of the Kutnubad, now known as the Bophan Mountains. Dominion over the former kingdom of Khuzdurin was said to be granted, with Rodos named the first duke of what is now known as the Duchy of Rhodes.

War for Sovereignty
The Empire of Theios-Essukdal declared war on the Duchy of Rhodes in what they refer to as the War for Restoration of the Duchy of Rhodes due to their traditional claim of the borderland area they refer to as Haz-Arkano, meaning "Garden of Chaos".

The combined force from Theios-Essukdal consisted of their armed force, the Order of Seahawks, the Sentinel Order, and layman volunteer troops, and outnumbered the defenders. The force of the Duchy of Rhodes consisted of the knights of the realm, their retinue of yeomen, and peasant infantry. The Theios-Essukdal detachment suffered heavy losses in the battle, and the knights and footmen of the Duchy of Rhodes suffered one casualty, Sir Chester C. Chaldecott of the House of Chaldecott.

While the main forces were engaged in pitched battle at Fort Oakcrest, one or more infiltrators from Theios-Essukdal bypassed the field of battle via invisibility magic to sabotage the fortifications and supplies. With the defenses compromised and the siege now untenable, the decision was made to lay down arms.

The terms of the Treaty at Oakcrest are listed below:


 * The city shall henceforth be called Oakmarch
 * Theodore Rhodes is named Free Count of Haz-Arkano
 * The people of the land must submit themselves to the Theiosist Canon and the Ecumenical Patriarch
 * The land shall be integrated into Theios-Essukdal, and in addition to the written word of the constitution, follow the orders of the Ningal

Battle of Anosphiae
The citizens of Anosphiae sent word across the land of Theios-Essukdal that otherworldly invaders had arrived. Three knights of the realm were dispatched to subdue the invaders, the forces of Entropy. After rendering aid to the soldiers of Anosphiae and the empire, the knights of the realm were rewarded with a selection of the arms and armor of the invaders, which were then displayed in the grand library of the House of Oakes.

Dispute with the Ecumenical Patriarchate
To be in compliance with the treaty, the House of Oakes drafted and had delivered a petition to receive the Theiosist Canon from the Patriarchate, seen below: I have read the Words of the Treaty at Oakmarch, and ascertained the Duty incumbent on the men of our land hitherto unfulfilled to be the submission to the Canon of Theios, whereby we may come into Communion with the Church of our Forebears.

''We shall be amenable to a joining of our grand Congregations for the betterment of Justice, Peace, and true Religion. However, having received naught from the Patriarchate, we must demand thee to render, to whom thou callest the esteemed Count, Theodore Rhodes, the Body of Work representing this Canon, lest the Treaty be unsatisfied.''

For without the Canon, that is to say, the Rules of Life which thy congregation observes, with which we can see and be satisfied with divine gift of Reason that it be the true Law throughout all dominions of our faith, both Natural and Civil, one must needs conclude the Object of the Patriarchate be to hold Sovereignty within all Sovereignties under the Threat of withholding the Grace of our shared God.

Mayest thou walk always in Isidor's Light,

Count Eleanor II The reply received from the Ecumenical Patriarchate was received via letter:"Due to the appalling statements of Count Theodore of Haz-Arkano directed towards myself and Patriarch Lunkin, as well as the unacceptable attempt at threatening the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Theiotokos into giving them their requested Holy Texts at the threat of rebellion, I have personally burned their petition and give them this ultimatum. They will recant their blasphemy and insults against myself and the Patriarchate as a whole, apologize for such things, and they will retrieve the Holy Texts from me personally as soon as possible, or I will send the Inquisition as well as any other willing faithful Servants of Theios on a crusade to burn down the pitiful settlements of these blasphemers as penance for their horrendous, insulting, and absolutely inappropriate display towards myself, Patriarch Lunkin, the faith, and Theios Himself. Although I am greatly offended by their actions, I still offer them this opportunity to retrieve their Holy Texts and to peacefully apologize, as all people should be given the chance to follow the Holy Path of Salvation our Lord set out for us, and just as our Lord is merciful so should I be forgiving of their actions if they sincerely seek forgiveness."Upon receipt of the reply, it was assumed by the House of Oakes and the legal scholars of Rhodes that the content of the petition had been misinterpreted due to the dialect barrier or modified before reaching the recipient, leading to a serious diplomatic incident.

The Noble Houses
As the city-state developed over time, the distinguished families were granted titles, land, and responsibilities by the House of Rhodes.

The House of Rhodes
The House of Rhodes forms the foundation of the nobility. Tracing its roots to Rodos himself, the family is the largest landowner in the region and has passed down the title of Duke of Rhodes for generations. The coat of arms of the House of Rhodes is per chevron potent and argent with an argent griffin displayed.

The House of Oakes
The House of Oakes traces its lineage to Alienor Oakes, given the title of count by Rodos himself. On their land, the House of Oakes commissioned the Royal Library and the Cathedral of the Third Revelation, granting the latter to the church. The House of Oakes coat of arms is a counter-ermine field with an argent bend and owl.

The House of Chaldecott
The House of Chaldecott was established by Duke Theodore Rhodes' appointment of the late Sir Chester Chaldecott to the rank of knight for exemplary service as constable of the realm. The current heir to the House of Chaldecott is Sir Charles Chaldecott. The House of Chaldecott coat of arms is a derivative of the Rhodes arms, per pale potent and argent with an argent dog emblazon.

The House of Courtland
The newest member of the nobility, the House of Courtland was established when the current and only member, Sir Courtland, was knighted by Eleanor II Oakes, the head of the House of Oakes, for unparalleled swordsmanship and loyalty in defense of the realm. The Courtland estate exists as a parcel adjacent to the Oakes estate. In recognition of the patriarch of the house's foreign birth, the house's coat of arms is a sable field with a pale brunatre and a sable crab.

Divergence of the Isidoran Faith
The Isidoran faith differs from traditional Theiosism. The old dwarven gods are reflected in the Isidoran faith as angels and saints, as well as the gods and saints of the Soleannen faith. The Isidoran interpretation is therefore a syncretic faith between Theiosism, Soleannenism, and Tossanism.

Isidorans view their faith as one now split and independent from the Ecumenical Patriarch in terms of organization, although many of their core beliefs and religious texts are shared with those of Theiosism. Additionally, with the chief influence of the faith being a Tossanist god presenting himself as an angel of Theios, later Isidoran theologians took many of the gods of the Tossanist pantheon to be angels of Theios in their own right, placing them above the eight angels revered by adherents of Theiosism. These groups of angels have been split and categorized as the Angels of Man and the Angels of Theios. Most saints from Theiosism are recognized by Isidorans, who add legendary heroes and followers of the Tossanist gods to the congregation of saints.

Rodos’ three revelations from the angel Isidor collectively form the foundation of Isidoran belief.

Rodos' Revelations
In his first revelation at Beþenk-dum, it is said that Isidor told Rodos of the Angels of Man. Their dominions and larger roles in Theios’s history and plan for the world, more specifically the Bophanite people, were said to be explained to Rodos who shared the news with his people. The angel then said that there were not just four prophets of the faith, but that history has had and will have as many prophets as there are pebbles in the Bophan Mountains with varying degrees of influence. Rodos was chosen as one of the prophets of his generation, chosen by Isidor himself under the direction of Theios.

The second revelation came after the Bophanites' migration to their current homeland. Upon reaching the top of Isidor’s Ridge, Rodos was once again visited in the presence of three of his closest and most loyal companions. The four were told of what to make of these deposits of marble as well as given visions of what the settlement in the valley would grow to become. From this revelation came the characteristic reliance on community and civil service common to Isidorans. An emphasis on proselytizing to spread knowledge of the angels and Theios to friends and neighbors first became part of the collective consciousness of this clan of Bophanites.

After the two great marble halls were completed by the Bophanites, Isidor came down for his third revelation to Rodos along the lake. He laid out for Rodos the future of the Bophanite people as guardians of the Bophan Mountains and Dukes of Rhodes. In order to maintain a tradition of proselytizing, Rodos was instructed to search for twelve devout followers to serve in what Isidor called the Apostolic Council with Rodos, as Duke, presiding over it. Unlike the normal succession of noble titles, the title of Prophet was inherited by one of the Apostles. It is said that a Prophet and his successor receive the same vision when a Prophet is nearing the end of his life. This can mean that the titles of Prophet and Duke may be held by either the same person or by two different people. If a Duke is also his generation’s Prophet, one of the seats in the Dodecan Hall is left vacant while the Duke is seated regularly at the head of the hall.

The three companions of Rodos who witnessed his second revelation were among the first to be sought out by the Prophet and became the founding members of the Apostolic Council. DeMorgan, Oakes, and Ades were the three.