The Founding of Lutheria (Patreon)

The country of Lutheria is located on the northern end of a large island known as Inisfalia. Founded and populated primarily by humans, they share this island with two other countries to the south: the Eire, a heavily forested region inhabited by elves, gnomes, and fae, and Gaela, another human nation founded around the same time as Lutheria. The island is located to the west of Albion, across a sea of rough waters. Most of Lutheria’s original settlers can trace their roots back to a small territory on the western Albion coast known as Pilea.

Hundreds of years ago, the island of Albion was composed of dozens of smaller territories that each acted independently of one another. That all changed when the then-king of Albion, King Gregor VI, declared himself the “one true king” of Albion and sought to unite these territories under his (and his church’s) name. To accomplish this, he initiated a brutal war campaign across the island, defeating and absorbing those who would not swear fealty to him by force.

The Pileans, hearing the news from the other territories, knew that it would only be a matter of time before the king’s army was on their doorstep. Like much of the rest of Albion, they were hard pressed to give up their freedom, with the leaders of the various Pilean townships meeting regularly to discuss what to do. Some wanted to find a new home and leave the island, while others thought that bending the knee to King Gregor was the better option.

One night, after a particularly intense and rowdy meeting, three of these leaders - James Barrett, Ashton Thompson, and Vincent Cerano - decided to continue their own discussions late into the evening. After some (see: a lot of) drinking, these three thought it would be a good idea to take out a small boat and do some late-night fishing to blow off a little steam. Unfortunately, due to the alcohol, none of them noticed the storm that was rolling in. Before any of them knew it, they were being tossed around the rough waters, barely holding on to their boat.

When day broke, it was obvious that the storm had blown them far from home - all the way across the sea to Inisfalia. Though none of them had ever been here, they knew the island was inhabited, but finding signs of civilization proved difficult. From what they could tell, they had washed up on the northern shores of the island, but the only signs of other people they could find were the remains of destroyed or burned out homesteads. It was nearly two hours before they finally found someone, coming across a small group of people picking through ruined homes for supplies.

The three learned that for dozens of years now, the human villages on the northern coast of the island had been subjected to violent attacks from northern raiders, who would land on their shores to loot and pillage their homes. They happened so regularly that the islanders had learned to anticipate them, with most having fled south for protection, to the forests of the Eire inhabited by the leprechauns and fae. Normally the invaders would simply pillage and then set fire to the area once they were done looting, but during this last attack on one of the larger villages, the buildings were left standing, and it seemed like the pirates were bringing in supplies like lumber and even food before departing. Signs that they may be planning an occupation.

This of course did not sit well with the three Pileans, though none could quite agree on what to do about it. Ashton felt that, though their plight was great, there was little any of them could do, as they still had their own homes and people to think of, while Vincent argued that it was their duty to help those in need, regardless of their own issues. James, while mostly siding with Vincent, saw this as an opportunity. Northern Inisfalia had land in need of defending and rebuilding, and they were a people in need of a new land.

After discussing his idea with the other two, James and his companions learned that the raiders could be expected to return in less than a month. Promising to return in three weeks time with a small army, the three men traveled home to try and sell the plan to the rest of Pilea. They would ask their citizens to journey across the sea to defend an island that isn’t their own, on the chance that they might be able to one day build a new life there.

It was a difficult three weeks, full of tense arguments, yelling, and even fist-fights, as the Pileans were forced to reckon with their futures and come to a decision on how to move forward. Many people wanted nothing to do with the plan, having no interest in risking their lives for someone else’s home, but the three men fought and spoke passionately for what they believed possible. Eventually, after three weeks, they were able to gather enough able bodied men and women to fill six ships, and set sail for Inisfallia.

They had only days to prepare, but as soon as they landed they quickly got to work, setting up defenses and arming themselves for the inevitable battle. Seeing that the rumors of the group who promised to return with assistance were real, many of the Inisifalians were inspired to join them and take up arms in defense of their home once more. When the raider’s ships crossed over the horizon, they soon learned that they would be outflanked and outnumbered.

What followed was a quick and decisive victory for the Inisfallians and Pileans. Between the fighters on the beach and the Pilean’s ships, the raiders were forced to retreat, having lost more than half their number to the defending forces. But when everyone had finished celebrating their win, reality struck: this success would only be temporary. The invaders would be back, with more ships and more soldiers aboard them.

But James refused to give up. Working quickly to ensure they would be prepared for the inevitable reprisal, he contacted a friend for his, Cyran Peryarus, leader of Caldonia, a northern territory of Albion that had managed to negotiate its relative independence while still joining the “kingdom.” This was due in part to its large elven population, which King Gregor and his predecessors had respected and maintained good ties with. All of the people of Caldonia, human, elf, gnome, and fae, had ties to the people of Inisfalia and the Eire.

As a part of the Kingdom of Albion, they would be unable to help directly with defense efforts, but with Cyran and his people’s help, the Pileans appealed to the people of Inisfalia, magical and non-magical alike, to stand with them. They could not think that the raiders would be content with the northern coasts, especially not once they begin building  their planned settlements. They would only move south and seek to overtake the forests as well. The entire island was in danger.

The next time the invaders attacked, they did indeed come in greater numbers, but so did the Inisfallians. Even the Pileans, after their first victory, were able to rally even more people from home to join their cause. Between the humans, elves, leprechauns, fae, and other magical creatures of the Eire, the raiders didn't stand a chance. The battle was bloody and long, running well through the night, but as the morning sun rose in the sky, the enemy’s ships sailed into the horizon and the island was finally safe.

With the continued assistance of the Caldonian elves, James and the Pileans asked for the right to the land on the northern quarter of the island, which had been the most devastated by the raids. While most of Inisdalia would happily welcome their new neighbors, first the Pileans would have to leave Albion. Again with the backing of the elves, the leaders of Pilea were able to negotiate with the crown a way for their people to safely leave the country. All Pilean citizens who wished to leave would be allowed to do so, even bringing along all of their possessions, but by doing so they would renounce any Pilean or Albionian citizenship. Any of those who chose to stay would become subjects of King Gregor of the Kingdom of Albion, who would lay claim to all of their lands, meaning Pilea would effectively be no more.

Seeing this as possibly the only way for them to hold onto their freedom while avoiding any bloodshed, most of the citizens elected to leave, with only about twenty percent of the population staying to be absorbed into greater Albion. After a long and difficult relocation, the former Pileans named their new home Lutheria, named for an ancient spirit of freedom, and founded its capital, Northlake, at its center. For his part in leading the charge and securing their home James Barrett himself was elected the first Lutherian president, with Asthon and Vincent serving as his trusted advisors for years to come. While some of the Inisfallians would join in this reconstruction and become new citizens of Lutheria themselves, many of those who had moved to the south created a new home of their own, known as Gaela, and together with Lutheria and the Eire, would protect their home and one another, as their joined fight against the raiders had taught them.