Uirsiriar

Uirsiriar
Image	Map of Uirsiriar Map of Uirsiriar
Goverment	Hereditary duchy
Size	22,927 mi² (59,381 km²)
Country	Kingdom of Bóinbile
Region	Gosterra
Subregion	Central Gosterra
Capital	Uirsiriar (City)
Largest City	Uirsiriar (City)
Population	535,000

Introduction

Uirsiriar is the southernmost of the three mainland duchies of the Kingdom of Bóinbile, in Central Gosterra. It lies between Uiniac to the north, beyond the Scairiof Hills, and the Heialdyn Stratocracy to the south, beyond the Eals River, with the sea to the west and Khamria to the east. Its capital and largest city is Uirsiriar, on the north shore of Lake Uirssiais. Uirsiriar covers 22,927 mi² (59,381 km²) and has about 535,000 inhabitants. Since 645 ME it has been the Kingdom's frontier with the Stratocracy.

History

Early settlement

After the landing of the Great Migration at Baddaen in 0 ME, settlers spread north along the coast and up the river valleys of Gosterra. From about 90 ME the settlements gathered into small kingdoms. The city of Uirsiriar was founded around 105 ME on the north shore of Lake Uirssiais and became the seat of a small kingdom. Muanal was founded around 110 ME as a port at the mouth of the Eals.

Duchy

In 151 ME Uirsiriar was brought into the Kingdom of Bóinbile, and its royal house became one of the Kingdom's ducal houses.

War of the Southern Duchies

In the War of the Southern Duchies (640–645 ME), Uirsiriar stood with the Crown. The duchy lay on the front line, and there was extensive fighting along the Eals. When the war stalled, the line held on the river, and the peace treaty of 645 ME made the Eals the border between the Kingdom and the new Heialdyn Stratocracy. Uirsiriar has been the Kingdom's frontier duchy since.

Modern period

The railway from Bóinbile reached Uirsiriar in 856 ME and was joined to the lines of the Stratocracy across the border in 863 ME.

Geography

Uirsiriar covers 22,927 mi² (59,381 km²). To the north its border with Uiniac runs along the Scairiof Hills, from the coast at Lake Ruicle to the east. To the south and southwest the Eals separates it from the Heialdyn Stratocracy. To the west it meets the sea, from Muanal north to Lake Ruicle, and to the east it borders Khamria, where the land rises into mountains.

The Grang Forest covers much of the west of the duchy, between the Bálg and the Eals, and the Meallum Forest lies in the southeast, east of Lake Uirssiais. The rest of the duchy is farmland along the river valleys and around the lakes, and the coast north of Muanal is hilly.

The Eals rises in the east, flows northwest past Galwa into Lake Uirssiais, and leaves the lake past Brú and through Lakes Mionan and Bailin to the sea at Muanal. It forms the border with the Stratocracy along its whole course through the duchy. The Bálg flows west out of Lake Leagh at Reas, past Locam and Donga, and joins the Eals near Ealban. A river links Lake Leagh with Lake Uidhear to the east and continues past Muiric to Obhúr.

Lake Uirssiais and Lake Leagh are the largest lakes. The smaller lakes include Uidhear, Bailin and Mionan, and Lake Ruicle lies on the border with Uiniac.

Climate

The climate is oceanic, with mild winters, cool to warm summers and frequent rain. Fog is common on the coast and the lakes.

Goverment and Politcs

Uirsiriar is governed from the city of Uirsiriar by its hereditary ducal house, which holds the duchy under the Crown of the Kingdom of Bóinbile, an absolute monarchy. The duke sits on the council of the four dukes, which advises the monarch.

As the Kingdom's frontier with the Heialdyn Stratocracy, Uirsiriar holds most of the crossings between the two states. The border is open under the trade and border agreements that followed the peace treaty of 645 ME.

Economy

Logging is the duchy's largest industry, and timber is cut extensively in the Grang and Meallum forests. Farming in the Bálg valley and around the lakes produces grain, cattle and sheep, and there is fishing on Lake Uirssiais and Lake Leagh. Muanal is a seaport with a fishing fleet, and it shares the Kingdom's coastal trade with Glibhe.

Trade with the Stratocracy passes through Uirsiriar by rail and road, and Reas is a market town on the railway.

Demographics

Uirsiriar has about 535,000 inhabitants, about 23 per square mile (9 per km²), the most thinly settled of the Kingdom's mainland duchies. About 219,000 people live in its nineteen cities and about 110,000 in its towns; the rest, about two-fifths of the population, live in the countryside.

Most inhabitants are Gostaldi and speak Gostaldi. The Yeparchist branch of Tefar is the main religion.

Cities

Name	Tier	Population
Uirsiriar	Capital	85,000
Reas	Medium city	20,000
Muanal	Medium city	15,000
Donga	Small city	9,000
Clon	Small city	7,000
Ealban	Small city	7,000
Toithear	Small city	7,000
Torlo	Small city	7,000
Beatag	Small city	6,000
Ceal	Small city	6,000
Corloc	Small city	6,000
Ilmear	Small city	6,000
Locam	Small city	6,000
Reac	Small city	6,000
Talla	Small city	6,000
Aibhing	Small city	5,000
Gléam	Small city	5,000
Muiric	Small city	5,000
Traileal	Small city	5,000

Transportation

The Kingdom's main railway enters the duchy at Craic and runs southwest through Reas, Leidhil, Clon and Torlo to Uirsiriar, then along the shore of Lake Uirssiais and across the border toward Baddaen.

Roads follow the Bálg valley from Ealban through Donga and Locam to Reas, and the coast north from Muanal to Rillin. From Reas a road runs east past Lake Uidhear. Trails beyond Seallaf and Obhúr run into the mountains on the Khamrian border, which have no crossing.

Muanal is the duchy's seaport.