Wylon States

The Wylon States were a group of shires on the eastern coast of the Middle-Lands, centred largely around the Wylon Peninsula. They existed as largely autonomous and independent shires brought together in a loose sort of confederation, until they were annexed by the Kingdom of Mittelrijk in 2852. They were a largely agricultural and maritime group of nations, with the inland towns cultivating crops and the coastal ones fishing and providing merchant shipping.

ORGANISATION
The regions on and adjacent to the Wylon Peninsula were divided into shires. Each shire was semi-autonomous, and governed themselves in their own manner. Nevertheless, the shires were still technically united under the League of the Wylon States, a confederation that had relatively relaxed authority over its members. Shires in the League shared a set of common laws and protocols - the 'Common Law', but they were still allowed to possess their own laws and customs, provided they didn't violate the Common Law. All shires had to pay a seasonal tax which would go to a collective fund for the League; however, this amount of money was very small compared to taxes demanded in other nations.

Usually, a shire consisted of 1 to 3 towns, with the most major and influential settlement being chosen as the shire's capital. The shire was governed by a mayor, who would be elected every 3 years.

The League of Wylon States did not have a professional military force; during times of struggle, shire militias were raised, and then led by their own commanders into battle, rather than falling under the authority of any particular commander.

HISTORY
As with all human societies, the tribes which first settled in what would become the Wylon States were hunter-gatherers. However, over time animals such as cows and sheep were successfully domesticated, and farmers also began to grow food such as wheat, fruit and grapes. The first permanent settlements were built relatively early compared to certain other human societies, such as the Arjentrians and Gervlendese.

Even before the collapse of elven civilisation, the Middle-Lands were a crossroads for many different ethnic groups. Although over the centuries certain factions would rise to become dominant in a region and declare it their territory, such as Mittelrijk, in the Wylon Peninsula the numerous villages assessed that an endless state of conflict between rival tribes was not beneficial, and succeeded in coming to a mutual agreement to co-exist with each other; the shires were first arranged so that certain tribes/villages had a territory that was undisputedly theirs. The League was first founded in 2355, although laws and treaties binding the different shires together had existed far before that date.

The Wylon States existed in peace for almost 5 centuries. They were on good terms with the Kingdom of Mittelrijk, sparing them from being absorbed by it, and fostered good relations with almost all nations by providing desired goods such as wine, cheese and fruit, and also certain services, mainly maritime transport for merchants participating in trade in the Eastern Sea. There was a time during the Southern Crusade when the Empire of Conoilith conscripted the Wylonian population to serve in the Imperial Conoilithian Army, but other than this disturbance, the League and its shires existed untroubled for hundreds of years.

In 2852, however, things changed. The Kingdom of Mittelrijk had a military coup 2 years prior, and was now fuelled by a nationalist and militaristic desire to make itself self-reliant and powerful enough to rival its neighbours, the Conoilithian and Second Virgandian empires. King Gustaf III of Mittelrijk desired absolute control over the eastern coast of the Middle-Lands, and in 2852, the Kingdom of Mittelrijk officially annexed the Wylon States. The League's attempt at resistance was futile, as the Mittelrijkian Royal Army mobilised much faster and was far more powerful. There were little to no open engagements, and the League surrendered, becoming part of the Kingdom of Mittelrijk that year.