Ellyrion (province)

Ellyrion is a province in Ulthuan that was first introduced in Total War: Warhammer II.

Lore
The Kingdom of Ellyrion is a land of gentle summers and mild winters, of sweeping plains, azure skies and heady pollen. It is famed for its horses, who thunder across moor and heath from dawn to dusk. The steeds of Ellyrion are the swiftest and most noble of four-legged beasts, much prized by nobles of the Ten Kingdoms, and those of the lands beyond. To folk from other lands, the Ellyrian steppes appear to stretch on forever. Indeed, time and distance work strangely here. A traveler can walk directly towards his destination for hours upon hours, growing ever more distant from his starting point, yet never coming closer to his goal. The Ellyrians know the secret paths and ways through their land, for they have learnt them from the horses, but such secrets are seldom shared – even amongst the Elves.

In truth, even a warrior of Ellyrion could search the plains for a lifetime and never find the hidden ranges of the herds. Such places were known only to horsekind, and the first elves to settle in Ellyrion had always respected their privacy. It would be impossible to find the herds unless they wish to be found. So deep is the land's connection to the herds that they know it better than even the longest-lived Asur.

Thick forests of evergreens shawl the foothills of the mountains to provide herds with shade, rivers of fresh water feed waterholes and the vast expanse of flat earth is their playground. The golden landscape is home to scattered villages, and isolated woods of larch and evergreen. Heat haze ripples from the undulant hills of the middle distance, as well as the gauzy cornfields surrounding them.

The Horsemasters of Ellyrion live in harmony with their mounts. They prefer not to break their beasts' spirits with harsh treatment; rather, the horses are enchanted and serve willingly when called. The Elves repay this loyalty with kindness and protection. Those who harm their steeds are severely dealt with – even in a realm as civilized as Ellyrion, it is still possible to die a most uncivilized death. 'Better to harm the brother of an Ellyrian than his horse' is a well-known saying in Ulthuan.

Ellyrians are a wild and proud people, quick-tempered as Elves go, and swift to avenge any stain on their honour. They are flamboyant and skilled riders, capable of performing staggering feats of archery and acrobatics on horseback. It is said that they learn to ride before they learn to walk. This is almost true – at a young age, each Ellyrian child is bonded to a specially selected foal who will be their mount in later life. The Ellyrian cavalry is constantly called to battle, for Ellyrion is one of the main areas that the Dark Elves of Naggaroth will raid on those occasions when they get across the mountains. The Horsemasters maintain constant patrols across their lands to warn of any incursion, and running battles between Ellyrian Reavers and Dark Elf raiders are a common occurrence. The Naggarothi often raid Ellyrion solely for the purpose of stealing black horses from the great wild herds. Such conflicts are notably bitter and hard-fought affairs for, in the eyes of the Ellyrian, no blacker villain can exist than a Naggarothi who stoops to the matchless infamy of horse-theft.

Ellyrion is a region of verdant open plains, and is the domain of the horse kindreds with their herds of fine Elven Steeds. By tradition, the warriors of this realm are expert riders, taught from a young age the arts of horseback warfare. These warriors, known as Ellyrian Reavers, are experts with both spear and bow. A distinctive feature of the Reavers is their elegant, flowing plumed helmets.