Moss (モス, mosu) is one of the countries on the continent of Lodoss. The Dragon Knights of Moss are an elite force hailing from Moss. In the 1990 OVA, Duke Jester of Moss (mistranslated as "Prince" Jester) is an ally of King Kashue. In the novels, Parn meets Jester in the fifth novel, in which he travels around Moss, Valis, and Kanon.
Overview[]
Moss is a commonwealth of duchies in the southwestern quadrant of Lodoss. The land has seen many civil wars as the dukes battle for power, but the main seat of power in Moss is in the region of Highlands. The Highlanders have tamed dragons for hundreds of years, and as the region is situated in the mountains, it has a tactical advantage, making it the location of power in the region.
Dragons are well respected in Moss, and it is the home of the golden dragon Mycen, the dragon of Pharis. Wyverns are common, and the Dragon Knights have tamed these great creatures to ride. All sorts of other dragons roam the land and lurk in caverns, including many great dragons and countless thunder dragons. The people know, however, that not all dragons are of good alignment. Most of the dragons of Moss are good or indifferent, but wild dragons are highly unpredictable, and can act hostile. The thunder dragons which roam the old ruins of Kastuul are very protective of their domain and react bitterly to unwelcome guests.
In Moss the symbol of the Dragon is represents strength and prosperity. It is impossible to avoid this fact, as nearly everything seems connected to this idea. After the unification of Moss, many cities changed their name to fit this motif as well, and most taverns and inns use the word Dragon as well. Even the names given to children reflect this, with such names as "Drake", "Scale", or "Cave".
Moss was unified under King Mycen after the Demon War. The Demon King was released in Skard, a duchy of Moss, by it's own duke. From underground, the demons took the dwarven Stone Kingdom in the south of Moss, and Skard fell under their control as well. Moss was slowly becoming overrun by demons. It was during this time that the Marfa priestess Neese broke the curse of the Kastuulian Governor on the golden dragon, freeing her from her duty to protect the Staff of Life. To honour those who freed her, the dragon took the name Mycen.
With the devastation caused by the War of the Demon King, Moss united under the Highlands. Under the rulership of King Mycen and the Dragon Knights, the people enjoyed a great deal of liberty and freedom, and their lands prospered. In time, other surrounding baronies joined with Mycen's domain, and soon the area became known as the kingdom of Moss.
Another civil war began around NRC 511 or 512, and many dragon riders and their wyverns were sacrificed. To end the war, Jester undertook a mission with the Free Knight Parn and his companions, including the mercenary Shiris. During the course of the quest, Duke Redrick and Shiris became close and were later married, thus making her queen.
Country[]
The Confederations of Moss, which has other names such as "Realm of War God" and "Dukedoms of the Dragon", is located on a large plateau in the southwest of Lodoss. The country is made up of a coalition of city-states scattered around the "Green and Brown mountains" or the Albora Mountains (アルボラ, arubora). Each of the city states that make up the Confederations of Moss are segregated into countries that are also referred to as duchies. Therefore, the rulers of these nations are dukes and at the same time act as governors. Each of these nations has two names, their original name, and the name that it uses when it unites with the other nations of Moss that have entered the dragons’ covenant. These secondary names are titled after various parts of a dragon’s body, and each nation’s coat of arms symbolises this name. The titles represent that the nations of Moss act as one powerful entity.
In the Confederations of Moss, the ruler who controls the nations becomes the ruler of all the nations. The ruler of the confederation, referred to as an emperor, is selected by a meeting between the Duke of Harken and the Duke of Highland. The current ruler of Moss is the Duke of Harken, who made Harken the public capital. The Moss region reaches to the brown mountainous Lalauza Mountains to the north, where Highland is located, with the majority of the region depending on the steep Albora Mountains in the south as a natural fortification. The Mirror Forest in the northeast is widespread with many common elves inhabiting it.
Social system[]
The Confederations of Moss is a feudal state with the dukes of the country at the top. The aristocratic system from the king to the upper knights to the lower knights is strong, and marriages of convenience are also frequent. Not as much as the kingdom of Alania, were power struggles in the event of murder, etc. are far more numerous. The knights of Moss display far less examples of corruption than the other knight orders of the kingdoms of Lodoss. The god of war Myrii is widely worshiped among the aristocrats and the soldiers whose discipline is relatively well maintained. Also, unlike most other countries, talented female knights may be actively promoted beyond their status. As the region of Moss is a poor land for agriculture, many of the inhabitants, including royalty and senior knights cultivate their land by welding iron.
History[]
Foundation[]
The region of Moss, housed a number of small nations that fought repeatedly, scattered amongst its mountainous land. Surrounded by steep mountains, the cities of Moss were difficult to attack and easy to protect. The terrain also prevented the emergence of a unified nation. However, in the 258th year of the New Royal Calendar (NRC), the nations did unite against the invasion of the rising power of Raiden, located north of the Moss region. Therefore, the following year, the lords of each nation signed an agreement called the “dragons’ covenant” and the Duchies of Moss was established. Under this pact, the nations would unite against internal threats. An election system for the rulership of the Moss region was also established. The candidates being chosen from the dukes of each of the nations under the pact. The term Duchy seemed like a low-ranking title to the other nations of Lodoss. However, it was to display that each of the nations of Moss had a strong sense of independence as a duchy and as a country. However, there were constant skirmishes between the duchies such as Skard and “Dragon Flame” Harken in the 473rd year of the New Royal Calendar.
Year 473[]
Skard’s Duke Bruuk summoned the Demon King which initiated the Demon War (or War of the Demon King). This act was also carried out due to a threat from the powerful nation of “Dragon Scale” Venon. The duke was only trying to protect his child, Nasier, but it unleashed unprecedented horror across the entire island. To put an end to the conflict Duke Mycen of Highland lifted Saluvan's curse on the golden-scaled ancient dragon that lived in the area, who subsequently adopted the name Mycen. The forces of Moss were mostly united into a powerful force. These acts, along with Moss’ relationship with the kingdom of Valis, helped bring the horrific conflict to an end. After the end of the Demon War, the Duchies of Moss did their best to heal the pain of war, on the surface the people kept calm. But the peace was only a cover for their internal turmoil. The rebellion of the Duchy of Venon continued the nation's long history of civil war.
Year 510[]
When the invasion of the main island of Lodoss was initiated by the Marmo Empire, countries like Alania didn’t send troops to intervene. However, Duke Jester joined the battle at his own discretion and with his twelve Dragon Knights set out for the occupied kingdom of Kanon. Jester was driven by national orders, he fought the Marmo in the name of "Justice." The thirteen dragon knights, who had been deployed to the south of Kanon, devastated the forces of Marmo, and then travelled to the dark isle of Marmo itself, to deal the empire an even bigger blow. This action eventually pushed the kingdom of Alania, and the Confederations of Moss, to move their main corps out of their countries to battle the Marmo. The armies of Moss were deployed to Kanon, leaving relatively little manpower to defend the region. Taking advantage of this situation, Duke Wenner of “Dragon Scale” Venon, attacked the Duchy of “Dragon Flame” Harken, and overwhelmed their reduced force with his elite knights. In Grey Rock, the royal castle of the Duchy of Harken, the Duke's family was murdered, and Duke Wenner claimed the throne. This act placed the region of Moss back into an era of civil war. Due to having to redirect their attention to its own borders, the nations of Moss had to withdraw their forces from the fight against the Marmo. The turmoil of the region would continue for the next five years.
Years 512-515[]
The civil war in the Moss region that was initiated by the ambitious Duke Wenner of “Dragon Scale” Venon, when his forces attacked the Duchy of “Dragon Flame” Harken, as the armies of Moss joined the allied forces to repel the Marmo invasion, continued long after the War of Heroes. Harken was under Duke Wenner’s governance after he murdered the royal family. As a result, the outbreak of Moss' civil war lasted for five years. By the 515th year of the New Royal Calendar, the territory controlled by Wenner covered most of the Moss region. Wenner also has access to a trump card in his rebellion, he was able to revive the body of a giant, called a "Flame Giant". The Giant had the spiritual power of fire, so they would never be burned by the flames of the dragons. For this reason, the Highland army, which relied on the dragons of the Dragon Knights to exhale flame, was driven into inferiority. However, Highland’s Prince Redrick wished to defeat the flame giant and discovered the magic sword named "Giant Killer" told about in folklore, and the giant was overthrown. Thus, Wenner’s ambitions were halted and a counterattack was issued by Highland.
Year 525[]
Duke Wenner would still retain power until his army was defeated by Highland led by Duke Redrick and Queen Shiris. Wenner poisoned himself when he realised that his ambitions of ruling Moss were crushed. After uniting Moss after a decade of civil war, Duke Redrick and his forces joined the Allied Forces on the Dark Island of Marmo and rescued the Valis army which was struggling with the Evil Dragon Narse.
Locations[]
“Dragon’s Eye” Highland[]
“Dragon’s Eye” Highland (「竜の目」ハイランド, 「ryū no me」 hairando) is located at the northern end of the Moss region. It is the oldest duchy in the region. The current ruler, Duke Jester participated in the conflict against the Marmo during the War of Heroes, in response to the King of Valis’ call to arms. The royal castle, Overcliff Castle (オーバークリフ城, Ōbākurifu-jō), overlooks the royal capital with the same name as the kingdom, from the top of the cliff that it was constructed on. The castle is extremely robust, some even rate it higher than castle Akroyd in that regard. The steep slope that invaders would have to climb was also a huge asset to the castle's defenses. This is one of the reasons why the war-horses of Moss are said to be so strong, as they are constantly conditioning their legs on the slope. The Highland royal family is famous for producing excellent people. It is widely said in Lodoss that "there is no evil man in Highland". Duke Mycen, was said to have broken the curse of the Golden Dragon King, and bestowed upon him his own name. His son and successor, Duke Jester is also a hero of note as and is praised as a powerful Dragon Knight who is continuing to raise the great name of Highland amongst the kingdoms of Lodoss. Highland worships the dragons that live in this region as deities. The country was founded by a tribe that were able to tame dragons as steeds. Generally Dragon Knights are currently selected from the royal family or high ranking knights.
“Dragon Scale” Venon[]
“Dragon Scale” Venon (「竜の鱗」ヴェノン, 「ryū no uroko」 vu~enon) is a duchy located in the southeast of the Moss region and has had many skirmishes with the kingdom of Valis. The royal capital, which has the same name as the duchy, is the second largest city in Moss, as well as Venon being the second largest duchy in the region. It is a town that was cultivated in the plains, which is rare in Lodoss. Other capital cities are usually built in mountainous areas, suitable for defence. Venon prioritised economics over military advances and became rich due to its agriculture. The city was built in rich plains ripe for good harvests, and is convenient for transportation Due to the financial power gained by this, Venon is able to quickly mobilise many soldiers. Immediately after the dragons’ covenant was signed, Muskett was annexed and Venon obtained the status of a great nation of Moss. The dukes of Venon have strong territorial ambitions, and are often in conflicts with the neighbouring country Valis, even in the Demon War and the War of Heroes. Venon is also the main cause of the Moss Civil War.
Muskett[]
Muskett (マスケト, Masuketo) is the second largest city in Venon. It remained an independent kingdom when the dragons’ covenant was signed. However, the city was defeated by Venon, and since then, the Duke of Venon has governed the city as the Duke of Muskett. During the Demon War, the city was abandoned to the demons by the kingdom of Venon. The King of Venon was said to calculate the chances of the civilians surviving and came to the conclusion based on that. The prevailing theory is that the Duke would have made the decision, regardless of whether the humans or demons won.
Skard[]
Skard (スカード, sukādo) is a small duchy located in the south of the kingdom of Venon, it was the nation responsible for the initiation of the Demon War. Although Skard is a small nation, it is extremely prosperous due to its special product, ale. The monopoly on their interaction with the dwarves of the Stone Kingdom in the south allowed the country to maintain its independence. However, in the end Skard merged with Venon due to the pressure to withstand the forces of the Demon King summoned by Duke Bruuk. After that Skard lost its position as an independent nation. Its royal castle was called Grain Hold (グレイン・ホールド, gurein hōrudo)
“Dragon Flame” Harken[]
“Dragon Flame” Harken (「竜の炎」ハーケーン, 「ryū no honō」 hākēn) is a duchy located in the southwestern part of the Moss region, south of Highland. Along with Highland and Venon, it is one of the great nations of Moss, when the War of Heroes began, the Duke of Harken was allied with Highland. However, the rebellious Venon murdered the King's family and placed the royal capital under the control of Venon. The royal capital, which has the same name as the kingdom, is a city built on a cliff. The Royal Castle Grey Rock is located on an overhanging cliff and nearby many temples and aristocratic mansions are lined up. Beneath the cliff, which can be reached by a long set of stairs built into the walls of the city, is the main city, which spreads out into the plains. There are also many abandoned tunnels, once used for mining ore, but these are now mostly off-limits.
“Dragon Tail” Russen[]
“Dragon Tail” Russen (「竜の尾」リュッセン, 「ryū no o」 ryussen) is located in the plateau east of Harken. As most of the landscape in the country rises, Russen is also called "Plateau Country". Livestock farming is thriving, and the country is known for producing particularly good horses. In fact, most of the horses in the army of the Knights of Moss were born in Russen. Russen was devastated in the Demon War, and all its knights were annihilated, only leaving the royal family behind. Even after Russen was freed from its occupation by the demons, the country didn’t recover and became a client state of Harken.
“Dragon Claw” Renton[]
“Dragon Claw” Renton (「竜の爪」レントン, 「ryū no tsume」 renton) is located to the southeast of Highland. It has maintained friendly relations with Highland for decades, and in the Demon War was the only Duchy that took a neutral position when the nations of Moss declared war on Highland. However, it was attacked by Venon for that reason. When the Knights of the Moss Union rebelled against the demons, Renton became the station of the knights.
Stone Kingdom (dwarven tunnels)[]
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Entrance to the tunnels. Screenshot from Record of Lodoss War OVA.
The Stone Kingdom (石の王国, ishi no ōkoku) was once a subterranean metropolis that was home to the dwarves of Southern Lodoss. The huge underground network of caves, once used by the giants, has been steadily expanded over the thousands of years since the dwarves first arrived in Lodoss. Innumerable branches of roads were completed under Lodoss, connecting to caves all around the island. Among them a long underpass that connected to the Iron Kingdom of Alania, with various hidden doors, and traps to repel intruders was constructed. When the Demon War commenced, and the hordes of demons were released, the Stone Kingdom was the first place on Lodoss to fall. The dwarves were ambushed and although they fought bravely, they were all exterminated. The sole survivor was Flaibe.
The Deepest Labyrinth[]
The Deepest Labyrinth (最も深き迷宮, mottomo fukaki meikyū) is a maze-like prison where the summoner of the ancient kingdom sealed the demons. In the deepest chamber, a magic signet is engraved on the ground, this is where the Demon King himself was sealed long ago. On the way to the chamber, various traps and magical creatures stand guard to protect the labyrinth from intruders. At the end of the Demon Wars the Hundred Heroes ventured to the deepest chamber to challenge the Demon King. But only six returned. After the Demon King was defeated the sage Wort constructed a tower on top of the labyrinth. This tower is still used for him to live in and monitor the area so that the demons do not start rising again.
People[]
Individuals from Moss include:
Gallery[]
.jpg "Overcliff Castle (Highland).jpg (2.96 MB)")