Berphaunt

The Kingdom of Berphaunt

Racial Breakdown: 75% Human, 10% Elves, 5% Mountain Dwarves, 10% other.
Major Industries: Trade, Lumber, Mining.
Military: Powerful land forces, medium navy, powerful & varied use of magic.
Government: Monarchy
Current Ruler: King Louis Berphaunt
Population : 630,000
Capital City: City of Berphaunt with population of 400,000

The Kingdom of Berphaunt, also known as The Eastern Kingdom, is an industrialist nation situated on the eastern half of the continent. It is home to the most powerful organization of mages in the land: The Conclave, and puts more stock in industry, research, and commerce than it does in environmentalism or religious matters.

Although Berphaunt is a monarchy, guilds hold much power in the land. Although the king holds power in matters of state, the guilds control most of the day-to-day goings-on in Berphaunt.

History

350 years ago, the eastern part of the continent was overrun by disorganized bands of Orcs. This land was claimed by the Berphaunt family upon their arrival. Being aggressive expansionists, the people of Berphaunt continued pushing into the land, claiming more for themselves until they were finally stopped by the organized armies of Clan Sprawn. The resulting conflict erupted into the Eastern War.

Where Berphaunt came from is a bit of a mystery. It is rumoured that they landed on the eastern shores after being chased from their original continent by Brood.

The Eastern War

The Eastern War broke out on the eastern side of the continent, and all of its major battles were contained in that region. Clan Sprawn was only a short distance by sea from Berphaunt docks. Clan Sprawn's fertile lowlands were coveted by the Kingdom of Berphaunt who knew taking them would be far easier than expanding into the forest of the Grey-Elves. This could have turned into just another contained escalation of hostilities between Berphaunt and Clan Sprawn. However, the Clan's recent diplomatic successes turned into something more far-reaching. Clan Sprawn called upon its newfound allies in the Republic of Duvain to help them guard their shorelines.

Duvain had continued to grow quickly in both financial and military fields, and prided itself with a new and powerful fleet at the onset of war. Duvain agreed to Clan Sprawn's request for aid and sent nearly half its fleet to protect Sprawn waters from hostile Eastern Kingdom ships. This act concerned the Eastern Kingdom who had found its land campaign dragging to a standstill and saw invasion from the sea as being the most efficient means to an end. Battles at sea between the Eastern Kingdom and the Republic of Duvain were not far away. With its shores now protected, Clan Sprawn concentrated all of its military forces and repelled Berphauntian invaders from its northern lands. After crushing defeats handed to Berphaunt on the northeastern coast of Sprawn's lands by the Duvainian navy, Berphaunt began to worry about this newly-created second front.

Calling upon the might of Tiefanue's Royal Navy, (promising shared plundering of Orcish lands once the war was won), Berphaunt offered a new test of Tiefanue's superiority at sea. With Tiefanue's ships engaging Duvainian defenders, Berphaunt concentrated on crushing the Orcish defenders once and for all. However, much to the world's surprise, the Duvain navy's success at sea continued, and they beat Tiefanue's ships not only away from Clan Sprawn soil, but all the way back to the Western side of the continent. Tiefanue pulled out from the war because of political dissent about why they were in this war in the first place, and because they feared their navy would drag a war back to their own soil.

With the seas off Clan Sprawn's eastern coast now crawling with close to 200 Duvain warships, a counter-attack was staged. When the supply routes became endangered, Queen Louise of Berphaunt pulled her forces back across the border. With the invaders dispelled, and an attack on Berphaunt soil a real possibility by Duvain warships, a cease-fire was signed. The tattered Tiefanue navy remained in her harbours while Berphaunt troops stood on the very soil they had owned at the beginning of the war. Clan Sprawn was left with a mere 1/3rd of its original army, and Duvain was suddenly the new ruler of the seas. The Kingdom of Gerdain watched the war above its homeland with suspicious but neutral eyes, and Suvant had written so many formal letters of shock and repulsion at the "barbaric, unannounced attacks" to Berphaunt that it was wondered if there was any paper left on their shelves.

Shortly after the war, the "Triple Alliance" was formed between the Republic of Duvain, the Kingdom of Tiefanue and the Kingdom of Suvant. Although ostensibly an alliance of economic support, it did not take a political expert to realize it was a three-pronged guard against a routed but still dangerous Berphaunt military. Now with the Triple Alliance formed, Clan Sprawn still allied with the Republic of Duvain, and the Kingdom of Gerdain maintaining neutrality, all remaining major powers stood poised against any further aggression on the part of Berphaunt. Shortly thereafter, Queen Louise of Berphaunt died of her "illness", and with wounded pride for his kingdom, King Louis looked back to the Orcish lowlands with brooding eyes. When he stood on his palaces' higher balconies on clear days, King Louis saw new Duvain merchant ships sailing untroubled off the coast, to Sprawn ports and beyond. He was determined to return honour to his beloved nation, to seek revenge against those who had shamed Berphaunt, and to claim those lands his mother had been denied.

Berphaunt has continued its campaign of expansion since the death of Queen Louise. With the recent disappearance of both the Grey Elves and the Kingdom of Suvant, the triple alliance has been shattered. Dwindling its coffers, Berphaunt has pushed its borders west and south, much to the distrust of Tiefanue.

King Louis gathered the strands of power his mother had dropped in her dying days, and in a strong show of military might, decimated the military forces of Clan Sprawn. Thus weakened, the Clan was finally forced back into its homeland. Although the Orcs have been vanquished, Berphaunt cannot push further into Sprawn lands due to a lack of funding. Through ritual magic conducted by the Conclave, a massive opaque dome, called The Wall of Seti, has been constructed over the heart of Clan Sprawn lands, blotting out the sun. It has been rumoured something was also unleashed within the dome (perhaps legions of undead, or portals to the infernal planes), but since no one can see inside or travel to Sprawn lands, only the Conclave knows for sure.

Religion

Although there are no strictures against the worship of any god (dark or light) within Berphaunt, religion is irrelevant to most citizens, and plays no major roles on a national scale. With that being said, there are several churches of Malagant within Berphaunt.

Societal Values

Society in Berphaunt is ruled by wit and cunning. Berphaunt is a heavily industrialized and consumerist nation, considered by many to be corrupt and immoral. Few laws dictate morals, and slavery is legal.

Since the demise of Queen Louise, the nation has become intensely patriarchal and misogynistic, with women losing their status as citizens. Women are now treated as chattel, and although marriage remains the standard for families, brides hold no rights. Marriage often happens out of convenience and to forge alliances, and when a more lucrative alliance offers itself, it is not uncommon for an undesirable wife to disappear. Divorces are uncommon, and unwanted wives are murdered or sold into slavery.

Exports

A heavily industrialized nation, Berphaunt has been culling its resources to finance its expansion into surrounding lands. Entire forests are felled for the lumber, and huge swaths of land have been dug up with strip mining for ore and precious gems.

The major exports of Berphaunt are lumber, ore, precious gems, and slaves (especially "lower races" like goblinoids, as well as women and girls of all races).

Although not known for its agriculture, Berphaunt is the leading producer of coffee beans on the continent.

Under the insistence of the Coopers' Guild, all barrels and casks are produced under strict standardization. For trade purposes, all barrels and casks must be of regulation size. This standardization has trickled down to other nations, who have found such a regulation advantageous to global trade.

Government

Berphaunt, also known as the Eastern Kingdom, is a monarchy. The last ruler was the ambitious and aggressive Queen Louise who died from a mysterious, protracted illness rumoured by many to have been an assassination. Under her reign, the kingdom almost doubled in just twenty years, and Berphaunt's current borders are the result of this expansion (see the entry on the Kingdom of Tiefanue for more information on this expansion). The Queen's distrust of the Grey Elves was legendary, and pundits claimed she was responsible for tying the hands of Berphaunt's political relationships. However, the Queen was both shrewd and well-informed, and very aware of her detractors. She continued to defy the resident Elder Race up until the day of her death. Her illness was protracted, lasting almost five years. During this time, many of Berphaunt's political and military plans were put on hold, including those plans only just begun.

Upon her death, her son Louis Berphaunt inherited the throne. Berphaunt is arguably the most powerful kingdom on the continent, from both an economic and military standpoint. Anxious to release it from its five-year stall, King Louis put the massive force of the Eastern Kingdom back into motion.

King Louis is married to Queen Amelie, who remains secluded in her private quarters and is rarely seen in court. They have five sons (Frederick, Gervais, Yves, Marcel, and Michel) and three daughters (Bernadette, Gertrude, and Louisa).

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