** The Kingdom of Kalidor**
Racial Breakdown:
65 % Humans, 12% Elves, 8% Orcs, 5% Dwarves, 3% Savar, 2% Garglyn, 5% Other.
Major Industries:
Agriculture, Mining, Fishing
Population:
435,000 (The Kingdom of Kalidor claims the outlying Duchies of Estlemere and Caeralten).
Towns and Villages:
Delsworth, Kennickholdt, Belcaister, Lyndford, Fennelthorpe, Ravenhild, Mirhaven, Farraglynn (Abandoned).
Capital City:
Wyndholme, population 80,000.
Military:
The King maintains a small mercenary army of Orcs which staff Brytnoth’s wall. He also employs an elite guard built of the young men and women of the finest and most loyal noble houses of the realm. The Dukes of the various regions maintain private militias which during wartime are ceded to the King for the duration of the conflict. These militias have a core of professional mercenaries fleshed out by peasant conscripts when necessary. Settlements are required to provide a certain number of battle-ready conscripts annually based on population. Though the King has taken an interest in naval expansion of late, there are very few ships in the Royal Fleet and they are usually reserved for the transportation of the Royal Family.
Government:
Monarchy
Current Ruler:
King Brytnoth II
History
Early in the 10th Century, the mainland country of Tiefanue was in a period of expansion. It built a mighty naval fleet, cleared land to the north and east, and sent out settlers to colonize surrounding lands. During this time a minor Lord Torvald, seeking to make a name for himself, funded and led an expedition to the Isle of Lowgarynn. Through luck, tenacity and some say the divine intervention of Kael, his forces defeated the indigenous populations of elves and wolven, and establish the Duchy of Kalidor. His world famous expedition is now referred to by historians as ‘The Taming of Lowgarynn’. The Battle of Belcaister which occurred during this campaign is studied with awe and reverence amongst the populace to this day.
With the rise of Styphon’s forces and wars with Duvant and Berphaunt, Tiefanue had little choice but to withdraw support and funding for the duchy and by the mid 15th century the hardy settlers of Kalidor were all but abandoned and forced to fend for themselves. Kalidor held off the hordes of the Flind for generations, but ultimately, without the backing of the mother country, they were forced into retreat. In 1885 Duke Brytnoth the Blue declared himself King Brytnoth I of Kalidor, and seceded from Tiefanue. He had a wall built from Kennickholdt to Felcrag to hold back the barbarians, and pulled his forces back behind the Avorbrande river.
For the last four hundred years Kalidor has been under constant threat of being overrun by the wild denizens of the island. A new and vigourous monarch though, King Brytnoth II, has recently inherited the throne of his father Eadric, who was felled in battle with the Wolven Flind. The new king has begun hiring mercenaries from the mainland and he has vowed to conquer the entire island, starting with the reclamation of the lost territories of Caeralten and Estlemere. As it stands now however, the Kingdom of Kalidor is maintaining a tenuous hold on civilization against the encroaching barbarian hordes, menacing Flind, and the predations of forest goblins and wild woad elves.
Racially, most Kalidorians are madirian Humans originally of Tiefanue stock. Orc mercenaries have been hired for generations to hold back the barbarians at Brytnoth’s Wall, and have developed an orcish community at the fortified town Kennickholdt. Over time, for going toe-to-toe with the worst denizens of the Wolvenmyst Highlands, the orcs have gained the steadfast respect and admiration of the Kalidorian populace they defend. The capital city of Wyndholme has the only commercial port that regularly trades with the mainland and as a result all races are represented there. There is a dwarven freehold in the Deymourne Mountains and the trading village of Felcrag is the barter town between Kalidor and the dwarves. Mirhaven is the northern most town, at the very edge of civilized lands, and has a large population (besides the predominant human population) of Wood Fae and Elves. Some of the more “civilized” Einher have been granted a settlement in Fennelthorpe, but are also found throughout Kalidor. The Church of Light has a citadel called the Red Cathedral in Belcaister, and the College of Sages teaches the arcane arts in Delsworth (which also has a sizable Gargylen population).
Government
Kalidor is a monarchy, but the Council of Dukes and the Church of Light are very powerful.
Religion
The King and the majority of the human populace are faithful devotees of the Church of Light . They hold a special reverence for Kael and when they speak of the Church of Light it is often synonymous with the veneration of Kael whom they sometimes refer to as ‘God’ in the singular. This single-minded devotion is due to the legend that Kael himself came from the heavens to fight at the side Lord Torvald during the most desperate hours of ‘The Taming of Lowgarynn’. Some Church of Light scholars believe this intervention was more metaphorical than physical, but others maintain it was the most high and holy incarnation of Kael who brought the future Kalidorians victory against the barbarians and monsters of the isle. The split is about 60/40 in favor of the incarnationists, it is the subject of vigorous debate among faithful.
While other religions are allowed to function in Kalidor and their followers are not generally impeded, they are often viewed as misguided and sometimes regarded with suspicion. The exception is Belcaister, where the Church of Light ‘s Red Cathedral is located. Followers of other religions in that village are all but shunned and their ceremonies must be conducted away from the town proper so as not to pollute the holy grounds. The Red Cathedral is built on the ground where according to the faithful, Lord Torvald and Kael shed blood together in defense of the people during the largest engagement of the Taming.
Societal Views
Kalidorians have lived for generations under a relentless threat of annihilation. As such, they tend to value loyalty and friendship highly, and are suspicious of foreigners. Most of the human population is devoted to the church of light, considering divine intervention to be what saved them from utter destruction. Druids are generally reviled, since the barbarians worship nature and send their shaman to destroy Kalidorian settlements. Kalidorians value security and provision over freedom and choice, and are generally both law-abiding and church-going.
Exports
Agriculture:
Kalidor is an exporter of swine and mutton. Kalidorian wool is hardy and inexpensive. In a good season, Kalidor produces a surplus of oats for export. The brewing of ales and lagers and the vinting of wines and meads has become hugely popular and profitable in the last two centuries. While Kalidorian wines are considered barbarous by continental standards, their beers are second to none.
Mining:
Kalidor produces copper, silver and tin. The lucrative iron mines of Farrepitte have been overrun by the Flind for a hundred years now. The retaking of this vital resource is one of the motivating factors of the expansionist fervor in modern Kalidor. The dwarven silversmiths of Felcrag are very skilled, their work is coveted by noble high society.
Fishing:
The waters around Lowgarynn are dangerous due to storms, monsters and raiders. There are local fisheries, but they do not produce enough for export. Kalidorian whalers, however, are successful dealers in ivory, seal fur and ambergris. Kalidorian whalers are notorious for being more brutal than any Viking raider or south sea pirate.
Ranks in Kalidor
King
(Your Majesty): currently Brytnoth II.
Crown Prince
(Your Royal Highness): Currently Prince Verelle.
Duke
(Your Grace)
The highest rank of nobility. Each must swear direct fealty to the King, though they have a great deal of individual sovereignty over their dominions.
King Brytnoth currently holds a council of seven dukes; Alderguene, Ostenveldt, Vestmark, Sontayne, Ellchester, Estlemere and Caeralten. Although both Estlemere and Caeralten have been overrun by the Flind and the savage Einher for many years, the Dukes retain their rank and seat on the council.
Archbishop
(Your Eminence)
The Archbishop of Belcaister is the highest ranking clergyman in Kalidor.
Archon
(Your Arcane Eminence)
The head of the College of Mages in Delsworth is subordinate only to the King, Arch-bishop and the Council of Dukes. The title is non-hereditary and is determined through a challenge. It is the only position of rank currently occupied by a non-human (Currently a High Elf, Aravel Arende’en).
Baron
(Your Lordship)
The lowest level of hereditary nobility, Barons often do not hold dominion over anything larger than a manor and surrounds. Barons are often granted to great knights or adventurers who claim new lands in the name of a greater noble. The dominion of a Baron is called a Barony. The female form is Baroness.
Bishop
(Your Excellency)
A bishop is a cleric in charge of a small geographic division of a faith called a diocese.
All churches in that area will be administered through the bishop's office.
Reeve
(Your Honourable Lordship)
A non-hereditary noble who is tasked with dispensing the liege's justice within the dominion.
Lord Mayor
(Your Lordship)
A non-hereditary noble granted administrative dominion over a city
