The Kingdomof Grinlia: Part I
The largest and youngest human realm consumes approximately a quarter of the Orean continent. The kingdom of Grinlia has existed as a single sovereignty for just under 1000 years, since the end of the Scourge Wars. It was only then, under the threat of the Scourge, Aishapra, that the various petty kings united under the warrior of the Starsword, Elibon L'lorn. Most of Grinlia’s human lands were integrated into the monarchy under Elibon. Over the centuries through marriage, trade arrangements, and ancient alliances Grinlia grew to its current state.
Non-human inhabitants of Grinlia are generally left alone. They include almost all of Orea's diverse races including concentrations of hairfeet and centaurs in the Kiari Hills. The demi-human population enjoys relative peace and security of life within Grinlia’s borders.
Trade within Grinlia is abundant with various areas of the kingdom specializing in a wide variety of goods. The Arm of Tyris allows easy access for trade or the fast dispatching of troops between the Embrars and the southern portion of Grinlia, mostly contained within the Grand Duchy of Denil, and beyond to Mostrial and even to the Freelands.
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Aberol[/SIZE]
The great citadel and city of Aberol is the seat of the high-king and/or -queen of Grinlia, the descendants of the ancient hero, Elibon, the royal house of L’lorn. Aberol sits on a great hill rising over the lush fields and fertile farmlands where the Whiteway River meets the Arm of Tyris. The lands beyond a day or two’s ride from Aberol are called
West Embrar. It is considered to be under the High queen’s direct jurisdiction. In reality, the Queen has appointed ministers to oversee the administration of the land.
The realm of West Embrar extends west from Aberol to the western sea and north to the edge of Naradun. The eastern border of West Embrar follows the White Way river north to the
Kiari Hills and beyond the hills along the western borders of the
O’Douhn forest. The northern reaches, kept relatively secure by the Rangers of O’Douhn, is still fairly rough and much more wild than the peaceful farming fields and pastoral woods of the southern part of the realm. Much of West Embrar is kept secure due to the reputation of the Queen’s cavalry,
The Starsword knights, and fear of the Wizard of Towerton.
[SIZE=+1]Towerton[/SIZE]
The large trading town of Towerton started as little more than a collection of farmers, herdsmen, and timber workers. Today a small city sits on the coast surrounded by farmlands, herdmen, and timber workers, all tightly clustered within view of a great hovering chunk of rock. The community earned its name and vaulted reputation from its most famous (and originally its only) resident, the Wizard of the Tower. The town is ruled by a Council of chosen officials, who supposedly consult with the Wizard regularly, but this is usually only on matters of great importance.
In the dark years following the Godswar, there was a period of severe persecution of any magic-use not of divine origin. They were called the Mage Wars. A secluded wizard found himself beseiged by Zealot forces. The wizard used his powers to lift his tower (and a significant chunk of the surrounding earth) from the ground where it hovers, to this day. Over the ages, as the attitudes toward magic-users mellowed, and the need for protection ever-increased, settlers came to live in the shadow of the Tower beseeching the wizard’s great power to protect them and their lands.
Following the Mage Wars, the lands of Grinlia were still chaotic and treacherous with warlords and petty kings forever conquesting and conquering their neighbors. These gave way to Selurian raiders from across the sea, barbarian hordes, and eventually even the goblinoid armies of the Scourge Wars found their way to floating citadel. So, over the centuries, many of the inhabitants of West Embrar, made their way to the surrounding environs of the wizard’s floating tower and Towerton was born.
While it’s believed by many that the current resident of the floating tower is the original, several mages have kept residence there over the ages, typically passing down stewardship of the tower and now the mantle of “Wizard of Towerton” to an apprentice. As such, the abilities, aid, and visibility of the wizard changed dramatically in the town’s history. Indeed, there have been entire decades at a time in the past centuries when no “wizard” was ever seen or spoken to. The current Wizard of Towerton happens to be a wizard of some power named
Urellon. He is somewhat reclusive, but he and/or his apprentice,
Torin, make semi-regular appearances in and around the town. He appears, as you would think, an elderly man with a thick white beard, clothed in robes emblazoned with arcane symbols, using a gnarled staff carved with more symbols. Urellon is known and respected by many of the other great mages of Orea. He holds a bitter grudge against the witch-queen of
Dunsmoor, who was once his pupil.
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Sanctum[/SIZE]
The City of Light, as it’s commonly called, Sanctum is the center of religion for the current pantheon of the gods of Men, and a symbol for all that is good and just. Aside from
Brightmoon and Andril, Sanctum is the only city to withstand the devastation of the Godswar. The great white walls of the city sit on the open lush plains between the Whiteway and Tyrilith rivers. These walls were constructed with the aid of the dwarves of Naradun. They stand over 50 ft. tall and have withstood countless attacks and sieges. They are continuously plastered and painted white so that the whole city seems to gleam from the light reflecting from them for miles around.
Sanctum contains the largest collection of temples, shrines, and organizations for all the gods of good, and most of the gods of neutrality. There is a constant stream of pilgrims making quests to the multitude of holy places. The largest and most powerful of these are the temples of Astar, Celradorn, and Gilea.
Of course wherever there is an abundance of good, you can be sure there is evil trying to bring it down, and Sanctum is no exception. Secret cults and sects of several evil gods working their deceit and corruption can be found there as well. Politics, power mongering, and temple intrigue now tarnish the interior of Sanctum’s pristine outer appearance. Still, on the whole, the city and its surrounding countryside are a lawful and ordered realm, seen as a bastion of the forces of good across much of Orea.
Sanctum sits in
East Embrar and is recognized as subject to the Highseat of Grinlia but enjoys self-rule by a council of the high priests and priestesses of the many temples called
the Synod. The head of the Synod, the
Cleris Suprima, is the high-priest of the Temple of Astar and stands as the lord of Sanctum and holy leader of Grinlia. The current Cleris Suprima is
Ellshor Kar Veron. He holds rank as spiritual advisor to the royal family and is viewed by some as second in power to the queen herself.
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The Kiari Hills[/SIZE]
Smack in the middle of the realms of Grinlia, the Kiari Hills run from eastern side of West Embrar and the river Whiteway along the southern side of the great forest
O’Douhn and into the Duchy of the same name. While not a realm in and of itself, the Kiari Hills are now home to a number of hairfoot communities in the northern and western sections, including Goldendale, Briardale, and Heatherheathe. The hills are also known to be home to a number of centaur hyrds.
In the distant past, before the rise of Men, parts of the hills were used as burial mounds by the elves that then roamed the lands. Later, adventurous dwarves prospected there and a settlement did blossom for a time. The Lord of these dwarves was
Kiar, son of Krom, who lives on in dwarven song. The Halls of Kiar went through periods of war and peace over the centuries, sometimes warring with and sometimes doing work for their Selurian neighbors, who eventually became their overlords. When the Godswar came it drove the dwarves back to the solid security of their mountain stoneholds leaving the hills, and Kiar’s Hall, abandoned for many years.
With the rise of evil in the dark years following the Godswar, the hills were a perfect festering ground for goblins and orcs. These fiends molested the surrounding lands with periods of raiding and pillaging hoarding their ill-gotten gains in hill forts and abandoned strongholds. As the various lords of Grinlia grew in power, the dark creatures subsided. Centuries later with the rise of the demonson Aishapra, goblins and trolls again sprang from the hills, eventually being all but annihilated by the united peoples of Grinlia and the defeat of Aishapra.
To this day, erstwhile adventurers and treasure hunters roam the hills looking for lost dwarven halls, ancient elvin burial chambers, forgotten ruins, and endless tunnels that are rumored to still lie hidden, laden with treasure and ancient artifacts, beneath the hills.
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Bluside and East Embrar[/SIZE]
Bluside is, by far, the largest port and the oldest city established after the Godswar in Grinlia. Bluside serves as a trading hub for goods from the northern Grinlian realms and the rest of Orea and vice versa. Bluside sits on the rim of the Arm of Tyris, east of the great river Tyrilith. The city itself is essentially half port/wharfside and half marketplace. Merchants and traders from all seafaring nations do business in Bluside. Its marketplace is thought to be second to none in western Orea. For travelers from
D’Ensior,
O’Douhn and
Resahd, Bluside is the best way to obtain the special materials of far off
Denil,
Mostrial, and exotic goods of
Tanku and
R’Hath. Bluside also serves as the capital of East Embrar and home for the Duke,
Batram Embrar, who traces his family back to one of the great kings in the days before Grinlia was united under the High-king.
As a realm, East Embrar extends from the Whiteway river (though the regions between the Whiteway and Tyrilith are generally considered to belong to Sanctum) to the Dragonreach mountains. The “Endless Marshes” of
Dunsmoor block East Embrar by land to the southern realms. To the north, Embrar extends as far as the ancient druid wood of
Starglen and follows the river Tyrilith to the edge of the
Kiari Hills that continue into the Duchy of O’Douhn.
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Duchy of O’Douhn/The O’Douhn Forest[/SIZE]
The Duchy of O’Douhn consists of the lands inhabited by the clans collectively called the Sons of Douhn. These hearty people are noble hearted and strong willed, much like the men of Mostrial. They are, perhaps, the greatest and most loyal supporters of the Highseat of Grinlia. Patrolling the northern borderlands and ever-vigilant of their sinister neighbors in
D’Ensior. The Duke of O’Douhn is
Destrin O’Kach, brother of the High-queen. He overlooks the wide rolling hills and fields of eastern O’Douhn from the ancient keep at O’Rook, the traditional home of the lord of O’Douhn. The realm of O’Douhn encompasses from the Naradun mountains to the woods of
Starglen and the
Kiari Hills in the south. The eastern border of O’Douhn is the river Wydeep which runs into the Skyface Sea. East of the Wydeep is the ancient nemeses of the Sons of Douhn, the lands of D’Ensior. Less than two days west of Castle O’Rook begins the great forest of O’Douhn. This massive primordial wood blankets almost the entire western half of what is considered the Duchy. The western edge of the forest is the border of O’Douhn and West Embrar.
The O’Douhn clans made their lives within that forest since before the Godswar. Living lives of relative freedom, constantly fighting against the ever-encroaching Selurians. They constructed villages around and atop the huge Bronzewood trees after the elvin style, many of whom made their home in the O’Douhn forest. They taught the Sons of Douhn how to live with the land, how to make great arts and great war. In time, the great woodland city of
Covertgaard rose as the center of O’Douhn society and enjoyed centuries as a monument to the friendship of the O’Douhn and the elves of that forest. Since the Scourge Wars, and the destruction of the ancient hold of Covertgaard, most of the human populace have moved into the open lands or to communities on the borders of the forest like Richton and Shadybough.
Within the forest, however, is where O’Douhn’s real claim to fame lies. From a secret stronghold deep in the wood, the
Rangers of O’Douhn train and patrol their homeland, and Grinlia as a whole. They are known and respected throughout the Embrars and
Resahd, also by the dwarves of
Naradun and even the
Miralostae. They are disdained in the realms of
D’Ensior, seen as spies, thieves, and interfering outlaws. The Rangers of O’Douhn are reputed as having great skill in woodcraft and animal husbandry along with great courage and valor. The organization of the Rangers as a fellowship is credited to the mythic hero of the Thorn,
Corellon Oakbrow, who rallied the O’Douhn forces, scattered in the wake of Covertgaard’s ruin, and organized them in the dawning days of the unification of Grinlia, to aid his friend and comrade, the newly crowned high-king Elibon. Thus contributing to the ultimate destruction of Aishapra.
That was almost 1000 years ago. Today the Rangers aren’t necessarily comprised solely of the men of O’Douhn. In fact, one doesn’t have to be a ranger to be a Ranger of O’Douhn. There are known members of the organization, defenders of the realm, who are clerics of
Sylari and
Celradorn, bards, rogues, even a mage or two. Membership has also grown to include elves, gnomes, halflings, even an odd centaur or dwarf. Each patrol band is still led by an actual ranger. The current Captain of the Rangers is also an actual O’Douhn ranger named
Bronner Twobow. He is a good friend of the Duke’s though his duties rarely allow him time in court.
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The Baronies of D’Ensior[/SIZE]
East of O’Douhn and north of
Resahd is the northernmost collection of territories claiming allegiance to the throne of
Aberol. This collection of smaller realms are collective called the Baronies of D’Ensior. They include the
Barony of D’Evon, the Barony of D’Arongil, the Barony of Farreach, and D’Ensior, home of the
Arch-Baron Dereborn. The baronies run from the Wydeep river east, across the great river Tyrilith to the plains and tundra of Gorundu. Its northern reaches are harsh rocky lands giving way to frozen wastes terminating at the glacial Diamond Cliffs. On its south, D’Ensior borders Resahd and has a substantial amount of coastline around the Skyface Sea, which the ships of D’Arongil patrol (and privateer) as their own.
While seemingly loyal and supportive of the crown, the Arch-Baron not-so-secretly plots to get closer to the crown by any means necessary, perhaps even take it for himself. As protection from retribution he has the knowledge that he is viewed by the court, in far off Aberol, as great defenders of Grinlia endlessly protecting the inner realms from the barbarian hordes of Gorunduun. Dereborn is also able to lay claim to lineage going back to the time of the original High-king and strong alliances and pacts that were made at that time and subsequently renewed and reinforced over the centuries through marriages and the like. He is also far enough away from the court at Aberol to scheme and plot unhindered. The Barons of D’Ensior strictly patrol their lands and deal harshly with unwelcome guests. Curiously, these do not seem to include a variety of goblinoids that roam the baronies relatively unhindered by the Arch-baron’s forces and occasionally working with them.
There are often skirmishes with O’Douhn and border disputes with Resahd, though the political power of Resahd’s Duchess keeps things civil. At its southeastern tip D’Ensior borders the elvin realm of
Miralosta. The elves, generally not welcoming to outsiders, do not suffer the soldiers of D’Ensior at all, meeting any incursions with force.
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Duchy of Resahd, Castle Bentril[/SIZE]
Resahd is the smallest of Grinlia’s territories, sitting along the Skyface sea and stretching not much further east than the foothills of the Dragonreach mountains. On its eastern border is the elfhold of
Miralosta and the great open expanse of the Orean Plains. It is bordered on the north by the
Baronies of D’Ensior that are a constant source of concern and irritation. Other than the fortress of the Duke, Castle Bentril, there are no major settlements in Resahd. Farming and fishing villages, and the occasional coastal town, the largest of these surrounding the Castle Bentril. The densely wooded hills and rocky protrusions of the Dragonreach range make the southern regions of Resahd something of a frontier. The territory maintains itself with timber, some mining, and acting as the liason for elvin goods to enter the kingdom, the Skyface sea and Tyrilith river offer an easy shipping route for all sorts of goods straight to Bluside.
The current ruler of these lands is the
Duchess Annaline L’lorn, the former high-king’s sister. The Castle Bentril is the ancestral home of the Duchess’ deceased husband, the Bentril family. Like D’Ensior, the family Bentril holds ties to Grinlia’s Highseat since its formation. The two regions have had a rocky history. Part of the reason for the current Duchess’ marriage was to bring some stability to the realms, the former High-king knowing that D’Ensior would not dare to insult a member of the High family. The Duchess is a woman of great strength, compassion, generosity, and duty much beloved by her people (even most of her late husband’s family). Following the direct line of the High-king, the crown prince Gerren, the Duchess of Resahd and her children are next in line of succession to the Highseat.
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Starglen[/SIZE]
While not belonging to any particular duchy nor holding any allegiance to the throne in Aberol, Starglen is the second of the three major druid holds in Orea. This ancient forest is nestled along the northernmost stretch of the Dragonreach mountains extending as far west as the river Tyrilith. The northern edge of Starglen rounds the Dragonreach range and borders on the realm of Resahd. The wood is kept by one of the highest in the
Ancient Order of Mistwood’s mysterious governing body, called the
Lord (or Lady) of Birch. Little else is known about the druidwood or its denizens and most of the residents of Grinlia give it a wide berth.
The forest of Starglen, and the druids of that wood, are viewed with a combination of fear and respect by the men of Grinlia. Giving to the fact that it was a druidess of Starglen that brought the mythic Starsword to Elibon L’lorn thus allowing the defeat of Aishapra, uniting Grinlia, and making Elibon High-king. This is the only documented interaction the kingdom has had with Starglen since the establishment of Grinlia. The Druids of the Ancient Order seldom involve themselves in the affairs of Men, but if they do, people tend to listen.
