Imperialus
Explorer
This is a first draft and still rather rough. Please tell me what you think of it.
Of the numerous principalities, provinces, and city states of the Kessel Gral-Shalar is possibly the strangest. It is the only principality that has almost no refugees or immigrants from elsewhere in the world despite the hundreds of years that have passed. This is mainly due to the fact that no one wants to settle in Gral-Shalar due to the original inhabitants, Hobgoblins. Bizarre, isolated and highly militant, the only reason Gral-Shalar has not been wiped out or aggressively settled is because of the Hobgoblins skill at arms and their eagerness to fight the fiends. They make superb shock troops and are often employed by the Lord of Blades as marines on his skyships.
Located just to the south of Egran province Gral-Shalar is an unforgiving heavily forested land, which lacks much good topsoil for crop growth. This suits the Hobgoblins fine however as they prefer to use traditional hunting and gathering skills as opposed to “eating grass and roots” like the weak humans. Still however their burgeoning population has forced them to begin importing various grains and other foodstuffs from the rest of the Kessel much to the dismay of many of the elders who believe that their traditional lifestyle is what keeps them strong.
The Capitol City of Gral-Shalar, Ibrickham (Ib-rick-ham or heart of the world) is relatively small by Kesselian standards having only 20,000 or so inhabitants. It is constructed out of massive granite blocks quarried from the bedrock of Gral-Shalar and is actually one of the oldest constantly inhabited cities in the Kessel, with evidence pointing to a primitive wooded ceremonial lodge created almost 700 years before the founding of Egran.
The aggressive nature of the Hobgoblins creates no end of problems for their neighbors, they are constantly attempting to gain new lands through whatever means necessary. The current prince of the province named Cholan has dreams of one day toppling the Grey King who he views as weak and meddling, and taking the Kessel over for himself. The principality pays homage to the Lord of Blades and it’s actually an arrangement that works quite well. They give him troops and in return he keeps the Grey King off their back.
Ibrickham:
Ruler: Cholan the Mighty (Lord of Blades)
Population: 20,000
Racial composition: Almost 90% Hobgoblin with the remaining 10% consisting of various diplomats traders, rangers, druids and envoys of all different races. Few, if any non-hobgoblins call Ibrickham home.
Languages: Hobgoblin for the most part though it is possible to survive speaking common.
Major holdings: none
Major resources: Fighting men, stone and metal work.
City guardsmen: tough estimate, almost every hobgoblin male over 15 years of age considers himself a warrior so up to approximately 7000. Officially however they maintain a standing guard of 300 guardsmen, mostly veterans who have served under the Lord of Blades.
Military presence: There is almost always an Archon located within 2 or 3 days ride of Gral-Shalar though it is more likely to fight against a hobgoblin raiding party on a neighboring principality than they are to fight along side them. The hobgoblins keep their exact troop numbers secret, though they tithe 1000 able bodied soldiers to serve under the Lord of Blades every 5 years so their numbers must be considerable.
Major temples: There are temples dedicated to both the Lord of Blades and Mistress of Flowers, though they don’t refer to her as such. No other patrons are represented and their worship is actively persecuted. There are also a couple of temples to Cholan, who is attempting to follow in the patrons footsteps and fancies himself a deity.
Of the numerous principalities, provinces, and city states of the Kessel Gral-Shalar is possibly the strangest. It is the only principality that has almost no refugees or immigrants from elsewhere in the world despite the hundreds of years that have passed. This is mainly due to the fact that no one wants to settle in Gral-Shalar due to the original inhabitants, Hobgoblins. Bizarre, isolated and highly militant, the only reason Gral-Shalar has not been wiped out or aggressively settled is because of the Hobgoblins skill at arms and their eagerness to fight the fiends. They make superb shock troops and are often employed by the Lord of Blades as marines on his skyships.
Located just to the south of Egran province Gral-Shalar is an unforgiving heavily forested land, which lacks much good topsoil for crop growth. This suits the Hobgoblins fine however as they prefer to use traditional hunting and gathering skills as opposed to “eating grass and roots” like the weak humans. Still however their burgeoning population has forced them to begin importing various grains and other foodstuffs from the rest of the Kessel much to the dismay of many of the elders who believe that their traditional lifestyle is what keeps them strong.
The Capitol City of Gral-Shalar, Ibrickham (Ib-rick-ham or heart of the world) is relatively small by Kesselian standards having only 20,000 or so inhabitants. It is constructed out of massive granite blocks quarried from the bedrock of Gral-Shalar and is actually one of the oldest constantly inhabited cities in the Kessel, with evidence pointing to a primitive wooded ceremonial lodge created almost 700 years before the founding of Egran.
The aggressive nature of the Hobgoblins creates no end of problems for their neighbors, they are constantly attempting to gain new lands through whatever means necessary. The current prince of the province named Cholan has dreams of one day toppling the Grey King who he views as weak and meddling, and taking the Kessel over for himself. The principality pays homage to the Lord of Blades and it’s actually an arrangement that works quite well. They give him troops and in return he keeps the Grey King off their back.
Ibrickham:
Ruler: Cholan the Mighty (Lord of Blades)
Population: 20,000
Racial composition: Almost 90% Hobgoblin with the remaining 10% consisting of various diplomats traders, rangers, druids and envoys of all different races. Few, if any non-hobgoblins call Ibrickham home.
Languages: Hobgoblin for the most part though it is possible to survive speaking common.
Major holdings: none
Major resources: Fighting men, stone and metal work.
City guardsmen: tough estimate, almost every hobgoblin male over 15 years of age considers himself a warrior so up to approximately 7000. Officially however they maintain a standing guard of 300 guardsmen, mostly veterans who have served under the Lord of Blades.
Military presence: There is almost always an Archon located within 2 or 3 days ride of Gral-Shalar though it is more likely to fight against a hobgoblin raiding party on a neighboring principality than they are to fight along side them. The hobgoblins keep their exact troop numbers secret, though they tithe 1000 able bodied soldiers to serve under the Lord of Blades every 5 years so their numbers must be considerable.
Major temples: There are temples dedicated to both the Lord of Blades and Mistress of Flowers, though they don’t refer to her as such. No other patrons are represented and their worship is actively persecuted. There are also a couple of temples to Cholan, who is attempting to follow in the patrons footsteps and fancies himself a deity.
