Kingdom of Arle (+)
Structure
At one point, Arle was considered to be the next great power of Letha, a collection of powerful tribes and petty kingdoms under the banner of a double-headed eagle, under the reign of the Formorian warlord, Louis Blindeye. Rivaling the Kingdom of Gallia in terms of influence and military strength, at its height the Kingdom exercised control over County of Tolosa, the Golden Sea and the Cloth Cities, as well as its own sizable territorial holdings.
The rising fortunes of the Dark Kingdom were dashed in the disgracing and blemishment of the Blind King, whose broken oaths corrupted his sovereignty and threw his lands into chaos. Arle fell under a perpetual twilight and was beset by an ongoing series of magical calamities and natural disasters, that in turn have turned the stable kingdom into a region defined by civil strife and lawlessness.
Arle is currently ruled, at least in name, by the Formorian King Louis Blindeye, who having narrowly survived an assassination attempt following a curse brought on by a violation of his ere-hud, has sealed himself off in his castle's throne room, his last official act of king being the slaughter of both his successor and the ceremonial queen of Sovereignty. Louis barely clings to life, never passing the threshold into death or recovery, remaining King, but exercising no real control over his holdings. The corrupted Sovereignty of the King has made his territory into a fisher kingdom, reflecting the twisted legacy of its perpetual ruler, neglected and warped by dark magics.
Into the power vacuum have stepped hundreds of would be-rulers, ranging from petty kings and nobles to independent towns and roving Free Companies of adventurers, each carving out small and ever-changing claims in the sickly land of eternal darkness. Of these, two major factions have arisen.
The first are the Zauberer Arled, following the charismatic Tuatha de Danaan Prince, Lord Fintan. The Zauberer Arled draw their power from the arkanists, both fae and Bediz, who make up its ranks. Devoted heavily to the study and use of The Arkane, the Zauberer Arled offer their services for protection against the hostile factions, monsters and magical instability of the region in exchange for steep fees, tributes and privileges. Centered on the city of Dijon, the Zauberer are a collection of magical schools, mad hermits and militaristic sorcerers who funnel their tribute up the chain in exchange for largely uncontested autonomy over their territories.
Opposing the Zauberer Arled is the Order of Albi, led by Perfect Marinzelli, a leading Cleric of the Faith, whose center of power is the Southern city of Arles. A relic of a bygone era of Church zealotry, the Order has dedicated itself towards the eradication of all traces of the Fae and Magik from the world. Regions controlled by the Order are known for harsh persecutions and inquisitions, public executions for witchcraft and dissimulation, and fervent religious fanaticism.
The Zauberer Arled and the Order of Albi are frequently at odds with each other, in both proxy wars and open conflict, each faction vying for control over the disparate chaos that fills the power vacuum. Despite their relative power, neither Marinzelli, nor Fintan have been able to take full de facto control of the region, nor break the ironclad sovereignty of the Blind King, despite fervent propaganda by both as to that end goal.
Noble or Ecclesiastical power in any given region typically only lasts as far as a given city's walls, if even that far. The lawlessness of the region has attracted all manner of opportunists, with bandit gangs, self-styled nobility, adventuring companies and rogue creatures of Faerie holding large swatches of territory. Possessing unrivaled authority within their holdings, these entities rarely exert control beyond their borders.
Culture
Arle is a Fisher Kingdom, a dying land of perpetual night under the rule of a king blind to its struggles and to the world. The land is beset by corruption, both political and seeping into reality itself, defined by chaos and bloodshed. Settlements are typically insular, highly fortified against outside attack and treating outsiders with overt suspicion and paranoid xenophobia. Travel by locals is rare, and trade is typically only conducted with a few select trusted merchants.
This is not without some merit, as the region is plagued by Garwaf, Changelings and glamour-clad Fae from the Forest of the Erlking, carrying out the unknown commands of their masters. Bandits and free companies control much of the region, extorting and freebooting off the region. Rogue Fae carve out pockets of Faewylde, warping all within to their own amusements and machinations, molding reality itself into twisted reflections.
Public Agenda
Arle is a sprawling territory, covering most of the Eastern border between the The Western Realms and the Forest of the Erlking, but it lacks the political will and coordinated resources to exert any dominance within or outside of its borders. As a result, the Dark Kingdom is largely quiet on the international front. Economic and martial resources are poured into or drawn out of the region as a result of the machinations of those within it or those seeking to influence it, but as a centralized entity, the region has no collective presence.
The two largest factions within the Kingdom are the exceptions to this rule, actively furthering their agendas throughout Bedouar. The Order of Albi was instrumental in carrying out the Heresy of Albi, defining Church policy for large periods of time, with their actions directly leading to the conquest of Tolosa by Gallia and the Rebellion of Konstanza de Leon in Breizh. The Zauberer Arled provide powerful Arkanist mercenaries found throughout the world, influencing policy and events through their services.
Assets
While on a whole, the corruption of King Blindeye has plunged the region into bankruptcy and strife, emptying the once sizeable coffers of the Kingdom. However, some regions, such as the Duchy of Burgundia in Northern Arle, have done better, using powerful Arkane and alchemical processes to allow for the production of wine, mustard and other commodities, drawing in sizeable wealth. The factions of the region have become adept at hiring out their services for considerable coin. Much of the land in general remains destitute, barely scraping together subsistence living.
History
The region that is now Arle once marked the edges of Imperial holdings, a region of independent tribes and outlying settlements. During the War of the Erlking. The region was conquered by Boso, a Formorian chieftain from the Forest of the Erlking. Boso gained a reputation as a ruthless conqueror and general, conquering large swaths of territory and leaving burnt ruins in his wake. This changed when he met and fell in love with the captive Gallian princess, Adelaide of Burgundy, with whom he had a child, Louis. Boso defected, defending the city of Arles from Arnulf, another Chieftain of the Erlking's army. When the Erlking was defeated at the Battle of Tours, the territory that would become Arle fell to Arnulf, who arranged the capture and execution of Boso in exchange for sparing Arles. Adelaide and Louis were taken as hostages, but the princeling was spirited away to Tolosa before Arnulf could have him quietly killed. Louis gained the support of the King of Tolosa and the wyvern riders of the Meneziou Gwenn, launching a campaign against his father's killer. The pair met in single combat, which ended when the prince beheaded his longtime rival with the swing of his ax. Louis consolidated the tribes of Formorian and Bediz into the Kingdom of Arle, beginning his long reign. Louis's position was threatened by two hostile groups. In the North, the remaining supporters of Arnulf pressed in from the Forest of the Erlking, remaining a constant threat to the region. At the same time, the South was threatened by increased pirate activity from the Saracens of Slaver's Coast and Outremer. The latter also threatened the stability of both Tolosa and the Golden Sea, allies of Louis from his initial campaign. Louis' military prowess and the relative stability of Arle itself allowed him to march into Tolosa and over the Meneziou Gwenn, where he came into a rivalry with Berengar the Incompetent, a regional warlord and then king of the Golden Sea. The nobility exiled Berengar and installed Louis, but his triumph was short lived, with continued attacks from the pirates along the peninsula and its shipping. His support among fickle nobility dwindled, and many withdrew their support, recalling Berengar, who defeated Louis in a pitched battle. Taken before Berengar, Louis was made to take on an ere-hud, forbidding him from ever "looking upon the Golden Sea as his kingdom" ever again. His army returned over the Meneziou Gwenn. Berengar's return to favour was short-lived, however, and Louis was again called upon. He returned in triumph to the Peninsula, easily defeating Berengar's forces and crowning himself King of Arle and the Golden Sea. He established a capital in Verlupino, a small northern city, and a great feast was held. When night came, a rain of blood fell across the city and surrounding countryside, the first in a series of ill-omens that would continue throughout Louis' short reign. Animals would take ill and die suddenly, wells went sour and crops withered in the fields. Fear Gorta began to appear in citys under his reign and a Bloodmoon over the city of Serenissima led to a pack of Garwaf stalking the canals of the floating city. The nobility sought out the wisdom of a Nathair sage, who instructed them that the source of the calamities was the breaking of the Ere-Hud. Louis could no longer serve as King, as his Sovereignty over the land had become corrupted. Following this advice, the nobility stormed the palace, putting out the King's eyes with a red-hot iron poker and exiling him from the peninsula. Returning to Arle in disgrace, Louis refused to step down, killing both his chosen successor and the Queen of Sovereignty and sealing himself within his fortress. Louis remains in a state of near-death, never crossing the threshold into death or recovery. A perpetual twilight fell across the land and the Kingdom collapsed into a state of civil war as countless petty nobles vie for control, dark creatures and calamities stirring in the shadows.
Demography and Population
The population of the Dark Kingdom is unknown, with settlements mired deep in the Feth Fiada or isolated in the mountains and twisted forests of the land of perpetual night. Most regions within the Kingdom keep to themselves and are distrustful of outsiders. The constant shifting of the fog and threats by Fae raids lead to the sudden destruction or loss of even larger towns.
Territories
While largely subsumed by the Feth Fiada and Faerie, geographers consider Arle part of Bedouar, rather than the Fae world, the last bastion of reality between the Western Realms and the Faewylde of the Erlking's Forest. Arle borders the Kingdom of Gallia, the Duchy of Tolosa and the city-states of the Golden Sea.
Arle is a hilly region, will rolling foothills becoming rocky mountains as one travels Eastward, with the highest mountains found in the South. Dark, twisted forests cover the landscape.
Military
What Arle lacks in centralized force it makes up in dozens of smaller, but equally effective military units. Nobles, bandits and mercenary companies command small units known for their brutality and effectiveness, with several Formorian warlords gaining particularly harsh reputations.
Founding Date
630 SI
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Alternative Names
Kingdom of the Two Burgundies, the Dark Kingdom
Demonym
Arled
Leader
Head of State
Government System
Oligarchy
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Barter system
Currency
Unlike much of Letha, Arle has not widely adopted the Livre Tournais, lacking the centralized authority to implement the system. Instead, most of the country relies on simple bartering or a large variety of independent currencies, varying greatly in value, spread and stability. In larger cities, some merchants accept the more common Livres, but this is not always the case.
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Comments