Caraegwyn (ca-RAY-g-win)

The Summer Kingdom; a realm of chivalry and heroism; a land touched by the fey and blessed by the gods

Caraegwyn, also called the Summer Kingdom, is a human kingdom in the north-western corner of the Heartlands. It is a realm of ancient legend, known for its proud noble houses and their traditions of chivalry. Its namesake is its exceptionally warm and pleasant climate. The kingdom's Caéled people feel a strong kinship with their eastern neighbors, the Aredheni.
Closely tied to the fey and blessed by the goddess Alar, the fantastically beautiful nature of Caraegwyn basks in warmer summers and shorter winters than its neighboring nations. Moreover, the natural phenomena of the realm are tied to the mood and well-being of the reigning monarchs of House Pendragon -- a bloodline that has ruled uncontested for 800 years.

Contents

Music

by LightBox 라이트박스

Above: Caraegwyn is a magical land of pastoral beauty where a contented populace thrives under the benevolent governance of noble families that watch over their fiefdoms from within the ancient walls of their keeps.

Location and climate

The geography of Caraegwyn is dominated by the vast, enchanted forest of Bedegraine in the southwest of the country as well as by the Black Mountains in the north. Much of the country is dense evergreen woodland dotted by rocky grasslands and windswept moors.

Spellbound weather

The Summer Kingdom is a mystical land that blossoms and withers with its rulers; the climate and natural well-being of Caraegwyn always mirrors the health of the reigning Pendragon monarch. The land flourishes in bountiful harvests and long summers when a ruler is hale and hearty, but succumbs to bouts of miserable weather and even natural disasters when a ruler falls ill or dies. Even the fickle moods of the king or queen is reflected in the nation's weather conditions, with strong and unrelenting rains mirroring their grief after the loss of a loved one, for example.
Extreme and sudden changes in natural conditions are referred to by the common folk as the Royal Weather with a myriad of accompanying expressions.

Societal structure

The Summer Kingdom functions as a feudal monarchy. The Pendragon family has governed the realm uncontested for eight centuries from the great city of Caernarfon.
Ducs and ducessas of the Great Houses govern the five provinces of Norgales, Westregales, Estregales, Logres and Mercia. Provinces are divided into smaller fiefdoms called arlings ruled and taxed by arls and arlessas from lesser noble houses. Keeps and holdfasts of noble families dot the remote countryside to protect villages and hamlets.

Religion

Worship is not strongly regulated by the state, but large organized churches are required to register themselves officially at the royal chancellery. The Church of Iona, officially headed by the Templar Knights, is the largest religious organization in the realm.
Empyreal worship is centered mainly around Alar and Iona, two goddesses that are seen as the nation's protectors. Other widely worshipped deities are the Triumvirate of Nature, Bahamut and Corellon. Many peasants forgo worshipping the Empyreal Gods, instead revering the Sidhe and other powerful fey.

Religious history

The Prophecy of the Second Dawn foretells that Iona will descend down to Amanor to purge all that is evil and dark and deliver her most faithful followers from earthly toil and mortal suffering. The prophecy was a popular movement a few hundred years ago but was proclaimed as heresy by the Imperial Church of the Eternal Sun.

Magic

Magic is commonplace. Divine spellcasters are easily found; nearly every city and town has a temple or church -- most often devoted to Iona or Alar. Druidism is also common and druids make enclaves in cities. Colleges of magic are found only in a few of the largest cities, with the most important one being attached to the Royal University of Caernarfon.

Culture

Well over half of the nation's population lives in the countryside, where infrastructure is basic and developed population centers are few and far-between. For the large peasant class, life is labour. Family is the central pillar of one's existence. The lords and ladies of the noble houses provide their protection to the lower classes, who work the fields and the forests, the quarries and the workshops. Simple pleasures of home and the beauty of nature are common sources of happiness for all Caraegweni, who take great pride and find the deepest solace in the ancient connection their people have to their lands.
In cities both big and small the modern aspects of civilized society are apparent. Specialized craftsmen refine the myriad natural materials harvested across the realm into the finest of goods. Monasteries, temples and public schools educate the peasantry in language, history and simple science. Governors organize tournaments, fairs and other such events to entertain their hard-working subjects. Traders from abroad peddle their exotic wares right next to a town's own merchants, brining with them news of distant lands and the strange customs of foreign folk. Theatres and music halls buzz with activity in provincial capitals, providing cultural pastimes to the wealthy -- and sometimes even the poor.

Equality

A most prominent aspect of Caraegweni society is their concept of gender equal power. Both sexes are seen as equally deserving of respect and authority in all walks of life. Neither political, social or cultural power is divided on the basis of gender.
For more information, see: Caéled

Geographic location on Amanor

Maps

• 

  Map of Caraegwyn

  This is a map of Caraegwyn, the Summer Kingdom.

ALTERNATIVE NAMES
Summer Kingdom
DETAILS
Civilization type
Kingdom
Founding Date
1720 ER
Government System
Absolute monarchy
Power Structure
Feudal state
Current leader
Ulric III Pendragon
Leader title
Summer King / Summer Queen
Capital
Caernarfon

---

DEMOGRAPHY AND POPULATION
Caéled
Grey elves
Wood elves
Notable minority populations
City gnomes
Mountain dwarves
Demonym
Caraegweni
Languages
Common
Caéled

---

Subsidiary Organizations

• Monarchy of Caraegwyn
• Noble Houses
• Royal Army

Deities

• Alar
• Bahamut
• Corellon
• Hesiron
• Iona
• Kala-Hera
• Melora
• Silvanus

Related Ranks & Titles

• Arl / Arlessa
• Duc / Ducessa
• Lord / Lady
• Ser / Serah

Related Professions

• Errant knight

Controlled Territories

• Bedegraine
• Estregales
• Logres
• Mercia
• Norgales
• Westregales

Neighboring Nations

• Aredhen
• Ellondoth

Religions
Imperial Church of the Eternal Sun
Empyreal Faith
Old Faith
Wonders
Cathedral of Light
Torch of Iona

Below: The southern coast of Caraegwyn is characterized by soaring cliffs, with settlements both big and small being found in their wind-shielded crags.

Acaratus - Bar Outside Dowport Backdrop by Klaus Pillon

Economy

Caraegwyn is a wealthy nation with a strong emphasis on commerce. The kingdom mainly exports timber, furs, silver, and iron. Among its most precious resources is the exceedingly rare meteorite eternium that is mined and refined by Houses Beldevere and Cordway.
Caraegwyn trades with its neighboring nations and also with the Summer Court of Tír-na-nÓg. The nation is well-known for its powerful navy, its many warships manufactured in highly advanced shipyards on the nation's southern and western coast, and these ships are at times also created to the orders of foreign naval powers.

Technological level

Technology in line with most other nation's of the Heartlands without access to some of the newest advances such as Arcanosmithing. Alliance with the Sidhe of Bedegraine Forest provides Caraegwyn peerless magicians, powerful seelie artifacts and enchanted materials for manufacturing.

Infrastucture

Caraegwyn has a network of well maintained highways and roads. The nation controls a large portion of one of the most significant trade routes in the north: the Fading Road, which goes from the shore of the Great Sea all the way to the Rubian Desert to the east of the Heartlands.

Agriculture & industry

The Summer Kingdom is a vast rural nation, with large stretches of land dedicated to agriculture. The central and southern areas of the nation are especially dedicated to farming. Shepherding and hunting are commonplace in all provinces. The countless lakes and rivers of the kingdom provide supply fishermen with various foods, but the greater bounty comes from the salty depths of the Great Sea in the west and the Golden Sea in the south.
The rolling meadows and golden fields of the realm are dotted by woodlands big and small, respected by the people as the ancient homes of the fey and, indeed, the gods themselves. The Caraegweni do exploit the forests -- hunting and gathering to sustain their rural communities as well as also producing significant amounts of timber -- but only as allowed by the sylvan creatures and clans of wood elves that make the woods their homes.
Construction-grade stone is mined from the cliffs of the southern coast as well as the craggy hills in central Caraegwyn. Various minerals, iron and silver most notably, are refined by the nation's industry.

Below: One of the countless sleepy villages in the kingdom's countryside.

Medieval European Village - Art test by Klaus Pillon

Education

Most of the populace is poorly educated. Public schools have long existed in the nation -- by royal edict -- but they can usually be found only in cities. In more rural areas the common folk must rely on the teachings of village elders, priests, druids and other such sages. Skills such as reading and writing are thus more common amongst the lower classes in urbanized areas. The societal principle of feudalism can leady to great disparity in municipal governance in regards to most matters -- education among them. Nobility themselves enjoy the most privilege, of course, being able to afford private tutors and usually having the option of sending their children to the finest of temples, monasteries and schools.

Military

The Royal Army is comprised of three military institutions that are funded and maintained by the Crown. The infantry and cavalry corps of professional soldiers are known as the Constabulary while the warships and marines of the Royal Navy safeguard the nation's coasts. The smallest and most highly trained military arm is that of the Gryphites, the elite guards of the capital city. The Royal Army has maintained a constant readiness for war over the past few centuries of international peace in the Heartlands. The Summer Kingdom contends regularly with coastal raids from the nearby Orkney Islands.
In times of war, the bulk of the manpower deployed by the Summer Kingdom comes from levies mustered by the various noble houses. Bolstered and commanded by the knightly champions, such levied armies were famous for their high fighting spirit in the last wars of the Age of Strife some centuries ago.
The strong military tradition of Caraegwyn ensures that the Royal Army holds significant political power even during this prevailing age of peace.

Military education

There are multiple academies of war in Caraegwyn, and most young noblemen and -women dream of being accepted into the prestigious ranks of their cadets. Taking the Vow of Protection, noble cadets dedicate their lives to their military careers and ultimately enter the service of either the Constabulary or the Royal Navy after their graduation to officers.

Significant military assets

Champions of noble houses, knights and Sidhe warriors form the elite forces. The Church of the Eternal Sun also has a handful of powerful battle-clerics called the Templar Knights, who wear hulking suits of magical armor. The crown fields a small standing army. The men-at-arms of vassal houses answer to their lords, who pledge levies to the crown in times of war. The armies of Caraegwyn rely mostly on infantry, archers and light cavalry, while using its devastating elite forces only for critical operations. Caraegwyn has a sizable navy that favors large, sleek vessels of great speed with large crews of archers and multiple artillery weapons. Magicians used in battle include druids, clerics and wizards in equal measure.

Foreign relations

Caraegwyn is a close ally of Aredhen, their eastern nighbour. Aredhen shares much of it ancient history with Caraegwyn, for the nation's are like sisters to each other, both founded long ago by great leaders of the Caéled people.
Over the past few decades, Caraegwyn has went to great efforts to increase cooperation with the Empire of Egea to the south. A few joint military operations have been performed outside the Heartlands and the Royal Army assisted the Empire in quelling the infamous Fryer Uprising in 2488 ER.
Caraegwyn trades freely with most states of the Heartlands, including Baruk-Tel, the Grand Duchies of Tyria and the northern dwarf city-states of Karnimrith and Barag-Lis.
Like every other nation, Caraegwyn has no significant contact with the High elves of Ellondoth.
The ancient rivals of the Caraegweni are the barbarous Orkney, with whom there has been open war not more than decades ago.

History

In ancient times, its disparate groups of rival families would abandon their bloody squabbling only in the face of murderous goblinoid invasions from the nearby Orkney Islands. This changed when the fey demigod Lugh, with her dying breath, cast a powerful magic on a scion of the mighty Pendragon family. The Great Houses were united under the Pendragon banner, and the history of Caraegwyn as a unified kingdom began. Although the noble houses still vie for power in political games of intriguer, none can hope to dethrone the Pendragons due to their blood bond to the land.

Navigate in Caraegwyn

Highlighted articles

Further reading