Blackwald
Blackwald is the middle kingdom on the continent of Ardamel, laying between Phostra and Haven it remains one of the largest kingdoms by sheer landscape although resource wise it lacks the abundance of ore that the other two kingdoms enjoy. Unlike the other two kingdoms, Blackwald does not discriminate about race in any way culturally, encouraging a system where anyone can excel as long as they put effort into the kingdoms well being. Thus the kingdoms upper nobility is compromised of humans but also many other races such as dwarves, halflings and beast folk among others.
The kingdom is structured with the royal family at the top, supported by a wealth of noble houses that all seek to gain favor with the royals to possibly influence them and run the kingdom by their side although many choose to simply aid the royal family the best they can, corruption exists even here. The King and his family are protected by the Rose Knights, a gothic knighthood sworn to protect the King. Further more each noble house owns their personal army that conjoins with the Kings, establishing the three armies of Blackwald, The Golden Wolves, made out of nobility and aristocracy and their personal soldiers including peasants who gained a noble's favor or belong to their personal troops, the Grey Wolves who are made of the peasantry from enlistees and those with tough economical situations and the Black Wolves, made out of criminals, cut throats, rogue adventurers and law breakers who are endured into servitude as a choice not to be executed or imprisoned.
Aside from the nobles and their political games exists the peasantry who toil at manual labor and form the backbone of the kingdom, many forming guilds for multiple purposes such as merchants, artisans of all ilk and even adventuring, which are all walks of life. From a simple potato farmer and fishermen to people selling exotic goods on the market, the peasantry is as varied as a beautiful double rainbow. Adventurers are on a social caste of their own, capable of taking down beasts and creatures unthinkable to the common town guard or peasant man farming potatoes, however they are still only loosely connected to the kingdom, seeing that they value their freedom, however their aid is greatly appreciated, although they are sometimes viewed with suspicion for many adventurers can get drunk on their power and cause problems.
The Kingdom of Blackwald strives for inclusivity and harmony across all races with a rich history, that lives in hard times with two powerful neighbors and dangers both in and out.
Structure
Royalty
King & Queen
Prince & Princess
Nobility
Count & Countess
Lord & Lady
Knight
Peasantry
Merchant / Artisan
Peasant
Public Agenda
The motivation of Blackwald as a Kingdom is to promote equality between races and make opportunities for all to live among each other in peace, but also stop injustice and protect itself from outside and inside threats.
Assets
Bronze and Iron deposits,
Hundreds of villages, towns and cities
Hundreds of thousands of troops,
Mostly leather and iron based armor
Weapons are iron and bronze to some steel
The Kingdom houses a few hundred ships both military and civilian use
The mounts and animals of burden are a mix of Dire Wolves and Horses, with the wolves in majority.
The kingdom has hundreds of castles dotted across and a few famous strongholds all within its borders.
History
Since the first kingdom Ardamel was separated, Blackwald were the people who chose to stay where they were and change little to nothing of the original kingdoms mandate and desires.
Demography and Population
The populations of Blackwald are highly varied, owning at least 30-35% to humans and the rest are varying different forms of non-humans such as dwarves, halfling, beast folk, half orcs, half elves and the like. Although the percentages vary from area to area, it is pretty even split across the entire kingdom, with some preferring some areas more, sharkmen being more likely to be found in coast towns and werewolves inhabiting towns in the woods and so on.
On a day to day basis, a lot of people die from varying causes, such as murder, magical beast eating you, accidents, old age and so on, although due to capable magical healers, only the truly unfortunate pass away due to illness. Mostly due to the lack of capable magical healers in enough quantities to see everyone everywhere.
Military
Blackwald holds a large military that splits into three individual armies, one made out of nobility, peasantry and criminals respectively. These are supported by each towns and city's own guard barracks who work for the organization of the individual city and thus are more neutral than soldiers working for one or the other.
Religion
Blackwald's religion is mostly based in the worship of the Holy Nova, the god of Light, however it also has a major following of the god of death Kalma, Mursu the god of sea and the god of lightning Zhorin.
Foreign Relations
The kingdom of Blackwald has relations with most other organizations in the world, including its sibling kingdoms Phostra and Haven.
Phostra,
With the kingdom of human superiority the all including kingdom of Blackwald has had a long and bitter rivalry and hatred, the two war constantly and risk their ideals in mortal combat.
Haven,
With the kingdom of human safeguarding, Blackwald has amicable relations, respecting each others boundaries and sharing in the dislike of Phostra, the two kingdoms have joined hands more than once to keep the expansionist kingdom at bay and is the only true reason as to why the two aren't embroiled in an actual war in present times.
Seele,
Unlike the two other kingdoms, Blackwald has very good relations with the non-humans of Seele and Waldians are very welcome in most settlements over in the land of dreams, with exceptions of course existing. In Blackwalds policy to not judge by appearance but by skill, it has many friends over the ocean.
Agriculture & Industry
Blackwald has a great quantity of lumber, basic ores and great plains ideal for farming, with a large import and export going on, this secures the kingdom a portion of wealth for its nobility. The kingdom also engages in large amounts of fishing in their seas as well as breeding of stock animals, such as horses and dire wolves. Animal husbandry, honey, oil and other resources are all abundant. While Blackwald lacks the magical ores of its neighbors, it makes up in having more than the rest of the kingdoms, although it has no special treats that the other do not possess.
Education
Due to the class separation and economical differences between the two, peasantry on the average receives a poor education in comparison to the nobility, the children of nobles often know quite a lot about the world at large, while the peasantry may live in the dark about a lot of things and tend to focus on their parents and their occupations or lacks there of. However the kingdom does try to school everyone even if it is only on a communal level so that too many won't end up homeless or useless to society, yet there are even some who refuse to learn all together, or simply are unfortunate.
The method of education is often done by children attending school, an institution of learning dedicated to be done in specific buildings. Others are home schooled, usually taught by high learned individuals in several subjects. Some more unorthodox, learn by living on the streets or in their home towns by the wisest passing information and knowledge to the less fortunate.
Prevail Together
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Training Level
Trained
Veterancy Level
Experienced
Demonym
Waldian
Leader
Leader Title
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
Blackwald like all three kingdoms of Ardamel mostly use copper, silver and gold coins to make trade with the additional barter system in place for the discerning merchants, although not all are willing to go to such gambles.
Major Exports
LUMBER
Major Imports
Blackwald has no good method of acquiring magical ingredients or silk on their own and need it brought over from distant lands.
Legislative Body
The King builds the laws of the kingdom with his advisors and confidants and passes them down to court houses and guardsmen in new lawbooks that are to be followed, although some laws can be argued/criticized in the case of an error from the kingdoms side, which will have the laws be reviewed and possibly changed, however the decision is always up to the King and what he says goes.
Judicial Body
The most law watchers are the city watchers and city guards and judges and lawmasters, all members of the judicial branch of the kingdom, however soldiers and obviously the king himself are also allowed to enforce the law,as are the Rose Knighthood. Even nobility is answerable to the law despite many thinking otherwise.
Location
Related Ranks & Titles
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
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