The Kingdom of Durkevaal

Written by Verse_Online

Introduction
Durkevaal is a small fiefdom in the Lower Arching Mountains whose rulers control the Lavarin, the lowest altitude pass in the region, meaning that it is open to river and trail traffic from east to west for longer than any other mountain route each year.
This makes the Lavarin one of the most vital strategic routes and it enables the rulers of Durkevaal a disproportionately powerful voice in the affairs of the Arclands and the Outer Kingdoms.
The entire kingdom is situated about a hundred miles from Lake Haren and sits on another tributary of the Haren River, the Hye Haren.
The Rannigers rule the eight hundred square miles of the river valley from Durkevaal keep, an old Arcish river fort that also accommodates a small town within its outer defensive walls.
The wooded slopes of the Arching Mountains cover most of the valley’s plain, and along the course of the river Durkevaalers have established small farms and a number of fishing villages.
Most farmers keep pigs, which forage in the woods, but it is the river that provides most of the food for the people of the kingdom.
The river itself is another source of wealth, as Durkevaalers are able to impose river taxes on the ships and small boats crossing from the high mountain towns to the Greater Arc Sea.
Traders from Veska, Ghotharand and Oloris cross the plains and the eastern Arching Mountains, until they reach mountain river ports like Ghonawye in the south and Lukashe in the north.
From here they take the perilous river routes westwards, until they pass through Durkevaal, where the kingdom extracts its river toll.
Far more powerful rulers have come to resent the hold that the Rannigers have over river traffic and many have plotted for decades about how to prise it from their grasp.
The Veskans and Ghothars do not like the idea of seizing the kingdom and garrisoning it permanently (the cpsts outweighing the benefits considerably). Instead, they seek to control who sits on the kingdom’s throne.
Five miles from Durkevaal Keep is the Rystus, an old Aruhvian Monastery in the lower slopes of Mount Sorrun, near the village of Dreyhaster.
Durkevaal Keep sits on the the north western side of the Hytherland, a large delta island and can be reached by three stone bridges which span the Hye Haren, there is a small garrison on the Hytherland of some 60 full time soldiers, which are bolstered by 2-300 conscripts during times of war and emergency

The history and politics of Durkevaal

The family that has ruled Durkevaal for three centuries is the Durke-Rannigers. They claim to have be distant relatives of a long forgotten Protector of Arc Lukas Ranniger.
Three centuries ago, during the Sundering, the previous royal family of Durkevaal, the Lorjunde dynasty disappeared and the valley kingdom was left in chaos.
The Durke-Rannigers were not of royal blood and their claims to be connected to the protectors of Arc were dubious at best.
Instead, they knew how to govern in a crisis and how to extract wealth for themselves (and in fairness for the kingdom at large) through taxing the waterways and trade routes through the valley.
In the ensuing crises of the Sundering, Arclander armies needed to march through Durkevaal to see of the threats that had begun to emerge from deep within the Arching Mountains as reality itself began to temporarily fragment.
The Durke-Rannigers knew that this military footfall kept them safe and learned to be as cooperative as possible, allying themselves to Arc, Dran and once, fatefully, even to the religious city of Skaris.
The death of her husband Sorrunde, three years ago, has left Lady Alys Durke-Ranniger (better known to the locals as Lady Ranniger) in charge of the kingdom.
She does not call herself queen (the locals having long memories and no time for pretentious claims), but she commands the loyalty of most of the population by giving the appearance of fairness and even handedness.
She is now in her sixties and rules through her razor judgement and where necessary, ruthless will, and above all things she places the interests of her family first. Lady Alys is utterly cynical when it comes to her dealings with others and rarely helps anyone unless there is evidence of a clear advantage to her and her kin, her early life is shrouded in secrecy, but was brutal enough for her to have little or no trust in humans, Firg, Half Fey or anyone else.
Her two sons Jackar and Ulle and daughter Theyda complete the Ranniger immediate family.
Unlike wealthier kingdoms, there is no spare income or resources for huge numbers of hangers on or idle members of a small ruling class.
The wider Ranniger family are all landowners, farmers and traders.

River Traffic

The Hye Haren River is a waterway that is beginning to plied less frequently by traders and merchants. One reason for this is the Odrell Clan, a hundred strong family a violent mountain folk who sail the river and its tributaries, raiding as they go.
Lady Ranniger can muster enough military force to crush the clan if necessary, but neither side can afford such a showdown. Instead, both tolerate each other and the Odrells periodically drink in the taverns of Durkevaal Keep.
Durkevaalians loathe and resent the people of Solane, which is situated fifty miles upriver and, like Durkevaal, uses islands as a basis of its security.
The river Hye Haren widens at the foot of three mountains to create the freshwater Lake Haren which Solane is situated in the centre of. Solaners are ruled by Lord Astrom Vaala, who dominates the fishing villages on the edges of the lake with fast river raiding boats and a notorious gang of mercenaries.

Solane

Solaners assume that they should dominate the kingdom of Durkevaal, and are at a loss as to why Lord Astrom Vaala reluctantly bends the knee to Lady Ranniger.
There is much bad blood between the two rulers and each summer there are clashes between Rannigers and Vaalas.
Solaners believe that they would be able to seize Durkevaal if they wished to.
The real reason why Lord Vaala doesn't claim Durkevaal for his own is the old Aruhvian monastery close to Durkevaal itself at Rystus.
He believes that Lady Ranniger made a deal long ago to keep the darkness of the abandoned monastery at bay and has no desire to interfere with whatever deal was struck.
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