Duchy of Croemerth
Located in the center of the Farath Strait, the Duchy of Croemerth is a major power in the region. The country controls part of the largest shipping lane into the Great Lake, and leverages this at every opportunity. Every vessel that comes through the Duchy must pay a tax. This tax is not a problem for anyone wealthy enough to run a ship, but the Duchy is very strict about people paying it.
Croemerth is also renown in the area for its shipwrights. Croemerth galleons are some of the finest money can by, being fast, well armed, and well armored. You can find ships made in this small Duchy across the entirety of Ilucin.
The largest city in the Duchy is Ansellheim, an old dwarven city from the first era. It was abandoned after being razed during the Eldritch Incursion, but when the Duchy was founded hundreds of years later the stone city was still in decent shape. It was rebuilt by the crown, and it’s bridge and gates were repaired by local dwarves whose ancestors originally built the city.
Other than Ansellheim, most of the duchy is made up of small villages and towns, nowhere near the size of the great city. The country folk mainly are farmers, and supply the food necessary to run such a large city.
The Croemerth have been at war with their neighbors, the Varga, on and off for the past hundred years. Recently, the Duchy invaded Varga to try and gain control over their silver mines.
Structure
Being a Duchy, the country is always lead by a Duke or Duchess. The current ruler is Duchess Margaret Velantis, widow of the late Talmber Velantis. The duchess had absolute power in the land, and very little can be done to go against her decisions. Second in command is the Royal Advisor, a position elected from the ranks of nobles. The position holds power for 10 years at a time, after which a new Advisor is elected.
After these two positions are the nobles in control of their respective parts of the country. In general all nobles are held to the same power, although in practice this is false. Those who rule larger fiefs that contribute more to the crown hold more power in the eyes of the duchess.
Lords are given full reign over their fiefs, and the crown only involves themselves in special cases. Each fief contributes taxes, food, and in times of war, soldiers. As long as a lord keeps up these tributes they are held in high standards in the royal courts.
The crown holds a standing army, and mostly uses their might to enforce the vessel tax of ships passing through Ansellheim. The crown is supplied the best ships from local shipwrights, and very few passing ships are able to avoid being boarded.
The shipwrights of the Duchy are entirely privately owned. They run a business, and are payed to make ships for the crown. This is a unique feature of the Duchy, as most monarchies would have such a valuable asset under the control of the state. The shipwrights, though, operate without any government intervention, meaning they hold no political agenda. This allows them to export their vessels to anyone that pays, regardless of their political position. All that matters is that they have the coin to pay.
Public Agenda
Croemerth, being a decently small country, mostly focuses on local issues. The agenda of the whole country centers around keeping Ansellheim running smoothly. Each fief has a quota of food production they must meet, all of which is sent to the city. The guards of Ansellheim are there to keep the city safe, and uphold the ship tax. The ship tax is the main source of income for the Duchy, even more so than taxes paid by lords. This is due to the massive amount of vessels that move past Ansellheim on a daily basis.
Recently, after the death of Duke Talmber Velantis, the public agenda has also consisted of strengthening defenses against the Vargans to the south. The royal decree was that a Varga spy had snuck in and killed Duke Talmber, and the invasion that followed was for revenge. Rumor says otherwise. The word is that Duke Talmber killed himself because of the crippling debt he had brought upon his country, and the war started by his wife was focused around taking control of the Varga silver mines. Since the Varga surrendered and handed over one of the mines as war tribute, this rumor has some weight.
Currently, the new lands in Vargan territory have been under constant development to make sure the Duchy does not get attacked in response. In reality, the silver mines are very close to the new border, so the decree for defensive actions is probably economically based.
Assets
The greatest asset of the Duchy of Croemerth is its shining city, Ansellheim. Being built on an old dwarven stronghold, its walls are thick and defenses strong. No army in the entire Farath Strait would dare attack it from land. Attack from the sea is even less viable, as the city sits atop a major trade lane. Not only is the Croemerth navy large, but the other nations who use the shipping lane would sure back Ansellheim if it meant keeping trade open.
Other than the capital, the largest asset to the Duchy is the Shipwrights. The vessels made in Ansellheim are world famous and well worth their high price. They have the perfect balance of speed, armor, and armament that makes them formidable against almost every foe. Since the ships are always in demand, the builders keep up a supply of ships not made to order. This is usually bad business practice, as the expensive vessels are worthless if they sit in the docks, but demand is so high that it doesn’t matter.
History
The origins of the Duchy are a bit hazy. The land on which the county now stands was abandoned after the Eldritch Incursion, as it was ravaged for all its resources. A wealthy noble from Akroma came upon the land while sailing to the Great Lake. He noticed the potential of starting his own rule there, and had the capital to rebuild the dwarven stronghold and make his place of power.
The local dwarves held the rights to the land, but they were poor and had no way of using the area to its full potential. They sold their old home in a heartbeat, the money meaning they would live well for generations to come.
The noble named himself the Duke of a new country, which he called the Croemerth. The name of the country is the only piece of information on the noble, and is the only surviving memory of his legacy.
The city did not see completion within the lifetime of the first three Dukes, and before long doubt spread that this country was destined to fail. The lands around the city, which kept its dwarvish name of Ansellheim, were rich with materials used in the creation of ships. Because the country was cut off from most of the civilized world, they used what bright minds they had to make seafaring vessels.
It was not until over one hundred years after construction started that the city was rebuilt to its former glory. This was just in time, as fledgling countries had sparked up all around the land, and before long the city was attacked.
The nobles to the south met and agreed that the Croemerth held too much power in the region and that they should be stomped out before problems arose. They mustered a force of almost twenty thousand men and marched on Ansellheim. But this became a disaster.
The thick marsh to the south of the city was nearly impossible to traverse, and when the invaders finally made it to their destination they were a shell of their former power. It is said that upon sight of the fortified city, morale dropped so low that the forces retreated without even attacking.
Unknown to the defenders, this plan had more to it. The lords had discovered great deposits of silver to the south and used the invasion as a cover to create mines. Cities were constructed to defend these mines, and before long silver was being exported by the ton.
The lords created the country of Varga, and they were to become the force to topple the Duchy. But when the Croemerth learned of the country formed to their south, every man focused on preparing for another invasion. A road through the marsh was created, with a keep guarding the way. An attacking army would have to march down the narrow road and besiege the keep, or risk travel through the marshes.
The tensions rose between the two nations until the death of Duke Talmber Velantis, which sparked an invasion of the south by the duchy. The ensuing war brought about the acquisition of the northernmost Vargan silver mine, and the moving of the borders between the countries. Since the war ended so recently, tensions are still high between the two nations.
Demography and Population
The original settlers of the country came from Akroma, and so much of the people can trace their ancestry back there. TBD WHEN MORE OF AKROMA GETS MADE
Type
Geopolitical, Duchy
Capital
Head of State
Government System
Monarchy, Constitutional
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Market economy
Location
Controlled Territories
Organization Vehicles
Related Ethnicities
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