Kingdom of Carthdane

The proud and ancient Kingdom of Carthdane is the smaller of the two kingdoms of Westmarch and one of the oldest surviving human kingdoms in the world. It lies to the north of Felderen, in the frigid northern extremes of Eridas. It is too small and sparsely populated to be counted amongst the great powers, but the lucrative lumber and fur trades allow it to sustain itself well enough.
Legend holds that the kingdom was founded by the quasi-mythical Carth the Conqueror. A legendary warrior king who (supposedly) defeated the winter fey in battle and conquered the frozen north of Eridas for humanity, siring the lineage of the kings of winter. The precise truth of Carthdane’s origins are lost to time, but its historically confirmable kings date back at least 1,500 years to the Age of Heroes. Their modern descendants have spent centuries fighting to maintain the independence of their small kingdom, throwing back the armies of Felderen and Galaria time and time again. Against all odds, the Kings of Winter still stand, as stalwart and indomitable as ever, keeping watch over Eridas’ arctic north.
Cathdane is a clan society where bonds of blood and kinship form the basis of social and political organization. The Carthdane clans are proud, powerful, and prone to frequent feuds and infighting. The Kings of Winter spend a huge amount of time trying to compel the quarrelsome clan chieftains to keep the peace and obey royal decrees, with varying levels of success.
Carthdane’s remote location and stubborn independence streak make it naturally resistant to cultural change. Druidism, animal worship, and other ancient pagan practices still hold sway there, tenuously coexisting with the new faith of the Eight Divines. The Carthdanes are generally a short tempered and combative people. A careless insult among their number is more than likely to result in at least one stabbing, usually more. Above all, however, the Carthdane’s share an immutable love of personal freedom and independence, which has seen them through all the dark days in their long and blood-soaked history.

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom