The Dale
The Dale is a kingdom is southern Ayndrinor, west of the Backbone Spires and on the northern edge of the Gulf of Viskii. Its northern border consists mostly of Lake Sildar and slight connections to the nations of Oestbernia and Crann Riocht. Almost the entire southern half of the kingdom is made up of the Legobar Desert. This area has been inhabited for as long as anyone can remember, though the early city-states here never reached the power and arcane might to be completely wiped out in The Smiting. The central city-state (which has changed names several times over the centuries and millennia) was able to join together the peripheral towns into a unified state early in the Second Age, using historical evidence to justify the relationship for some of them.
The capital city of Eadinsk sits in a fertile valley between two mountain ranges, where two rivers from said mountains converge. The surrounding towns each have a different climate and biome, making The Dale one of the most geographically diverse nations in Ayndrinor and allowing for a diverse economy that allows for less dependence on foreign trade. Because of this - and the geographical features that limit access to the kingdom - The Dale is notoriously isolationist and reclusive (some would say xenophobic) in its dealings with other nations.
Structure
The Dale is led by a monarch - most typically a Queen, though numerous Kings have held power throughout history when female lineage could not be traced. Royal heirs are traced through the daughters, though in the case of multiple daughters it is not always the oldest that inherits the crown; the previous Queen decides on whom to bestow the royal inheritance before she dies. When that's not possible, priests perform a sacred ritual to speak with the deceased Queen's spirit and determine the intended heir. This monarch is the absolute ruler of the kingdom, though they are governed by a constitution that was set in place just after the turn of the Second Age. The constitution dictates the creation and maintenance of a 20-member Senate whose job is to advise the monarch and potentially overrule the royal decrees when three-fourths of them disagree with the Queen's policies.
Culture
The Dalians speak a strange dialect of Common that can be hard to understand for outsiders. Owing to their long-lived isolationism and subsequent insulation from the rest of the world, they developed a language of their own that is unique to The Dale. Because the kingdom gets few travelers from foreign lands, it is very difficult to find someone who speaks "regular" Common, though most town halls keep a small stock of tongues scrolls for just such needs.
One interesting perk of Dalian culture is that it is matrilineal, and names are traced through the mother's family instead of the father's. This creates an interesting cultural dynamic compared to the far more common patrilineal and male-centric kingdoms of the world, but it is how Dalians - and the Eadinskis that held power before the kingdom's formation - have done things for as long as anyone can remember.
Military
The Dale maintains a small standing army that mans its forts and watches its borders. There is little need for a standing military in the heart of the kingdom, and in times of extraordinary need The Dale calls on a citizen militia to defend any towns. The garrison in the desert is larger than the northwest one that faces Oestbernia, as the raiders from the mountains and the unsettled desert tend to invade much more frequently than any overland force from Oestbernia or Crann Riocht.
Foreign Relations
The Dale has long been an isolationist nation, with very little need for outside trade. The diverse ecology that The Dale inhabits provides almost every resource the kingdom needs to survive, and what little they need from outside sources comes in via the lake or ocean ports. The approach from the northwest, where The Dale borders Oestbernia, is a narrow passage between the mountains and Lake Sildar that is guarded by a large frontier fort. To the northeast, the town of Lesgorod watches the forest for any elven incursions - which have not happened in several centuries, as the elves are also somewhat isolationist. The desert in the south prevents much invasion, though any raiders coming from the mountains must get past a desert watch fort to reach The Dale proper.
Despite this isolationism and the border forts the kingdom maintains, it is not antagonistic with any other nations. It has close relations with its neighbors, though it is abnormal compared to other countries' relations. The Dale maintains ambassadors in the capitals of the foreign nations but does not regularly allow foreign ambassadors in Eadinsk except by special invitation. Merchants who land in a port must have a royal decree to be able to trade their goods, but they are able to offload goods and stay in inns near the ports.
Agriculture & Industry
Though The Dale is small, it is one of the most geographically diverse nations in the world. The open, fertile plains provide plenty of space for agriculture and grazing. The forest near Lesgorod provides timber and some game, though most dare not venture too far into the forest for fear of infringing on elven lands. Lesgorod also benefits from its caves and mines, where ore and gems are extracted. The capital at Eadinsk is situated where two rivers converge, so there is freshwater aplenty and numerous pathways to move goods throughout the kingdom.
With all of these resources, The Dale runs somewhat of a fixed or command economy. Goods are moved from one part of the nation where they are produced to other parts of the nation where they are refined and/or consumed. The geographic compactness of the nation aids in moving goods quickly from one area to another, and the central government is in charge of making sure every town has all the resources they need. Excess raw materials are stockpiled for future use in case of drought or other scarcity, instead of being sold to external nations for profit.
The Land Provides
Founding Date
1580 1A (refounded 375 2A)
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Alternative Names
Dolmesta
Demonym
Dalians
Government System
Monarchy, Constitutional
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Command/Planned economy
Legislative Body
Senate (20 members)
Judicial Body
High Magistrates
Queen is the Supreme Magistrate
Queen is the Supreme Magistrate
Subsidiary Organizations
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Comments