Kingdom Mourn
"We stand on the bones of the greatest civilizations to walk Emaxus. Do you truly believe we have not the wit to reclaim what was lost, or the will to use it?"
Founded by King Irathin Mourn I, Kingdom Mourn is a nation of grim but determined people who live and die at the whims of a powerful, small ruling class. With a relatively low population density on account of hard soil and brutal winters, Mourn survives off tough farmers, dedicated fisherfolk, and, most importantly, lucrative trade routes with Aasveig. What Mourn lacks in food and surplus population, it overflows with in Pre-Reckoning technology, cultural artifacts, and research. Indeed, Mourn is a kingdom built almost wholly on the sale of weaponry, both from the family history of its founder and the Kingdom's own economy.
The Mourn Dynasty and Its Boyars
Almost every decision in Mourn is made by the royal dynasty of King Irathin I and his family, or the few dozen Boyars and their royal houses who fill out the rest of Mourn's aristocracy. The Mourn Dynasty leads the kingdom; they declare war, make major trade deals, and reap taxes. Also, as Irathin is so enamored by Pre-Reckoning exploration, the Mourn Dynasty controls the Mourn Exploration Company (MEC, for short).
Meanwhile, the Boyars and their houses handle the day-to-day operations of Mourn. The Kingdom is divided up into principalities, each ruled from a castle or economic heart by the Boyars. The Boyars fill the roles of dukes and duchesses, while their family members are knights, guard captains, and merchant lords. Through this division of responsibility, a group of a thousand or so aristocrats rule over two hundred thousand people.
A Kingdom Built on Weapons and War
King Irathin is of Theussaun blood. In fact, his family was a powerful shareholder in the Wolfcast Company, and thus made fortunes off of the Orakgran War, Heliestheos Crisis, and Generals' War. When Irathin inherited this huge wealth, he liquidated it and brought his enormous wealth (and highly-trained private mercenary group) to bear on the lands that are now Kingdom Mourn. Although sparsely populated, Mourn's lands had been home to numerous fishing villages, small trade centers, hunting camps, and native clans and tribes. Through force of economy or military subjugation, Irathin conquered these peoples and built Kingdom Mourn over the course of two decades. Then, in 543 AR, he founded the kingdom officially with Irathin's Declaration of Divine Rule. In this, he proclaimed to be a chosen vessel of Kaedo, Isael, and Alindr, and would thus be a divine king who would lead the people of his new nation to an era of prosperity and conquest, helmed by knowledge reclaimed from the ruins of the Reckoning that dot Drumis like ant hills. Despite its brief history, Mourn has grown rapidly. Mourn's Boyar houses came from all across Emaxus (and even across the planes) to stake their claim in Mourn's new aristocracy, and thus provided a constant influx of wealth and military power. Irathin's brutalistic expansion policy, augmented by effervescent use of magic, has led to a steady increase in Mourn's population. And, of course, adventurers and explorers from far and wide come to work with MEC for the chance at huge riches---even if they only keep a small cut of the relics they find. Mourn is a land of false opportunity and extreme political stratification, built on the lucrative machine of weapons deals.Conflicts with Brackcombe
Despite early treaties that Irathin brooked with Eltumal and the other leaders of Brackcombe to ensure they did not conquer Mourn in its nascent stage, Irathin was quick to skirmish with Brackcombe's northern border as soon as he had the military power and Boyars to do so. Though it has never reached all-out war, conflict along Mourn and Brackcombe's border is constant, and it's essentially a militarized zone of fortresses and fortified towns criss-crossed by dangerous, bandit-rife roads.
All break before us; all bend the knee.
Founding Date
Traeliorn 4, Camierth, 543 AR
Alternative Names
The North, Irathin's Land
Demonym
Mournian
Leader
Founders
Government System
Oligarchy
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Palace economy
Location
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Comments