The Democratic People's Republic of Kelemvor
Demographics
Not much of the population changed when Bearingpool transitioned into becoming The Democratic People's Republic of Kelemvor. It is still incredibly diverse and has representation from most of the major races in the country. Since the turn of the century, the presence of Kelemvor has introduced year-round frost to the region, motivating much of the Var-Noc populace to leave in favor of warmer climates.
The human population has recently exploded in the Kelic area, becoming the largest demographic (~13.45%) where Elves once reigned supreme.
Government
The Kelic area, that is everything between Tiriene and The Democratic People's Republic of Kelemvor, is singularly united by Ashley Moztel and the new church of Kelemvor, the Neo Dogma. The region is a strict Theocracy where every facet of life is informed by the Dogma's guiding holy text, a set of 3 scriptures called The Dead Scales.
Ashley is seen by the public as the successor to Veren, the new Chosen of Kelemvor. This gives her a unique power in the region and effectively makes her word law. Despite this fact, she keeps a council of trusted advisors and officials and seldom makes decisions without seeking their audience. Among them, her most trusted is Jaherys Saheem, chief magical advisor and ritualist.
Infrastructure
Despite the relatively small portion of land the Kelic area sits on and the icy aura that wraps around it, the region maintains many important pieces of infrastructure that keep it stable and protect the realm.
First and foremost is the lighthouse of Tiriene. Ashley Moztel watched it degrade and crumble from years of neglect before she witnessed its necessity during The Week of the Swelling Sea. Now, Tiriene's maintenance is a matter of national security, and nearly 20% of tax money is sent to the coastal town and the lighthouse which holds back the dark.
Another important landmark in the Kelic region is Lyonsbane Keep, named after the home of Kelemvor when once he was a man. Now the keep is a vital armory for many of the citizen-guards that protect the coasts. The keep also operates the third-largest granary in the world, behind Bunkertown, and The Colum Feedhouse.
No discussion of Kelic infrastructure would be complete without mentioning the Whitemile Wall. Formerly the Bearingpool Wall, this huge structure was tripled in length following The Three Crown War to forever protect the people of Kelemvor from outside invastion. Despite its name, Whitemile is split into two distinct segments that have it crossing the largest roads leading into the Kelic region from north/south movement and west/east movement. Each section is roughly 35 miles long with patrols covering any undefended areas.
Guilds and Factions
Aside from the primary church of Kelemvor, there are a few smaller religious and military institutions in the region that fulfill smaller roles. One such church is the Following of The False and The Faithless. This church primarily sees its membership in the city of New Veren, but is active everywhere Kelemvor touches. The church's goal is to reach those who betrayed their deities or did not follow the precepts of a divine figure during their lifetime. It prepares rituals alongside the Church of Kelemvor, but it's main purpose is to rescue and reclaim those who turned their backs to higher powers, or to convert individuals without divine inspiration in their lives.
Another faction within the region is the Spear of Fatal Touch, the military wing of Kelemvor's following. In addition to protecting Kelic citizens, the Spear also investigates, locates, and destroys practitioners of undeath. Necromancy is strictly forbidden by the God of Death and those who seek artificial unlife are the fiercest enemies of the church. The Spear has outposts all over the region and is quick to respond to any tip that is legitimized.
Geography
The area once known as Bearingpool is unusually smooth, mostly made up of grasslands and lakebeds with a few tiny forests sprinkled in between. The Kelic region has taken advantage of this flatness, building long, flat roads that connect large settlements. Despite its fruitful geography, the republic is perhaps best known for its weather. Snow, previously a highly rare occurrence that appeared once every few years, now falls all year round in the region. Bitter cold winds are a common event and temperatures rarely reach above the single digits. From miles away, tall gray clouds that stretch into the sky can be seen surrounding it, blanketing the land in sheets of ice, sleet, and of course, a thick layer of fresh snow.
What is notable, however, is that the snow hardly affects the land it falls upon. The lakes and streams do not freeze over, the animals do not migrate, and although the forests appear to any observing eye as a snow-dusted taiga, the flora follows patterns of the seasons undeterred by the cold. The ice crept into the Kelsyvo river, touching the western edges of Caligina’s marshes. Tensions have been growing between Kelemvor and the Glades since 1121 when the mist and ice first flowed over their waters. The Neo Dogma maintains it has no interest in conquest as its predecessors had, but, regardless, the relationship between the two states has never been worse.
Populations of Var-Noc that were local to the Kelsyvo river left its cold waters that became too cold even for them. Curiously, other species of aquatic life remained in the channel, even those that prefer warmer temperatures. This, in addition to previous strange phenomena surrounding the snow, has led to much theorizing and magical inquiry about its nature. Thus far, all efforts to understand it have led to confusion, contradiction, or inconclusive. In one experiment, a Cleric intentionally acted against the will of the Neo Dogma, purposefully blaspheming against Kelemvor to test a hypothesis. This experiment was conducted within the area of the republic and resulted in the complete loss of that Cleric’s abilities to cast spells, perform healing, or draw inspiration from their patron deity. These effects ended once the Cleric had left the Kelic region, which he did in a hurry, and now he refuses to retest his theory. This reputation and the strange abilities of the strange frost have given it the nickname of Dead Snow.
The best and most current working theory is that the Dead Snow is a supernatural phenomenon caused by the Church of Kelemvor, and is the effect of worshipping a god of death in the same way worshipping a god of the harvest will give plentiful food. Kelemvor’s influence extends to sapient creatures aware of their mortality, those that anticipate and prepare for death, and as such, they are the only ones capable of perceiving its withering effects on the world.
Founding Date
Y.E. 1097
Type
Capital
Population
2.235 million
Inhabitant Demonym
Kelic
Included Locations
Characters in Location
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