Valderia

Land of Song and Chivalry

"Fairytale" is the first word to spring to mind when one thinks of Valderia. Vibrant green hills kissed by wildflowers, gracefully snow-capped peaks and gleaming, fresh lakes make up this land of peace and plenty. White marble castles of delicate fluted spires rise to blue skies whilst farmers whistle as they till fertile fields and vineyards before retiring to rustic taverns and cozy villages. Lords and ladies tread the sweet dance of courtship whilst bold and honourable knights in gleaming armour embark upon noble quests or meet in thundering contest upon the tournament field for the sake of a lady's honour.

A land truly blessed by nature and history, Valderia is one of the oldest kingdoms in Eramon and wears its rich and layered tradition with pride, embodied in rather baffling layers of heraldic emblems, chivalric codes, and aristocratic titles. Enriched by generations of prosperity and fertility, it has been centuries since Valderia faced any real external threat or war, for its fiercest and most ancient enemies lie far away in Tamuz and Qadoris, and they are kept at arm's length by the rough and rowdy Midkingdoms, whose squabbling lords are kept propped up - and shamelessly manipulated - by Valderian wealth.
Here, most of the races of Eramon may find sanctuary. Sylvan elves uphold their own kingdoms within the woodlands, and the cozy villages of gnomes and halflings and the merry mining towns of dwarves are scattered throughout the countryside. Travelers find welcome in the streets of the great cities, and it is only the more warlike of folk who find themselves squinted at with wary eyes. Orcs and goblinoids are few here, mostly driven off either by local distrust or their own boredom with Valderia's saccharine pleasures, but those who do remain may find a measure of peace in Valderia available in few other corners of war-tossed Eramon.
Yet all is not as pristine as one might imagine when one sings with longing or envy of Valderia. The lofty courts sweep beneath velvetine rugs many webs of lust, intrigue, ambition and even murder. Remote valleys and deep forests, as beautiful as they are, are haunted by fey and ancient spirits who lure mortals to enchanted doom, mighty monsters still dwell in the wild places for knights and heroes to challenge and sometimes slay or be slain by. And not every back-alley in the great city of Corvalion nor every forest path in the pristine wilderness is safe, for not all bandits lurking there are jolly outlaws and not all beasts well-fed.
Every fairy tale, after all, must have its wicked queens, cackling witches, rampaging giants and big bad wolves...

Structure

King / Queen Prince / Princessa Duque / Duquessa Baronne / Baronessa Marquis / Marquessa Knight (Chevalier) Guildmaster Mercantile Guildmaster Adventure Mayor

Public Agenda

Valderia prides itself on its wealth, prosperity, chivalry and cultural achievements. It sees itself as a glorious haven of beauty and civility in a barbaric world and a home to fine arts, fine food and wine, and fine people. Its knights are renowned for their prowess, courage and courteous conduct and its aristocracy for their grandiose fashion and decadent displays of wealth.

Assets

Valderia is rich in silver mined from the mountains, food, wine and textile products. Valderia's famous knights number only three thousand in total, but it can field up to 30,000 drafted footmen quickly if threatened by war. These soldiers are made up both of royal and town guards and the soldiery of the feudal noble houses. Equipment varies, but the highest quality plate armour adorns knights, royal and noble soldiery and such troops are equipped with swords, lances and halberds, whilst the more typical footman or guardsman wears padded armor, a simple kettle or open bascinet helm, and wields a spear or pike.

History

The Kingdom of Valderia was once a pastoral backwater on the far western fringe of Glorium Hominium. Its geographical distance from the Godsgate saved it from the worst of the Calamity, but in the Age of Terror it became a haunted place, tormented by the hostile and unpredictable creep of the Feywild and the capricious Fey folk into its wilderness spaces and the predations of lycanthropes, fiends, goblinoids and undead upon its scattered farming and grazing settlements.
Legends say that one man, a simple shepherd known to lore only as Valder the Huntsman or Valder Black-of-Hair, whose family was slain by a werewolf, took up a woodaxe and a hunting bow and traveled into the east, seeking the power to avenge his family and save his people. He returned, years later, a changed man, a hero followed by seven glorious companions now known as the Nightguard. Together, their band drove the monsters to the fringes of civilization and taught the people how to band together, to build strong walls and forge sharp steel and ride swift horses. Within a few years, Valderia was peaceful; within a few centuries, it was a shining kingdom, guided into an age of peace under the wisdom of the first seven Great Houses of Valderia (though which houses comprise the original Seven is up to great debate)
Valder himself, as well as his Nightguard companions, departed for the Otherworld in search of new adventures after founding the Great Houses, promising to always watch over Valderia from afar and to return in her hour of need.

Demography and Population

Valderia's population majority is made up of humans and those with strong human bloodlines of native Valderian stock. Dwarven and halfling populations are also prolific, with dwarven mining communities twinkling from many a valley between the Kingdoms' imposing alpine mountains and halflings a frequent sight both in Valderian cities and in their own hamlets and shires throughout the Valderian countryside.

The hardworking and prosperous dwarves and halflings have a good name in Valderia, having contributed mineral wealth and agricultural plenty to the Kingdom over many generations. Few Valderian nobles would be seen without jewelry of fine dwarven craftsmanship and the halfling wine and cheesemaking families have turned a tidy profit and built a grand reputation only questioned by a few jealous human rivals. Forest gnomes are rarer sights, usually scattered in small settlements along the fringes of Valderia's mysterious woodlands, whilst rock gnomes are usually visitors from Wulveral or hired on as inventors and tutors to the noble houses and trade companies for their skills.

Elves have their own special place in Valderian culture and society. It was here that Sylvan elves first made their appearance in the aftermath of the Godsgate Calamity, melting out of the forests as if they had been there all along. Their otherworldly grace and beauty, and their connection with the magics of the Feywild fascinate the Valderian aristocracy, leading to much art and poetry in their likeness, whilst the commonfolk tend to regard elves and all with elven associations warily, more so the farther from the cities and their noble caste.

To commoners, the elves represent the perilous and bewitching beauty of all things faerie, made manifest in semi-mortal flesh; to the aristocracy, the same connotations take on airs of romance and mystery to be desired, envied and emulated. Over the course of time, elven blood has found its way into many aristocratic families, up to and including the royal line, and elves and half-elves are woven tightly into the fabric of the upper classes of the Valderian hierarchy as well as maintaining their own domain within Aelfendar, in the heart of Faewhisper Forest.

Glory is the Sweetest Wine

Valderia

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Maps

• 

  Valderia

• 

  Estegarde

Founding Date

214 GA

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Capital

Corvalionne

Alternative Names

Kingdom of Valderia, The Bright Kingdom, the Land of Wine and Flowers

Demonym

Valderian

Head of State

Queen Jalenna Seraphyne uth Valderos I

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Power Structure

Feudal state

Economic System

Market economy

Currency

Valderian gilder

Legislative Body

Royal Office of Law

Judicial Body

Royal Office of Justice

Official State Religion

Church of Zys

Deities

• Arcabor
• Daeki
• Nuuris

Location

Corvalionne

Official Languages

• Travel-Cant, Continental
• Valderois Language

Controlled Territories

• Corvalionne

Neighboring Nations

• Silversea
• The Midkingdoms
• Wulvaral

Notable Members

• Queen Jalenna Seraphyne uth Valderos I

Related Ethnicities

• Valderian