The Alhamish Union
Nominally comprising the entirety of Alhamland, although it's claim on The Vetrarfjöll is questionable due to the lack of any major human settlements or even attempts to tame the region, The Alhamish Union is comprised of three smaller kingdoms, united through marriage between their royal families in an attempt to end the endless series of minor wars between them and consolidate their power to compete with the larger and wealthier nations to the south.
History
Alhamland has been broken up into the three kingdoms of Gronnakre, Risteklippe, and Vestlandi for as far back as the human histories of the region reach, although calling them kingdoms has often been a stretch. The term "The Three Kingdoms" has persisted through kings, assorted warlords, civil wars, and periods with no rulers at all. They have been at least partially unified in the past for brief periods, typically under particularly ambitious warlords, Kadal The Conquerer being the most famous, but never fully united or for a terribly long period.
Kadal the conquerer
As the only member of The Ascended to come out of Alhamland, Kadal The Conquerer is the only thing most southerners know about the region other than its chilly climate and sea raiders, and this has shaped outside opinions of it for centuries. Kadal was born in a small village in Gronnakre, its name long lost to history, and cut his teeth participating in sea raids starting in his early teens. By the time he was a man he was already leading raids and was regarded as a nearly unbeatable warrior, issuing personal challenges to enemy champions at every opportunity and still undefeated.
Kadal was captured and enslaved during a revenge raid against the Stormborn who burned his home village, he earned his freedom in personal combat and soon rose through the ranks of their warriors. During his time with the stormborn he developed his philosophy that the strong should rule the weak, might makes right, and if you can't defend something it was never truly yours, and these ideas would rule his life going forwards. He eventually took control of the tribe through challenging the leader to personal combat and lead them back to Alhamland with dreams of conquest.
Kadal would go on to conquer all of Alhamland twice, once in a blazing fast push across the continent, capturing settlements and growing his army as he went. The second time was a ten year slog following his ignominious defeat in the face of the magics of Iker - The Blazing Sun and his battlemages during his first invasion of Alboria. His own philosophy of the rule of the strong encouraged widespread rebellions and civil war due to his percieved weakness after his failed invasion.
Twenty years after his first invasion of Alboria, Kadal was ready for a second shot. Having learned from his first attempt, his forces were well reenforced by spellcasters from both the Stormborn and the arcane colleges which he ordered constructed during his reign. After successfully taking the entire western coast of Alboria and taking the port city of Arldsmouth under siege, his forces met the Alborians on the flatlands outside of the besieged city.
After Kadal's forces shattered the initial elements of the Alborian army, Iker arrived with the bulk of his forces and the two leaders clashed. Meeting in the center of the battle, the leaders battled for some time before striking each other down, and as they fell, mortally wounded, they ascended in twin columns of light. Kadal's death spelled the end of the invasion, but his ascension meant that his legacy would far outlive him as he became the favored god of brigands, warlords, and tyrants across the Shattered Continent.
Society
The Three Kingdoms which make up the Alhamish union have similar roots but their societies have each been shaped by their unique geography, climate, and history. Now united, the seemingly minor cultural differences between the three represent tension and potential fracture points which threaten the integrity of The Union. In the cities of the more cosmopolitan Vestlandi southern influence, tradtions, and gods have spread their influence while elsewhere the locals push to retain old traditions.
The vast majority of settlements in Alhamland are relatively small and fiercely independant, typically centered around a large building known as a long hall, mead hall, or feasting Hall. The long hall is generally owned by a major landowner known as a Jarl who serves as a sort of mayor, judge, and religious official for the town. In addition to approving new construction, arbitrating disputes, and sitting in judgement of accused criminals, In the absence of a priest to serve as 'hofgothi' to lead religious ceremonies the jarl will perform that task as a 'gothi'.
In addition to these responsibilities, the Jarl will maintain a contingent of housecarls or huskarl, men at arms who are sworn into the jarls service and serve as the settlement's military and guard force alongside the local militia. A jarl in a small settlement may only have a half dozen or so huskarls, but in a larger town they may have a score or more. In addition to the huskarls, it is common for the majority of the population of a settlement to be sworn into the jarls service; these people are known as karls.
Raiding
Alhamland has a long tradition of seaborne raiding dating back to the very first human settlements there, possibly inspired by encounters or integration with members of The Stormborn. Participating in a raid was long considered a required rite for aspiring warriors and since it was considered unwise to raid too close to home, raids often inflamed tensions and built long lasting grudges between the kingdoms. These raids tended to be between the two eastern kingdoms against their wealthier western neighbor, but also extended further afield against the "soft" southern kingdoms, coloring foreign opinions of Alhamland.
Today, raiding has been banned within The Union, the Vestergaard family having pushed hard for the ban for many years. This ban has dramatically improved relations with the nations which have traditionally suffered from the depredations of Alhamish raiders and reduced tensions between the three kingdoms. Not all of the people of Alhamland approve of this ban, many of the residents of the northlands and the fjords having relied on raiding for extra income, resources, and to give their warriors experience. To its detractors, the ban is yet another example of how the westlanders have turned their back on alhamish tradition in favor of catering to southern nobility.
Religion
The traditional religion of humans on Alhamland is a form of ancestor worship, generally referred to as Alhamish Ancestor Worship. As old as human occupation of the region, this religion has deeply shaped Alhamish society and reveration and respect towards ones ancestors is a core part of alhamish culture. Even those rare Alhamish who practice other religions still typically live by the tenants of this ancient practice. Even Canaan the Conquerer wasn't directly worshipped as a god within Ahlamland, as worship or veneration of him typically fell under traditional ancestor worship by the many, many children he left behind as he conquered, pillaged, and attempted to unite all of Alhamland under his banner.
Worship of The Ascended is a new thing in Alhamland, and it's adoption can largely be laid at the feet of the Vestergaard family and their ambitions to be recognised as peers by the nobility of the south. The Vestergaards and the assorted nobility and hangers-on of their court have whole-heartedly adopted the worship of The Ascended and abandoned traditional ancestor worship in their efforts to be seen as having moved past their barbarian roots, something which has drawn no small amount of criticism from more traditionally minded Alhamlanders. Most Alhamlanders who have adopted The Ascended as their gods have taken a more balanced approach, continuing to adhere to the traditions and beliefs of their forefathers while worshiping The Ascended as dieties.
The Three Kingdoms
The Alhamish Union is comprised of three regions known as the three kingdoms which between them claim all of the human occupied territory within Alhamland. The three kingdoms have engaged in minor raids and land grabs against one another for centuries, but are now united due to intermarriage between members of their ruling families. Belonging to a political union doesn't mean that everyone gets along or that old grudges are forgotten, and tension between the kingdoms is a constant threat to the stability of the union.
Gronnakre
Ironically named 'green fields' in local dialect, Gronnakre is the northernmost of the kingdoms, stretching along the northern coast all the way from Selvagr in the west to the Alhamish Spine in the east. The lands along the northern coast range from pine forests to frigid tundra and the growing season is so short as to be pointless due to the frigid cold of The Vetrarfjöll spilling out into the surrounding lands. The inhabitants are reliant on fishing, hunting, and raiding to survive and are among the hardiest of the Alhamish people.
Gronnakre has only one settlement large enough to call a city, its capital Selvagr in the far west. The rest of the population is spread out among many small settlements, nearly all located close to or on the coast. Most of the settlements which are located further inland exist either to provide timber to the coastal settlements or as military outposts to guard against incursions from The Vetrarfjöll.
The people of Gronnakre are considered by many to have a little too much of The Stormborn in them, frequently raiding the lands to the south of them, both the other kingdoms and those further afield. These raids have earned them few friends among the people of Vestlandi or further abroad, although the fjord dwellers of Risteklippe have largely escaped their raids due to the protection of the fjords and the inconvenience of their location.
The current ruler of Gronnakre is Jarl Gudrun Hakondottir, a fierce warrior who claims to be descended from Canaan The Conquerer. Her grandfather married a noblewoman from Vestlandi, and her father married Astrid Vestergaard, sister of the then king of Vestlandi, tying their family to the western royals and helping to enhance the validity of the Alhamish Union in the eyes of the people of the north. As a young woman, Jarl Gudrun rebelled heavily against her parents, particularly her mother, and was heavily influenced by her uncle, the infamous raider Kadal Karlsson. When her father passed away, she was quick to push her mother aside and take her place as Jarl, arguing that only a native born northerner could rule Gronnakre. Today, her mother resides with her family in Manarfell while Gudrun rules her father's holdings.
Despite her position she insists on continuing to lead warriors into battle, taking part in actions against incursions from The Vetrarfjöll at the head of her personal retinue of Huscarls. It is rumored that she still participates in oceanborne raiding, and she is a vocal voice at the Althing for lifting the ban on it. Her sons all hold positions in the military, and her late husband was a northerner, a move which angered her mother's family and brought accusations that she was attempting to destabilize the Alhamish Union, accusations which she has never denied with any seriousness.
Risteklippe
Living amongst the innumerable fjords of the southern coast the people of Risteklippe, 'shaking cliffs' in local dialect, are considered to be skilled sailors and fishermen even among the largely seafaring people of Alhamland. Navigating the treacherous waters of the fjords offers a steep learning curve for new sailors, and few outside of the natives have the skills and knowledge needed to do so. The fjords serve to shield the locals from both storms and foreign raiders, and allow them some level of inpugnity when launching their own raids
There are no major cities in Risteklippe, the population spread out across numerous small villages among the fjords. While most villages grow crops, taking advantage of the milder temperate climate across the southern coast, fishing is still their mainstay and there are few villages which don't have some sort of easy access to the ocean.
Risteklippe has no true ruler, it's nature as a land of scattered small villages and harsh geography making true rulership dificult, but the current Jarl of Skrattafell is generally considered to be its defacto leader. Gest Skuffsson is the current Jarl, a charismatic merchant and accomplished sailor who owns a small fleet of merchant vessels which sail out of Manarfell. He makes regular visits to most of the larger settlements along the fjords, personally guiding his ship through the treacherous waters and gaining the admiration of the locals in the process.
The Jarl is married to Sofie Vestergaard, a cousin of the current king of Vestlandi, and is in good standing with its nobility. Between his marriage and the fact that he runs his mercantile fleet out of Manarfell some have accused him of selling his people out to the westerners, but he laughs these accusations off. He has no illusions that he rules Risteklippe in anything but name and frequently responds to his critics that he could no more sell the people of the fjords out than he could control them. This same argument has served him well when dealing with western nobles complaining about raids coming out of Ristelkippe causing them problems with Alhamland.
Vestlandi
Encompassing the western end of Alhamland, the creatively named Vestlandi or 'west land' in local dialect is the most populous and wealthy of the three kingdoms. The capital city of Manarfell is the largest settlement in all of Alhamland and serves as the gateway to the entire region for most trade and travellers. Vestland has more large settlements than any of the other Alhamish kingdoms and a greater focus on agriculture, with a relatively mild temperate climate and plenty of flat land.
Vestlandi is the only region in which the worship of any of The Ascended other than Canaan is widespread, although outside of the larger settlements traditional Alhamish ancestor worship is still far most common. The influence of southern culture has lead to many alhamish looking down on the more 'cosmopolitan' westlanders. In turn, Ancestor worship is looked down upon by the more 'cultured' westlanders as somewhat archaic and they regard the old traditions of building longships to raid foreign shores as barbaric.
The Vestergaard family have ruled Vestlandi for generations, working tirelessly to unite Ahlamland and enable it to compete with the great powers to the south. They have drawn much criticism for adopting 'southern' traditions in favor of Alhamish ones in their attempts to ingratiate themselves with the southern nobiility. They have adopted southern noble titles over Alhamish ones, abandoned the traditional patryonymic surnames in favor of a single family name, and worked to ban the tradition of seaborne raiding due to the harm it deals to foreign relations.
Despite the criticism which they have drawn from the more traditional alhamish, the Vestergaards have had a tremendous amount of success in their efforts, intermarrying with powerful and influential families across Alhamland and consolidating their power. The Alhamish Union is a result of their efforts and there is little that they won't do to ensure its continuing success. The current king, Magnus Vestergaard, has continued to work to strengthen The Union and make his beloved homeland a power to compete with the greatest powers of the south.
Foreign Relations
Given their history and traditions of seaborne raiding, The Alhamish Union's relations with any nation within easy longboat range are, to say the least, not great. The efforts of the Vestergaards have borne some fruit, however, establishing diplomatic and trade relations with a number of the nations of The Great Inland Sea region and working to establish themselves as peers with the southern nobility.
The Alborian Empire
Alhamland's closest neighbor and the subject of the bulk of its sea raids in addition to the two invasions of Kadal The Conquerer, the relations between the two nations remain tremendously poor despite the best efforts of the Vestergaards. While a reasonable amount of trade flows between the two nations, trade levels are lower than one would expect between to adjacent nations. More than in any other nation, Alborian nobles view the efforts of the Vestergaards to become peers with the noblity of the south as barbarians putting on airs.
The Kingdom of Fruchtbarland
Despite having dealt with Alhamish raiders for generations, the fruchtbarlanders have welcomed the efforts of the Vestergaards to 'civilize' the people of their harsh land, viewing it as an undertaking that Siegmund would unoquivocally approve of, bringing law and order to a savage land. Fruchtbarland is The Alhamish Union's largest trading partner, far surpassing even the much geographically closer Alborian Empire.
The Kingdom of Bommbergonia
Although its northern coast was occasionally the subject of Alhamish sea raids, the bommbergonians have proven remarkably receptive to the diplomatic and trade outreach efforts of The Union. While bommbergonian nobles might ordinarily be inclined to reject the Vestergaards and the members of their court as upjumped barbarians, the chance to anger the Alborians by accepting the Alhamish nobles has proven to be irresistable.
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