The province of Kandar formed as a direct response to Thrull’s incursions. Seeking mutual defense against a vastly superior force, the three clans of Limgri, Morgöng, and Mithra banded together to create a unified front.
History
Composed of three clans that rejected the supremacy of the elemental druids, Kandar seeks to thrive by assimilating elements of other cultures. Kandar’s survival is on the line: it is currently at war with Thrull, while trying to resist attempts by other empires to influence its rule, and also facing the coldfire menace that threatens all the Valikan lands.
Clan Mithra, the most diplomatic of the three clans, was the first to establish trade relations and embassies with other lands. The most cultured of the clans, Mithra produced the Lord Edda and maintains the lore and history of Grarjord.
Clan Limgri has assimilated religions from other cultures and hopes to use their divine power to counter that of the elemental druids. Limgri has taken control of Cold Iron Keep, a prison for the most powerful enemies of Kandar.
Finally, Clan Morgöng runs the spy and black market networks of Kandar. Very little happens around Grarjord without their knowledge.
Politics and Leadership
Though most of the populace is still arranged into clans, the leaders choose one person as the single leader during wartime. Their current war chief, Queen Andrea Helsing of Mithra, seemingly holds the three clans together through will alone. The chiefs of the three clans hold court together at the Mithran capital of Hrist, though they spend most of their time arguing over how best to deal with incursions from Thrull.
Of late, the Bürach Empire has been providing military support to Kandar. They have also made overtures about making Kandar a protectorate of the Empire in exchange for greater military aid. The question is currently up for a bitter debate in the queen’s court.
Economy
Kandar lies at the end of the Caravan Way, the main artery of trade with other nations. Its proximity to neighbors allows Kandar to profit from trade, providing fish, furs, lumber, and produce from what meager farming can be done in their cold climate.
The recent discovery of an herb known as Dreams Leave, which works as a powerful anesthetic, has also shaped Kandar’s trade. Normally used in herbology, the root is also traded on the black market as an addictive drug. Kandarian authorities have tried to crack down on the sale of the substance, but have been largely unsuccessful due to manpower being diverted to the war effort.
Kandar’s economy flags due to the war with Thrull, the incursion of coldfire onto their lands, and the destabilizing effects of these on trade relations with other countries.
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