Middelgemard

Middelgemard is a confederacy made up of six kingdoms who joined to protect each other as their neighbors expanded and annexed new territories. The kingdoms of Middelgemard openly help each other, but most consider their own kingdom superior to others and tend to hold grudges. The region is made up of vast woodlands, plains, and rolling hills. The good farmland makes farming or raising livestock an easy choice for a profession, but also attracts all kinds of monsters that prey on both livestock and their farmers. This also means that mercenaries and monster hunters have a constant supply of income. While magic is not particularly common here, there are still a few mages that call this land their home.

History

Post-Cataclysm

The land known as Middelgemard was once one large kingdom, before falling apart some time after the First Cataclysm. Little is known of it, but some ruins of the once great civilization of elves, humans, dwarves, and halflings living together in harmony remain. It took up a great deal of central Vadovass and prospered before its fall.

Age of Restoration

Several years after the Fall of Altan Khot and the Golden Alliance, the Cradle Valley and region of Sunar were taken by the Almaridian Empire, while it and the The New Elven Union divided the once great land of Aestros. Due to rising tensions, the six rulers of the Kingdoms of Shaffenal, Cseltorri, Derembor, Arkwall, Golvan, and Sennek all met to discuss the possibility of alliance. Due to other nations' increasingly hostile actions towards one another, this proposal of an alliance turned into a joint ruling of the lands that once made up Middelgemard. On the 16th of Galmore in the 9th year of the Age of Restoration, the Blue Council was created, and the six kingdoms joined as one, making them one of the most powerful empires in northern and central Vadovass.

Social

The merging of the six kingdoms is still recent enough that most living within Middelgemard don't see themselves as kinsmen with others that were born in different kingdoms than they were. Though none of the six were serious enemies, many are prone to believing the kingdom they were born in to be the best, causing mild sectionalism among the people and certain grudges to remain in place. Despite that most of the people making up Middelgemard get along fine. Only the proudest and most patriotic of its people ever make a fuss for outsiders for being present. These disputes erupt into brawls at worst, though some killings have been attributed to such confrontations, but these are very rare. The majority of the conflict amounts to raised prices from neighboring kingdom's merchants, jokes made at foreigner's expense by guards, stares from passersby, and an occasional rude song in iambic pentameter by the area's many bards.

Political

Each of the six kings of the kingdoms that make up Middelgemard retain their power as sole rulers over their own part of the new alliance. However when it comes to decisions that affect all of Middelgemard, such as war, the six convene and discuss what the course of action should be. For the most part, these rulers get along fine, though more tension has grown since the formation of the alliance with younger kings seeing less value in the alliance than their predecessors did. For each individual kingdom making up the alliance, most use their own system of governing within their own sections of the kingdom. The systems for each kingdom are mostly similar, with only few differences for travelers to be confused by.

Economic

Economically, the area has boomed thanks to trade agreements being easier to make between the kingdoms and war between the kingdoms being far from possible. More neighboring countries now find it easier to deal with one alliance than six separate kingdoms, making trade cheaper and easier to handle. The Golden Mountain Trade Guild has also set up in the area as with many others, their standardization of currency making international trade much more convenient. Middelgemard's production mostly depends on the kingdom, but almost all of the six are covered in fertile land at the perfect altitude for growing many crops, as well as good conditions for raising livestock. The area also has many woodlands, meaning crafts and construction featuring lumber are common in the area, with wooden furniture being exported widely across central Vadovass. While mountains are present, much of the stone and metals needed for raw materials are typically traded from their dwarven neighbors to the east. The economy has also proved useful for mercenaries and monster hunters. The abundance of crops and unprotected livestock, as well as the vast and uninhabited woods and hillsides can be patrolled by many monsters and beasts that take advantage of the farmland below. While each kingdom handles issues with these creatures differently, most have become prosperous enough to hire mercenaries to deal with them.

Religious

None of the kingdoms have official religions, and each area has a slightly different religious demographic. The kingdoms of Derembor, Sennek and Golvan have the majority of the religious population venerating the Wizgaran Pantheon, though there those who worship the Mordinsamman the further east you go and among the dwarven members of the population. Golvan also has those who follow the Pantheon of Man, but these are relatively few. Both Csceltorri and Arkwall primarily worship the Seladrin among the elves, and the Halflings and Gnomes have their own gods they venerate. Finally, the people of Shaffenal are the only ones who worship the Galledallian pantheon, though some still follow the Wizgaran. The wide diversity of religions is often seen as a boon for the already diverse people of Middelgemard, and mixing between traditions of all the different beliefs frequently happen. However, conflict is bound to occur, with the only thing more divisive than nationality between the kingdoms being what pantheon one is devoted to.

Military

The flat and open land of Middelgemard has given rise to extensive use of cavalry, both light and heavy, which can quickly ride from one end of the territory to the other. Footmen are primarily used for scouting out and attacking in the woodlands of the area, sometimes too dense for cavalry to make it through in cohesive formation. The union of the six kingdoms have made the whole union stronger and better defended, though most of the kingdoms bemoan sharing military intelligence unless it is absolutely necessary. Despite the stronger military, the region has known peace for decades, and the lack desire for war from many of the kingdoms means it will likely stay that way, with Cseltorri and Arkwall not even maintaining standing armies.

Foreign Relations

Foreign relations between Middelgemard and its neighboring nations is much better since the union of the six kingdoms, with it being a gateway for trade and travel between the north and south. The alliance was initially made in fear that the New Elven Union and the Almaridian Empire would expand northward. While the Almaridian Empire may still intend on it, they are believed to be spread too thin to effectively attack at the current time. The New Elven Union has expressed its satisfaction with its own borders, and shows no signs of further expansion at the moment. Shiminore is an old ally of Shaffenal, who both share the same religious devotion. By extension, that alliance stretches to the rest of the kingdoms, though none of the other kingdoms consider the alliance to mean anything to them. Khallador and the Federation of the Dwarven Lords to the east are not allies, but have become steadfast trade partners and have thus developed cordial relations. Finally, the New Golden Alliance has gotten along well with most the kingdoms of Middelgemard. Some rumors persist that meetings have taken place to unite both the New Golden Alliance with that of Middelgemard, which would make a new alliance almost as strong as the original Golden Alliance, but they are merely rumors at the time being.

Magic

There is currently little magic in Middelgemard, at least officially. With no guilds or academies for learning magic, it is mostly a forgotten art. However, there are a few across Middelgemard who keep it alive, including several famous wizards. The capital city of Dragonspire is the only place in Middelgemard one could reliably find a mage, and even then they are aloof and keep to themselves.

Type

Alliance, Generic