New Golden Alliance

The New Golden Alliance is a union between the kingdoms of Remodine and Prasatoria. This collaboration is all that remains of the once great Golden Alliance, which deteriorated after the Fall of Altan Khot. This alliance is now the only bulwark against the armies of the red dragon Zaviorth, who destroyed the other kingdoms making up the original alliance. Few travel this far north, where the land slowly begins to turn into tundra and taiga and is generally considered hostile during the darkest days of winter. Despite being in an alliance, the two kingdoms don't get along very well, each blaming the other for social and economic issues as well as the fall of the other kingdoms. Magic here has been a necessity to keep the area from being overrun, and mercenaries are hired by the cartload to help maintain a strong presence. Though the area hasn't been attacked by the dragon in over four decades, it could happen at any moment.

History

Post-Cataclysm

The New Golden Alliance gets its name from the first Golden Alliance, created hundreds of years ago by the golden dragon Anthos, centered around Altan Khot, the Golden City. The Golden Alliance brought peace to the northern lands, which once fought constantly. Two of the nations that became members of the Alliance were the Kingdom of Remodine, an old nation that once focused on its military with honor, and the other being Prasatoria, a Kingdom known for its rich culture and excellent trade between the north and south. The two were great enemies, but had put their past behind them when they united under the Golden Alliance.

Age of Restoration

In 3 A.o.R., a meeting of all the leaders of each nation was called to Altan Khot, save for the King of Prasatoria who was strangely left uninvited. Upon arriving at the city, the summoned leaders were all killed by the red dragon Zaviorth, all except the Queen of Remodine, who managed to escape with her life. Fleeing back to her own capital of Nincetra. The city famously managed to hold off the dragon and its armies, but at great cost. All other nations whose leaders had been invited were completely overrun by the armies of Zaviorth, and the area has since become known as Zaviorth's Domain. With the Alliance all but gone, the two remaining kingdoms began to quarrel once more. Many found it suspicious that the king of Prasatoria had not been invited to the summit, and some began to suspect him of plotting against the Alliance, though there was no proof. Regardless, in the months that followed both nations had their borders raided by Zaviorth's armies. When that didn't work, Zaviorth began to entice intelligent monsters, such as giants and lesser dragons to attack the nation, weakening it further. Zaviorth's emissaries traveled to the Uncharted Territories, where they made alliances with the human, orc, and goliath nomads to attack from the east. The constant attacks from almost all sides began to weaken the two kingdoms, who finally decided they had to work together once more if they were to survive. The two joined under the Dyadic Throne, creating the New Golden Alliance on the 5th of Ozzelondum, 6 A.o.R. When formed, their goal was to destroy Zaviorth's Domain. Now it is simply to survive.

Social

Stereotypicaly the people of Remodine thought of as serious and skilled craftsmen and soldiers, while the people of Prasatoria are considered friendly, if not opportunistic, but hard working. Once enemies, both peoples are now under the yolk of the Alliance's current standing as it slowly falls apart. Much of the money that flowed through Prasatoria has been used to pay for the construction of walls, the hiring of mercenaries, or simply buying enough food to maintain a standing army. Meanwhile, the Remodinians have been strained to watch the borders at all times, defend cities and walls, and create enough weapons and armor for the new soldiers defending the lands. In 21 A.o.R., the situation required declaring martial law to keep order, and they finally stated that their struggle was now a total war, requiring everyone's work to contribute somehow to keeping the borders defended and the Alliance alive. In the dire state of affairs, certain trades have become neglected, and are threatened to die out entirely should they not assist in the war effort. Many have grown tired of the constant state of dread that hangs over the New Golden Alliance, and have started migrating south, weakening it further and forcing the people who are left to fill more positions. While the two groups typically don't get along with each other and are not afraid to voice their disdain, all realize that should one fall, so shall the other. Many keep themselves busy with their jobs day after day, with little time for anything else.

Political

The New Golden Alliance is ruled by the Dyadic Throne, a court of the young King of Remodine and the elder King of the Prasatoria. They infamously do not get along, and constantly fight each other within the confines of the Alliance capital, Nincetra. Each blames the other for not dedicating enough, not supporting the cause and holding out on the other, all while they have done their best to assure the Alliance's survival. Little work gets done within the capital in terms of politics, but little needs to anymore. Most regional control has been handed over to generals, who likewise fight and disagree with their ally generals. Most oversee a large section of land, their job being to protect it long enough until an opportunity to attack presents itself. So far, no opportunity has appeared, and many fear one never shall. The martial law has made due process all but a thing of the past, as there are few qualified judges left in the Alliance, with many captured bandits simply being executed where they are.

Economic

The economy of the New Golden Alliance has all but withered, and can only afford to purchase necessary items from its neighbors. It exports stone and timber, but most of what is gathered is used to reinforce fortresses or build new ones. Though once rich, the constant fighting has been a drain on the treasuries of both kingdoms. Most of the rich in either kingdom have had their wealth requisitioned from them, or have already moved their wealth to out of state vaults, no longer within reach of those who would seek to take from it. The average citizen of the Alliance now makes less than 3 silver pieces a day, with those who make less often unable to buy enough food to support larger families. Even items such as boots have become a commodity among those not in the military, and wearing new shoes out in the streets has become a status symbol. The degrading economy has made many turn to lives of crime, being severely punished if caught, regardless some are tempted with the chance of enjoying some luxury in a land where it has been nearly forgotten.

Religious

While religion was never the focus for either kingdom that makes up the New Golden Alliance, it has become less important to the kingdoms who seek to survive. Temples have had their reliquaries requisitioned from and sold off to fund the growing needs of the military or to buy enough food to survive. While some priests do still operate in their temples, many have been abandoned and turned into shelters for those who cannot afford houses of their own. Near the beginning of their fight, religious services would be held for funerals, but now most are simply given quick burials or cremated, many of the graveyards long since filled up. The New Golden Alliance has degenerated into a godless land.

Military

With all the funding of the military, one would expect them to be well trained, supplied and numbering in the tens of thousands. While that was true near the beginning of the New Golden Alliance, the constant struggle against their unending enemies have eroded their strength. Old veterans are few and far between, most soldiers dying on the defense against a menagerie of monstrosities. Bandits, giants, dragons, kobolds, nomads, drow and duregar are only a few that are responsible for the Alliance's slow decline. While the military initially hoped to hold out until the attacks slowed, they never did. Soldiers who don't get paid desert, deserters being more dangerous than common bandits. So money must go to the military. However, they are no longer well supplied. Much of what they have, they pick up from their fallen comrades, only occasionally getting new supplies. Training is scant, with a period of merely a couple of weeks being used to train new recruits, some of which are conscripts who are barely over the age of sixteen.

With soldiers in high demand, the one group that seems to thrive in the Alliance are mercenaries, most of which come from Middelgemard or Haffanland. Here, mercenaries stand side by side with the soldiers to defend the land, and are sometimes sent on near suicidal missions to clear out areas known to be inhabited by monsters, but with the promise of a large bag of coin. However, mercenaries are subject to the same rules as citizens, and are quickly killed should they begin to get too rowdy or cause any trouble. Yet a successful band of mercenaries are perhaps the only happy people in the Alliance, who hires them by the hundreds.

Foreign Relations

The main ally of the Alliance is Middelgemard, who has a treaty with them that guarantees no war between them. Though there has been talk of merging the two alliances, they remain unconfirmed rumors at best, and highly unlikely. Khallador respects the New Golden Alliance for their position and routinely sends emissaries with funds to help sustain them, helping them stay alive a bit longer. On the other end of the spectrum lies Shiminore which, though occasionally helping in patrol borders of Zaviorth's Domain, do so in their own lands. Shiminore has never trusted either of the nations and has had wars with them in the past, before they joined the original Golden Alliance. Most other nations are oblivious to the Alliance's plight, and do not realize that should the New Golden Alliance fall, their own lands shall be next in line.

Magic

With the situation as bleak as it is, the New Golden Alliance desperately wishes for the help of those who know magic. Unfortunately, they are so far north and so far away from most other nations that practice magic that few would even hear pleas. Even if a mage did, the Alliance is not seen as prime territory to excel as a magic user. Far away from the heart of the sophisticated empires, many see it as a wooded backwater - a dying vestige of a dead alliance. Though there are some who use magic, they are rare, and only remain in the New Golden Alliance for a time before retreating south. Without them, the Alliance has few areas or magical artifacts of interest to note.

Type

Alliance, Generic