County of Scarmoor
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The centre-most county in Varenfall. Scarmoor’s lands are a mixture of fields and hillsides, blending into the edges of the mountainous peaks that line the borders. The rest of this county’s expansive territory is filled with acres of forests and woodlands.
Due to the terrain, Scarmoor has stood steadfast against the test of war. Though its citizens often face unpredictable weather, leading to more treacherous paths. Whilst this does not tend to bother the citizens of Scarmoor - having faced this time and time again, they have become adequately prepared to deal with the fall out - it can lead to long stretches of time where travellers steer clear of the county.
People from this county are called "Scarmooran{TBC}".
Two shades of green to represent the Rook Wilds. Orange and yellow to represent the dangers of Scarmoor's climate, and the resilience of its people.
The Royal Bloodline
Scarmoor has been governed by a monarchy for thousands of years. This royal bloodline stretches back for generations, rich with history and a mixture of ethnicities from all over the world.
The sitting monarch is King Reza Jasem.
As king by birthright, Reza oversees many of the politics and laws that are used to govern the County of Scarmoor. He is helped by a handful of advisors: General Ira Langworth who leads the royal army, Lord-SM-Cofferer{TBC} who holds the position of Royal Cofferer, Lady-SM-Hunter{TBC} who holds the position of Lady of the Hunt, Lord-SM-Ceremony{TBC} who holds the position of Master of Ceremonies, and Lady-SM-Spymaster{TBC} who holds the position of Royal Spymaster. Each advisor is held in extremely high regard, although even Reza struggles at times to pacify the grudges and strong opinions they hold for one another.
Reza is married to Queen Tanya Jasem (previously a Countess from the Borough-of-Baronwood{TBC}). They have two children. The eldest is Crown Princess Karima Jasem and the youngest is Prince Aziz Jasem.
There is an unrest growing in Scarmoor. No, in all of Varenfall.
With Eldorwin’s declaration of war, there are some amongst the common folk who look upon the Jasem’s with newfound suspicion. As if their origins could forgo all the good they have done for this great County. Does it matter that Reza’s lineage comes from Eldorwin, when he and his ancestors have created a just and thriving land?
These people are fools. Easily swayed by lies and deceit, but no less threatening than the soldiers parading off our coasts. They must be dealt with before their unfounded suspicion grows into something far worse.
The Indomitable County
Over many, many generations, the County of Scarmoor has withstood the wrath of its neighbours and the environment alike.
Heavy storms often cause flooding within the region. Each downpour of rain seems more unpredictable than the last. However, the people of Scarmoor have grown accustomed to such erratic weather and have ways to spare their possessions from the brunt of it.
From storms to warring neighbours, Scarmoor has also known its fair share of bloodshed and violence. Perhaps the greatest perpetrator of such violence are those from the neighbouring County of Dawn; though recent years have seen an increase in peace over war. That is not to say that other neighbours have not tried their luck. Scarmoor - in particular its mountainous ranges to the north - is rich in rarer materials. Many have tried to stake their claim on the lands, either through cleverly devised political plans or sheer brute force, but none have ever succeeded in skirmishing into Scarmoor’s well defended borders.
International Relations
Scarmoor and Archon
These two counties have always had a good relationship with one another. This is mainly due to their thriving back and forth trading, where Scarmoor provides precious gems found within the Luminous-Mountains{TBC}, and Archon provides rare dyes and textiles produced from rare materials in the Everdark{TBC}.
It is common for the leaders of these counties to host each other. From extravagant balls held in the Palace-of-Prophecy{TBC}, to great feasts organised by the Archon-Council{TBC}. Outwardly, as far as the general populace are concerned, Scarmoor and Archon are in an unbreakable alliance.
Inwardly, if one looks close enough, they may see the little cracks. For starters, there are some individuals on the Archon-Council{TBC} that King Reza Jasem tries to avoid - politely as possible of course. This is because they have tried to bribe him in the past for a variety of reasons, from less taxation on traded goods to being given a piece of Scarmoor’s political power. All bribes have been refused. Others just seem to be in it for power to lord over others, which King Reza Jasem finds extremely disappointing as he believes all leaders should be concerned with doing their best to help uplift their people.
Scarmoor and Dawn
After centuries of fighting, King Reza Jasem and the people of Scarmoor find it difficult to trust the peace proposed by Lord-Dawn-King{TBC}. Surely there must be an ulterior motive. Surely these peace talks are just a trick.
Regardless of the tension and their apprehension, they want to believe that what is being offered is true. After all, the people of Scarmoor are just as tired of fighting and defending their borders.
To that end King Reza Jasem and Lord-Dawn-King{TBC} agreed to a meeting 5 years ago to broker peace. Progress has been made since and the two counties are slowly but surely mending their broken ties. It has even gotten to the point where trade routes have reopened and King Reza Jasem has allowed civilian movement from Dawn to Scarmoor, though a citizen of Dawn may find themselves under an unnerving amount of scrutiny when travelling through Scarmoor.
For the attention of His Royal Eminence:
We have received reports from Port-Merripol{TBC} of two galleys patrolling the waters. At first, these were believed to be ships from Eldorwin. On further inspection, both galleys appeared to be flying altered colours of the County of Feren’s heraldry.
I suggest that His Royal Eminence arranges a meeting with the members of the Feren-Council{TBC}, as a matter of urgency, to discuss this issue discreetly.
Scarmoor and Feren
There is no love lost between Scarmoor and Feren.
Their relationship is strictly politics and business. Though amicable to one another, they don’t go out of their way to pretend they are friends. Whenever they work together, the outcome is achieved swiftly and efficiently.
King Reza Jasem has voiced some concerns over the Eastern-Isles{TBC}. He is worried that the ever growing political offshoot of pirates - although the Feren-Council{TBC} insists that they aren’t pirates - could begin to cause some trouble on Varenfall proper. The Feren-Council{TBC} may claim that they have things under control, but King Reza Jasem is aware of reports coming from a few coastal towns that they have noticed an uptick in maritime woes.
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Scarmoor and Archon
Status: Allied
Trade: Excellent, via land routes
Travel: Excellent, via land routes
Public opinion: Favourable
Scarmoor and Feren
Status: Peace
Trade: Fair, via land routes
Travel: Fair, via land routes
Public opinion: Favourable
Scarmoor and Dawn
Status: Armistice, bordering on Peace (tentative)
Trade: Fair, via land routes
Travel: Strict, via land routes
Public opinion: Wary
Scarmoor and Vassia
Status: Peace
Trade: No direct trade routes
Travel: Fair, via sea routes
Public opinion: Favourable
Boroughs of Scarmoor
Territories within the County of Scarmoor are further divided into boroughs. Each borough is governed by baron or baroness. There are eight boroughs, which are as follows:
Baronwood Borough
A small borough in the west of the county. The majority of this land is covered in dense forests, where homes are incorporated as naturally as possible to avoid the unnecessary removal of trees.
Rook Wilds Borough
Another of Scarmoor’s boroughs that is rich with woodlands. It stretches from the border of Scarmoor and Feren, all the way west, until it encompasses Rookfell - Scarmoor’s capital city.
Freydan Borough
One half of the Luminous-Mountains{TBC}. This borough encompasses the east side of the mountain range, named after both the peak and the lake located within the borough’s boundaries.
Lumina Borough
The other half of the Luminous-Mountains{TBC}. This borough encompasses the west side of the mountain range, its boundaries coming to a knife edge close adjacent to the County of Archon’s borders.
Morraby Borough
Running along the south east coastline of the County of Scarmoor. Morraby Borough offers a mixture of grasslands and sandy beaches, and is known for its increasingly popular fishing spots.
Sourgrass Borough
In the south of Scarmoor lies the Sourgrass Borough. Sharing its boundaries with the border of Dawn means that this borough - and its people - have fallen on some particularly hard times.
Serpentia Borough
Scarmoor’s smallest borough. Once, the Serpent Cliff was an extremely popular destination. Now the borough has become too dangerous for the average traveller, save for the religious folk maintaining Scarmoor Temple.
Northlan Borough
To the north, stretching from the Luminous-Mountains{TBC} to the northern coastline of Varenfall, is Northlan Borough. It is a thin strip of fields and hills that shares its boundaries with both Archon and Feren.
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