Duchy of Snakehammer
In Snakehammer, coin is the name of the game. With no real export to the surrounding realms, this newly formed duchy prioritizes the exchange of foreign goods, particularly between lands not too kind towards one another. Anyone looking to succeed can come to Snakehammer, as it prides itself on being a hub for traders, adventurers, and tourists alike. With relative diversity compared to surrounding realms, the melting pot results in an infusion of different cultures, inventions and commerce that pushes it to the forefront of importance in Formithlond, and Garzaria as a whole.
Geography & Culture: The rolling grasslands that most of the duchy is comprised of are vast pastures and farms that span from the Keelcola River to Crocodile Rill. Split by the mysterious Barmarwood, the two halves of the duchy are similar in geography, but their cultures could be no further different. Snakehammer and the western towns show great diversity and prosperity, with humans, elves, haflings, and other minor races working together to form a bustling trade network along the river. The eastern side of the realm is almost entirely populated with humans, and struggles in its economic endeavors. While Framingmark is a relatively prosperous port, it’s surrounding towns often suffer from raids from the jungles. The exception to this is Swordbreak, an outpost bordering both the Barad Empire and Aleford, where the majority of the realm’s military, the Python Band, resides and trains.
History: Originally a vassal of the Kingdom of Aleford, Snakehammer was an amicable farming region with little to no population, other than the boisterous military stationed along its border with the Barad Empire. After fighting a deadly and ineffective war against the elven population of the Saltwich Empire (The Calterese Battles) , a treaty (The Binding of West Formithlond) was signed ending the conflict and aligning towards the larger enemy to the west.
This treaty also granted the duchy of Snakehammer to the prince and heir to the Saltwich Throne, one Ailduine Sylsalor. The Sylsalor lineage is as rooted in the Saltwich culture as barkbrew, and Ailduine wanted this for his new land. With great stewardship and diplomatic prowess, Alduine skyrocketed the value of the local currency, the Lio. With the inflated Lio created by aggressive farming and harsh taxation, Alduine created decisive infrastructural proposals to surge the economy of the duchy. His plan worked, and seemingly overnight, the towns of Snakehammer and Framingmark became bustling cityscapes, with vast rows of markets, houses and prosperous trader to compliment the population boom. Eventually gaining more wealth than the empire that ruled it, Alduine purchased the duchy from Jolos Mossheart (King of Aleford), granting it independence. Now serving as a primary trade hub for the Baradians and Aleings, the duchy ventures out to sea, and has begun to initiate trade with species in Fruwich, Rankitoft, and Mearheath, as well as basic contact with the Isles of Hargelin.
Classification: Duchy
Government Type: Theocracy
Ruler: High Duke Alduine Sylsalor
Settlements: 9
Residents: Mostly Humans, Elves, Half-Elves, and Halflings
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