Kingdom of Tildarra
The Great Kingdom of Tildarra was one of the wealthiest kingdoms of the Fairlands. Sitting on top of the main trade Routes that connected the northern kingdoms to the south. Its strategic position allowed it to tax most of the trade of the continent, while its vast farmlands meant it supplied much of the food consumed in the less fertile kingdoms of the north.
The great wealth of the kingdom allowed it to develop its fame as one of the greatest patron of artists and scholars of the Fairlands. Its great academies birthed some of the brightest inventors and the most advanced technology of the world at the time.
In opposition to its opulent nature, was the decadence of its military. Made comfortable by the centuries of relative safety being protected by its neighbors, its armies were seen as an unnecessary expense, and often scaled down and reduced to little more than city guards and security for the trade routes around the kingdom.
The great farming city of Tildarra was the crown jewel of the Kingdom. Surrounded by vast farmlands and noble estates, the city held the Great Palace of the Tildarran King.
Outside of the capital, were the lesser duchies and baronies that represented the greatest part of the Kingdom. Often involved in civil wars for the control and taxation of trade routes and important cities, the Dukes of Tildarra were responsible for a great part of the kingdom's instability, as the king rarely bothered to interfere.
Structure
The Tildarran Kingdom consisted of a central government, represented by the figure of the Great King, surrounded by many dynasties of dukes who controlled smaller divisions of land in a feudal system. Independent Baronies and cities existed briefly, answering only to the king, before being subjugated by neighboring lords.
The lack of direct involvement of the monarch often resulted in direct confrontations, these however often avoided the crownlands around the capital city. Not necessarily in fear of royal punishment, as much as to avoid giving rivals an opportunity to justify agression.
In rare ocasions, lands belonging to the Cult of the Bright would get caught in the confrontations, wether by accident, or to frame political rivals, resulting in violent masacres and looting.
Culture
For most of the Tildarran people, life was spent on the fields. Cultivation of wheat, barley and oats was extremely productive as the volcanic ashes of Mt. Bright combined with the frequent and stable rain seasons made the soil extremely fertile. Animal herding was also popular among the wealthy, as their meat and milk fetched great prices over on Atildan markets.
In lesser urban regions great markets usually enlivened the main squares. Small guilds and merchants practiced and perfected their crafts, hoping to make it to one of the great cities, which enjoyed relative safety from the frequent fighting outside.
Both the wealthiest of the landless nobility and the largest guilds of Tildarra resided in the capital city. With multiple market squares, merchants often would walk between them looking for alternative in prices. The best acaemies of the kingdom were those of the capital, and between them existed a deep and intense rivalry, as scholars competed for employment in the courts of neighboring dukes and, hopefully, the Royal Palace.
History
The city of Tildarra was founded in 151 AoL by the newly crowned king Tilas, briefly after the final departure of the Bright Lady.
Widely considered to be the fairest of the Seven Great Kings, the king was gifted the fertile lands on the north of the Central Plains, and tasked with providing the border kingdoms with the resources to build their cities and armies against external threats.
Over time, the kings peaceful leanings were passed down to his sucessors, and as the neighboring border kingdoms grew in power and independence, the generosity of Tildarra waned.
Increased taxation and trade brought wealth and development to the cities of the Kingdom, and its urban centers graddually atracted ambitious merchants and minor nobles from its neighbours lands.
As the dukes grew more wealthy and the monarchs indulged in the luxuries of the affluent capital, the central influence became dilluted, and the royal authority waned. Soon internal conflicts became the norm, and duchies expanded and vanished under the strenght of arms.
Eventually all that remained from the Tildarran army were the respected Palace guards, the less renowned city garrissons and the guard outposts along the main trade routes.
Military
Enlightened, we lead the world through darkness.
Maps
-
Tildarra
151 AoL - 430 AoL
Alternative Names
The Farmland Kingdom, Kingdom of the Merchants, Land of the Wise.
Demonym
Tildarran
Leader Title
Founders
Parent Organization
Neighboring Nations
Related Ethnicities
Comments