The Queendom of Kudwe
Technically a mistranslation, (Kudwe means Great, Great Queendom) Kudwe is an alliance of nations that stretches from the Northern shores of the central sea to the high deserts to the south. This area, blessed by the Rain Goddess Malina, and her sister the Forest Goddess Elaita, is an expanse of fertile plains and huge, tropical rainforests, the latter created by the druids of Elaita and their allies with magic and charcoal. Within these forests, vast beasts dwell: Elephants, Deinotherium, great lions and sabertoothed cats. The greatest of all however are Dinosaurs, vast primodial beasts, reawakened by the arts of the druids and the power of the forest.
Beyond the forest, Kudwe grows rich. The Queen of Queens rules from her Capital at Ulthna, high on the shining bay, where all roads meet. To Ulthna flows spice from Keket, known for its library, silver from Bethran, the city of scarlet roofs, ivory from Dajang, closest to the forest and salt from the great flats at Nathanal. From Ulthna flows magic and learning, the fine soaps, bath oils and perfumes, dustfire, elixers against disease and quick flame of the city's alchemists, the wisdom of its temples and the bountiful fish, sapphires and strange relics of lost ages from the shining bay. Goods are sent by ship across the middle sea to all the empires of trade beyond, and are exchanged for spider silk and exotic venoms from the night below, and taken by camel across the high desert to Tabuk, where salt is paid weight for weight with gold.
Between the cities dwell numerous nomadic tribes and small villages and towns. The land is good and life is easy. The Queen of Queens recognizes the rulers of the greatest city and the smallest hamlet or band, and bestows her gifts equally on them all. In return, she takes a tax in troops. Each settlement is expected to raise soldiers, or if they do not wish to raise them, pay them.
To fulfil their obligations to the Queen, the clans and villages of the wild tame the great beasts of the forest to comerce and to war. The mighty trihorn and hammertail are favored warmounts, as are, on occasional the even larger long necked grazers. Many clans tame hook claws and other small, fast predators to assist their warriors. However the brashest young warriors become Baknari, litterally "Brave-Fools" who seek to tame the mighty predatory beasts of the deepest forest.
The might of these rural armies, supported by wardruids and arcane spellcasters schooled both in the great urban magic centres and the rich arcane traditions of the deep woods has come to trouble the Queen of Queens in latter days, for it is said that a Queendom's wealth and might must flow from the same source or conflict follows. This has lead both to her demanding ever higher soldier prices from cities to encourage them to raise their own regiments, and to hire large numbers of foreign mercenaries which she keeps in trim by operations against the bandits and monsterous abominations of the high desert, and against the evil forces of the deep rooted tree, a nature cult devoted to the abyss.
Demographics
70% Goblinoid (mostly human)
15% elves (5% drow, 10% other)
5% dwarfs)
7% lizard people
3% other (ogres etc.)
Government
The Great Queendom is an absolute monarchy without the feudal rights that some nations employ. By right of her bloodline's strength and wisdom, the Queen of Queens rules. All other rulers derive their sovereignty, at least in principle, from their service to her. In practice however, no Queen of Queen can casually replace the ruler of another city, or levy laws against the local custom without potential reprecusions. However, this does have an important effect of reigning in local taxation, and preventing the kind of selling of rights which would otherwise restrict comerce. The Queen of Queens is traditionally entitled to one-one hundredth part of all commerce that takes place within the Queendom, of which she will, by tradition, gift 75% to the treasury of the subordinate ruler where the trade took place.
In practice laws in the Queendom are fairly few and mostly punished by fines, which are once again, paid directly to the Queen of Queens, though she will usually gift them back to the authority that did the fining. Murder, rape, and crimes of violence that result in trauma requiring the intervention of a cleric are punished by exile and outlawage, with the severity of the crime defining the length and position of the exile. Premeditated murder is traditionally punished by being drugged with hallucinogens and being throw out into the high desert.
All Kudwenia rulers are named Queen, even male ones. Inherritance of titles was once matrilineal, but now flows simply to the eldest child.
Defences
Ask most outsiders what they think of Kudwe and they will describe most of all the legends of beasts that come to the Queen of Queen's command. Trihorns and hammertails, armored in barding of polished bronzewood and mail storming through the medows and swamps of the coast against invaders, great threshers attacking enemy galleys at the command of naval war druids. The bravery of great herds of war elephants treated with drugs and magic to make them ready to battle. The potions that allow them to breath fire or acid like true dragons and the sculpted bronze dustfire weapons mounted on ornate war howdas on their backs. This, even children know. Perhaps it behoves first then to look at the Queendom's way of war in general.
Traditionally, the armies of the Queendom seek to combine infantry and various types of beast riders together in a seamless whole. Different enemy should be countered by different combinations of beasts, which are then supported and buttressed by large infantry formations. Most Kudwen infantry then have been well armored medium infantry using mail or splint armor and wielding a combination of spear and shield, supported by bows and crossbows. Many use war drugs to dull pain or even to increase fighting prowess. These infantry formations are largely defensive and serve to anchor and protect returning beast troops, and to defend necessary supplies of water, drugs and potions for their use.
In recent years however, as part of her reforms to strengthen the military potential of the cities, Queen Adashna has begin deploying more types of infantry. These include grenadiers, who deploy flasks of alchemical fire or acid, and even burndust grenades, and are usually made up of picked soldiers, and the deployment of battlefield artillery, including small burndust cannons, but more commonly large scorpians ore giant crossbows. The Kudwen at this point lack the expertise to build personal burndust weapons, or to produce burndust cheaply but this is something the Queen of Queens is looking to rectify. She has also experimented with large formations of offensive pike troops.
Industry & Trade
Kudwe is a centre of trade, both in various products of the woods, including exotic wood, dinosaur teeth, and various herbs and drugs, and the trade from across the High Desert. Kudwe is also a major manufacturer of dust fire, though only a limit amount is sold to foreigners, the rest being kept for the royal armies.
Infrastructure
Kudwe has a fairly good network of roads spanning much of the interior, shaped by the Sisters of Going, an all female druidic cult in charge of allowing safe passage for followers through the forest. These roads are shaped from the forest itself, and are lined with clay and gravel laid by work teams or spell craft, with plant based magic used to move trees from around them. Visitors must make offering at each of the road shrines however, either in coin, food or blood, or be subject to encounters with the forests fiercer beasts.
Alternative Name(s)
The Great Queendom
Type
National Territory
Population
70 million
Inhabitant Demonym
Kudwen, locals refer to themselves by the name of their city or tribe
Location under
Owner/Ruler
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