The Kingdom of Garrund

One of two defensive holdings in the Alerian Empire, this kingdom is one of the oldest regions and unarguably the most loyal. When the Empire first began expanding, after swiftly conquering the fertile plains north of the Sparhawk Mountains, Garrund’s natural northern border, King Rion Talonspar II was quick to request, and receive, vassalage.
The request was made not out of cowardice, but rather practicality, for the southern border of Garrund abuts the swamps of Skarilax, the dominion of the lizardfolk, a dark swampland from which the lizardfolk constantly reach out, raiding for slaves and supplies. Though the lizardfolk have never actually attempted a proper invasion of Garrund, the people there live in constant fear, and are grateful for the additional strength that being a part of the Empire provides.

Life and Society

Life within the region of Garrund, and within Fort Talonspar in particular, is very regimented. Of all the regions, Garrund is the most warlike, perhaps even more so than the central Alerian region, yet its focus is not on conquest, but of defense. Most industry is focused on arms and supplies needed to maintain its standing army, and most of the society looks on with pride towards any of its citizenry, both men and women, who serve in the defense force.
Practicality is the rule of the day, most citizens gladly live a sort of “Spartan” existence, in the sense that they don’t participate in a lot of leisure activities or luxury items. Their focus is almost entirely on being prepared for the “inevitable” invasion from the south. Houses and buildings are built to withstand seiges (emergency food and water supplies are prevalent), clothes are practical and drab (browns, grays, and olives) even among nobles, and tools and equipment are made to last.

Law

Law and order is highly prized in Garrund. Fear of invasion means a fear of anything that could disrupt or weaken the capitol’s defenses. Thieves in particular receive little mercy within the walls of Fort Talonspar, underage thieves will usually get one free pass, after that, their penalty is the same as adults - indentured servitude in the mines until what they’ve stolen has been paid off. And after the cost of their food, lodging, and equipment are factored in, a thief guilty of stealing a loaf of bread can find him or herself working the mines for at least a couple of years.
Most cities and towns within Garrund have an unusually high number of town guards, and most citizens are surprisingly quick to report criminal activity. Though begging is not officially illegal, the poor find little sympathy within the region. The mines and the army are always hiring, so anyone unable to support themselves are seen as lazy and unproductive members of society. Gambling is illegal in Garrund, the only region in the Empire in which it is illegal, and looked down upon as extremely immoral. It is seen largely as an irresponsible waste of resources that could be better put to use maintaining the family and supporting the defense of the kingdom.
Indentured servitude is only legal through the government (and even then almost exclusively reserved for punishing criminals), and slavery is completely illegal. Because slavery is such a huge factor in the lizardfolk economy to the south, it is a big rally point for both religious and political leaders of Garrund to rail against. A few citizens are starting to speak up against the government sanctioned indentured servitude, but they are usually quelled “for the good of maintaining the community safety.”

Structure

The primary hierarchy within the kingdom is fairly standard feudal system. The king receives fealty from the three of the hereditary duchies: Nasher, Tideria, and Kovar. The fourth duchy, Talonspar, is usually administered by a member of the royal line.
Each duchy, in turn, receives fealty from a network of baronies, who then delegate small parcels of land to counts. Counts have the authority to further subdivide their holdings to knights as they see fit. The system is designed so that men and supplies are constantly funneled into the duchy forts for the defense of the border.
The government is directly administered by the king, with little oversight from the Empire. Unlike other territories within the Empire, the King's children are all expected to serve either in the border defenses, or the Order of the Anvil, attaining ranks by skill and effort.
The king does rely on ministers for a lot of the day-to-day administration of the kingdom, primarily for finance, commerce, and logistics. The head of the The Church Vigilant also serves as an adviser to the king, as does the Border Captain, the commander of the border defenses.

History

Records are not clear how or why the region was first settled, but the name provides a clue. In the old tongue, “garrund” is a type of garrison, one typically set up as a first line of defense when the general consensus is that conflict is inevitable.
The first true lord of Garrund, Gerrik Talonspar I was responsible for heavily fortifying Fort Talonspar and initiating plans to fortify the single mountain pass through the Sparhawk Mountain Range now known as Grikstan. It was also Lord Gerrik Talonspar I who united the four present day forts, creating a more effective network of defense against the raiding forces of Skarilax.

Religion

Though worship of almost all of the gods represented by the United Church of the Pentarchs is tolerated within the Kingdom, very few choose to worship any of the gods other than Humar, and the general laity is almost as devout as the clergy. The tenets handed down by the Commands Divine are taken very seriously. In Garrund, apathy brings ruin.
Of all the other gods, Aleria is perhaps the most widely recognized. Only worship of one deity is outright banned in Garrund, that of Azan, god of chaos.

Agriculture & Industry

Most of Garrund is somewhat arid, so the primary crop grown throughout most of the kingdom is wheat, making hard-tack rather prevalent in military rations. The small, wetter region near Lumford Port, where the runoff from the Sparhawk Mountains empties into the sea, is home to a few sugar beet plantations, and the coastal villages along the western border provide most of the kingdom's meat sources.
Thanks to an abundance of ore deposits, iron chiefly among them, and a dearth of forests, Garrund's primary, and almost sole, industry is armor-smithing. The kingdom's available resources complimented their defensive mindset, and now, Garrundian plate and chain-mail are highly prized throughout the Empire.

Trade & Transport

All trade in and out of Garrund flows through one city, Lumford Port. From there, imports travel south to the main thoroughfare, a long stretch of road that connects all four forts along the Skarilax border. The forts also act as distribution points, sending supplies out where they're needed across the rest of the kingdom.

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Kingdom of Garrund

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Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Capital

Fort Talonspar

Training Level

Professional

Veterancy Level

Experienced

Demonym

Garrundians

Leader

Elgar Talonspar III

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Power Structure

Feudal state

Economic System

Palace economy

Major Exports

• Plate mail
• Chain mail
• Iron & copper ore
• Iron & copper ingots
• Uncut gemstones

Major Imports

• Lumber
• Apples, pears, strawberries
• Carrots, beans, peas
• Horses & other beasts of burden

Official State Religion

The Church Vigilant

Parent Organization

The Alerian Empire

Location

Garrund

Controlled Territories

• Lumford Port

Notable Members

• Elgar Talonspar III