Rosalind - The Kingdom of the Rose
Rosalind is a kingdom in decline. Once the greatest and proudest nation on the continent, Rosalind has suffered several setbacks over the centuries and is now just a shell of its former glory. It once encompassed the entire northern half of the continent, excepting only the wooded glades of Veltingard and the dry deserts of Aurulant. Only the legendary Chromatic Empire was greater.
Now Rosalind inhabits a portion of the northwestern quarter of the continent, from the western border of Carador, north to the shores of the Great Lake, west to the Fens and the undead lands of Osseus, and finally south to the Burnt Hills that form the northern border of The Desolation. The majority of Rosalind is rolling fields and meadows, but the ground is stony and not as rich as neighboring Carador.
Rosalind's original capitol city fell long ago, so the Rose Kingdom is now ruled from its largest northern city, Lys.
Structure
Rosalind is nominally ruled by its king, King Brenwell the Aged, a Human man of ninety years. In truth, the land is controlled by the Dukes and Duchesses of the nine great houses, who exercise direct control over their lands; the king’s ministers, who manage the treasury and capitol city; and the clergy of the Matriarchy, who influence the faithful. There are several plots and alliances swirling around the country between the noble houses, some open, some secret.
Politically, everyone seems to be holding their breath to see what happens when King Brenwell draws his last breath. As King Brenwell has no living heirs, having outlived all of his children and his wife, Queen Agatine, the ruling House of Pollux will come to an end. The question in everyone's mind is: who will rise to become the next king or queen of Rosalind?
Culture
Rosalinders can be warm and friendly, or mean and suspicious. It would be accurate to say that passion often rules them. They like to wear bright colors, often more than one color at a time; particolored pants and dresses are very popular here. It is said that all styles start in Rosalind. The typical Rosalinder garb for men is a doublet with tied on sleeves over a shirt and trousers, topped by a flat brimmed hat or beret. Long boots that reach to mid thigh are presently popular among the gentry. Women will often wear a sleeveless overdress over a fitted chemise of silk or linen, covering their long braided hair with sheer veils or small round brimless caps.
Music in Rosalind is typically played on one or two instruments and sung by a voice or two voices, as most music is done by minstrels and troubadours who travel, although in larger cities and in the courts of the Dukes and Duchesses, small orchestras are often found.
Rosalinders pride themselves on their contributions to learning and scholarship, having the largest and most active university on the continent, including schools of medicine and magic. Painting in particular is well-regarded as a noble pursuit, and is practiced by nobles and commoners alike.
History
The Kingdom of Rosalind was founded by Brenton the Black, the lord of the former city-state of Pollux. After the fall of the Lizardfolk kingdom of Sargantium, the northwestern quarter of the continent divided into independent territories run by city-states. Brenton was engaged to marry the lady Rosalind, herself the heir to another city-state. However, while she was traveling to Pollux, Rosalind's party was ambushed by the so-called Iron Horde. There were no survivors.
Heartbroken, Brenton raised a company of heroic adventurers, and tracked down the Iron Horde, slaughtering them to a man. He then attacked the rival territories that had hired the Iron Horde. Before long, Brenton and his company had conquered a large slice of the continent. On the 19th of Stomp, Brenton declared himself king of his new nation, a kingdom he named Rosalind after his fallen love. He took her banner as his national symbol, the red rose on a white field.
Over the two decades that followed, Rosalind continued its expansion eastward, crossing the Aven River and moving into the highlands. By the time Brenton the Black passed away in his sleep at the age of ninety nine, his kingdom spanned the northern half of the continent, from the Blood Sea in the west to the Beryl Sea in the east. The former city of Pollux was renamed Brentonnia and became the kingdom's capital. During his lifetime, King Brenton turned Brentonnia into a wood and white marble paradise.
Demography and Population
Rosalind is a melting pot of Heritages. Salimar are welcomed and Lizardfolk are well-regarded. Even Goblins are treated well here.
Military
Rosalind has a small standing army of heavy infantry and cavalry. However, most of the nobility rely on free companies of mercenaries to settle their disputes with each other. There are over one hundred mercenary companies active in Rosalind at present, which vary in quality from reliable seasoned veterans to cowardly bandits and thugs. While there is a guild dedicated to mercenaries, it is notoriously lax in maintaining standards, so long as guild tithes are paid.
Rosalind possesses several orders of knighthood. The Knights of the Rose are the King's royal bodyguard. The Knights of the Watch patrol the borders of the kingdom, especially near the territories of Osseus and the Giants. Finally, the Knights of the Blazing Sun is a holy order of knighthood dedicated to eliminating the undead, making raids and sorties into Osseus.
Religion
The main faith in Rosalind, and its official state religion is the worship of Raya, known in the Rose Kingdom as Raya Invicta. Rather than simply focusing on her sun goddess aspect, Raya in Rosalind is viewed as a warrior goddess that celebrates life and destroys the things that would live in the darkness. The church of Raya in Rosalind is unique in that it teaches monotheism - to the church, Raya is the only true deity; all other such gods are just "saints" she has graced with parts of her divinity.
The church of Raya in Rosalind is a strict hierarchy known as the Matriarchy, as only females are permitted to reach the highest positions of authority within its ranks. The head of the Matriarchy is known as the Mater Solinas, or Mater for short. She is elected by the senior priestesses of the church and traditionally serves for life.
Eoa, known as Saint Eo in Rosalind, is considered the redeemer of the people and is the patron saint of Rosalind. He is worshiped as Raya's son sent to the world to aid the faithful, and it is believed that he will come again at the end of all things to take up the worthy.
In the villages, farmers quietly venerate Maia, known as Saint Maia of the harvest. Skeinor is respected as the bringer of rains, but not independently worshiped. Clea is worshiped as the keeper of knowledge and is the patron saint of schools and universities. Astoria, called St. Astor (and bizarrely considered a male in the teachings of the Matriarchy), is well-regarded as the patron saint of warriors and soldiers. Most mercenary companies will carry a shrine to St. Astor, and many put his/her holy flower, the blue aster, on their flags or shields.
Korax is feared and hated here, especially so close to The Desolation. He is viewed as the father of all monsters, and the constant enemy of Raya.
Maps
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City of Lys
Founding Date
Third Age
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Demonym
Rosalinders, reds (slang), flowers (slang)
Leader
Leader Title
Head of State
Government System
Monarchy, Constitutional
Power Structure
Feudal state
Currency
Kopin
Official State Religion
Subsidiary Organizations
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Comments