Kingcity of Herdskeep

The Kingcity of Herdskeep is a kingdom in northern Galessia. A member of the Alliance of Overmyre, the Kingcity was founded in the remains of an ancient dwarven fortress by the barbarians that sieged it. Its domain is bordered in the west by the Protectorate of Highvale, in the north by Abingdon, in the south by the Sovranty of the Wendrough, and in the east by the Estorian Realm. Known as the nation where strength rules, as any person can challenge the King in single combat for their title. Located precariously on a natural platform at the heart of a strange circular chasm in the heart of the Yichtal Highlands, Herdskeep stands tall as a city and a kingdom of proud warriors - perhaps too proud. Its current ruler is King Lautse "Ironhead" Dorsson.

History

Herdskeep first came into existence many centuries ago as a local fort constructed by the Ancient Dwarven Empire - the name of which is lost to history - to maintain control over the wider Yichtal region. As was normal within the empire, non-dwarves were heavily subjugated, treated as property or commodity. It is said that the first riots against the dwarves started here, which would later coalesce with other regions' rebel groups and the invading human armies into starting the Darksky War. However, despite this headstart, the fortress remained as the sole dwarven stronghold outside of the Starn Mountains for decades after the formal end of the war, as its strategic location at the highlands' crown proved to be difficult to pierce. This changed with the arrival of a legendary barbarian known to history as Beowulf, who in a feat of historic heroism rallied all the warriors of the region into a massive assault, where he personally broke open the dwarven masonry with his bare hands, leading to the fortress's fall. The dwarves were terrified of Beowulf, fleeing for their lives and warning their compatriots about his arrival - using the moniker Hrut-Skegga (Back-Beard) to refer to him, due to his voluminous long hair. This was misheard by the Common-speaking victors as "Herd's Keg", and thus, when Beowulf proclaimed a castle was to be built here to last for eternity, the people called it Herd's Keep, and declared their glorious warleader their first King. King Beowulf oversaw the construction of the castle on the remains of the fortress, and welcomed all who could prove their mettle into his free kingdom. All those who fought alongside him, the Warriors of Beowulf, were granted special privileges in the new society, but all others would be equal in every way. After twenty-six years of undisputed rule, King Beowulf found his rule challenged by a young adversary named Unferth, who claimed to be the true strongest in the kingdom. Beowulf, in a decree that would define the history of Herdskeep, proclaimed that the strongest in the kingdom should be its king, and challenged Unferth to single combat. Beowulf won, but honored Unferth for his bravery and spared his life, granting his a court position. Beowulf was then challenged several more times during his lifetime, but never lost a single battle. When Beowulf eventually passed of old age, Unferth succeeded him, and Beowulf was buried at the castle's heart. Throughout history, the kings of Herdskeep have served as idols and heroes for warriors and barbarians all across Galessia, many of whom saw it as their life's goal to eventually challenge the king for their title. Many times, the challenger was successful, and on multiple occasions, this challenger proved to be a terrible, wicked king, which would inevitably lead to a warrior rising up to strike them down. Therefore, the tales of these kings are storied and well-kept, often told as inspiring tales of strength and heroism in taverns and inns around the world. Some seven centuries ago, for the second and latest time in Herdskevian history, the walls were pierced by an attacking force - a terrifiying mercenary army under command of a mysterious swordmage named Oakeshott. While this army overcame the defenses of the Kingcity, when King Ingelrid strode to battle, all forces save Oakeshott himself fell to her immense might. Furious, Oakeshott challenged Ingelrid to a fight to the death, which the King accepted. This duel, which would go down in history as the most legendary duel ever fought, took place at the castle's backside courtyard. The two charged at each other for a long time, yet neither gave purchase. In a bid for victory, Oakeshott channeled all his magic into his weapon, and in response, Ingelrid called upon all the fury within her. When the two then clashed again, the opposing forces generated a blast of nearly a mile wide, which surged into the earth below and created a curious circular chasm around the Kingcity, seemingly bottomless. However, the city and all its people were miraculously spared - except for Oakeshott and Ingelrid, who both vanished without a trace. The chasm, now known as Ingelrid's Gap, separates Herdskeep from the surrounding highlands to this day; save for Oakeshott's Cross, a bridge magically constructed from the nearest stretch of land to the city's walls. In recent times, Herdskeep hosted the Meeting of the North. It was deemed the perfect location, as since the creation of Ingelrid's Gap, crossing into the city had become a test of will - as it seems dangerous and terrifying, but is safe - and therefore, all those who wished to challenge the southern forces had to prove their mettle this way. The king at the time, King Polnak, led the armies of Herdskeep, Estoria, and the Sovranty to the River Myre, and successfully repelled all attempts at invasion. Most notably, the Battle at Myrewatch Keep was won thanks to the heroics of a Herdskavian warrior named Lautse Dorsson, who headbutted a stone wall to make a part of the keep come crashing down on the bulk of the attacking army, eventually winning the battle. His feat was compared to Beowulf's bare-handed breaking of the dwarven fortress, and thus, it was to no one's surprise that after the war was over, Dorsson challenged King Polnak and won, reigning under the name King Ironhead Dorsson ever since. A few years ago, Herdskeep became the latest and current capital of the Alliance of Overmyre.

Geography

The Kingcity of Herdskeep is located at the heart of the Yichtal Highlands: low, craggy hills covered in tall grasses and short shrubs. Cattle is extremely common here, and as such, so is cattle farming. Winters get cold here, yet snow falls only rarely - most precipitation rolling in from the Sea of Storms is halted by the hillfronts. Both the landscape and the climate can be described as hardy, just like the people that live here. The region is also characterized by a distinct lack of hardwood trees: due to this, buildings are constructed out of stone, and lumber is a valued trade good here. Ingelrid's Gap is a strange anomaly, as its depths seem to go on forever. The two rivers that used to merge by the castle now cascade into the infinite void. Through both magical and mundane means, people have tried for centuries to find the bottom, yet no answer has ever been found. Nothing ever emerges from the gap, so all that falls into it is presumed lost forever. Oakeshott's Cross is a magically constructed and maintained bridge across the chasm, and its enchantments are well-protected by the Kingcity's Mages' Guild. Where the bridge makes landfall, four roads meet, one going in each cardinal direction, connecting Herdskeep to Highvale, Abingdon, Estoria, and Kipson. At this crosspoint, the town of Edgerton has come into existence, as a trading post, meeting place, and last stop for those seeking to cross into the city - traversing Oakeshott's Cross can take up to twenty minutes.

Politics and society

Herdskeep is ruled by the King, per Beowulf's decree the strongest in the kingdom. They are always called King, regardless of gender, and anyone can challenge for the title, even outsiders - it is argued that by being present in the city to issue the challenge, the challenger is by definition in the kingdom. The king thus rules by virtue of strength, and leads the nation's forces themselves. For other matters of governance, most kings handpick advisors to serve them, however some do all by themselves. There is no standardized government here, and in times of frequent challenges, this can lead to confusion and frustration among the people of Herdskeep. However, this frustration is endured, for the people of Herdskeep generally have immense respect for their kings, past and present. The flag of the nation even represents this: two stars above the city for Ingelrid and Oakeshott, blown to high heaven, and one below it, for Beowulf, buried within the city's bowels. Diplomatically, Herdskeep is an important member of the Alliance of Overmyre, and considers all its peoples friends and allies. Historically, most kings choose not to deal with nations as entities, but instead with its representatives as people. Due to this, despite being on opposing sides during the war, King Ironhead Dorsson is friendly with Dwarfking Dardrag Boulderbrand, after a meeting of theirs turned into a drinking contest - one which both sides claim to have won. On several occasions, Dorsson has been asked about the possibility of challenging Supreme General Althea Dragonbane to combat to decide the conflict forever, to which he invariably responds: "I am ready whenever!" The Kingcity is a varied nation. Humans, half-dragons, goliaths, dwarves, and aasimar are all common sights, and even exotic races like minotaurs and saurians aren't uncommon. Due to strength being valued above all else, many with weaker constitutions leave the kingdom for greener pastures, and smaller peoples like halflings tend to avoid it entirely, rarely going any further than Edgerton. Herdskeep is home to a large following of Tempus, God of War, as well as His largest temple outside of the Divinium: the Warrior's Salvation. The Five Scorned are worshipped here freely, with barely any stigma attached to it. Therefore, Myrkul and Loviatar both have sizable followings within the city.