The Holy Kingdom of Pereturn
The Holy Kingdom of Pereturn is, without a doubt, the most powerful entity on the continent of Ivarwund- and maybe beyond it, too. The oldest human nation to be founded after the Fall of Hibernistad, Pereturn is a heavily fortified land of rolling plains and heavily fortified, walled cities. The Kingdom's Capital City, Hilturn is both the centre of government for the Kingdom and the Church of the One God, Vaedos. While the church is led by an Archbishop, many say that the church is truly governed by the King, and, occasionally, vice-versa.
Pereturn's lasting strength comes from the nation's defences. While the Royal Army of His Highness is a highly trained, well-funded force, they truly excel when manning the many towerhouses, walls and forts that dot the countryside, and wide, well-paved roads allow for the rapid movement of supplies, men, and siege engines.
Pereturn's greatest sources of income are the taxation of goods coming in and out of the kingdom through the port city of Grausmeer and the stonecutting industry based in Quarry.
In recent years, Pereturn has seen its' fair share of turmoil, having both lost lands in the east to the Alliance of the Sword, a rising number of common folk converting to the Pantheon of Savisa, and dark rumours about the young King Bodwin.
Structure
The King of Pereturn holds total command over the Kingdom, however (at least in practice), the Archbishop of the Church of the One God also holds a lot of sway and helps to shape policy. The King commands over a small group of nine nobles called the Good Council - (all blooded humans) who in turn govern their respective regions. This means that the nobles also hold considerable power and together can even rival the king.
Public Agenda
The Pereturnian Agenda is simple: reinforce their lands- especially those bordering the new Alliance of the Sword -, uphold the ideals of Vaedos, the One God, undermine the spread of the Pantheon's teachings and manage the influx of gnomish refugees as much as possible.
Assets
Heavy fortifications, the Church of the One God, the last leg of the Silver Road, the finest stonecutters in the world and high-quality stone, a large military and modern siege equipment, some (now nearly dried up) silver mines, blooded humans.
History
As the legends tell it, the first king of Pereturn, Georgius, was the son of a great hero of Hibernistad. Although his father had died in the great cataclysm that befell the ancient empire, Georgius survived and, only a young man, made the long journey from the ravaged Hibernistadi heartlands to the rich, fertile plains of the east, where much of Hibernistad's food was grown. He led a small convoy of survivors, each one a descendant of one great Hibernistadi hero or another. The time after the fall of Hibernistad was violent and chaotic, and barbarians, warlords and bandits roamed Ivarwund, pillaging and slaughtering wherever they went with reckless abandon. One day, Georgius came to the small town of Hill, where the farmers and common folk had been abandoned by their cowardly lords. A vicious group of bandits led by the vile Hagmar the Strong had been stealing food and supplies from the town each fortnight, and putting to the torch any who refused. Georgius, a chivalrous, noble man heard the people's plight and vowed to help them. With the help of his comrades, they built a great wall around the village, and armed themselves with crude spears, farming tools and bows. The village had only enough steel to forge one blade, and so it was given to Georgius. Once again, Hagmar and his band of villains came to the village. This time, however, he found Hill well defended. Georgius, an honourable man, offered Hagmar a chance to leave in peace, so as to prevent the spilling of unnecessary blood. Hagmar refused, however, and so a great siege began. Although Hill was better defended, Hagmar's band was armed with swords, axes, pikes and longbows. They fought through the night, and although the perimeter held, many of Georgius' close friends fell in the battle. As the first rays of sunlight washed over Hill, only nine of Georgius' followers remained, and Hagmar's forces had almost overrun them. Just as the battle seemed to have been lost, the rising sun struck Georgius' blade. The poorly-made sword suddenly shone with a brilliant light, and Georgius felt his strength return to him. The Great God Above, Vaedos, had blessed Georgius' sword, pleased with his heroism and bravery. The Nine who stood alongside Georgius too felt stronger, their own weapons blessed also, and with Georgius leading them, they slew all of Hagmar's band in mere minutes. Goergius himself defeated Hagmar, running him through with his Holy Blade- and when Hagmar lay dead before him, Georgius was amazed to see his sword was clean.
After the battle, there was much celebration, with singing, dancing and a great feast. Georgius, however, spent the night alone, praying to Vaedos above to thank him for lending him strength in his hour of need. Here, Vaedos Himself spoke to Georgius; "You are the holiest of men, noble and kind. You shall be king, and this land your kingdom. Your friends shall be your advisors, and this village your seat. You have the blood of Hibernistad in your veins, and my light in your heart." And so Georgius told his friends what he had been told, and they raised a simple towerhouse in Hill - a turn, and so they named the town "Hilturn". And the tower would be his symbol, and he proclaimed himself King of the Holy Kingdom of Pereturn "Father's Tower."
The Nine spread across the land, founding turns of their own and raising cities of their own, and soon Pereturn was a great kingdom and Hilturn a great city. The simple towerhouse in which Georgius ruled became a mighty citadel, and the simple chapel became a grand Cathedral. The Nine met with King Georgius, and did his bidding, and in turn their sons met with King Georgius' son, King Vaedwin, and in such a way was Pereturn ruled. The prophet Yaris founded the Church of Vaedos, and with the blessing of the King Goodwin II built the Cathedral of the Shining Saviour, from which the Archbishop leads the church.
Although King Georgius and the Nine were all human, many other races came to live within Pereturn's borders. Dwarves dwell in the mountains and on the edge of the Barren Land, mining and milling stone. Halflings tend to farms in the gentle plains and fish in the rich coast of eastern Pereturn. Elves live throughout the kingdom, as do a smattering of other races. Since the fall of Jibber, Pereturn has also seen an influx of gnome refugees.
Today, the descendants of the Nine still govern the provinces of Pereturn, and the King still commands them in Hilturn.
The line of Georgius is unbroken, as are the bloodlines of the Nine. However, only Blooded men may inherit the holdings of the Nine and sit at the Good Council - over the centuries, the blood has become weaker and diluted, and now only one child born in five is Blooded- able to wield the holy weapons of the Nine properly.
The Holy Kingdom has participated in many wars great and small over the centuries. Most recently, The Royal Army of His Highness was involved heavily in the war against the Empire of Haelenzvyl. A token force still remains outside Blazholdt.
In the year 624AF, when the Alliance of the Sword arose from the power vacuum in the wake of the Haelenzvyl's fall, some less wealthy lands to the east of Pereturn rose in revolt and joined the Alliance. The two nations are now at peace, but tensions remain high, especially in the border regions.
In 625AF, King Ranwyl died suddenly and his son Bodwin, a boy of ten was named king. The Good Council and the Archbishop ruled in his stead until he was deemed mature enough to rule on his own, at the age of sixteen.
Demography and Population
Roughly 2,000,000. More than two thirds of the population are humans, a very small number of which are blooded. The next most common race in Pereturn are halflings, then dwarves, then elves.
Territories
Pereturn holds much of central and eastern Ivarwund, stretching to the Alliance of the Sword in the East and the Barren Lands in the West. Pereturn controls most of the mountains on the border of the Barren Lands, though some independent areas have been gifted to the dwarves who dwell there. Pereturn does not control any overseas territory, but its holdings in Ivarwund are considerable and well-defended.
Military
The Holy Kingdom of Pereturn commands a considerable military. The Royal Army of His Highness is well equipped with shining mail, high-quality weapons and advanced siege engines. The Kingdom's true strength, however, comes from the fortifications throughout Pereturn. Each city is governed from a towerhouse - a "turn", and great walls and forts are well maintained and manned. Pereturn's heavily armoured forces are the best fighters in the kingdom, but even the greenest forces excel at defending territory. The Pereturnen military values chivalry, honour and tradition above all.
Technological Level
Human. More advanced fortifications and defensive weapons than most.
Religion
The Church of the One God holds considerable sway in Pereturn, and is the state religion. It is most popular among the higher classes, and in recent years more and more of the common folk have begun worshipping the Pantheon of Savisa, much to the horror and distate of the nobles and the government.
Foreign Relations
Pereturn's diplomatic relations are somewhat frosty; while they are not currently at war with any nation (apart from the Empire of Haelenzvyl), the border with the Alliance of the Sword is fraught with tension. Pereturn's relationships with the other powers of Ivarwund are also not friendly. Being the largest and strongest power in Ivarwund means that Pereturn does not need to be friendly. However, Pereturn does share a good relationship with the Wood Elves and High Elves, who also worship Vaedos.
Agriculture & Industry
Pereturn does not produce many exports, though the Kingdom's stoneworking industry is second only to the Dwarves of Celios. The city of Quarry supplies enough milled stone for the entire kingdom, and much of the rest of Ivarwund. Mining is a popular industry in the mountains of the northwest, and several logging towns supply timber across the kingdom. Most of Pereturn's income comes from taxation, in particular, the taxation of goods coming from the Far Continent of Tsiaj. Pereturnen honey is famed for its healing properties. Pereturn produces enough food to be self-sufficient, and excess grain and other crops are shipped across Ivarwund.
Trade & Transport
While Pereturn is open to trade, any goods passing through the kingdom must be taxed. Despite this, Pereturn is the only viable port for sailing to Tsiaj, and so prospective travellers are forced to operate out of Grausmeer, the kingdom's main port city. The last stretch of the Silver Road moves through Pereturn, meaning that the kingdom sees many travellers coming to and from Tsiaj.
Education
Most noble families send their children to private academies or hire tutors. The Church of the One God also sends priests across the kingdom to teach children. Missionaries of Savisa do the same, to greater success.
Infrastructure
Fortifications and sewers in the main cities, wide, well-paved roads, bridges and high walls.
The Wall of Faith Stands Tallest
Founding Date
6 AF
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Alternative Names
Perry, The Holy Kingdom, The Kingdom
Demonym
Pereturnen
Leader
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Traditional
Currency
Turn: There are three turns to a gold piece, though all other coins are accepted, though traders will not take coins emblazoned with dragons, as it's bad luck.
Major Exports
Milled stone, crops.
Major Imports
Fabrics, spices, rare metals and minerals, gems, paper, tobacco, alcohol.
Legislative Body
The King and the Good Council rule and write laws.
Judicial Body
The Master Persecutor, who is elected by the King and/or the Good Council.
Official State Religion
Location
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Related Ethnicities
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