Duchy of The Umoven Swamplands
The land west of New Wharf gives way to deep swamps, bogs populated by large crocodiles and giant frogs. In the years that followed The Shattering and the dislocation of the citizens of Wharf proper, the Dwarven population of Mount Konbul, at the request of the Jaralian Empire sent out a settlement crew of craftsmen, artisans, and stone masons along with the fishermen and farmers of Wharf. Together they built a society of stone and interconnected rich fields, careful irrigation of the swamplands, selective draining and manipulation of the elements creating the Umoven highlands, a layer raised above the regular bogs and swamps where rice is grown in great paddies while the low lands are used by the poorer villages to raise livestock, great 'puddles' where giant frogs are bred and contained for their succulent meats, and crocodile stockings to provide leather and food.
Great insect hives created and managed by druids to provide sustenance to the farms dot the swamps, little safe havens of clustered trees. And beneath all of it the dwarves work the mines of Um'oven (As the Swamplands are pronounced in their tongue) where they pull up peat for fuel and rich veins of ores that exist beneath the mire.
Structure
The head of the Duchy is currently the Duke Reinhard Peatvein, the head of the Peatvein clan and one of the more influential dwarven houses in the hold. His family controls three separate peat mines, one which in the early years of the fifth age discovered a great wealth of salt beneath the swamp that has raised them to even greater levels of fame and financial wealth. The Duchy is democratic however, with people of landed titles from the lowliest knight to the highest lord being able to submit themselves for the position once every ten years. Though in times of crisis, sudden loss, or gross incompetence, these democratic votes can be issued as an emergency by any nobleman whose family has lived on the lands for at least three generations. And, of course, the Emperor can change those in power on a whim.
Beyond the Duke several other high ranking members exist including:
The Archdruid, a powerful rank given to the most skilled druid of the local circles. It is currently held by Archdruid Lorenta Fissleswift, a halfling woman of middling years. It is her responsibility to aid, tend, and direct the druidic circles under her influence in the proper care of the swamp lands and the wild life within. It is a highly sought after position and one that can be quite competitive. A new Archdruid is chosen at the turning of each decade, though these debates and decisions can often take years at which case an Archdruid Regent is assigned from each druidic circle within the Duchy and they rule by committee until such a time that a decision is made.
The other most notable position within the Duchy is that of Guildmaster, a head of the local trader's guild who is responsible for ensuring that no one is risking the livelihood of the helm by carrying out unlawful business practices such as over killing of livestock, poaching, money laundering or counterfeiting. The Guildmaster has access to a police force within the jurisdiction of the swamp known as the Taskmasters. They have branches in every town large enough to contain more than a single farm.
Assets
Their rich agricultural exploits, access to vast quantities of 'exotic' meat, honey, peat and oil, as well as a growing increase in salt production.
History
Founded in the early years of the fourth age, after the creation of New Wharf, Umoven was, and remains one of the closest examples of dwarven/human relations as the ruling powers of the duchy have passed between the races fairly consistently each hundred years or so. It suffered a slow start as druids and earth speakers worked to make the land that was liveable in the swamp into a place that they could properly call home but over the initial thirty years of its creation it slowly solidified itself as a powerful land within the boundaries of Rosewrynn, in part due to its closeness to Couthshou, giving it the best access to the great city of the north.
Military
Umoven has a skilled military that is nearly fifty percent dwarven and fifty percent human, though there are few other races mixed in for halflings and kabution are quite fond of the rural reaches of the swamplands. Recruitment is only actively performed during increased times of stress as the coin could be better spent fostering their agriculture. Dwarven shock troops form the front lines and humans in the army are almost universally scouts or experts of swamp tactics.
Religion
As with most parts of the Empire, Umoven follows the religion of Jaralism; though due to its increased Dwarven population each village and city contains shrines to The Four Hammers and dwarven holidays are often observed by the humans of their holds, to an extent.
Foreign Relations
An off-again, on-again ally and rival to both New Wharf and Karaendal it often struggles against their tight control of the border as it attempts to claim more land for itself that is not waterlogged. This has lead to many conflicts between Umoven and the others but these skirmishes are normally kept minor or even to a family-on-family basis often leading to feuds over a single piece of land that can last generations or deep hatred between border houses over perceived slights or deaths caused in these skirmishes.
Eth skronk provides ilv ta vur tend. "The swamp provides to those who tend."
Founding Date
38A4
Type
Geopolitical, Duchy
Capital
Alternative Names
Um'oven
Leader
Head of State
Head of Government
Currency
While the coin of the empire is of course the default currency of the nation it also has a heavy influence from barter and trade, particularly for animal furs, wool and leathers.
Parent Organization
Location
Neighboring Nations
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