Castellan Kingdoms
The Castellan Kingdoms is a country by the Siren Sea. It borders the Lichen Marches to the west, the Argosian Empire and Storest to the south, and Courdone to the east. The Kingdoms are at war with the Theocracy of Krorus, the suzerain of the Lichen Marches, and at an uneasy standstill with its other bordering countries.
The former ruler High Queen Oceane Castellan was recently assassinated, leaving the throne to High King Liliam Castellan. He has not yet been crowned. In the meantime Vicereine Alouisa Cirillio rules the Castellan Kingdoms alongside the Grand Councilate. It is likely that she will continue after his coronation as well, as Liliam is barely twelve.
It is a long time since the Castellan Kingdoms were, in fact, a collection of kingdoms. The unification predates written record, happening sometime late in the Spoken Era.
The Boiling Mountains create a natural border to the south, seperating the Kingdoms from the Argosian Empire and Storest. The Siren Sea runs along the northern coastline, and Sweetsong Bay cuts into the land in the West. Five rivers mouth out into the bay, known collectively as the Five Fingers.
The Kingdoms are divided into seven counties and marches. These regions are each individually governed by a Count or Countess, or Marchion in the case of the border marches.
Geography
Wesarch
For more information, see Wesarch. Bordering the Lichen Marches and speckled with forts, Wesarch is the front line against the unholy armies that are poised to invade at the first sign of weakness. Its military installations are fed by the Queen's Road and supplemented by farmers that are drilled as levies in case of hostilities. Some willingly resettle in this province for adventure, while others are just here because they are forced to.Heartlands
For more information, see Heartlands. The Heartlands are the bread basket of the country, thanks to the temperate weather, gentle terrain, and the loving embrace of the Five Fingers. The very same rivers also facilitate export of grain and farm goods to the Capital and the Marches, truly earning the province's name as the heart of Castellan.Easarch
For more information, see Easarch. Easarch borders three other nations, but the Boiling Mountains prevent easy passage by any but the most determined and/or foolhardy. Additionally, the only known passage, Bretesham-Amhalaica Pass, is controlled by the friendly Argosian Empire and tends to have more merchants than soldiers on it yearout. Thus, most of the Queen's attention is directed towards the more active western front, though the landscape is fortified in case of untoward activity. The high volcanic activity also ensures that mineral wealth is found aplenty: Easarch boasts the vast majority of productive mines in Castellan.Vincen and Valoren
For more information, see Vincen and Valoren. The Twin States or Elven States, Vincen and Valoren were annexed by Castellan in ages past. Although none of its residents are likely to dispute the fact that they are Castellans through-and-through, some traditions have survived and set apart the culture of these states from the rest of Castellan. One commonly known tradition is the practice of plantsinging, producing the finest woods, herbs and other ingredients in the entire continent. Another old tradition is that of potionmaking: some allege that the Elven States originated the craft. Many aspiring herbalists dream of apprenticing in the magical woods.Pologo
For more information, see Pologo. Drizzly and pleasantly cool year-round, Pologo is a favorite summering and wintering locale for nobles throughout the country -- and some particularly daring nobles from foreign ones. Pleasure ships and mansions dot the coast. The cuisine of Pologo is also noticeably different to that of the rest of Castellan: oats and winter wheats lend themselves to hardier dishes, often supplemented by fresh fish. With no hostilities to worry about and with generally favorable weather, it is easy to see why Pologo is the most populous province.History
The oral tales from the Spoken Era tell us about several kingdoms that all suffered under a Great Threat from the west. Twelve walking Gods took pity on the people. The Twelve protected the people and guided them to become one of the continents greatest civilisations. The stories all vary on why, but after a century and one day, the Twelve proclaimed that they had to step back and leave the mortal to guide themselves. Rather than abandon them fully, each of the twelve entrusted their descendants with the Divine Rights. Despite the guidance of their descendants, the Kingdoms quickly descended into petty arguments, and then even pettier wars. The Twelve intervened once more. They met with each of their descendants, and grieved at how far each of them had fallen. Only one, Nereida Castellan, the eldest sister of the Castellan descedants, met their standards. She was blessed Twelvefold, and made a God upon the Realm. While her family had no land of their own people flocked to her, and soon she had an army to unite the Kingdoms once and for all. Upon her coronation as High Queen, the Twelve stripped their other descendants of all but three of the Divine Rights.SE — Nereidan Period
Nereida Castellan's rule was barely more than a century. She died before her second century, and with her dying breath bestowed her blessings upon her firstborn child, and the blood of the Castellan line.SE - 269 WE — Caspian Period
High King Caspian was crowned sometime late in the Spoken Era. His reign was marked with the construction of many of Castellan's great landmarks. The Capital Palace was built during his reign, using materials from each of the provinces.269 WE — The Ashen Plague
In 269 WE a plague strick the Capital, devastating both the city and the surrounding Heartlands. It claimed the lives of both King Caspian and his children. This caused a succession crisis for the following months. Aetna Reia, his younger sister, campaigned extensively for her eldest son, Nereus. An investigation done jointly by the Academy, the Temple and the Blackguard was able to uncover the source of the plague. The water supply had been cursed. The curse is commonly attributed the cult of Hekat, but the infamous necromancer Murdoc Mallum claimed it was his work. Scholars point out that Murdoc was five at the time, and had not yet come into his magic.270 WE - 544 WE — Nerian Period
Nereus Castellan, eldest son of Aetna Castellan, was crowned High King under the Sign of Dragons, 269 WE. He is known as Nereus the Conqueror. Under his reign, the Isle of Alurr became part of the Castellan Kingdoms, and the marches expanded all the way up to the Boiling Mountains, both to the south and to the east.545 WE - 3 IE — Thaumian Period
High King Thaumus Castellan, crowned in 544 WE, is one of the most hotly debated figures in Castellan history. He was an arcane magus of significant talent, and no stranger to controversy. One of his first acts as High King was to demote the rulers of the provinces to Counts and Marchesses rather than minor Kings. The Thaumian era was one of multiple revolts, assassinations and turmoil. Half of Valoren and the easternmost part of Easarch declared independence, and then later rejoined Courdonne. Historical Society at the Academy posits that High King Thaumus was set up to fail. They claim many of the people involved in the insurrections were Courdian spies, or heavily influenced by Courdian interests.4 IE - 225 IE — Thalassan Period
Thalassa Castellan was crowned remarkably young, becoming High Queen when she was only 26 years old. Antimage sentiments were at their highest ever, and she signed a law banning mages from upper offices. High Queen Thalassa would later call this policy her biggest regret, and it took her almost an entire century to repeal. High Queen Thalassa was very close to Emperor Viktus of Argos. Many suspected that she was more than just close, but no substantiated evidence has ever materialized -- or, if it has, it was swiftly destroyed. The relationship (and later, alliance) between Castellan and the Empire was solidified in part thanks to these personal ties. Thalassa also rebuilt friendly relationships with her other surrounding nations, ushering in a so-called age of diplomacy.226 IE - 241 IE — Psamathe Castellan's Reign
Psamathe was the firstborn of Thalassa, born early in her reign, and as such was already elderly when she was passed the throne. Some historians perjoratively dub her the "Lost Queen", owing to the fact that the nation was practically un-ruled during her years before her rather quick demise.242 IE - 268 IE — Oceanic Period
Oceane Castellan was crowned in 242 EE. High Queen Oceanne's rule has been defined by her reaction to the sudden threat of Theocracy expansion, as they gobbled up the Lichen Marches in the name of the God-Lich. She has overseen an expansion of the western borders, refurbishing old forts and building new ones. Small kingdoms have voluntarily subjugated themselves to High Queen Oceanne for a promise of protection from the undead. The hawks of Castellan believe that High Queen Oceanne should pre-empt the inevitable invasion, while the doves believe she is being paranoid -- surely there is no way that the God-Lich would be so brash as to invade the glorious nation of Castellan, never mind the fact that the Theocracy has, and continues to insist that it is engaged in war with the entire world. The commoner tends to have a favorable view of the High Queen. The investment in Wesarch involved paying for many soldiers, craftspeople and artisans to provision the new forts, and commoners are famously known to enjoy having jobs. Her rule is often contrasted to that of Thalassa, who seemed to care more about the exterior affairs than the interior, and is certainly favorable to the 'rule' of Psamathe.269 IE — Current Day
With the poisoning of High Queen Oceane Castellan, boyking Liliam Castellan is awaiting his coronation any day soon.See also
Countries
| Region | Countries ( Vassal States ) |
|---|---|
| North-West | Castellan • Courdone ( Laria ) • Theocracy of Krorus ( Lichen Marches ) • Viliers |
| North-East | Kataseko • Trinais ( Auleria ) |
| South | Argosian Empire ( Dirtaria • Hearhal • Heartia • Muresia • Olbia ) |
Provinces of the Castellan Kingdoms
| Type | Province |
|---|---|
| Counties | Heartlands • Pologo • Valoren • Vincen |
| Marches | Easarch • Wesarch |
Castellan Kingdoms
| Demonym | Castellite |
|---|---|
| Official Language | Imperial Common |
| Ethnic Groups | |
| Religion |
|
| Capital City | Capital |
| Goverment • Monarch Grand Councilate • Vicereine • Archmagister • Archon • Imperator • High Clerk |
Absolute Monarchy High King Liliam Castellan Alouisa Cirillio Mordecai Mallum Cecilia the Seventh Poloma Hapasi Osric Armon |
| Area | 745K mi2 |
| Population | 7.6M |
| Sigil Sequence | CA |
Table of Contents
Type
Geopolitical, Country
The Castellan Border over Time
The Castellan Border over Time
Map showing the expansion and contraction of the Castellan Border.
Procedurally generated using Azgaar's Fantasy Map Generator.
Procedurally generated using Azgaar's Fantasy Map Generator.
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