Galgaea

Kingdom of Galgaea

The Kingdom of Galgaea is currently the northernmost human state on the Western Approaches, stretching from the river Dayne northwards along the Azure Seaand the Sea of Dragons up to the Icewind Coast and the Thundering Mountains. The furthest north constituency of the kingdom is the Archduchy of the Arnmark, a formerly independent human realm with strong connections to the dwarven cities of Depfal and Torshavn.

Major cities in Galgaea include Arnfort, the capital and largest city, Arnheim, capital of the Arnmark, Daynefort, Deemouth, Hafnirs Crossing, Morstad, Mullen, Starshavn and Whalesby, while the dwarven cities of Depfal and Torshavn are closely associated with the kingdom and especially the Arnmark.

Nature

Galgaea lies in a mostly temperate climate. The southern part along the border is dominated by flat, fertile plains along the Dayne river and the city of Daynefort. Across the river are rolling hills covered in trees of all sorts. To the east, following the Dayne river upstream, one reaches the foothills of the Nurian Mountains. Those magnificent peaks can be seen from most places in southern Galgaea, due to its flat nature and sparse forrests. Going further north along the coast of the Azure Sea, the plains become more green and the weather gets cooler. Cutting into the land and culminating into the mouth of the Arne river is the Myr Fjord, a mighty inlet, carved into the rock by the waves and making its way deep inland. At its end, at the mouth of the river lies the capital of Galgaea: Arnfort. Spanning the Arne at three different points, the city is a vital transport hub for the entire North. The Myr Fjord cuts the kingdom practically in two parts. If you follow the Arne River upstream you will end up in the town of Mullen, quietly nestled along the shores of Beaverburry Pond, one of the largest lakes of the kingdom, Mullen is a minor town with a significant local farming industry. At Beaverburry Pond both the Arne River aswell as the Minne River come flowing down from the Blue Mountains. The former splits in two again further upstream, taking on water from the Smiher River, flowing from the west. Going further west along the coast, the plains will continue quite a while until one reaches the shores of the river Cagnan and the marshlands that come alongside it. Those marshes stretch inland from the coast until you reach a human city in its center: Morstad. The River Cagnan flows southward. Upstream it splits twice in two. First the River Restraint comes flowing from the west, originating in the Thundering Mountains. This river once was the border between Galgaea and the Arnmark, before they were united. The River Cagnan itself parts again just a short while after the first split. Now Buckwheat Creek flows from the east, like the great stream it feeds originating from the Blue Mountains. Beyond the River Restraint more and more trees drop their leaves and start growing needles since the colder weather makes it hard to sustain their green cloak all year round. At some point you won't find anymore leaves and only needles growing on the trees. Then it is not far anymore until you reach the Broadpat river. A cold yet mighty stream that will sometimes freeze over in the coldest of winters. At its mouth sits the city of Hafnirs Crossing. Further north you will find a almost barren, frozen wasteland. Fir, Spruce and Birch aswell as mosses, ferns and grasses withstand the freezing winds coming down from the Thundering Mountains. No wonder that you will find barely any human here. Only dwarves are said to dig their tunnels into the mountains, yet they don't come down onto the plains. Speaking of the mountains: These towering giants form the ultimate boundry for any normal race. Only Giants are said to dwell deep between these icecapped peaks, fighting each other, creating the sounds that gave the mountains their name.

Politics

The Kingdom of Galgaea is a heredetary monarchy, for ages ruled by the House of Avon. Since its independence from the original Nurian Empire the Kingdom of Galgaea was always split into a multitude of duchies, counties and lordships, each governed by their own distinct family. The dukes in particular hold a certain degree of power, since they have been granted a fief over the land they now call their own. These dukes are allowed to grant fiefs to lower nobles themselves and therefore fracturing the Kingdom into this multitude of small territories.

The Archduchy of the Arnmark poses the biggest exception to this policy of fragmentation. It is the largest constituency currently inside the Kingdom and claims a certain degree of self rule, since it was integrated into the Kingdom of Galgaea just a couple decades ago, after a devastating civil war gave the Galgaeans a chance to put a friendly lord on the throne in Arnheim. But the Mark is also fragmented into different duchies and counties. Contrary to all the other lords, the Archduke of the Arnmark is actually not put in charge by the King of Galgaea but rather elected by the Council of Dukes, a system that is admired in the Kingdom aswell, especially popular with mighty houses that have no chance of getting the throne in another way, because of the hereditary system in use.

Simply put the main constituencies, to say the duchies, of Galgaea are as follows:

• Archduchy of the Arnmark, currently ruled by house Aarn of Arnheim
• Archduchy of Arnfort, ruled by house Avon of Arnfort
• Duchy of Daneval, ruled by house Dayne of Daynefort
• Duchy of Marshen, ruled by house Askon of Morstad
• Duchy of Nordau, ruled by house Eplein of Tannau
• Duchy of the Reach, ruled by house Estor of Maifort

Within the Arnmark there are:

• Duchy of Aarnholm, ruled by house Aarn of Arnheim
• Duchy of Dee, ruled by house Durand of Deemouth
• Duchy of Esten, ruled by house Chlodowig of Haverstad
• Duchy of Hafn, ruled by house Hafnir of Hafnirs Crossing
• Duchy of Forden, ruled by house Streng of Starshaven

These ten total dukes, the Archduke of the Arnmark and the Duke of Aarnholm being the same person, since one of the arnish dukes is elected to be Archduke, all hold a seat in the Grand Council of Dukes, not to be confused with the arnish Council of Dukes. This Grand Council is the beating heart of northern politicing. The dukes act as advisors, generals and ministers. Some will hold positions at the royal court, including occupations as the Kings chamberlain, treasurer, stuart and chancellor. Along these occupations comes a certain degree of trust and familiarity to the King.
Next in line are the Counties. The counts have been granted a fief by one of the dukes, yet it is less common to see counts in the Mark, since this concept of fiefdom is relatively new in the far north and therefore not established as thoroughly as in the galgaean homeland. Some of the most important counties include:

• County of Coslin, ruled by house Wellekin of Whalesby
• County of the Isles, ruled by house Bergar of Brixen
• County of Minnenland, ruled by house Imnachar of Mullen
• County of Suvark, ruled by house Wayfare of Candleburgh

The following are some rarities, since they are either not governed by a single count or are not mainly human possesions:

• County of Lascander, ruled by the Council of Archmagisters of the College of Lascander
• Free City of Thorshavn, ruled by the Althing of Thorshavn
• Free City of Depfal, ruled by the Althing of Depfal

The last two, the Free Cities of Thorshavn and Depfal are dwarven cities theoretically independent from both the Archduchy and the Kingdom in the greater picture, yet they have sent ambassadors and officials to the formerly royal court of the Arnmark and have now accepted the Kings of Galgaea as their superiors. They have a strong connection to the Duchy of Twergen, which is ruled by a dwarven family that originated in Thorshavn but now resides in Starshaven.
Besides the obvious noble houses, dukes, counts and lords, the guilds of the cities are a political factor that cannot be dismissed easily. Farmers, brewers, fishermen, traders, smiths of all kinds, weavers, architects and engineers have mostly organised into guilds, scrambling for control and influence in their respective hometowns and at court, trying to get the lords or even the King to listen to their demands and on the sideline get a good deal for themselves out of the negotiations.
Externally the Kingdom has disputes both with the Nurian Empire aswell as with the Dragon Islands. The Nurian province of Westmarch is claimed by both the Empire and the Galgaeans, yet the Duchies of Daneval and the Reach are claimed by the Nurians as rebellious provinces that were once the furthest frontier of their ever great ambitions. The Dragon Islanders see the islands of Brixen and Malver as their own and both sides cannot agree which islands of the Central Archipelago belong to whom and regard none of the islands and the problems that come with them as their own. Asside from territorial disputes that lead to minor clashes along the Dayne river or at sea, the Galgaeans are on mostly friendly terms with their human and dwarven neighbors. Trade flows from ports on the Azure and Shimmering Seas and Emmber estuary toward Arnfort, Whalesby and Hafnirs Crossing. Ambassadors and emissaries are welcome at any high court and are respected diplomats, trying to resolve any international conflict that may arise.

Cities and Population

The Kingdom of Galgaea contains few major or minor cities and towns. The majority of population resides in the countryside villages and hamlets, living on subsistance farming and basic trades. Only in the couple few towns and cities are the people actually free. Country folk are mainly fiefs of their local lord, having been granted a plot of land to work on and giving part of their produce to said lord as part of the fief. In some instances money can be paid instead of raw or processed goods. Just because this standard of living is most widely seen, doesn't mean it is the only kind how people live here. There are free farmers, some of whom have paid their way out of serfdom, but many have been granted freedom by more modern and liberal lords who have seen greater opportunities in collecting taxes from both farmers and craftsmen. On the coastline and along the shores of rivers you may find fishermen. Those have been given a special fief by the local count, or even higher ranking lords, that allows them to fish and sell those caught in their nets on the local market. Townsfolk are quite different to countryfolk. A person living in a town or city, basically any settlement that is walled, safeguarded by a townsguard or detachment of the Royal Guard and protected by the Galgaean City Code, a legal document protecting the status of towns and cities, is legally a free person and for his lifetime protected of being pressed into fiefdom or slavery. Cities therefore are centres of civil diverstiy. Craftsmen united into guilds and societies, regulating the market and assuring the independence of their members. City governments are greatly influenced by these guilds, even though they are still officially ruled by the local lord. Nevertheless none of the citizens are a direct subject of said lord. Minor and major cities include:

• Arnfort
• Arnheim
• Candleburgh
• Daynefort
• Deemouth
• Fort Brixen
• Hafnirs Crossing
• Haverstad
• Lascander
• Maifort
• Morstad
• Mullen
• Starshaven
• Tannau
• Whalesby

Aswell as the two dwarven fortress cities of Depfal and Thorshavn. Yet these two are autonomous and officially independent accounting to their dwarven population. Settlements usually maintain some sort of market aswell as a tavern or inn, where travelers may rest and the people come together to eat, drink and chat.
The majority of people in the Kingdom are humans. They are the broad mass, the ruling elite and everything in between. You won't be surprised though, to see a fair amount of dwarves and halflings roam different parts of the country. Dwarves are more common in the Mark and Nordau, close to the Thundering and Blue Mountains, while Halflings are commonly seen in Esten, Nordau and Daneval. Elves are less common and are not very well liked by most people, surrounded by an aura of strangeness and disgust. They mostly keep close to their forrests and do not wander often across the mountains, where people believe they come from. The only place where you can find a couple more elves than usual is at the College of Lascander, where they excell at becoming professors and magisters of magic. Other humanoid peoples one might encounter might include gnomes, lizard- and dragonfolk, half races (like halfelves or halforcs) and orcs. The latter are not seen as friendly toward the rest of the inhabitants and mostly reside in orcish strongholds deep in the mountains. From there they come out and plunder and pillage other settlements, stealing lifestock, murdering citizens and triggering headhunts for the ones responsible for this cruelty. They are therefore not trusted even a bit, even when one might defy the ways of his people and try to become a law abiding citizen.

History

Economy

The population consists of mainly farmers, but you can find specialists like millers, blacksmiths, cobblers and carpenters in the countryside. Many people know the basics of weaving and clothmaking, baking, slaughtering animals and processing their food as well as undergoing basic repairs to their homes, sheds and tools. Therefore you can find basically any basic trade even in the countryside and craftsmanship has been a stable pillar of income for many people. But it is behind city walls that these trades flourish and really begin to diversify. In most cities you can find all sorts of smiths and armourers, toolmakers, masons, shoemakers, tanners, tailors, bakers, butchers, brewers, carpenters, barbers, healers and many more. Some really special occupations that you won't find in smaller towns include painters, goldsmiths, doctors, bookbinders. Especially in larger cities those trades have organised into guilds and societies, which regulate prices, negotiate with authorities about taxes and tolls. Speaking of tolls: most roads and rivers you may travel along have some sort of toll or fee, especially crucial crossing points like bridges and ferries take advantage of travelers needs to cross bodies of water. In the countryside people grow crops like wheat, barley and oats, grass for hay, corn, millet and sometimes even rice. Some farmers even have the capacity to grow peas, beans, beets, potatoes and various other root vegetables in great quantities. Besides that most countryside households own a garden where they grow lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, leek, garlic, and cabbage. Orchards give plentiful amounts of fruit. Apple, pear, peach, cherry, plum, apricot and grapes all grow plentifull. Bushes full of berries are spread out along roads and to seperate properties. Strawberry, blue-, black-, cranberry, raspberry and rose hip are the most common. Nuts and mushrooms are generally also found in most forrests and can be collected and processed into food. Mountainsides can be littered with mines and quarries, where people dig for minerals, building materials, precious metals and of course gemstones. Rights to such endeavors are mainly sold to mining guilds and companies aswell as dwarven prospectors. The dwarves keep a keen eye on anyone that even tries to get close to their sacred mountains to search for wealth beneath the surface. They claim these veins, especially valuable gold, silver and copper deposits, as their godgiven property. This sometimes triggers lawmakers and lords to make deals with the greedy and stingy smallfolk. Most metals are being processed directly at the mine into bars, which are easier to transport, trade and process further. From these precious metals the local currency is made. Copper, silver and gold are the most widely spread form of payment, multiplying in this order in increments of ten (so 10 copper coins equal one silver coin and ten silver coins equal one gold coin). The purity and quality of these coins has been guaranteed by the King for most of history, yet since the introduction of the Mark into the realm, the markish currency, the arnish Marck, have a different standard to regular currency and might be traded to worse tariffs with traders.

Geography

Galgaea is located along the central Western Approaches, between the River Dayne and the lowlands between the Nurian and White Mountains to the South and the River Cagnan and the Arnmark to the North, with the Azure Sea and Sea of Dragons to the West and South-West.

To the North lie the Blue Mountains and in the South East lie the Nurian Mountains. The highest peak of Galgaea is believed to be Leopard Peak, also known as the Blue Giant, due to its blue shimmering rock. Geographers from Lascander claim that the mountain rises around 15.000 feet above the sea. The Blue Mountains get their name from the blue hue of the rock they are made of. Snow can be found all year on top of most peaks here. In contrast to this the Nurian Mountains only receive snowfall on their highest peaks during winter. Their reddish-brown rock faces the sun all year round, at least in the parts of the range at the border between Galgaea and Nuria. Minor ranges of hills and small mountains can be found in the West, between Morstad and Lascander, aswell as to the South near Daynefort.

Major rivers include the rivers Cagnan, Arne and Dayne, yet smaller rivers and streams are strewn throughout the landscape. The greatest danger to cross country travelers might be the many swamps and marshes. Especially the area around Morstad is known to be quite marshy, with deadly wetlands that block access to the city. Another such a notably deadly marshland lies to the East, in the lowlands between the great mountain ranges. These yet unnamed swaps have defended the eastern border from tribes beyond the Gap. The greatest lake in Galgaea is Millers Lake at the confluence of the rivers Arne and Minne. The Myr Fjord, located in central Galgaea, seems like giants tried to cleave the land in two. This inlet spans all the way from the ocean for dozens of miles inland until it reaches the capital of the land: Arnfort, at the mouth of the river Arne. The Fjord is flanked by massive and steep cliffs, so the water inside is as calm as a river, since there is no wind to stirr it up.

Ecosystem

Most of the land of Galgaea is flat, windswept steppe. In the West, along the great rivers, one might find extensive forests and swamps, while the center of the country is dominated by this steppe and marshland. The forests provide shelter to a myriad of different animal and plant species, while the other regions, the steppes and marshlands, can provide different aspects and conditions to other species. The wide and open grasslands for example offer the space needed for larger animals such as mammoths, rhinos, wild horses and antelope, while the forests provide the shelter needed for deer and other smaller animals. These in turn keep the nature intact, the larger animals of the steppe keep the trees away while the forests shelter predators that in turn keep these large herbivores away, upholding the forest cover. Humanoid population has increased and therefore has taken its toll on nature. Even though the larger animals are being hunted, the steppe is now kept intact by roaming heards of sheep, goats and cattle. The mountains on the other hand are more wild. They do not harbour large species, yet are home to very specific kinds of animals and plants. Due to the lack of vegetation, both herbivores and their predators are smaller here than in the lowlands.

Ecosystem Cycles

While especially the Blue Mountains keep cool all year round, therefore keeping a steady habitat for their inhabitants, the rest of the country experiences shifting weather and a change of seasons.  In spring the plains and steppes get dressed in a great variety of colours once its weeds and grasses and flowers start to bloom. Likewise are the forests and the Nurian Mountains covered in a great amount of flowers and other blooming plants. The colourfull steppe will vanish during the summer, once the flowering plants lose their their petals and only the naked stalks and leaves remain. The forests keep more colourfull during the summer while the mountains turn a pale greenish grey, as mosses and grasses dominate the summers up high. Fall comes early and with the rain comes a wave of greenness to the land, which is soon replaced by a vibrant mix of red, orange, yellow and brown as the trees and grasses prepare themselves for the onset of winter. The first snow falls already in early fall in the mountains, the Blue Mountains retaining their snow cover all year. The steppes are next to be covered by a layer of snow while the forests turn pale and leafless before also being tucked under that white blanket. Only the hardy spruces and firs keep their needles a vibrant green before the cycle starts anew when it starts to thaw. 

Climate

The climate of Galgaea is rather temperate, yet overwhelmingly cool. That means short summers and long winters. Even though the land is mostly well safeguarded from blistering cold winds from the North per the Blue Mountains, cool and overwhelmingly wet winds blow in from the sea. That led to humidity amassing in lower lying areas, forming wetlands, marshes and swamps. The short summers are mild, good for growing grains and vegetables while the long winters are characterized by severe snowfall. The winds come in mostly from a westerly course, first making landfall around Morstad and Lascander. This region may encounter storm surges during fall and winter, while other parts of the coast, especially further south are calmer.

Fauna & Flora

The most common wild animals encountered in Galgaea are different kinds of deer. Mule-, roe-, red-, fallow-, and whitetailed deer alongside moose and reindeer can be found all over the kingdom. Furthermore wild boar, hare, beaver and wolverine can be found in the woods while bison, wild horses, rhinos, mammoths and elephants and antelopes roam the steppes. Badgers, minks, weasles, stoats, squirrels, martens and mice are also ever present in every forest. The mountains are home to chamois, ibex, marmot and mountain eagles. Sometimes travelers even come across manticores, mountain lions and sometimes even dragons. The latter have to share the skies with other birds, such as various kinds of eagle, falcons, hawks, owls but also smaller birds such as sparrows, cuckoos, finches, herons, bee-eaters, kingfishers and blackbirds, among countless others. Puffins, albatross and seagulls dominate the air above the vast coastline, preying on carp, salmon, trout and herring, so do the people. Speaking of prey: the greatest dangers to life and the greatest hunters of the wild include bears, both black, brown and white, wolves, mountain lions and various other kinds of beasts and monstrosities. It is not uncommon to find wyverns, basiliscs, forktails, draconids, griffins or manticores stalking throughout the skies, while trolls, kobolds and all sorts of specters and other magical creatures may be found on the ground. Though deadlier these monsters have become rarities in the woods of Galgaea.  Plantwise Galgaea is also rich in variety. A great part of the land is covered by steppes and plains so grasses, weeds and flowers dominate the majority of the surface. Cornflowers, thistles, daisies, poppies, buttercups, orchids, snowdrops and many more cover the fields across the year. These plains are also home to many bushes like hazel, rose or berries aswell as mosses and lichens. The forests are made up mostly of deciduous trees like oak, ash, beech, birch, all sorts of maple, including northern-, mountain- and common maple, rowan, alder linden, poplar, gingko, magnolia and elm. Carniforous trees grow mostly up north, close to the mountains. These include pine, spruce, white-, northern- and mountain fir aswell as yew and larch. These are also scattered around the deciduous forests. The undergrowth is made up of thorny bushes, roses, hazel, ferns and other bushes and shrubs, making the path through one of the forests quite the challenge.

Natural Resources

The only value of the lowlands lies within the ground. The soil of Galgaea is quite fertile and could bear greater agricultural exploitation; this is also the source of the name Boerde: boeren in Galgaean means to bear and a boer is just a farmer. Therefore farms are found all over souther Galgaea. Galgaean boers grow wheat, buckwheat, barley, rye, spelt, einkorn, emmer and oats. Some amounts of this grain is exported, especially to the Arnmark, where the domestically grown crops do not suffice. The northern parts are less used for agriculture and horticulture but rather for animal husbandry. Herds of goats, sheep, horses and reindeer move through the northern steppes in search of good grazing grounds. The woods all over the region deliver plenty amounts of timber. The Galgaeans use it to build their houses but also for their ships. Galgaean fine furniture is also quite valuable.  The rivers of Glagaea are almost strewn with rare metals and stones. The Jade River gets its name from the plenty amounts of the eponymous stones that were once found along its shores. Especially the rivers Cagnan and Minne are known for their gold. Settlements like Tannau and Mullen have benefited from gold prospectors that came their in search of the rare metal. The Blue Mountains themselves, the source of both the Cagnan and Minne rivers, are famous for their ore veins. Not only gold but silver, copper, iron, tin, zinc, nickel and lead are mined here. The same mines deliver the renowned Blue Marble, a variety of this material that only exists in the Blue Mountains, which get their name from the blueish shimmer of the marble. 

1. Nature
2. Politics
3. Cities and Population
4. History
5. Economy

Alternative Name(s)

The Boerde, the Land beyond the Dayne

Type

Region

Location under

Western Approaches

Ruling/Owning Rank

King of Galgaea

Owning Organization

Galgaea

Related Historical Events

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  Border War
• 103 HE
  Expedition of the Thousand