The Kingdom of Nerevarn
The Kingdom of Nerevarn was the ruling force on the Nerevarn Peninsula until The Republic of Nerevarn replaced it. While it had periods of great peace and prosperity, and several 'golden ages' including the famously long reign of King Velebor II - called 'Brightsword' by his people - the Kingdom was an absolute monarchy and therefore vulnerable to the whims of any ill-intentioned, easily-led or simply selfish person who happened to inherit the throne.
The people
The farmland of the peninsula is fertile and productive, and the people rarely went hungry under the Kingdom's rule except in times of significant government meddling - such as that by the tyrant King Tarquin III who set opressive taxes on all citizens. In good times, the only true poverty was to be found within the main cities, where those who fell into hardship or crime gathered together in poorer districts much like today. However, the cities also housed the wealthiest citizens of Nerevarn, who lived in splendor and luxury in large townhouses or even mansions. While such mansions do exist today, the concentration of wealth which occurred within the noble families of the monarchy is such that their sheer spending power is almost unimaginable today. Despite having citizens of many races, the Kingdom was very much considered a human nation. The largest groups of non-humans included the small gnomish communities in the east, a large dwarven population in the capital and a tribal community of goliaths in the eastern mountains which persists to this day. Almost all of the powerful ruling families were human, and that rises to 100% for noble houses related to the royal family.Geography
The Kingdom, as the modern Republic, was formed almost entirely of one large peninsula, bordered on almost all sides by ocean. For most of the monarchy, the Kingdom's only offshore territory was The Island of Sayd, both before and after the destruction of it's habitability. Towards the later years of the Kingdom Nerevarn also began to assert control over the large island known as the Island of Paraveil's Grace, although it never secured a firm enough grip to fully claim taxation or legal rights.As with the Republic today, the Kingdom's only land border was in the North, where the peninsula joins up with The Kingdom of Sarayne, then Nerevarn’s main ally. The west and south of the Kingdom was primarily farmland, with fewer towns than there are today, and was the main source of food for the population. In the East, the peninsula is dominated by The Issar Mountains; and then running down the centre of the peninsula and spreading out to cover most of the border is The Great Forest, a dense and ancient woodland only parts of which have been tamed even today, much less in the days of the Kingdom.Major Cities
Illyria, now the capital of the Republic, was formally the base of Royal power in Nerevarn and the capital of the Kingdom, containing the Royal Palace, the headquarters of the Nerevarnese Army and the University of Arcana. For all of its existence, it has been the noblest and oldest city on the peninsula. As the largest and most metropolitan, it has also always been home to people from many races, and trade goods from all over the known world. The wealthiest city in the Kingdom was Verdorn, in the mountains to the east near to the gold mines. The mine workers lived in small villages around the mines themselves, but the city grew up over the centuries as the hub of the surrounding area, having originally been a small but religiously important dwarven settlement sacred to the goddess Goratha. The area is forbidding in appearance, as it must be approached from the coast, the mountains making it almost inaccessible on all but the side facing the sea. Access to the city is through tunnels in the rock which slope upwards until the visitor emerges in Verdorn, which is open to the sky although surrounded by cliffs on all sides. Although still a living and vibrant city, Verdorn is no longer a possession of Nerevarn, having declared independence and taken the name Free City of Verdorn during The Revolution.Religion
Although the Kingdom permitted some freedom of religion, the worship of evil gods was forbidden, even with methods which broke no laws, and the royal family along with the vast majority of the population worshipped only one god, Dianecht. As a result, almost all members of the Royal House of Nerevarn, and all those who ever ascended the throne, were either trained as Clerics or Paladins of the Light Lord, in order to keep His favour upon them and therefore upon the nation as a whole. If the monarch displeased Dianecht, it was not uncommon for Him to send misfortune upon the entire Kingdom until he was appeased.
Where the Wild Lilly Blooms Unseen
0 - 2119
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Alternative Names
The Old Kingdom, The Monarchy
Successor Organization
Demonym
Nerevarnese
Ruling Organization
Founders
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Related Traditions
Controlled Territories
Allies and Family
Sarayne and Nerevarn are linked in historically close alliance. The two countries have never been to war, and there were several high level marriages between the two royal houses including that of the last ruler before the Republic. Officially, Sarayne has never acknowledged the Republic and still regards the Kingdom as the rightful authority over the Nerevarn peninsula, although this is very much their position in name only.
Enemies, claimants to the same territory
The Republic was born from The Revolution which overthrew the Kingdom. Functionally, the Kingdom no longer has any territory and is reduced to an entity in-name-only. However, there are still some powerful allies which support the Kingdom and which make it still a viable threat if the fates aligned.
Comments