Border Princes
In 652, soldiers that survived the War of Idle in Tel Morath, migrated south to a land where they could rule themselves. The four families were tied together by marriages and the experience of the brutal revolution. They traveled through what was the old Rendlean Empire lands in Mistfen Mire and eventually found themselves in The Garden Expanse settling on the western side of the Mirrored River and south of the Inner Sea. The land was fertile and diverse, with food plentiful and space to begin their new lives free from the rule of anyone. The families began the construction of the thorp they deemed Freeland, which would later turn into the sprawling city of Lastreach, the name of the first king of the border princes. Freeland attracted settlers looking for a fresh start and a land that was promising peace and justice for all. The greatest of threats to the thorp of Freeland at that time were wyverns, drakes and true dragons. Great red wyrms plagued the Greyhammer Peaks, always at war with their mortal enemy, silver dragons. The mountains were battlefields, scorched by their never ending battles. To make things even more difficult for the silver dragons, being by their nature to love and cherish all things human, they took it upon themselves to protect the families. Three silver dragons in particular, Anamoratharkas, Unndorthor and Simeshlera. They patrolled the skies above Freeland, and many red dragons were smote around the land, with their bones still able to be found to this very day.
By 728, two settlements and an eastern border keep village were founded, each given to a respected family, the town of Wimblybrook, Greytree and Ravenlight Keep. The government was determined to provide changes in leadership for their fledgling kingdom, so it was deemed that the monarch would be elected every 40 years or until he had perished and a new one be voted in his stead. Peace was attained and balance achieved.
In 822, the fast growth of the nation had attracted the attention of nations seeking diplomacy, such as The Kingdom of Alamor and the The Kingdom of Freebridge. However, the Border Princes had no desire to make agreements to foreign nations, especially not the Kingdom of Alamor, whom they fled from initially. The Princes and their King respectfully denied trade agreements and only signed non aggression pacts, aimed at keeping their freedom and independence. This greatly angered the King of Freebridge, who wished to return his countries former citizens back into the fold.
For the next few centuries, the Border Princes became mighty, their cities were fortified and a large well trained volunteer army rose. The silver dragons served as advisors to the Princes and the elected King, always heeding their advice, the Kingdom grew to a just land of prosperity. In 1104, the great wyrms that for so long protected the fledgling nation, decided it was time for them to return to their respective homes, as the Border Princes no longer needed their protection. The Border Princes became the de facto lords of the The Garden Expanse and were the first to truly explore the vast landscapes and cartography its beauty and all its dangers.
All was well until strangers arrived on the shores of The Garden Expanse, The Kingdom of Freebridge had learned of vast amounts of precious metals deep within the eastern mountains along the sea, and so they sent settlers to occupy the land and create a trading hub to the south. When the Silvercrow's arrived, the Princes became nervous, fearing that their long lived peace and prosperity were being supplanted on by their former brethren in Freebridge. Being the just and proper rulers they were, the Border Princes made a deal to protect the new settlers whilst they built their port town in exchange for precious metals.
Part of the reason why they aided the settlers was to anger their former lords in Freebridge, the Border Princes knew that the arrival of the Tel Morathians was to anger them, and perhaps even pressure the Border Princes into treaties. It didn't work, instead the Border Princes guided the Archduchy of Whitesword into prosperity, hoping to give them the same freedom as they had found. In time, they did, but only to be betrayed by the same people they had protected and governed. The Archduchy of Whitesword gathered their allies, no longer wishing to be ruled just as the Border Princes had centuries earlier.
In 1653 a massive joint invasion force landed in Port Whitesword. The armies quickly swept through the out-manned and out-armed Border Princes, and ruthlessly razed their long cherished cities to the ground, and executed the families down to the last man, woman and child. All of which was blindly ignored by Duke Silvercrow, who wished to pretend to not see the destruction he first set into motion.
When Prince Nicolas Ravenlight escaped, he was only a boy of eight years old in 1654 when Keep Ravenlight was sieged and was stolen away out of the fortress by order of his older brothers, Peter and Luke. When the last of the Border Princes fell, the small group of warriors that defended the boy prince swore oaths to young Nicolas that they would not rest until he regained his kingdom and received justice for his family. Since winter 1660, when Nicolas turned fourteen years of age, the rebellion began. Hundreds of men, women and children gathered to his cause, refugees of the terrible war that occurred. Most of the warriors were orphans, the same ages at Nicolas himself, very few true soldiers remain. The elders train the young population, and have created an extremely lethal gorilla force in a very short time. No roadway is safe, no forest is safe and even Port Whitesword is not safe from insurgency.
Freedom, Justice, Honor and Compassion
Founded in 652 - Kingdom desolved in 1658, Insurgency begins in 1660
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Alternative Names
Ravenlights' Raiders
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Veteran
Leader
Government System
Monarchy, Elective
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Market economy
Location
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
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