Capital: Baktor
Population: Insert here
Government: Monarchy
Religions: Fitzier is venerated for his hand in trade, commerce, and luck as well as his thieving ways.
Imports: Goods from all over northern Forin, information gleaned by spies
Export: Crafted items from imported raw materials, information, Durnish ham
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Life and Society
The society of Durin is corrupt. From the highest of nobles to the lowliest of street urchins, everyone is trying to elevate their station in life. A helping hand is a rare thing to find in these lands, unless there is a worthwhile benefit in doing so. That is not saying a neighbor won’t do a favor for another, but the debt is probably being tallied, and the gods help you if you are a stranger and are in need of assistance. The offers may come, but they might leave you poor and destitute.
Trade is one of the largest sources of income for the country. Controlling one of the major waterways in Forin as well as access to the Sea of Ice has lead Durin to financial solvency through tariffs and usage tolls. Processing raw trade goods from Northern Cerianna and Rendar and selling them to the peoples of Malisted and Gracia has also been profitable. Caravans and riverboat captain can also make a tidy sum with the amount of goods that have to travel from one end of the country to the other and on down the river.
Major Geographical Features
The Kell – A mighty river that runs the bredth of northern Forin
Sea of Ice – The cold sea making up Durin’s northern border.
King’s Forest – This forest is old and dense. The King of Durin claims it as his own. He owns multiple hunting lodges within the forest and has bestowed more as gifts to other nobles. The King’s Forest is large and it is not uncommon for some people to risk discovery and attempt to hunt or reside with in the woods. The king has a small group of rangers that keep an eye on the forest throughout the year. It is rumored that the forest itself is an unlucky place as more than one hunting ‘accident’ has occured under its lofty boughs.
Lollen’del – A forested land of the elven peoples that makes up the southern border of Durin.
Important Sites
Baktor (Capital City, 80,000)
The capital city of Durin stands astride the river Kell. It is a sprawling cityscape that is connected to either bank by a mighty bridge. King Valerin Ravenscroft makes his home in Eyrie’s Peak, a solid fortification built upon a rocky hill overlooking the Kell and nestled within the walls of Baktor.
Kell Na’Dar (Metropolis, 60,000):
The second largest city in all of Durin, Kell Na’dar has some 30,000 residents living within its walls and yet another 10,000 to 20,000 traders and merchants that set up outside the walls. It, like the capital city of Baktor, rests on the massive river Kell. In fact, Kell Na’dar means “upon the Kell,” or “over the Kell” in the old tongue.
Port of Dillian (Metropolis, 40,000)
The Port of Dillian sits on the delta where the Sea Swift River meets the Sea of Ice. Traders willing to risk the trials of the open sea come here seeking brave captains or the reknown prowess of Rendarian sailing vessels. Iceflow hunters also bring their take of seal and whale from the Sea of Ice here to trade for inland goods. Sailors and pirates from the world over put in at the Port of Dillian to bunk between voyages. Count Estevar Crane lords over the city and the surrounding countryside.
Hornwaith (Large City, 20,000)
Hornwith is a town clutching to the northern point of Durin rocky coast. The city stretches along the coastline as much of its people rely on the sea for their livelihood. Fishing and hunting seals in Traverse Bay and the Seas of Ice. Baroness Egret Winmackian is rumored to be as cold as the biting winds off the icy sea, but her frigid and calculating disposition has helped her people weather the worst the sea could throw at them. A tall lighthouse known as ‘Winter’s Horn’ stands on a rocky jetty projecting out into the sea. There are many a sailor who stood wind tossed and waterlogged and smiled at the sight of that blazing beacon through the dark sea spray.
Oliver’s Rest (Small Town, 1,000)
Years ago, Oliver’s Rest was only a check point manned by a small contingent of Durinian soldiers and tariff collectors. Nestled near the Kell and the borders of Rendar and Northern Ceriana, the outpost was a natural stopping point for traders as the inspectors of Durin examined the incoming goods, assessed fees, and sent them on their way. One particular trader, by the name of Oliver Skene, had made the journey from Northern Ceriana and through Durin many times selling livestock and grains. As old age made the journey more and more uncomfortable for him, he decided to settle down and open an inn. It came to him that the outpost at the border of Durin and Rendar would make an excellent place to set up shop; and traffic through that area, at least for part of the year was almost nonstop. He set up a large inn for the wealthy merchants traveling by, an even larger boarding house for the wagon drovers, and fenced pastures, barns and stables for the livestock. It wasn’t long before others took up the idea and added even more temporary housing for people, animals, and goods. During Frostheim and early Twinfeast, the small town seems almost barren, but as the roads clear and harvests are brought in, the flow of wagons and small boats turns from a trickle to a flood. A small watch tower and barracks house a local garrison and the counting houses provide a place for the king’s tax agents to work and review manifests, but the majority of the town is given over to shops for providing supplies and maintenance to traveling caravans and places where those working the caravans can get some rest before moving on and catching what sleep they can on the trade routes.
Oliver’s Rest is also home to Chesterfield’s Curious Curios a shop run by Ex Monster Hunter Ellsworth M. Chesterfield.
Regional History
Since before its creation as a nation-state, the peoples of Durin have struggled for power, more so amongst themselves than any outside foe. Rival families and gangs vie for power on every level of the social hierarchy. Broken promises, false accusations, and outright murder have paved the way to the throne for the kings of Durin. The reigning family, the Ravenscrofts, have held the throne for five generations. It is certainly not the longest dynasty, but it has held it for more than many others who never lived to pass the title down. Unlike some other nations, open warfare among the nobles of Durin is rare. It disrupts too much business. However, clandestine operations, the use of spies, and political and financial conflicts are the daily battles of the ranking nobility. With each new king, fortunes are lost and made and noble seats change hands. Few are those that rest easy in the tumultous kingdom of Durin.
Plots and Rumors
In a land of intrigue, the plots and rumors are near boundless. A few of the more notable ones are as follows:
- The Cleansing Dawn, a militant wing of the church of Ariel, has been focusing efforts in Durin and sending additional resources to the area.
- The number of missing persons in Kell Na’dar has increased dramatically over the last year.
- The King’s Men, a rumored spy network headed by the king himself, are everywhere. In nearly every country in Forin, a member of the ruling body owes some small allegiance to Durin’s king. And in turn, Durin’s king has access to secrets of nations and some pull in policy making throughout the known continent.
- Valerin solidified his claim to the throne through some pruning of the family tree. Both an uncle and a younger brother perished while in good health during his transition to become the crowned king.
King Valerin Ravenscroft
Male, human (Rogue 4 / Aristocrat 5):
More Coming soon..