Post by Rhun Llewelyn on Jan 22, 2017 11:04:45 GMT
Name:
Breconhall; The Brecon Marches
Kingdom At A Glance:
The Kingdom of Brecon is located on the borders of Central Ardell, due west of Pakellan. It comprises of the area known as the Brecon Marches and covers a vast amount of land from the mountains to the south near the marshes, the northern range stretching towards Ashdell and a large portion of the Great Western Forest. Strategically Brecon, or more specifically Breconhall has always been considered a valuable element of the country, guarding one of the only passes through the mountain range that splits Western and Central Ardell.
Size and Location:
The Brecon Marches are all commanded by the Lord of Breconhall, it is a land that stretches from the Mountains in the North, to the Mountains in the South. A large portion of the Great Western Forest is also under the title as are the sweeping plains of West Pakellan.
The Noble House of Llewelyn in Breconhall can boast one of the larger kingdom sizes in Ardell, however their settlements are few and in-between due to the roughness of their chosen land.
Wealth:
Medium. Brecon is a vast, uninhabited land known for little but hardy soldiers and a solid trade hold on the lands best resources; Fyrewood, horses and Iron. All these are traded openly with neighbouring kingdoms for a reasonable gold intake.
Stability:
High. The House of Llewelyn has ruled over the Brecon Marches for nearly five hundred years and in that time they have always been considered a fair and just ruling family by their people. Taxes are fair and the Lordship assures that the outlying farms and settlements are protected.
Danger to Travellers:
Medium. Breconhall assures that the roads, including the old Imperial Trade Road that intersects with Pakellan is patrolled by horsemen as well as several dedicated foot patrol units. However as of late the Brecon’s have been victim to roving clans of Reavers and Orcs, not to mention the Undead menace slowly encroaching ever further. Lone travel in the dark is highly unadvisable.
Form of Government:
The Brecon Marches have been ruled by the Noble House of Llewelyn for nearly five hundred years and will hopefully continue to rule for another five hundred more. The seat of Lord always passes downwards in typical Hierarchy fashion. Father will succeed to eldest son unless none is available in which case it will pass to his eldest daughter and so forth through the family tree.
The Lord resides in Breconhall where they deal with the running of the land alongside a personal small council that is made of two advisors from Breconhall, a magister of the Magical Council and two representatives from smaller communities that rotate through each meeting. There is always an additional seat left for any guest delegations from other cities.
Freedom and Oppression:
The Brecon Marches are harsh, not through political means but nature itself. As such there laws in place that have remained from the times of the old gods and the people of Brecon would not have it any other way.
Basically as long as these laws are followed there would be no reason for a traveller or citizen to worry about punishment. However if the laws are broken they would be trialled by the Lord of Breconhall who will pass out Judgement and deal it out if necessary.
Common Species:
The Brecon Marches have always been heavily human populated, with a good 65% of the locals being native humans. There is however a sizeable Dwarven community in Breconhall itself, started several hundred years ago when a Dwarven building clan decided to aid with the creation of a mine in the nearby Brecon Ranges to the North. With their population reaching about 25% of all who live in the Marches the remaining ten percent is mostly travelling species ranging from halflings to even the occasional elf.
Military Focus:
The Brecon Marches have always been renown for their military. Even during the days of the Empire it was well known throughout all of Ardell that the men of Breconhall were favoured by the Dynasty enough to allow the Brecon Marches to claim the land it so desperately wanted at the time.
Each young man is taught to bare arms from an early age and serves as part of the standing military for at least three years, even in the higher houses. They are then offered release or the chance to train on within the standing army itself where they may become a Captain or even a Knight. In times of war the Lord can send out musters to the surrounding land, each settlement sending men to serve in the army if needed.
Heavy on infantry and close-quarter ability a battle against the might of Brecon usually see’s a bloody affair that can end most raids or start-up armies in a few hours. Backed up with regiments of longbowmen that are established hunters from the Western Forest and horsemen from the plains.
Most importantly however is the renown regiment known as the Errant-Knights. These warriors are an order sworn to the protection of the Lord of Breconhall and owe their origins to the Dynasty that fell. Once the messengers and agents of an Emperor the order fell in decline shortly after the fall of the Empire, however within Breconhall they are still hailed as heroes and will forever be deemed as such.
Technology:
Medieval. Have started to incorporate the Crossbow into their regular army, however most still prefer a longbow.
Player Controlled:
Yes, but welcoming use as a setting.
Gods and Religion:
The tough people of the Brecon Marches are still mixed on their group religion, where there are some practitioners of the more common Mapheri religion, there are more who throughout the time of the Dynasty worshipped the Old Gods and now continue to do so more openly then they were ever allowed to do before.
Within Breconhall itself, Maphari and as such Acquil the Swan is openly worshipped alongside the belief of the Old Gods in unison. In many ways Breconhall is home to the belief that Acquil is as much part of the Old Gods just revered individually.
Outside of Breconhall itself, the cities and villages around the marches are less inclined to worship the Maphari way. The Old Gods take preference here over all others. With many Maphari practitioners treated with distrust or even open hostility.
Priests of both are a fixture within the Breconhall military, allowing soldiers from all faiths to practice their beliefs when it is necessary.
The Old Gods are revered in ritual and personal worship, never taking temples or churches. Instead they are revered through natural practice, private prayer and sacrifice as has always been the way.
Vulcan - Father of the World and Smith in the Skies.
Aeron - God of Winter and Battle
Culhwch - Guardian-God of the Dead and the Underworld
Branwn - Goddess of Healing
Alerielle - Mother of the World and goddess of Nature, Wild Places, Life ,and Fertility.
Noctyrra - Goddess of the Moon, Mist, and Shadows.
Mawr - God of the Seas
Lugus - God of non-violent Thieves and Tricksters
Mymid - God of Storms and Summer
Taalric - Goddess of Death, Violence, and Murder
Food:
Where as the more central and warmer climates within Ardell can boast many culinary riches to boast among themselves, the Western Borders of Brecon live a more simple life.
For the general small folk of the Western lands meals are sustained by brother and roasts. Potato stews and livestock lead the way, be it pork or beef. Mutton is rarely consumed except come the end of season when the sheep who have stopped producing quality wool are replaced with younger stock.
Vegetables tend to be more root in type, potatoes, carrots and cabbages that are easy to grow in the barren plains to the East of Breconhall, the same could be said for fruit which completely relies on the Orchards of Marian to produce apples. There are several native wild berry species as well, however several of these are poisonous and it takes a skilled herbalist to be able to determine the difference by sight alone.
The higher-class of the Brecon Marches boast little more to the simplicity of their food. Feasts at Breconhall can be an elaborate affair with pea and bacon pie, whole roasted hogs, freshly made bread and platters of water cooked vegetables. Several cities to the far East trade openly with more exotic fruits but their life in travel shortens their freshness by the time they reach the Breconhall. Fish is traded out of Marian, for it is a fishing town on the end of the northern wetlands, but outside of Marian itself it is rarely consumed constantly.
It is outlawed to eat certain things as well, these considered to be morally incorrect or unnecessary in consumption. The main elements of these are Horses, Dogs and cats. Horses are considered property of the Marches themselves and are too useful to be simply consumed for meat, Dogs and Cats are similarly protected by the Lord of Breconhall.
Notable Arts:
Their is powerful music that comes out of the Brecon Marches, mostly comprised of drums and a local instrument called a Lovog, which is similar to a flute with whistle elements to it. Travelling groups of bards and showmen continually patrol the settlements of Brecon playing in the taverns and roadhouses to patrons in search of coin.
Breconhall has also produced one artist of international renown. Edgar Versaw; a wood sculptor whose statues of the old gods allowed him to be commissioned by the Dynasty of old to carve intricate family statues of their lineage. It was a high paying job and saw him carve forty nine of the fifty commissioned statues. However after accidentally following the hook appearance of one of the living relative’s noses he was hung for treachery.
Relationships:
The people of the Brecon Marches relate as most human settlements have. Monogamous marriages between two of opposite genders that remain together through vows to the Old Gods, or the new depending on belief. A family is allowed to have as many children as they have the will and no regulation is put into place of offspring numbers.
If a couple is to be separated through the death of one party or un-lawful practices such as laying with one outside of wed-lock the remaining party is allowed to remarry with the blessing of the priests of Breconhall and the Lord of the Marches. The remarried will take on any remaining family of both sides without argument and accept their new marriage as if it was their only.
Higher classes generally are separated into arranged marriages between other houses of influence. These marriages are typically designed to expand influence of a particular family or protection of gold and resource. These marriages are rarely undertaken for love or choice and instead considered the honour of the participating parties.
Same-Gender relations are considered against the will of the gods and are extremely rare, but not unheard of. Even Lord Protector Halsef Marian, the founding lord of the modern fishing town of Marian was known to have several male lovers alongside his female wife. In fact Culhwch, Old God of the Dead is portrayed as a homosexual being so to a level it is present in the mythology much like the everyday lives.
Education:
The folk of the Marches are educated through the means of apprentices and masters. A blacksmith will ply his trade his entire life and pass on what he knows to a series of apprentices who will eventually open their own or take over his smithy. This is the desired effect of many of the trades within Breconhall and the lands beyond be it a butcher, smith, baker or hunter.
Breconhall itself has a vast library which is under the careful watch of the court Druid. A man who is a voice of gods old and new along with the land. The young nobles of many settlements are sent to this druid to learn of other lands and the histories of Ardell.
Daily Weapons:
The people of the Brecon Marches are hardy folk. It is not incoming for the average person to carry a hunting knife or some other form of weapon upon their person.
Travellers tend to travel in small packs with at least one armed with considerable arms and training in case of roving bandits or Orcs. Murder however is outlawed by Breconhall and to attack another openly without reason is punishable by hanging.