Ethenveld Castle

NAME: Ethenveld Castle

KINGDOM AT A GLANCE: Formerly one of the great fortresses of the Empire. When the Maphiri Dynasty was broken, Ethenveld's defenders fell victim to a curse of unknown origin, and abandoned the fortress in terror. Ethenveld stood more or less empty for a decade, until several dozen locals and travelers took refuge there from an orc horde. The orcs broke the front gate and killed most of the occupants, but were defeated by a gryphon, a mage, a lizard king, a dwarven airship, and an army from the Empire of Arlek. Now Arlek controls Ethenveld, though orcs are still common in the area.

SIZE AND LOCATION: Small for a realm. Ethenveld controls a stretch of river valley.

WEALTH: Low. Ethenveld has been thoroughly looted, and the region is somewhat impoverished.

STABILITY: High. The Empire of Arlek has a firm grip on its internal stability.

DANGER TO TRAVELERS: High. Arlek controls the fortress, but suffers from power projection issues: the surrounding countryside is fairly lawless.

FORM OF GOVERNMENT: The military of Arlek is the highest authority in Ethenveld. At some point, no doubt, a noble will be gifted the fortress and surrounding lands.

FREEDOM AND OPPRESSION: Arlek's laws apply. "Freedoms within Arlek are limited, to some extent, such that are normal within near-absolute monarchies. A patriarchal society, it is rare to find women in roles outside of the household, though this is hardly the rule. Though uncommon, it is possible to find women in other roles, even within the military, though this is almost always considered an oddity. In addition, non-humans find life within Arlekkian borders somewhat difficult. Seen as sub-human, non-humans and ab-humans are often considered second-class citizens and are often outright discriminated against. Oddly enough, slavery is considered illegal and viewed as a heinous crime no matter the victim."

COMMON SPECIES: Primarily human.

MILITARY FOCUS: Arlek's military controls Ethenveld. It's important to note that Ethenveld, despite its broken gates, is an extremely strong and high-walled stone fortress, surrounded by a river, and connected with the shore by a highly defensible and durable stone bridge.

TECHNOLOGY: Early Renaissance

PLAYER CONTROLLED: Controlled by Madog Hier if he wishes.