Atharen, A Fantasy Roleplay Forum

Posted: **Sun Nov 22, 2020 8:27 pm**

A Ruined Legacy

Introduction
Radenor is often called the 'birthplace of humanity'; a land from which human culture has grown and thrived. It is a place revered for its culture, and is the source of many of the world's medieval technologies. It is also a land that has experienced great suffering through the ages, conquest after conquest, colonization that has - if anything - expanded its broad culture, yet has left an imprint of melancholy upon the land. Still, the great realm of Radenor - and its four, proud countries - remains an almost fabled, and admired loam.

The four countries of Radenor remain in their medieval state, divided by feudal Lords in a unique system called the 'adeleich'. Radenor's Kyngs and Quenes fight to keep their land, and in the intermissions between their brutal wars guided by anything but chivalry, they sack and raid the towns of other Kyngdoms with the aide of their Knight-led mercenaries.

History
During the Second Age - thousands of years in the past - the world was dominated by Elvenkind. While many of the dagger-eared men and women of the east were kind, or at least ambivalent to humanity, many were far from it. Enslavement was a practiced norm; the Eldhan were a people of pride, and humans were viewed as their lessers and their gift. Resulting from this view, mankind suffered thousands of years of painful oppression at the hands of their elder peers, disallowed from magic and kept far from the reach of power. Freedom was, however, a narrow but present possibility for those who sought it. Through the pass west of the realm of Indorin, the courage of mankind traveled to escape from the grip of the Elves.

It was there, within a great valley - blocked by mountains on all sides but the west - that the human migrants of those ancient times founded the first true human realm, Guradnør. Guradnør was a meek realm at first, but through time it became a prosperous land. In many ways, it was in Guradnør that much of human culture and identity first fostered. Of course, this would-be Kingdom was a petty one, and other human clandoms began to form around it before long, often by new settlers or dissidents of the already-existing land.

Nine great tribes - including Guradnør - formed before the Second Age's 6th century, and within this division lied the conditions for endless turmoil. Divided by each valley, field or fjord was a clan within a clan; towns of competing interests, poorly managed, weakly centralized and prone to banditry. In many ways, all of this settled land was a wildland; an untamed realm of savages who died foolishly young, succumbing to infection and hunger. Their Elven peers to the east far outlived them, and - if anything - viewed their settled state as a confirmation of the inferiority of mankind.

It was not long before the settled valley came to be under siege by the Elves, who wished to conquer it and take its people as slaves. By the end of the Second Age, in the year 938, a coalition of Indorin's Ald'norai lords - championed by the city-state of Arlain - marched an army west to subjugate the errant human tribes. While it might have been a grand story to tell of the divided humans coming together to fight back the Elven Lords, that is not what happened within the old valley. The humans lost, and upon the fall of their greatest tribe - old Guradnør again - the Elves sacked much of what they had built, shattered their fragile monarchies and returned them to squalor, planting overseers upon each of their thrones and dividing these lands among the contributing conquerors, wards directed by a mess of individual city-states. It was perhaps Atharen's first look at colonialism, and it was through the conquest of the valley that the Ald'norai formed their deepest cultural ties, and found their lust for conquest.

Not long after, as the Third Age came and Riala Elaine was born and quickly ascended to the throne of Arlain, the Ald'norai became more than a shattered flurry of cities; they became a unified land, then a Kingdom - Silor - and Guradnør was their first province. The mightiest of them, and the nearest to their own throne of Daravin, they named the valley itself after this fallen tribe, and then the colonial province within the valley. Of course, Guradnør was too guttural and harsh on the Eldhan tongue, so Radenor it became. The first true taste of conquest: the first glance at the pride that could be, the Empire they would have. Radenor was a bountiful land ruled by their own oligarchy, a perpetual source of men and minerals for their rising war-machine. It was, in many ways, the Ald'norai's secret; the thing that kept them suspended above their other Elven peers, who they competed with, and eventually shattered and broke.

What followed next is well-known to the people of Mornoth: the Kingdom of Silor began to flail as its great Queen neared death, and - desperately - she sought after immortality, invoking the ire and wrath of the God Malek. The series of divine-driven catastrophes that followed utterly rocked the foundations of Silor, and at the core of much of this was the vast rebellion that occurred in the province of Radenor. This land, the heart of Silor's mineral and lumber production, as well as slave-labor and countless other resources, was the first lost to the Kingdom as it struck back with a defiant rage. A brutal warlord, known to history as Theowyth I of Sheorlund, united the hordes of slaves and led a fierce rebellion to the west, as the province of Ectahl rebelled to the east. The brutal war that came, along with the civil unrest and fracturing of Silor's own Elven peoples, sealed the fate of the ailing Kingdom - but cemented the birth of a new one.

Before the Third Age was at an end, Radenor became the first human Kyngdom (as it is written) in Atharen's history. Theowyth became its first Kyng, though within a few years of his ascent, he died and passed the title to his second son, Theowyth II.

What followed was prosperity -- and a mistake. Focusing wholly on the strengthening of Radenor's internal structure, the Kyngdom remained within its valley, largely isolated from the outside world. While their human peers to the east, in Ectahl, conquered Daravin and began to expand to the south, Radenor did not press its eastern borders or attempt to diminish the explosive growth of the Kingdom of Ectahl, the fledgling Unbroken Empire. Radenor instead built roads, complex sewage systems, broadened their architecture and built Elven-inspired castles and temples. Amphitheaters, bath-houses, hippodromes, markets and great corridors; Radenor became the great builder of the world, perhaps inspired by their history as laborers and slaves, commanded always to build and build but not for their own betterment.

Still, being free was enough of a pride for them. The Kyngdom was peaceful, with few internal divisions and little conflict. Their expansion west was natural, and over time they began to form relationships with the neighboring Kingdoms of Vendigad and Tyrclaid. These three lands became a triad of strange fellows, with cultures intimately tied to one another, influenced by their Elven tyrants or - in the case of Vendigad - roots.

They also became the greatest alliance against the threat brewing in the east: the now Unbroken Empire, which had conquered Koltoskai, Khadai, Teos, Daravin, Rokhan, Sil-Elaine. The greatest nation in their world's history was settled upon their door.

Radenor was challenged by the onset. They did not have so many mountains dividing them from the Empire as Vendigad, Tyrclaid or Lorien, and unlike many of their other peers, they were not a militant culture, and nor did they have frozen tundra to protect them. By the time the Empire began to besiege them, on the year 476 of the Fourth Age, Radenor was forced to face an incredible assault: an army millions strong, led by mages and Unbroken engineers. Their great stone infrastructure and the unity of their nation did little to protect them from the stolen Krish weaponry, the Unbroken Skyships, nor did it defend them from the deployment of Draedan and Ascendant magi. What Radenor had - other than longbowmen and valiant Knights - was dragons. Dragons, the beings that allowed the people of the land to fight against the voracious Empire in a battle centuries long.

The Unbroken Empire had long hunted dragons, for glory, and for their parts; a tradition that still lives on in Daravin, even today. Because of this, the Fume Dragons native to Daravin moved west to Radenor early in the Fourth Age, and even befriended the humans of the land who treated them with dignity. In a bet to defend themselves from extinction, the Fume Dragons of Radenor integrated themselves into the Kyngdom's military and became the steeds of its Kyngs, Quenes and great generals. And, when the time finally came to defend the Kyngdom from the vicious Imperial army, the Fume Dragons and their accompanying Knights fought to the end. For hundreds of years. They fought in a war that left millions upon millions of dead; generations of sons and daughters, enough to fill the land with a deep mourning. It was perhaps Radenor that allowed Lorien and Tyrclaid to survive the vicious Empire; they had expended so much of their resources and had fought them for so long that they were virtually unable to face those two, challenging, alternative fronts.

But, eventually, Radenor did fall. By the time it did, the great Kyngdom - the first true home of humankind - was in ruins. So many of the great cities built so long ago, in the halcyon times of Theowyth, were shattered and broken against the grass, looming over great fields. The green, peaceful lands of Radenor were razed for generations to come, its people bled dry. It was a disgusting, yet somehow gratifying, liberation that only a hundred years after Radenor's fall, the Sundering came and wiped their hated conquerors off of the face of the world.

What followed, though, was not a time of peace - but division. The line of Theowyth had been executed and hunted across the land by the Empire, a vengeful repayment for their centuries of violent refusal. There was no clear heir to the Kyngdom's throne, so its greatest houses contended for leadership in the wake of the Sundering. Once divided into nine tribes, this fragmented Radenor fell again into pieces, this time seven - seven powerful Lords and Ladies contended for power, divided into Petty Kyngdoms. Over a hundred years into the Fifth Age, they became four Kyngdoms, the four known today: Jorikford to the east, Northradica to the north, Sheorlund to the south, and Vestria to the west. Near the end of the Fifth Age, the capital of the occupied Unbroken-Radenor, Tilema, became its own principality after a successful rebellion freed it from Sheorlund's crown.

And, only twenty six years ago, the great Kyngdoms engaged in a vast war: three factions fighting for their own cause, Northradica alone, Jorikford and Tilema at each other's aide, and Vestria and Sheorlund in a pact to keep themselves alive. Then, in the season of Ash, Year 111 of the Sixth Age, the war concluded with a ten year peace -- after decades of bloody battle, with borders shifting little, but hatreds growing, stirring, and widening ever-more.

Posted: **Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:37 pm**

A Norunn Knight

The Core

Technology
Radenor's technology is medieval, undeniably. The four Petty Kyngdoms are far from advanced: they do not even employ cannons in war, and guns are an exceptionally rare weapon in any of the valley's lands. Weapons of war typically include trebuchets for taking walls, or even catapults for smaller-scale battles. Castle gates and walls are often taken still by ladders and battle-rams, and their defenders typically employ longbows or arbalest crossbows. Warriors wear chain or even leather and furs, with the greatest Knights equipped in light or heavy plate, varying on wealth and region.

Nautically, Radenor's four Kyngdoms have - between them - one of the world's largest navies, wielding thousands of vessels. However, these vessels are largely comprised of small river-ships, often accompanied by longboats. The largest river vessels are meant for trade between cities and towns, while the smaller and more armored vessels are generally manned by warriors and raiders, sailing through Radenor's endless fjords to brutalize and raid either random citizenry - in the case of bandits or lawless soldiers - or the peoples of their rival nations. Typically, the small-to-medium sized river war vessels carry numerous ladders and unconstructed rams below deck, which will quickly be constructed and placed on the field during raids of walled towns and baronies.

Overall, Radenor can be considered to be in a 'Dark Age' - many of its old technologies and developments were destroyed in the centuries-long war with the Unbroken Empire, and in the wake of the Sundering and its anarchy, much of the technological wisdom and centralization of old has been lost. For this reason, it has reverted to an inferior sewage system from before, its countryside's once-great roads are frequently broken and eroded (or are governed by bandits), and most of its population is forced to toil and labor in farms across the country. Radenor has one of the shortest life expectancies of any of Atharen's lands, only surpassing Daravin and Rokhan.

Society
As is further expanded upon in the 'Governance' section of this page, Radenor has a very strong divide between its nobility (known as gentry) and its commoners. The common people of a fiefdom are essentially serfs, who do not truly own much of anything. However, that is not to say that they live in squalor, or that they are treated with total disrespect. One of the reasons Radenor's system has persisted so long and with so few amendments is that it is, in fact, fairly effective at producing decent standards of living for the common-folk. The vast majority of the population tends to hold a moderate standard of living, with only around two percent of the populous sitting among the gentry. Even then, most gentry do not live extremely lavishly. While it is clear simply upon appearance who is gentry and who is not, the divide in health and class is not nearly so stark as in nations such as Daravin.

The people of Radenor, while humble and relatively poor, are afforded some opportunities in life: education, military service (a lucrative trade), and the service of a noble house, or a specific nobleman or woman. In addition, while the gentry owns virtually all land in the valley, they are also responsible for maintaining and upkeeping this land, and tend to do well in this respect. Radenor is not known to be nearly so clean or pristine as Lorien, but its homes and holdings are well-kept, and its people are given adequate conditions to survive, most of the time. The times of greatest suffering tend not to come from the incompetence of the gentry, but rather, through war, famine from the climate or, from the plague.

In effect, Radenor's gentry act as a managing class, while its commoners tend to act as the workers; laborers, soldiers, so on. This means that almost all jobs are filled by commoners, though again, commoners account for nearly ninety-eight percent of the population.

Posted: **Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:43 pm**

A Fume Dragon

The Roots

Culture
Norunn (the demonym for Radenor's inhabitants) are a festive people. They are keen on parties and feasts, and are known to be loud and rowdy. Norunn men are often considered to be brutish and brash, direct, while also being described as 'charming' by others; Norunn women are often very independent and willful, strong, and fierce. The people of Radenor love stories, songs, poems and plays; they are a theatrical people, often sharing stories of their own lives and others with their friends as they travel and engage in their mundane dealings. They are known to be a very community-oriented people as well, and - unlike almost any others in Mornoth - are often considered welcoming by others, even kind.

Though there is a great amount of brutality in Radenor as with the rest of the world, particularly due to the rivalries between its Kyngdoms, the people of Radenor tend to accept outsiders, including those from rival Kyngdoms, with open arms. They believe that their religion is one of the world, and one of tolerance and kindness. While these standards may fall through for many, this religious influence on their culture does lead most to find Radenor to be a quaint and accommodating place.

Norunn clothes tend to vary by region, somewhat. Most of the people outside of Northradica wear simple cloth, linen and wool attire. Red, yellow and orange are exceedingly common colors among the gentry, as they are the colors of the old Kyngdom of Radenor (and many of the new Kyngdoms as well). The gentry of Radenor tend to wear higher quality fabrics, though silks and other luxuries are reserved primarily for Earls, Viscount(ess)'s, Kyngs and Queens. In Northradica, furs (especially around the collar) are much more common, and can vary between trims, pelts and other styles. Some nobles will go as far as wearing large bear pelts as capes and other similar things, though again, this is more common in Northradica.

Tattoos are common among members of the military, who tend to be given blood-smear like red tattoos on their arms and back, inscribed by a red paint that seeps into the skin and remains, keeping its color and volume for a lifetime. Some priests also receive this paint around their neck, symbolic of the blood of Venadr from the war that sent him away.

Food in Radenor is simple: bread, made of wheat, barley or rye, yogurt made from fruits, porridge, fish, meats (particularly beef, pork, chicken, venison and boar meat), fruits and vegetables, and dairy products (such as goat cheese and milk). Gentry do eat better, but typically better-cooked and higher quality versions of the same food. Spices from Khadai are one of the land's great imports, due to the overall mundaneness that comes with the lack of Radenor's meal variety.

Most of the information listed in this section is meant to be a simple overview, and more accurately portrays the Norad ethnic group of the Norunn people. For more extensive information, please refer to the article here.

Marriage
Marriage in Radenor is typically done under the light of Venadr, in one of the many wooden and stone temples of the realm's lands. Often, a Fenn (see: Religion) will bless the marriage of commoners, while a Legax will bless most weddings between members of the gentry, and a Helðene (pron. Helthane) will bless unions between Earls, Kyngs, Quenes and their children. Weddings in Radenor are wildly festive, moreso than in most other lands; they are followed by three days of feast and celebration, during which time the floors will be littered with flowers, and the two spouses will be expected to wear a crown of branches and flowers, as well as a necklace depicting an emblem of the sun. This three day period is to ensure that the spouses and their families actually like one another, and the marrying partners are meant to spend inordinate time with one another, as well as to consummate their marriage - multiple times, perhaps.

After the festivities conclude, they share a bracelet with one another, typically made of woven fibers, leather or metals (depending on class). The bracelet will most often have a simple emblazoned symbol, often of an animal or God that individual feels close to, essentially sharing a part of themselves (or their interests) with their partner, who will be expected to wear the bracelet for the majority of their remaining lives. This bracelet seals the marriage, and after the exchange, the attending families (and other visitors who might have still remained) are expected to go home, to allow the spouses their privacy.

Marriage in Radenor does not discriminate based on sex, age or class. A man of the gentry may marry a common man; a common woman may marry a man of the gentry, and so on. There is no such thing as a 'bastard' in Radenor - children born of surrogacy and affairs are considered legitimate heirs, meaning inheritance can pull from a wide variety of options, extramarital or not. However, polygamy is not legal in Radenor. While adults are allowed to have relationships with others outside of their spouses, they are only allowed to marry one.

Magic
Magic is an interesting topic in Radenor. Mages are often despised by the common man, feared, and treated with some inherent level of suspicion. All of Radenor's mages face two choices when it becomes known that they have been initiated: their first option is to join the Guild of their Kyngdom, and be branded in a visible place as a mage (often the side of the neck, the back of a hand or the ear). The second option given to them is to be exiled from their Kyngdom, though most who take this option simply move to another Kyngdom and attempt to hide their nature there.

The life of a branded mage, or Guild-Mage as they are called, is a challenging one. They are leashed by their local nobility, and are forced to live in a local fortress, often commanded by an Esquire (see: Governance). Mages trusted by the local Earl - and often far more powerful ones - will look after them and teach them, taking them in as students, though in truth their relationship often becomes parent-like. These senior Guild-Mages will often look after five to six younger magi and will keep them close together, akin to siblings, while they teach them of magic and their duty to the crown. These mages often live in a specific tower within their given fortress, kept away from the barracks of soldiers and the huts of maids and laborers. When they are sent out to perform their duty, be it war, investigation, law-enforcing or raiding, they will often go with others so as to inhibit their chance of escape. Regardless, they are easy to discover, as their senior mage keeps a magical artifact that allows them to track their chosen students with ease.

Even the local nobility - or gentry - are forced to this shackled fate. They effectively lose their nobility in becoming magi, renouncing their place in the line of succession. These mages are then placed in those same fort-towers, though eventually they may return to their place in castles and palaces.

Once mages are experienced enough, and trusted enough, most of them are moved from these fortresses and are instead placed within the highest rankings of an Earl's retinue. They serve an advisory role, as well as performing their magic to benefit the will of their Lord, such as divining the intentions of their rivals and manipulating the minds of their courtiers. As a result of this, Radenor's mages are known to be undeniably posh, entwined in political affairs and deeply dreadful to the most disloyal of an Earl's vassalage. They are a High-Lord's killers: effective, though restrained. Such celebrated magi rarely leave the palace or city grounds, though when war comes, they are sent to fight like any other.

Interestingly, Radenor does not have any special laws or penalties regarding Blood Magic. The war-culture of Radenor is known to be cruel, and since mages are already highly monitored and restrained, the destructive force of a Vandikar is often viewed as a potent tool to be employed.

Posted: **Tue Nov 24, 2020 2:24 pm**

Quene Sigeburg of Vestria

The Structure

Governance
Radenor's four countries are ruled by Kyngs and Quenes, the highest-ranking nobility in the land. They are the absolute authority of their given realms, acting as arbiters of the law, justice, and even truth. They are their own historians, forging great tales of their lines, supposedly blessed by the Gods. They yield not even to the church, as it is believed by the people of Radenor that Kyngs and Quenes are directly chosen by the Living Gods. These systems and beliefs were set into place long ago, by the second Theowyth, and have long contributed to the strong centralization of power in Radenor's realms. Radenor's monarchs are, in fact, the only monarchs on the continent of Atharen considered to wield truly 'absolute' authority -- answering little to their vassals, and powering their throne by loyalty, faith, and the aide of dragons.

Aside from the four monarchies, Radenor participates in a highly complex system of nobility known as the 'adeleich'. Within this peerage, there are many ranks and titles, though most are symbolic or ceremonial. Here, the most important ranks will be listed, alongside their functions.

Earls (Jarls in Northradica) are the rulers of earldoms (or jarldoms), massive land divisions within the four Kyngdoms. As there are only fourteen in the entire valley, there are - thus - only fourteen reigning Earls, with their husband or wife serving as Viscount or Viscountess, the second-highest ranking in an earldom, capable of issuing orders or making decisions in the absence of their spouse. Earls are, essentially, a unilateral authority within their earldom: they are incredibly powerful and influential, though ultimately they are not capable of setting or changing laws due to the high authority of Radenor's reigning Kyngs and Quenes.

They are the caretakers of their lands, and while they wield their own levies (peasant forces) and retinues (trained soldiers), they are ultimately disallowed from warring with one another, and instead serve at the behest of their monarch. Earls live in extremely lavish conditions, and sit somewhere between a Count and a Duke in terms of power and wealth, in comparison to other feudal societies. Most of their tax earnings goes to their own coffers - meant to be used for the betterment of the realm - but a large minority of it is funneled directly to the crown, for the purpose of funding the army, navy, and Kyngdom-wide development projects, as well as the Kyng and Quene's personal funds.

Beneath the Earl are two separate titles, but ultimately equal in terms of respect: Esquires and Reeves. Esquires rule fiefdoms, large land tenures, typically wide areas of farmland with small, scattered towns, overseen by a castle (typically on the edge of a fjord). Esquires are, in many ways, an Earl's Earl; they are caretakers of sub-divisions of land within an earldom, lands which entirely exclude any and all cities, which - by Radenor's standards - are settlements which have exceeded a population of 100,000.

Reeves, in these cases, are the vassals appointed by Earls to oversee cities. While Reeves tend to all manner of city affairs, including maintaining its law and stability, taxing its citizenry and managing its treasury and development, they are also often the direct advisors to the their liege Earl. Given that Reeves therefore have the 'ear' of the Earl, they tend to be highly influential within their Earldom, and are often engaged in tight negotiations with the Esquire overseeing their surrounding lands.

Below Reeves and Esquires are the landed gentry. Most nobles are referred to as Lords and Ladies, but this is actually a product of the culture of other lands. Technically, all of Radenor's nobility are simply 'gentry' or 'landed gentry', for the members of noble families who wield the ownership rights of their properties and estates. The nobility of Radenor technically owns all property in the land, though they may lease or permanently lease (sell) parts of their property to commoners. The stipulation is that all land and property that does not have a clear, direct, local successor - such as with families that die out, or move away - the leased property will ultimately return to the gentry who leased it. Thus, all ownership in Radenor eventually returns to the nobility, one way or another.

Most gentry upkeep their lavish lifestyles by managing their estates, and investing in ships for trade. Almost every noble family has at least one ship, even if that ship is only technically managed by their patriarch or matriarch. The revenue of their trade profits will typically be divided through the family in pre-agreed dividends, and the same course follows for the profits of their estates, such as with their farmers and laborers, employed by them to work their lands and businesses.

The highest rank a member of the gentry can achieve, other than being a true feudal Lord (such as with Reeves, Esquires, Earls, etc) is that of Knight: an ordained member of the Earl or King's retinue, meant to lead their warriors or raiders. There are ultimately two paths a Knight may take, which can be read on below.

Military
The military of Radenor is not a complex organization, though there are interesting things to be gleaned from it.

To begin with, the structure of the military: its hierarchy. The military falls under the same serf-gentry dichotomy as the rest of society, in many ways. Almost all gentry fulfill the role of squire or Knight, with most taking on the role of a squire, perpetually serving in the charge of a higher-ranking, gilded officer within the gentry. Squire is not a demeaning role in Radenor, however: it is a proud role, and the squires who serve under a Knight are typically close-knit, acting almost as a family unit in the field. Knights tend to be high-ranking officers within the military, commanding individual units (typically a hundred troops). Knights and their squires are generally mounted units, fighting horseback with higher quality armor and weaponry, while mages and regular land-troops fight in formation on the ground. While Knights are high-ranking members of the military and fall exclusively to the gentry, Knight is not the highest rank within Radenor's military, making the military one of the few avenues through which the peasantry may acquire wealth and power; the one place where 'serfs' can outrank and even command their peers within the gentry. Of course, in practice, the vast majority of high-ranking titles within the military are held by the gentry, for a variety of factors (including nepotism), but there are frequent exceptions.

In order of prominence, the ranks of Radenor's militaries are: Commandant, Thane, Knight, Squire and Hunungr (or soldier). For more information on the military hierarchy of Radenor, please see the full military article. Important to note is that while Hunungr are excluded from becoming Squires or Knights if they do not fall within the gentry, truly exceptional ones may be immediately escalated to Thane due to their incredible competence and valor, most often in times of need. Typically, though, there is a long grooming and training process for this role.

Unique to Radenor is the usage of dragons within the military. While some nations have or even may currently have integrated a dragon or two into their military, Radenor's Kyngs and Quenes have dozens of Fume Dragons at their disposal, making their military extremely impressive despite their lack of modern military technology. Nearly all Commandants and Thanes ride Fume Dragons, as well as the ruling Kyng or Quene of the land. As Fume Dragons are intelligent, they specifically bond to the chosen rulers of the realm, and leaders of its military, as a part of their joint-pact to defend their mutual homeland against Daravin, the Krish, and others. Fume Dragons are willing to fight against the armies of other Kyngs and Quenes in internal wars, and even each other, though they will virtually never choose to land a killing blow against one of their fellow Fume Dragons and will ultimately leave the field of a battle once it has been utterly lost.

Religion
Radenor follows the Path, or the faith of the Living Gods. However... they follow a very specific, odd belief system often called Norunaism to outsiders, as it is very unique to Radenor. Perhaps given Radenor's isolation, or the sheer strength and resolve of their ancient faith, they continue to worship all of the Gods -- though 'worship' is only adjacent to a suitable term. To them, Venadak (Venadr) is an almost monotheistic deity, with the other Gods acting as envoys of his. Izonata (Iznantyr), Kyrikain (Kyrkolax) and Y'shendra (Ysena) are given particularly high credence, and are referred to as Archvalkyrs; beings worthy of prayer, but on a second tier to their true God. The other eleven are viewed almost as the quarreling, frightful children of Venadr, and great sagas are written of them as if they were heroes. Stories will be written of their lives, and in the case of many of the Corrupted Gods, their deaths; Valtorün (Valteran)'s neck twisted by a noose of thick tree branch, Saenir (Saryn) trapped in a maddening loop of time, Jaxadraug (Jaxkael) felled in battle and prone to demise by his own mace. These stories are used to explain why the Gods have disappeared, as if the entirety of the four Kyngdoms were ignorant to the Sundering, or the creation of Bel.

Supposedly, Venadr has simply left the world to recover from a great battle amongst the Gods; the very one in which most, apparently, perished. Upon his return, he will smite the heresies of the Returning King (the Omen) and banish the influence of the fallen Unbroken Empire, annihilating the evils of Radenor's most hated foe: Daravin.

The faith of Radenor is called 'the church', though technically it is known to scholars as the Path, as with any other followers of the Living Gods. However, Radenor's church itself is often considered heretical, and its priests have their own order and religious leadership that is far disconnected from the other practitioners of the Path world-wide. Radenor's faith in particular is fairly opulent, with great stone cathedrals at the center of every major city and grand, well-crafted wooden temples at the heart of all towns, the larger chapels holding numerous paintings, monuments and ornate decorations. The symbol of Radenor's faith is the sun, given Venadr's supreme significance, though many churches will also have small glass murals (often surrounding their main window) of the moon (Iznantyr), a splash of dream-like color (Kyrkolax) and a tree (Ysena).

The Gods, in Radenor, have different names due to the religious significance of the Norunn language, and its isolation from the outside world. A full list:
Venadr (Venadak) Iznantyr (Izonata) Kyrkolax (Kyrikain) Ysena (Y'shendra)
Adun (Azunath) Eva (Evitrix) Malök (Malek)
Blevkoth (Blevika) Ulver (Courlan) Breyjar (Brazim) Jaxadraug (Jaxkael)
Qurenn (Quarae) Saenir (Saryn) Valtorün (Valteran)

Radenor's church has only a few hierarchical ranks, in order: Helðene (pron. Helthane), Legax and Fenn. Helðene are the greatest religious leaders in the land, with there only being five in Radenor: one in each Kyngdom, and one in Tilema. They typically meet with one another in private and act as the council of the realm's Path, making religious proclamations and performing other decisions. Typically, though, they can make decisions without counsel or meeting, given the fractured state of the realms. Legax are the leaders of the faith in specific Earldoms, and typically serve in the highest church of those lands, often a more ornate stone building. Fenn are the priests that oversee individual (often wooden) churches, parishes, monasteries, minsters and other considerable religious orders or institutions. Beneath Fenns are monks, lay-brothers and lay-sisters, and other common folk who contribute to the Path.

Religious celebrations in Radenor tend to be as hearty and decorative as other festivities. Marriages, church ceremonies (which occur daily) and other events are typically venerated with thousands of pink (azalea), red (rose) and purple (lavender) petals, scattered all throughout the temple to show dedication at Venadr's feet, calling him back to the world.

Laws
The laws of Radenor are set by the ruling Lords of the four Kyngdoms, as well as the Prince-Reeve of Tilema. This means that there are variations between the laws of the four countries and the southern principality, but in general, the laws of Radenor tend to be fairly uniform and governed by an old code called the 'Commonlaws'. In general, the laws of civil society persist. Death, abuse, sexual assault, treason and slander is illegal, taxation is mandatory and is determined by Earls, Kyngs and Quenes alone, and magic is only legal under the auspice of the gentry, kept to a thin section of society.

Interestingly, in terms of inheritance and familial affairs, the laws of Radenor are only patriarchal among commoners, and only to a limited extent. That is to say: in the case of leased property or other genuine belongings, the eldest male of the family will inherit, unless there is none. The same goes for any form of familial inheritance, with the oldest male considered the executor, meant to fairly divvy out the proceedings throughout the family, but with a high level of authority in doing so. However, among the gentry, there are no genuine patriarchal barriers in terms of inheritance or the law. The oldest child inherits a title, be they man or woman.

In truth, this gender-neutral system of inheritance was introduced by the Unbroken Empire, and while not tested or challenged, the old ways of Radenor have persisted long after its institution. While women are technically equally able to receive titles and be given positions of authority to the same extent, they are typically expected to cede titles and defer to their brothers or even uncles and cousins unless they have no competent male relatives. Many Norunn people say this is for practical reasons: a woman cannot bear children beyond a certain age, producing succession crises, and her time spent bearing and rearing her children detracts from her leadership. However, equally as many speak to the religious significance: of Venadak being the leader of the Gods, and therefore, man having rightful claim to power. Of course, many noblewomen simply defy these standards and do as they please, and while pushback may come in the immediacy, there exists no legal case to restrain such a decision. The one case is in that of a Lady-regnant who appears to be sterile, in which case, her male relatives may see her removed from her seat of power, or (more commonly) see that her eldest brother's eldest child is named her heir.

Posted: **Tue Nov 24, 2020 2:24 pm**

One of Radenor's many fjords

The Land

Climate
Radenor is a bountiful land. Its countryside is covered in green pastures, suitable for sewing crops, raising livestock and building effective settlements. What is called one 'valley', however, is in truth many valleys; Radenor's four countries are crowned by many peaks and high cliffs, within which sit many great and beautiful fjords, acting as one of the primary methods of travel for the Kyngdoms. There are significant variations of climate and terrain when moving from one part of the region to another, and of course, within each region there are considerable variations as well. For the sake of simplicity, the climate of Radenor will be divided into north, east and west here.

Northern Radenor, which is entirely enveloped by Northradica, is the most mountainous of the regions. It is covered in high, white-capped peaks and burgeoning hills, with valleys forming all over the region. For this reason, Northradica's population is highly divided into these valleys, limiting the growth of their cities but making the northern realms nearly impossible to penetrate by outsiders. North Radenor is significantly colder than the other regions, and its interior sections are considerably less hospitable. However, it remains a fairly populous region due to its bountiful coastline, where a large variety of nutritious, populous fish make their homes. Northern Radenor's coast is known to be beautiful, sharing an aurora borealis with Rünskaldr and parts of Lorien. The Kyngdom, in truth, does not see great snowfall aside from in places of high elevation, meaning that even in the winter-times the fields are typically revealed, colored a prominent, lush green.

North Radenor shares a great many things with East Radenor, which is known for a number of things. Most of Radenor carries a great wealth of beautiful evergreen trees, always lively even in the coldest seasons of Frost; this is especially so in East Radenor, encompassing around half of Jorikford, Sheorlund and Tilema. Like North Radenor, East Radenor has many fjords and high cliffs, but these cliffs are traditionally much flatter. They are often referred to as 'table-cliffs' by outsiders who make the distinction, as they rise above the ground through numerous high crags, but generally level out. Many of these cliffs are truly massive, and hold towns and villages upon their broad width, meaning that many of Jorikford and Sheorlund's fjords are lined with bustling towns along their length, often in a quaint sprawl. While East Radenor is covered in mountains, cliffs and dense forests - making it difficult to develop large settlements upon - this only serves to make it a natural resource capital for the Kyngdoms within its span. Given the many rivers that run through Radenor, local fishermen still catch more than enough bounty to provide for their local communities, even without much room for farmland or (in the case of most of Radenor) access to the ocean.

West Radenor, encompassing virtually all of Vestria and a significant portion of Sheorlund and Jorikford, essentially begins at the city of Malevin in Jorikford and stretches north towards Dunwich and south towards Lanbridge (see: map). From this point onward, its climate stretches infinitely west, until reaching the borders of the Wastes. West Radenor is known for its great series of lakes to the south of Vestria, but more importantly, it is known for its lush and bountiful fields, perfect for farming. Unlike most of Radenor, the western portion of the valley is not plentiful in peaks and fjords, but rather fields of green, of flowers and small, scattered rolling hills. It is the breadbasket of the land, and around half of the entirety of Radenor's population lives near the core of West Radenor, somewhere within the ring formed by Dunwich, Malevin, Brenic and Wincester.

As a final note, Radenor is known for having around a dozen major rivers and thousands of smaller ones (with a greater density of rivers than almost any region), though it only has one truly massive river, known as the Neid, running through the center of the land and essentially dividing it into two. Vestria and Jorikford's borders are drawn by the Neid.

Realm
Before specifically delving into the Kyngdoms of Radenor, it is important to note that all of Radenor is covered in the impressive ruins of their old cities. Great stone buildings and architectural marvels sit at the centers of their towns and cities, with old, or even ancient history touching and interacting with that of the present day. With many of these ruins being much more impressive than their modern counterparts, and taking from vastly different cultural influences and times, the appearance of Radenor's cities is certainly intriguing: these ruins appear almost as from a completely extinct civilization, one with no correlation to the present. Radenor's simple wooden homes and longhouses sit alongside the fallen palaces, amphitheaters and temples of old, with monuments and statues depicting the Gods before their corruption, strewn throughout the region's great cities. Statues of Venadak - the most beloved of old Radenor - are everywhere, though withered by time.

The four Kyngdoms of Radenor, in order of overall strength and prominence, are: Northradica, Jorikford, Vestria, and Sheorlund. The Principality of Tilema is, also, an important part of the geopolitical fabric of the realm, and holds a large number of people.

To begin with, Northradica is - obviously - the northernmost crown of Radenor. It is a powerful country, ruled alone by the valiant Konung (Kungoðr for King) Hadreth Aedlin. A middle-aged man, his wife passed some years ago to plague, and he has maintained the throne admirably since then. Hadreth is the only great ruler of Radenor with no allies, instead preferring to enter the fray of war when he desires to. The defense of Radenor's northern mountains precludes any need for a defensive alliance, and he mostly acts as a raider from the north, a threat to the resources of his southern peers. Hadreth has three sons and two daughters, his heir being his eldest son, oðling (othling, or 'crown-heir' in Norunr) Ålfrik.

Following Northradica is the crown of the east, Jorikford, ruled by the torturous man known as Kyng Uldred the Bloodletter, of House Strathmore. While Uldred had a wife, then a fiancé, then a wife in the past, he has executed all three of his partners due to supposed infractions against him and his honor. Uldred has four children, his heir being his eldest daughter, oðling Synnove. Jorikford is a powerful Kyngdom, and acts as a permanent thorn in the side of Vestria and Sheorlund. Jorikford has helped Tilema keep its independence from Sheorlund for over a century, and has ceaselessly engaged in wars and raids against its two western neighbors, chipping away at Sheorlund across the decades. Jorikford is known for its raiders. Given that it has more lumber than most of the other Kyngdoms combined, Jorikford has a massive river-navy of transport ships and longboats, essentially controlling much of the realm's network of rivers and fjords, and using that control to frequently strike swiftly and with surprise, hitting towns, villages and even cities with its raids.

Vestria is a unique nation. It is ruled by the valiant Quene Sigeburg Moray, one of Radenor's most competent monarchs, and her husband, Kyng Aetheldag. Vestria was once the largest and most powerful of Radenor's four Kyngdoms, but this was for a near-blink of a moment. Not long after the Sundering, the Krish took advantage of Atharen's weakness to levy many assaults, and the fracturing of Radenor led them to focus on it and its bountiful realms for their conquest. They struck the early crown of Vestria hard, and took many of Moray's holdings, a feat the family has still not entirely recovered from. Still -- Sigeburg is known to be a peerless general, and has managed to expand into Krish lands, freeing many of their lost peoples from the grip of their hateful overlords. However, this has also left her and her demesne a target, leading Jorikford and Northradica to target her lands for conquest on numerous occasions. She has, as a result, forged a strong alliance with the Kyng of Sheorlund, Kyng Edgar.

Kyng Edgar Dunham rules alongside his wife, Quene Aella of Brenic. He is known to be a peaceful man with little ambition towards conquest or war; rather, he appears to be focused instead on his romantic worldview of poetry and stories. He is well-spoken, often composing his words almost as a poet would, and his son and heir oðling Aedan is much his parallel. Edgar helps his ally, Queen Sigeburg, as much as he feels he is able to - though he is a meek and reserved ally, typically unwilling to engage in any form of 'total war' and preferring to defend and hold his own fortresses. He is one of the first Kyngs of Sheorlund not to attempt to conquer Tilema, though in return, Tilema has not struck into Sheorlund either, even during times of war. A man of truces, diplomacy and peace, Kyng Edgar is content with Radenor remaining forever-split, and prefers to instead restore and develop his own realm.

Finally, Prince-Reeve Martin Heskill rules alone, though he is engaged to the second son of Kyng Uldred, Grayson Strathmore, in order to strengthen and continue their alliance. Not much can be said of Martin; he is a young man at only twenty years of age, the son of the previous Prince-Reeve, Lady Lorena Heskill. Martin is an idealistic man, focused on increasing prosperity in Tilema and maintaining the peace of Radenor, often leveraging his influence on the realm's religious institutions to involve himself in the affairs of the Kyngs and Quenes. While Martin has maintained his alliance with Kyng Uldred, a generations-old affair to protect Tilema from annexation by Sheorlund, there are whispers of his loathsome distaste of the torturer-Kyng, though he does appear to love and admire his son, who he chose out of Uldred's children to be his spouse.

More information on the lands of Radenor should be found here. This information should include more information on the climate, the prominent cities, the Earldoms, and other important information on the land itself, rather than leaders and their alliances.

Posted: **Tue Nov 24, 2020 2:25 pm**

The Metrics

Demographics
Total Population: 26,000,000~
Note: The population of Radenor's lost territories, such as those west of Vestria and Northradica, is estimated to be around three million, with these numbers not included in the total.
Humans: 91%
Kohrün: 3%
Hyr'norai: 2%
Druskai: 2%
Arkanai: 2%
Others: <1%

Kyngdoms
Jorikford: 7,920,000
Vestria: 6,270,000
Northradica: 4,990,000
Sheorlund: 4,740,000

Principality of Tilema: 2,260,000

Earldoms

► Show Spoiler

Cities

► Show Spoiler

Economy
Given that Radenor is made up of several countries, the economy is difficult to easily define in unilateral terms. However, all countries have a few things in common that make up the bulk of their economy. Trade is extremely important in Radenor, to the point where merchant and trading companies hold a truly vast amount of the valley's wealth. The four countries and Tilema trade between one another constantly and in vast amounts, utilizing the realm's thousands of rivers to transport goods. What they trade is mostly simple: their own natural resources, whether that be lumber, minerals or agricultural products. Many earldoms and specific Kyngdoms have their own specialized production, too, such as furniture, clothing, etc. Northradica is known for its production of weapons, armor and clothing, while Jorikford is known for its furniture and tools, Vestria is known for its wines and spices, and Sheorlund is known for luxury products; colognes, higher-end silks, jewelry, etc. The revenue from this trading acts as the base of Radenor's economy, acting as an even larger pool of income for the gentry than the taxation of their fiefdoms.

Language
The people of Radenor mostly utilize Common. This was, however, not always the case. Before the conquest by the Unbroken Empire, they mostly spoke a now-dead language called Norunr. After the Kyngdom was conquered, the Empire punished its people for their centuries of defiance by attempting to destroy their culture and identity. They were required to learn Common within five years of the conquest, as after five years, speaking Norunr would invite execution. While Radenor's culture ultimately survived, its language did not, though it still influences Radenor's names, titles, terms and slang.

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