The Lands and Kingdoms of Aerune

At the Heart of Aerune lie the Six Kingdoms. These human kingdoms each have their own government and sometimes war with each other, but the kingdoms have a pact to unite against the Malekyrg Elves and the invasions of the Blood Tribes.

Avanlei

The kingdom of Avanlei derives its beauty from the natural forests and decorative gardens surrounding the cities. The kingdom is the smallest of the Six Kingdoms, built into a series of vales between the Griffin Peaks and Whisperhaunt Wood in the northeast of the Six Kingdoms. Over the years, the people of Avanlei have maintained ancient walled gardens in the sloping hills of the vale, and grow fruits and spices which are eagerly traded throughout the Six Kingdoms.

Avanlei is the only kingdom to maintain regular contact with the reclusive Elven kingdom of Eluviar, and some whisper that the royal family of Lirannon has the favor of the Seely Court. Whatever the case, Avanlei borders the Elven kingdom of Malekyr, and this tiny kingdom is the first line of defense when those dark folk come forth for war.

The royal family of Lirannon is small, and maintains only enough knights to satisfy the warriors of the immediate family. Most family members are known as bards and storytellers. The Queen, Kerena Lirannon, came unexpectedly to the throne only a few years ago. Her father, Kylar Lirannon, was greatly beloved by his people, but like many of the nobles of Avanlei was affected by the plague which had affected the land over ten years ago. As his health deteriorated, he abdicated the throne in favor of his oldest son, and departed the capital to live out his years in the countryside. Shortly thereafter, however, his son declared his love for one of the common folk, and abdicated the throne in favor of his younger sister, rather than give up his love.

The young Queen is known to be energetic and strong-willed, and though she is considered inexperienced by much of the court, her enthusiasm has won the hearts of the common people and younger nobility. She has remained neutral with regard to the rebellion in Malekyrg, and refuses to move troops over the border, though rumors persist that she is tangentially involved in the uprising. Her line is derived from Aradach, and she is a devout follower of the god.

The Galanar family is known as the finest knights of Avanlei; fiercely loyal and exceptionally well-trained. The Galanar also maintains a religious order devoted to Aradach, and their priests travel the lands of Avanlei, bringing restorative magic to her people.

The source of most magical knowledge in Avanlei is the mysterious Morbhain family. They are known as strange folk, and do not choose to attend court. Rather, they dwell within the Whisperhaunt wood, leaving only when one of their family is needed for advice or to provide magical assistance. It is whispered that the Morbhain have Faerie blood, and some claim that this family is the last remnants of the lost kingdom of sorcery, Diardha.

Lochsmoor

In the northwest of Aerune is the kingdom of Lochsmoor and the Highlands; a kingdom only recently acknowledged by the other Five. It is a wild land of deep-shaded woods and towering mountains, and unlike the other Five Kingdoms, Lochsmoor is the land of the Pale; people who live in harmony with nature and follow the ancient rites of the Green Man and the Grey Man.

The people of Lochsmoor live mostly in small holdings scattered throughout the forest, their homes constructed from stone frames with living walls of vines. Since the formal announcement of peace between the Church and the Pale several years ago, the borders of Lochsmoor and the Highlands, previously patrolled by fierce woodland Rangers, have been opened to commerce and trade. While they refuse to sit in council with the other Kingdoms, Lochsmoor has grudgingly been called the Sixth Kingdom, and now allow diplomatic envoys into their territory.

The religious leadership of the Highlands revolves around the Druid Council of the Grove of Lochsmoor. Undying and wise, their traditions are rumored to stretch back to the founding of the other Kingdoms and their blessing is sought when the land is threatened or new routes of commerce are proposed. Recently there has been an exchange of representatives with the church, with a member of the White Court allowed to sit in on council gatherings, and an aged Arch Druid sent to advise the Patriarch of the White Court.

There is no law against worshipping the White Court (in truth, there are no laws in Lochsmoor, just customs and the strength of kinships to keep people together), but anyone who tries to preach worship of any god within the forest tends to receive a cold shoulder from most of the inhabitants, although small enclaves to Naveril have sprung up in various locales. Rumors also place a strong fellowship dedicated to Myrkorim in the North, and the possible secret worship of Elshea in her aspect of the Huntress in hidden valleys and dens. Of the Black Court, little is known, although wild creatures and bestial men of Wyrlock are constant dangers to lone travelers. While the principles of the Black Court are certainly not tolerated, who can say what inroads have been made since the Kingdom has been opened to the rest of world?

The political leadership of the Lochsmoor is particularly unclear to most outsiders. There is no overall leadership besides the Druid Council, the people of the Highlands are wild and frown upon the overtures of civilization, preferring to hunt and gather in the deep woods of their lands, never taking more than they need from the bounty of nature. At gatherings involving more than two clans, rangers and druids from Lochsmoor are often called in to officiate. Rumor has it that the clans occasionally meet around an ancient stone throne hidden deep in the lands of Lochsmoor, vacant since the last King of the Highland people abdicated last year, but if this is the case, no outsider has ever witnessed it. The only city in Lochsmoor open to outsiders is Dun Comhghan, currently ruled by the tanaiste Illtyd Ardgall of Clan Ardgall. Rangers and the dangers of the forest itself are generally enough to keep outsiders in the city proper. Leadership in that city is shared between three of the clans: the MacFaden, the MacTimoney, and the Ardgall.

Visitors to Lochsmoor inevitably hear of a second city, Dun Berach, somewhere near the mountains, whose warriors and druids are legendary, but that city is not open to outsiders, so how much of the rumors are hyperbole is anyone’s guess. Whatever the exaggerations may be, the danger posed by the werebeasts that constantly roam the forests is not exaggerated, and most of the clans claim that Dun Berach is the reason that the forest is not overrun with them entirely.

Humans are the most numerous race in Lochsmoor, as in other nations. Unlike the more civilized lands, Shoathri are fairly common there, and generally favored. Several of the clans associate themselves with various animal spirits, and if a child born into the clan is chosen by the spirit of that clan, the child is sure to be offered many opportunities to prove his or herself, and can rise high in standing. Their legends tell of a time when every person in Lochsmoor was Shoathri, and they could all support themselves from the land without needing a roof over their heads, living much more in tune with nature than they do now.

The people of Lochsmoor seem strangely hostile to Elves, compared to other races, refusing to allow them to be adopted into any clan, though there are a few Liendral holdings in the area around Dun Comhghan, and Eluviar traders have reported no difficultly dealing with people at Dun Comhghan. There are also Trolls present in Lochsmoor, though they most often form their own villages in the mountains and have little to do with outsiders. In recent years, Wayward, especially Zhuriel and Eurvein, have both been adopted into various clans depending on their nature and willingness to accept the practices of that holding, though neither is common.

The Seven Clans of Lochsmoor are distinct groups, although interlinked by many ties of blood and marriage.

The MacFaden are a clan that tends towards mystics and shamans rather than proper druids - the result of a fair amount of intermarriage with some of the Winter Tribes (some habitually refer to the Barbarians of the Winter Tribes as ‘cousin’). Their sigil is a skull with a diagonally-aligned spear behind it.

The MacTimoney clan often serves as representatives in discussions with the other Kingdoms, but more importantly (by their way of thinking), they are the skalds for the clans. Each clan has its own skald, but the MacTimoney are known to be the best throughout Lochsmoor, and when there is a gathering of clans they are always called to tell the ancient legends. Their heraldry is a gold harp on a blue background.

The Ardgall are, first and foremost, the children of Urugar. As the werebeasts in the mountains became stronger, they followed the movement of the animals and moved away from those mountains. It has been debated whether the clan moved because they have so many beastmasters among them, or if they became beastmasters after they moved away from the mountains. The Ardgall will tell you that they have always had among them those whose blood called to nature, since the beginning of time. Unlike the other clans, they accept no Humans into their ranks, only Shoathri and occasional Zhuriel. Their symbol is a rising sun over the mountain.

The MacMaire clan is known for highly specialized Rangers; circles of Stormdancers which call forth devastating powers against their enemies without destroying their own forces (though they tend to be indifferent to the effect their circles have on allied fighting groups). Their sign is a stooping falcon clutching a lightening bolt, set in white against a dark green background.

The Maclaren have an odd place in the internal standing of the Clans. In Dun Comhghan they are always mentioned with respect, but many from deeper in the forests regard them as somewhat weak and unreliable. This perception may spring from the fact that many of their Shoathri follow Choenta, and as a clan they specialize in archery, so rarely do they take a stand in a straight-up fight. They are one of the few clans without a clearly designated symbol, but their leaders often bear a red ribbon or band tied around their upper arm.

The MacDurnan clan is seldom seen in Dun Comhghan, but those that appear are always shown respect (and given a wide berth). They are considered a clan of excellent fighters, but they are distinctly not famed for their wisdom, and are always considered to be highly dangerous. They greatly favor those Shoathri who are chosen by Tluro, and also boast a large number of berserkers within their ranks. Their symbol is a charging boar.

The clan Cyncad is the smallest of the seven major clans. Their Rangers are amongst the most skilled at stealth - near-untrackable - and their holdings are so well hidden that it is rumored that no outsider has ever discovered their lands without having been guided there. Their sign is a crescent moon partially hidden behind an evergreen tree.

Mhurkiel

To the southeast lies the kingdom of Mhurkiel, often called the Kingdom of Sin. It is the only kingdom which still permits slavery, and the Queen forbids the open worship of any god within its borders. Where Trechele could be said to suffer from excess, the court of Mhurkiel is openly decadent, and the contrast between the rich and the poor is great. While the Queen attends to a lavish and darkened court, her people toil outside her palace, barely able to feed themselves. Where Trechele encourages freedom, Mhurkiel stifles it. Art must meet the approval of the Queen’s censors, or it is immediately destroyed. Those who commit crimes or who cannot support themselves are quickly pressed into slavery. The Queen does not tolerate any race but Humans as citizens, and anyone who shows characteristics of other races are pressed into slavery.

The other kingdoms resent and sometimes openly challenge the policies of Mhurkiel, and the Queen of Avanlei has a particular hate for the Queen. The ancient pact binds them, however, and more than once the deadly Elite Guard of Mhurkiel has arrived to rescue the northern kingdoms from the ravages of the Blood Tribes or the Elven kingdom of Malekyrg. The other kingdoms also fear the sorcery of the Queen, for it is said that she holds many of the secrets considered lost when Diardha was destroyed. How the Queen has obtained these is unknown, but the fact that she appears youthful after 190 long years lends credence to these rumors.

In recent years, one region in Mhurkiel has become a beacon of hope to those both within and without the Kingdom who hate the Queen’s policies. For reasons of her own, the Queen has allowed the Free Commons of Belik Hills to retain their independence. That place has afforded much opportunity for burgeoning overland trade and commerce, and, rumor has it, a stepping stone for insurgents trying to free slaves from Mhurkiel.

The royal family is House Chartys, and the pale Queen Khelaine Chartys ever keeps her Elite Guard close. The royal family has the blood of Arcalia, and it is said that those with the power of that blood sometimes see into the past and the future. The Queen’s art at diplomacy is as effective as her magic, and her mood can quickly and without warning turn from delight to rage. The power of Khelaine’s magic has not been questioned since she turned it against Selarno (now Naporea) in a short skirmish some 70 years ago.

The Thalik family serves as the Queen’s Elite Guard, and it is this family which is called upon to deal with the most difficult missions which require subtlety and swift execution. The Thalik family has some of the most skilled assassins in Aerune. They carry out the Queen’s wishes wherever her gaze may fall or her wishes take them. The loyalty of the Thalik is unquestioned, and they have proven themselves loyal through all manner of pain and death.

The Melekite family serves as both the common fighting force and keepers of the peace. They are also the family responsible for supplying slaves to Mhurkiel, and they are famously not particular about where they obtain those slaves. There is great hatred for the Melekite within the other kingdoms, but the power of the Queen keeps most problems in check. The Melekite take a perverse pleasure in that hatred, and they are extremely capable and paranoid as a rule.

The secretive family of Xerberes also serves the Queen. The family is a collection of priests and sorcerers. The priests rarely speak of their faith, and the sorcerers do not contribute to the College in Trechele, nor do they share knowledge outside their family. The Xerberes have very capable wizards, but some whisper that they practice and experiment their magics on live subjects. Since the departure of the House of Wickford from the mages’ Guild Council, the Xerberes have stepped forward and joined the Council with a guild of their own, exerting great influence over the politics and policies of the Council.

The Queen wears a black badge with a white Unicorn rearing to the left. The Thalik wear no badge except in the most formal situations, and then they are allowed to wear the badge of the Queen. The Melekite wear a black badge with a sword wrapped with a chain. The Xerberes do not wear badges or colors, but all wear necklaces or rings marked with an eyeball, and many have tattoos of eyes somewhere on their persons.

Naporea

A few generations ago, Nachael Selarno staged a bloody coup against the Naporean royal family, one which was believed to have eliminated all of the royal family. For years, the mercenary king ruled the land he renamed Selarno with merciless determination, and any who openly expressed support for the old royal family were killed outright.

All was changed ten years ago, when Joval Naporea, the only son of the one surviving member of the Naporean royal family, stepped forward to claim the throne. He was virtually unknown at the time, the head priest of a small temple dedicated to Naveril, but managed to gain a great deal of support among the Selarno nobility, and, rumors say, among some of the other royalty with true blood. When the time came to take a stand against the Selarno family, he delivered another surprise – a ghostly army from ancient Naporea returned to serve the last king with true blood.

The coup was achieved with relatively little bloodshed. The Lord of House Selarno disappeared immediately before fighting began, and his successor took her own life shortly thereafter. Faced with the lack of leadership, the spectacle of Joval’s ghostly army, and his offer of clemency to all who would accept his rule, the merchant lords of Selarno capitulated. Only a few houses chose to resist, and were dealt with quickly. The arrival of the King actually lessened the amount of fighting on the city streets, as he made it clear that the inter-house wars so common in the time of Selarno were a thing of the past. The Selarno family itself fractured and disappeared into the countryside, and though rumors persist that they and their lands are cursed and ever seeking revenge on Joval, nothing has come of it in the decade since his ascension.

Naporea has been a land of relative peace since that time, although struggles between the king and the old Selarno merchant lords, and between the merchant lords themselves, are a daily part of life. The merchant lords retain a great deal of their old power, and it is not unusual to find them overstepping their authority. The King’s court also hosts a large number of Vesperan High Priests, who are anxious about the actions of the king who holds Elshea’s divine blood, especially after Joval offered refuge to her followers, though the Church has not formally objected to this act.

Several years ago, as rumors circulated that Joval would not marry and that the true blood would die with him, the King quietly installed his daughter, Arden, as his heir. Who her mother was is unknown, and the Princess herself is seldom seen. Rumor has it that she travels the countryside with a meager escort, determined to discover the true state of the commoners to report to her father.

The Noro family has long had the largest vineyards in Aerune, and their wines are the most widely tasted. Though Trechele claims more expensive and, in some cases, finer wines, the Noro wines are by far the most widely distributed. It is said that the Noro once dealt in other substances forsaken by all the kingdoms save Mhurkiel, but this is but rumor, and since Joval’s rise they have been known strictly as wine merchants.

The Berellen family controls the shipping of the southern harbor, and owns the most caravans which make the dangerous journey to the north. The Berellen family often hires guards to protect their merchant wagons against the Blood Tribes and other dangers. There are some merchants from other kingdoms who openly wonder what it is that makes the merchant trails dangerous – the Blood Tribes, or the Berellen paring down their competition.

The Stefolare are best known as the largest patrons of the arts outside of Trechele, but their real money comes from their wools, cottons and cloth dyes. Even the artists of Trechele prefer the cloth of Stefolare, for the color and texture is the best of the north, and some claim they use magic in its weaving. The Stefolare also deal in leather and a great number of crafted goods. The Stefolare consider themselves the protector and savior of the craftsman, but that protection often comes unwanted, and often comes at a price.

The Einedes are known for their well-trained mercenary guards and soldiers. Many lords go to the Einedes to supplement their own troops in war, and it has been said that not a war passes which does not see the blades of the Einedes blooded. It was said that the crown might never have gone to Selarno if not for the Einedes family, and they were known as the most loyal of the houses. They have lost much since the revolution, as they no longer have the favor of the king, and Joval has been most diligent in weeding out slavers from among his people.

The royal Naporean family wears a golden crown of wheat on a field of purple. The Noro bear a gray rams' head on a purple field, and that symbol also adorns their wine. The Berellen wear the talon of a hawk raised and holding a scroll, all gray on purple. The Stefolare wear two gray masks of the theatre, one happy and one sad, on purple. The Einedes wear a gray dagger crossed with a gray lightning bolt, dagger pointing southeast, lightning pointing southwest, on a purple field.

Rhoemurg

The northernmost of the Six Kingdoms, Rhoemurg is known for her long winters and sturdy peoples. The kingdom is closest to the Blood Tribes, and for many years has borne the brunt of their raids, especially in recent years since the rise of the Nalachim. The royal family of Rhoemurg, House Vlariev, is of true blood and claims a lineage to Myrkorim. The king of the land, Ossek Vlariev, was a general and knight, and a veteran of many battles. His house controls the armies of Rhoemurg and most of his knights come from his own family.

Two additional families serve the royal line.

The Bjurik family handles all matters magical, and is responsible for gathering and schooling the sorcerers of Rhoemurg. The family is small, but the wizard Verrekan is said to be extremely powerful and fiercely loyal to the Vlariev line.

The Ovorn have a dark reputation. They swore fealty to the Vlariev only a century ago, leaving the kingdom of Selarno to do so. The Ovorn are well-versed in Selarnian practices and philosophies, and rumor has it that they are called upon to deal with problems which need to be resolved quickly and quietly. The Ovorn keep a strict eye on the movements of merchants and traders within the land, and control the taverns of Rhoemurg.

The people of Rhoemurg have been called bland and dour, but truthfully the harsh winters and constant danger of Barbarian raids have made the people simple and very practical. Many of the luxuries of the southern kingdoms are largely unavailable in Rhoemurg, and when they are imported, it is at great expense. The Rhoemurg tend to scoff at bright dyes, sugars, spices, and other fineries. Rhoemurg is unequalled in distilling hard liquor and the kingdom has some of the best smiths outside of the Eurvein.

Even the royal house wears a sensible gray and dark green. The symbol of House Vlariev is a gray bear rearing on a dark green field. The Bjurik use a gray crescent moon with three white stars in its confines on a field of dark green. The Ovorn wear a gray dagger, point down, wrapped with a serpent on the green of Vlariev.

Trechele

This large and prosperous kingdom rests in the southwestern corner of Aerune. The combination of mild weather, successful war campaigns, and great distance from both the Blood Tribes and the Malekyrg Elves has made this kingdom the richest in goods, money, and culture. The royal family is a great patron of the arts, and the court in the capital of Aviogne is known for its intrigue and excess. Even warfare and combat are treated as an art, and the duelists of the court and the streets of Trechele are respected for their skill with blade and tongue. If there is a place with a true appreciation of the arts, it is Roechere and the court of House Mercenes. Physically, the people of Trechele display wild variation, depending upon where they were born; Humans born of northern Trechele have fair hair and fair skin as a rule, while the people from the Barony of Kordova are dark-haired and have skin that is of deeper hue.

The rise of Trechele began at the end of Adrienne’s March, a seventy-three-year war with the then-Kingdom of Kordova, and within that war lay the seeds for the civil war which has now consumed much of the land. After years of bloody conflict between Adrienne Mercenes and Herenan Kordova, the war ended with Trechele victory. The Kordova family, who themselves had true blood going back to Sereness, swore fealty to House Mercenes, and the Queen was immediately married to the son of Adrienne just one year before the king died of old age. Thus the Kingdom of Kordova became the Barony of Kordova, and the two royal bloodlines were made one.

The King of Trechele, Petrieve Mercenes, moves through his court with a grace and confidence matched by no other man or woman. He is unmarried, which even in these troubled times makes him a target for many enterprising young women. House Mercenes has many knights and many artisans in its ranks. The House Kordova still serves Mercenes. In the past, it provided almost as many knights to the king as the royal family, though in recent years many of those stationed along the borders have defected, and the loyalty of those who remain in or near the capital city is constantly being questioned.

Just over a decade ago, while the people of Trechele were still recovering from the devastation of the Blood Pools which had appeared over much of the country, and as the king attempted to mediate between all parties in the divided church, Kordova took the opportunity to agitate for independence. At first their cries were ignored, but as the situation within the church became more unstable, more and more discontents moved to Kordova, and the king was forced to act against them. Wishing to act quickly but fairly, King Mercenes dispatched a strong force of his most loyal guards to Frogarre and then southward to Kordova to arrest the most vocal of the insurrectionists. The move met with abject failure, as six War Golems of unknown origin massacred the band, leaving few survivors.

Since then the forces of Trechele have been in near-constant battle with the Kordovan Rebellion, adopting hit-and-run tactics to avoid confrontations with the devestating War Golems. After discovering that Orichalcum was required for the War Golems to function, the king outlawed the transport or trade of Orichalcum within the borders of Trechele, and attempted to blockade Kordova to prevent any Orichalcum from moving into that region. This has resulted in a contest between both sides to see who can hire the most skilled mages to make gates (or prevent them from being made) to transport Orichalcum to the Kordovan rebels.

House Mercenes is also served by the Aquitaire family, well known for its skill in sorcery, and the family of Rouen who are known for their devout worship of Aradach.

The Rouen family is known as the religious center of the Six Kingdoms. The priests of Aradach, sovereign to the gods, advise the various temples on conduct and religious doctrine. The Rouen family also traditionally maintains the Inquisition, a religious organization that watches for the worship of forbidden gods within the Six Kingdoms (although what influence they actually have in Lochsmoor is unknown). The Inquisition acts on the authority of Mercenes and has the backing of many of the other houses of the Six Kingdoms. Their influence, and thus the influence of House Rouen, is considerable, even though for the first time in many generations, the current head of the Inquisition is not from the Rouen family.

The royal House Mercenes wears a gold crown above a gold gryphon on a red field. House Aquitaire wears a gold sun surrounded separated from its own rays on the royal red. House Rouen wears a gold ring encircling a white flame on a red field. Kordova still wears its dark maroon, its symbol a gray gauntlet curled into a fist.