Korenell

The Theocratic Kingdom of Korenell

Alignment: LN
Capital: Korenhold (70,280)
Notable Settlements: Sonvera (28,340), Arthune (9,750), Namport (5,030).
Ruler: King Umbrar Kassintius (monarch)
High Priest Ustalav Gronchik (Patriarch of Trinity Church)
Grand Templar Bregoen Minerci (Commander of the High Templars)
Government: Theocratic bureaucratic kingdom
Languages: Common (Nomen), Arathian
Religion: Trinity, Korrond, Solarus, Hermaen, Baldur, Tulsin, Demater

The Theocratic Kingdom of Korenell stretches from the sandy and rocky beaches of the Inner Sea, to the Golbez Mountains on the northern border.  To the west, the Kelsarian Desert and the Freewind Savannah limit growth into dry, inhabitable regions, and the northeast is dominated by the southern most reaches of the Feywoods. The wide, expansive Myrillian River marks the eastern border of the Kingdom.  The river is so wide (nearly 2 miles for most of its length) that ferries are required to safely reach the other side. The sprawling Kingdom is somewhat sparsely populated compared to the nations of the eastern coasts, though its population continues to grow and fill in the arable farmland between the mountains and the sea.

REGIONAL HISTORY

-9000+ G.R. – Tribes of goblinoids and gnolls inhabit the region as hunter-gather bands

-8500 G.R. – Seldrie tribes of men begin to compete with the gnolls and goblinoids.  Though the men stay mostly near the southern coasts.

-3900 G.R. – The arathian tribes of men appear in the western deserts along the Typhen River from some unknown world.  They immediately begin enslaving the local lizardfolk tribes for their savior pharaoh, the chosen of Thorus.

-3700 G.R. – The First Dynasty of the Arathkelsaran Empire begins.  The Empire expands along the Typhen River to the mountains.

-3550 G.R. – The first ancient tombs and pyramids are built in the lands along the Typhen River to commemorate the pharaohs of the Second Dynasty.

-3300 G.R. – The Third Dynasty of the Arathkelsara Empire expands north to the Demater River, enslaving the first of the gnoll and goblinoid tribes.

-3220 G.R. – The Arathian city of Tethis is founded on the site of modern Korenhold.

-3185 G.R. – Arathkelsara Empire expands aggressively westward into the region from the west, driving most of the goblins northward into the mountains, and the seldrie and gnolls eastward.  Any that did not flee before their military might are enslaved.

-2900 G.R. – The Xaya civilization expands aggressively through the Selicean island and Tabanya. A war ensues with the seldrie tribes and most seldrie are driven out of the islands.

-2460 G.R. – Korrat the Lawbringer is said to have appeared on Montsiris and given his disciples the Scrolls of the Divine Laws to the arathians living near Montsiris. 

-1982 G.R. – The Cult of Siris in Arathkelsara see the skyfire and predict the arrival of the “dragon men”.

-1800 G.R. – The Xaya civilization collapses on the southern coasts of Ularin and the Selicean Islands. The xayadrie and seldrie people of the islands intermingle to become the modern selicean human group.

-1100 G.R. – The Nomen Empire contacts the Arathkelsaran Empire. Trade roads are established, and much trade (over land and sea) enhances both empires.

-1080 G.R. – The large iconic statue of Korrat the Lawbringer is erected on top of Montsiris to commemorate the deity. The place soon becomes a destination for pilgrims as worship of the Arathian deities spread throughout the Nomen Empire.  Many of the modern pantheon find their roots during this period as the Nomen dragon-gods, traditional (pre-Nomen) eastern pantheons, and arathian pantheons begin to merge together.

-1050 G.R. – War breaks out between the Arathkelsarian and Nomen Empires as the Fourth Arathkelsarian Dynasty takes over.  The arathians seemingly wish to take the incoming settlers as slaves, while the Nomen Empire covets the rich fertile lands and mining resources in the region.

-980 G.R. – Dwarves venture into the region from Kalavar. They begin to establish colonies in the mountains.

-950 G.R. – The War of the Empires continues, making much of Korenell too dangerous for settlement by either side.  Both sides continue to send armies of soldiers into the lands.

-850 G.R. – The Nomen Empire spends many resources on expanding their armies and navies.  They conquer most of Korenell and push the Arathkelsarian Empire past the River Demater. The Nomen armies capture and raze the city of Tethis (modern Korenhold). The city is renamed Augustandrus (or Augustandria) after the conquering general, Galerius Augustanus. The new city consists only of the modern old-city island (which still bears the name Augustandria), surrounded by the razed and destroyed ruins of the old Arathkelsarian city.

-820 G.R. – Dwarves establish the underground settlement of Brong in the iron-rich hills of the Brongus Cliffs.

-790 G.R. – Tensions throughout the Nomen Empire weaken its logistics network and organization of its provinces.  Meanwhile the Nomen navy has expanded greatly and finally is able to equally challenge the Arathkelsarian fleets in the Inner Sea.

-585 G.R. The Arathkelsarian Empire falls into a war with the goblinoids of the Kelsus Mountains. This reduces some of the pressure on the Nomen forces in the area.

-523 G.R. – The Nomen Empire collapses as regional governors claim dominion over their regions after the larger bureaucracy continues to fail them. The small province of Augustus falls under the leadership of Governor Lucceius Fraucus. The region has a northern border of the Solenmars, western border of the Demater River, and eastern border of the Myrillian River.

-500 G.R. – The weakened Arathkelsarian Empire falls into years of contention as the empire is split between the upper (western) and lower (eastern) empires. The war over the Augustus province falls apart as the two arathian empires wage war against each other.

-300 G.R. – The province of Augustus collapses from the First Great Goblin War. The goblinoids from the north send a great horde and war machine that descends from the mountains upon the men of the southern coasts. The expanded city of Augustandria is razed, but the old city on the island remains secure, holding off the siege.  The population of men from the old empire diminishes greatly.  Trade between the province and the rest of the old empire ceases.

-200 G.R. – The Lower Empire of Arathkelsara holds back the goblin hordes and maintains their border at the Demater River.  The holy town of Korratus grows beneath Montsiris as the religions of Korrat (Korrond) and Sol (Solarus) continue to grow in Arathkelsarian culture.

1 G.R. – The Republic of Goldwall is formed on the eastern coast.  This creates a resurgence among the small eastern kingdoms and regions to reclaim the old empire and its lost lands. 

24 G.R. – The First Crusades begin.  Many knightly orders of the eastern coast band together and head to the lost province of Augustus to reclaim the holy land. The land between the Sanctus Mountains and the coast are considered the Holy Land for many of the religions that originated in Arathkelsara (Korrond, Solarus, Demater).  The crusade proves to be a failure as goblins and giants control much of the region, and the Arathians still hold the small city of Korratus below Montsiris.  The crusaders find the city of Augustandria has greatly dwindled and barely survives in the dangerous lands. They find little more than a small village of people among the larger ruins of the old city.

58 G.R. – The Second Crusades begin.  The crusaders successfully gather in Augustandria and begin to reestablish trade with the city-states of Migara and beyond. 

70 G.R. – The goblinoids and giants are driven from the region as far north as the Solenmars.  The town of Sonvera is established to foster trade along the old Nomen highway.  The new outpost establishes the ferry service that is vital for crossing the wide Myrillian River.

75 G.R. – Dwarves expand from Brong, founding numerous forts and settlements in the mountains. They fight much with the goblins.

95 G.R. – The Lower Kingdom of Arathkelsara conquers the Upper Kingdom and becomes the Fifth Dynasty of the Empire of Arathkelsara.  The new empire begins to pay attention to its eastern border again.

110 G.R. – The Third Crusades begin.  The crusaders are determined to capture the Holy Land. The fortress of Athune is established along the Demater River and the crusaders clear the region to the Kelsus Ridge and Arthurian Woods.

122 G.R. – Draken Pendragon, Prince of Gerdall (modern Loyolla), leads the crusaders into the Holy Land and captures the city of Korratus. They drive the arathians out of the city and claim the city for the people of the new Kingdom of Korenell. 

123 G.R. (1 K.R.) – Year of the Trinity. The Empire of Arathkelsara sends a sizable army to reclaim Korratus. King Draken Pendragon is killed in the siege. His squire Aedin of Nombria leads the counterattack but is forced to make a final stand on the hill of Montsiris, below the statue of Korrat the Lawbringer.  Aedin is captured by the Arathkelsarian soldiers. Traditionally, the Arathkelsarian soldiers would crucify their enemy leaders and enslave the rest. However, since there were no trees nearby on the rocky hill, the soldiers tied Aedin to the outstretched arms of the statue of Korrat the Lawbringer.  They lightly cut his wrists and watched him bleed to death on high as they forced his captured followers to watch, as was standard practice. Everyone then saw a beam of light shine through the overcast sky, shining upon the dying Aedin. With his dying breath he gave the Proclamation of the Trinity.

The Arathkelsarian soldiers saw this as a prophecy of Korrat.  They pulled the dead Aedin down from the statue (though his blood marks still stain it today). The war stopped in the city of Korratus as both sides tried to make sense of the divine proclamation. The reinforcements from Korenell stay outside the city walls and hostilities cease for a few years.

126 G.R. (4 K.R.) – The nobleman and former crusader, Philigard of House Kassintius from the Astonia region takes command of the Korenell crusaders. He uses the sacrifice of Aedin to leverage himself as ruler and King of Korenell. Months later he organizes and signs a peace treaty with Pharaoh Onnos Merira II.  The city of Korratus and lands west of the Demater River is returned to the Arathkelsarians, but the people of Korenell and the east are given safe pilgrimage rights to the city.

129 G.R. (7 K.R.) – The city of Augustandria is renamed Korenhold in honor of Korrond and a great reclamation project takes place in the city ruins.  Construction begins on Augustus Palace, a grand castle built on the top of the old Arathkelsarian pyramid. 

130 G.R. (8 K.R.) – The Last War begins on the eastern coasts.  Trade with Korenell ceases.  Many of the Korenell knightly orders head to the east to assist with the war efforts against the dohkan.

136 G.R. (14 K.R.) – Trade returns to Korenell with the eastern coasts and the new city of Hopesdawn.

138 G.R. (16 K.R.) – A dwarven cult dedicated to Nuegar is exposed in Brong and pushed out.  Rumors suggest the cultists established a colony in the Golbez Mountains.

148 G.R. (26 K.R.) – The Church of the Trinity is officially formed as the Proclamation of the Trinity spreads throughout Korenell.  Many Korenellians view Aedin as a prophet of Trinity the Three-Formed God, a merging of Korrond, Solarus, and Demater. The arathians, however, view Aedin as an unwilling prophet and vessel of Korrat. The arathian religious leaders prophesize the coming of Korrat’s true prophet.

295 G.R. (173 K.R.) – The prophet Methusuphis begins to preach at Montsiris the new teachings of Korrat. Worship of the deity flourishes throughout the Arathkelsarian Empire.

314 G.R. (192 K.R.) – Year of Korrat’s True Prophet. The prophet Methusuphis is crucified in the town square of Korratus by soldiers of the Pharaoh, who feel the new teachings of Korrat challenge the lawful hierarchy of Thorus. The martyrdom of Methusuphis has many proclaim him to be Korrat’s true prophet. The Keepers of the Scrolls are formed to interpret and disseminate the prophet’s writings and teachings.

335 G.R. (213 K.R.) – The Blades of Law, an arathian religious/military organization devoted to the prophet Methusuphis, is formed in Korratus. They begin gaining support in the city to kick out the Korenellian pilgrims and claim the Holy Land for their own. Racism against outsiders increases.

387 G.R. (265 K.R.) – A great horde of goblins come down from the Golbez Mountains through the Righteous Hills. The Second Great Goblin War is fought with Korenell for seven years.  The humans are eventually victorious, but farms and mines are destroyed, and trade is greatly disrupted for a long while.

388 G.R. (266 K.R.) –The Order of the High Templars of the Trinity are formed as a military extension of the Trinity church to help in the goblin wars, seeing it as their religious duty to protect the people of Korenell. They push northward, building forts and establishing more reliable patrols to protect people from goblins and giants.

425 G.R. (303 K.R.) – The inner sea becomes filled with trade vessels, privateers, and pirates as Migara and Korenell compete for trade deals across the Inner Sea.  The Seaskar Islands and Arawen swamps became infamous for pirates waiting to attack unsuspecting merchant vessels.

530 G.R. (408 K.R.) – The city of Namport is founded on the northern border to bring raw resources from the forests down to the trade city of Sonvera.

541 G.R. (419 K.R.) – *The adventurer Ekat Kassen establishes a small wooden fort on the Feyrun River. The fort grows into a small logging town.

567 G.R. (445 K.R.) – The Blades of Law violently push out non-arathians from Korratus and proclaim command of the holy city. The refugees gather around the fortress of Arthune, forming a makeshift town outside its walls.

584 G.R. (462 K.R.) – The Fourth Crusade begins to reclaim Korratus and the Holy Land for the Church of the Trinity. The crusaders charge into Korratus and are able to retake the city, pushing out many arathians.  The Blades of Law retreat and beseech the Pharaoh for aid.

585 G.R. (463 K.R.) – The armies of the Arathkelsarian Empire siege the city of Korratus. The siege lasts many years as both sides control the city at various times.  Armies begin to clash in the fields around the mountains.

587 G.R. (465 K.R.) – The High Templars take control of the fortress-town of Arthune, bringing strict discipline and order to the border town. The high walls of Arthune are built to protect the growing town from the arathian armies and to serve as a strong border against any invading arathian armies.

589 G.R. (467 K.R.) – Many fortifications are built around the Sanctus mountains by both sides. Many battles and skirmishes take place in the land between the mountains.

595 G.R. (473 K.R.) – The Massacre of Titus.  The largest battle of the war is fought in the land between the Kelsus and Sanctus mountains. The armies of Korenell led by the crusader Arunus Titus are slaughtered by the Arathkelsarians in the biggest defeat in the war.  The land between the mountains is filled with so many dead corpses that the area is henceforth referred to as the Fields of Blood.

598 G.R. (476 K.R.) – The fortress-town of Arthune is besieged by the Arathkelsarian armies.  The people of the fortress outlast the siege for ten years, using their inner-wall fields to keep their soldiers form starving. The Korenellian military is seen to fail the people of Arthune and the High Templars are praised for their defense of the fortress.  The arathians are forced to leave the fortress unconquered.

603 G.R. (481 K.R.) – The Year of the Peace. Pharaoh Onnos Mirira III and King Sventus Kassintius reach a peace deal to end the war.  The war had greatly reduced the trade routes into both their nations from the eastern coasts and neither side wanted to see the loss of wealth from these deals.  Both the Blades of Law of Korrat and the High Templars of the Trinity opposed the peace deal.

The city of Korratus is divided into three sections, one for the arathians, one for the Korenellians and people of the east, and one section in between as a neutral trading zone. Walls are built between each sector. Montsiris begins to be guarded by both the Blades of Law and the High Templar as neither side trusts the other.  To this day, three soldiers of both sides stand guard near the statue of Korrat the Lawbringer. Armies of both sides guard their respective portion of the holy city.

610 G.R. (488 K.R.) – The war over the Holy Land goes under cover as a war of intrigue, assassinations, and blackmail as both sides try to control Korratus.

628 G.R. (506 K.R.) – Many merchant guilds and criminal syndicates take control of the Neutral Quarter of Korratus.  The section of the city becomes infamous as a black market as the guilds create their own mercenary guards to control the quarter.

670 G.R. (548 K.R.) – A great sandstorm blows through the Kelsarian Deserts, unearthing numerous ancient ruins and pyramids from the old dynasties.  The pharaoh sees this as an opportunity to recover ancient relics and offers much wealth in exchange for any artifacts recovered. This event brings many eastern aristocrats sending teams of explorers to Arathkelsara to bring back riches and lost treasures. 

676 G.R. (554 K.R.) – The growing Church of the Trinity with some aristocratic allies overtakes government control from the crown.  The Ministry of the Faith is created to oversee the bureaucratic duties of running the kingdom. The monarchy is reduced to a pampered figurehead as the young and spoiled King Umbrar Kassintius blindly signs the reforms of the Ministry of Faith.  Many believe the church will use its new power to start another war over the Holy Land.

689 G.R. (567 K.R.) – The pharaoh ceases trading wealth for artifacts, finding many outsiders opting to illegally keep the artifacts instead. It is decreed that only chartered exploration groups can explore the ruins, and all artifacts must be given to the pharaoh.  This act only increases the amount of illegal looting as many see an opportunity for wealth. This causes much tension between the Arathkelsara and Korenell.

Goblin attacks become more frequent around the Golbez mountains and Righteous Hills.  Many fear another great goblin horde could come at any time.

691 G.R. (569 K.R.) – A small invasion of goblins strikes at the northern border of Korenell, hitting Kassen and Julkuron. Julkuron barely repelled the invasion. In Kassen, a young group of heroes helped stop the assault.

692 G.R. (570 K.R.) – The Star of Righteousness is recovered from a lost monastery in the north. The High Templar prepare to construct a new fortress along the northern border.

693 G.R. (571 K.R.) – Tensions increase in Korenell as Princess Nirea continues to garner support among the Righteous Hills. The Heroes of Kassen are accused of murdering Rizak Klemocc, a disgraced former Bishop of the Church of St. Aedin.

694 G.R. (572 K.R.) – The Heroes of Kassen save the Migara colony of Gessedo from a virulent hurricane caused by ancient magic. The group is renamed the Stormbreakers. Unbeknownst to its citizens, the grand dwarven city of Brong is saved from certain doom by the Stormbreakers. The Crimson Crusaders take over the Barony of Seveland, but are quickly thwarted by the Stormbreakers. Construction of the High Templar fortress, Fort Northhold, is completed in Kassen.

DEMOGRAPHICS

Humans (88%), Dwarves (6%), Gnomes (2%), Halflings (2%), Others (2%)

Korenell is primarily composed of humans, probably more so than any other human-dominated culture on Ularin.  Dwarves are the most common minority and the dwarven stronghold of Brong lies not too far in the western hills. Some gnomes and halflings are found throughout the kingdom.  Many of them come from the gnomish/halfling city of Glitterstone to the east, a city famed for the small inhabitants. Some eshmar (half-elves) and half-orcs can be found, but are few and far between. The nation is quite far from the elven lands and so elves are much more rare.

Humans and Race Issues

The humans of Korenell have a very mixed heritage.  The first humans to lay claim to the territory were the seldrie, one of the primary precursor people of the modern seliceans (the other being the xayadrie).  The arathians then pushed into the territory and much of the area was dominated by a mixture of these two groups.  When the Nomen Empire tried to push their way into the region, a mixture of nomen, amarie, and toldrie heritages intermixed with the arathians and seldrie.

Modern Korenellians demographics vary greatly by their social status. Poor folks having the most diversity with primarily seldrie, arathian, and xayadrie descent, resulting in darker skin and hair tones.  The upper crust of society tends to be more of the amarie and toldrie descendencies, having fairer skin tones.

This dichotomy of racial demographics results in most darker-skin people to be assumed to be of lesser social status, particularly in Korenhold.  This isn’t helped by the fact that St. Aedin, prophet and savior of the Trinity religion is always depicted as having nearly alabaster skin to represent his “purity”.  While the Trinity religion itself doesn’t officially support the resulting racism that springs from this iconography, many of the more ignorant and poor among the amarie and toldrie descendants of the nation strongly believe that the Trinity speaks only for their light-skinned “chosen people of Aedin”, and never the darker skinned arathians and seliceans. This also stems from Korenell’s almost deliberate pull away from the Nomen traditions of the eastern coasts in an attempt to redefine itself in an unfamiliar landscape. Because on the eastern coasts, darker skin (paired with pale eyes) was often seen as having ties to the honor of ancient Nomen blood.

REGIONS OF KORENELL

Korenell is home to nearly all terrains and biomes. It is a wide land of many opportunities for adventure. This section provides an overview of each region along with some details about the settlements within.

The Feyreach Forest

On the northernmost border of Korenell lies the expansive forests of the Feyreach. It is a wild land with very few settlers. Most of the folk who live on this wild border are hardy folk who do not expect the soldiers of the nation to come to their aid.  Since this region borders the Golbez Mountains, the threat of goblins is always a concern for the people who choose to dwell so close to danger.  However, the forest is suspected to be home to numerous fey creatures. The people who live in this region believe that the creatures of the forest protect them from the goblins.  There may be some truth to that belief, as the number of goblin attacks in this region are certainly less than those counted in the Righteous Hills.  But it may also be the fact that the forest and its countless streams and rivers makes it quite difficult for any raiders to traverse through its depths.

Namport (pop. 5,030).  The primary settlement on the northern end of Korenell is Namport.  The town is a primary trading port for the people in the region.  The plentiful wood, furs, leathers, and other raw goods are sent down the wide Myrillian River to be collected and sold in the markets of Sonvera.  Namport itself isn’t much to look at.  Besides its protective walls, the entire town is built almost entirely of wood and logs. This gives the town a much-deserved wild, frontier feel.  The High Templar have a small fortress outside of town, which serves as office for scouts sent into the wilds northward to keep an eye on the goblins.  The city governs itself through a town council ruled by a handful of minor noble houses.  These nobles continue to expand their economic reach in the region, fighting with each other for control of various industries.  The town guard in the city is known to be rather lax, and people expect to take care of themselves when walking the dark streets at night.

The Myrillian River Valley

Flowing its way southbound out of the boundless forests is the Myrillian River. Along its great length are numerous small fishing and farming villages, each with small docks out into the slow-flowing waters. On the western side of the river, these villages are connected by trails and roads to the River Highway that connects Namport and Sonvera.  On the eastern side of the river, the villages are more sparse.  There are numerous tribes of gnolls and other denizens of the Feywood Forest that plague those brave people who live on the east side.  The few villages that do dot that side of the river prefer to travel by water rather than land to trade.

Sonvera (pop. 28,340).  The expansive city of Sonvera is a primary trading hub for the region. Most of the trade comes down the Nomen Highway from Glitterstone and Korenhold.  Raw goods come down the river from Namport and the many villages northward.  These raw goods are processed into fine crafted goods that are then sent out to various ports and other trading hubs.  Some brave traders even pass through the pirate-infested swamps of Arawen to trade in the port city, and many of these merchants may in fact be pirates themselves.  The pirates of the swamps however might be a major limiting factor for the growing city, as most exports are forced to be sent over land to the ports of Korenhold or in Migara to be further disseminated.

The city, much like most of Korenell, is officially ruled by the Ministry of Faith, however, in practice, the merchant guilds have the true power in the bustling mercantile city. Additionally, the worship of Hermaen is quite strong in the city, granting that church additional power. The many merchants convene at the Cathedral of the Golden Vault, an elaborate, gaudy temple devoted to the deity of wealth and trade.

In the center of town is a wide hill, the Noble Quarter, where many noble houses and guild leaders reside.  The High Templars have a fortress on the north side of town, though the town guard and militia are a sizable force.  The Canal District on the north end offers water access throughout where warehouses hold all many of goods for trade. The northwest side of town holds the seedier elements and black markets tucked in the many shacks and tight alleyways. Outside the protective walls many farming villages dot the roads.  The city has an extensive agricultural community that provides fresh farm goods.  The taverns and restaurants in the city are some of the best in the region, also in part from the extensive trade brought into the city.  It is a melting pot of flavors, cultures, and ideas.  The people of Sonvera like their sense of freedom and the city feels noticeably less structured than Korenhold.

Righteous Hills

These rolling hills are home to some of the hardiest folk in Korenell. The land is drier than other areas, boasting a beautiful chaparral environment. This makes the area perfect for vineyards and olive groves.  In some areas, there are fields of lavender, growing wild in the hot sun.  However, the area is also quite dangerous from external threats.  Goblins frequently raid down from the mountains into this area.  Making the people who live there quite knowledgeable in warfare and defense.  The town’s typically have small stone towers for villagers to run to in the case of a raid.  Additionally, creatures from the nearby scrublands and desert often find their way into those rolling hills. There are no major settlements in the area, but the High Templars keep Fort Righteous on a high rocky cliffside to keep an eye out in the area.  This fort is the last settlement before one enters the Basmian Scrublands on a long journey to the dwarven fortress of Brong.

Wellspring Valley

This valley is sheltered by the Highcrest Hills to the north and the Solenmars to the south. These hillsides provide some protection from the warm breezes of the sea, granting the valley a milder weather. The area is quite hilly and lacks the most accessible arable land.  However, people continue to flock to the valley, as it seems quite protected from invaders in addition to the political strife of the major cities.

Korrond’s Prairie

This land, between the Demater and Myrillian Rivers, is the most arable farmland in Korenell.  The area is littered with farmsteads and villagers trying to create a living from the land.  The area has become quite dense in recent times, causing the next generations of farmers to head northward to the less populated Wellspring Valley.  Along the Nomen Highway are numerous villages with some of the best taverns and inns a traveler can enjoy.

Korenhold (pop. 70,280). The capital city of Korenhold has much history. Long ago, the site once hosted a city of the Arathkelsarian Empire.  The ancient pyramid built for the leader of the city at that time still stands in the center of the great city.  In more recent times, a grand castle, Augustus Palace, has been built into the top of the pyramid, with a wide ramp leading to the castle’s doors. From here King Umbrar Kassintius rules over the people, at least in name.  The true power in the city lies westward in the great military fortification of the High Templar of the Trinity.  North of that rests a large limestone building which houses the Ministry of the Faith.  These two forces of the Trinity Church hold the real power in Korenhold and Korenell in general. About 15 years ago, the church and a group of powerful noble houses involved with the church had the weak and uncaring King Umbrar Kassintius sign the Law of Faith in Governance.  This law granted legislative power to the Ministry of the Faith, which overtook the bureaucratic running of the Kingdom’s government.  The High Templars took over the defense of the realm.  Executive power was still maintained by the crown, at least in name, but now a committee of noble houses provides the majority of this power.  In effect, the crown became a powerless figurehead.  This was what Umbrar Kassintius had wanted, as he was far too consumed in his own selfish desires to govern.

The city is the largest in Korenell and houses numerous districts of various flavors.  The city is stricter than most, having high fines and punishments for many crimes.  The eager High Templar never hesitate to enforce the laws, especially since the Law of Faith in Governance was signed.  However, crime and poverty are still rampant in the city, especially in the Old Docks district.  The Ministry of Faith has vowed to “perfect” the city and its economic injustice, but no major changes have been enacted so far.

Demater River

The land along the Demater river is somewhat sparsely populated.  The constant threat of war with the Arathkelsarian Empire limits the growth and prosperity of the region.  Additionally, goblins and giants climb out of the mountains in raids and attacks, making only the strong and determined willing to live in the mountain’s shadow.

Arthune (pop. 9,750). The town of Arthune is little more than a giant fortress. The city is the most devoted the Trinity and the High Templars, and thus is quite regimented and orderly.  All residents of the city are trained in warfare and take turns in the town’s militia.  The people of the city feel it is their duty to protect Korenell from southern invaders. The city boasts two walls and a moat connected to the Demater River around the outer walls.  From the outside it seems like an impenetrable fortress, and so far it has lived up to that impression.  Between the two walls lie heavily worked fields of grains and vegetables.  The city is quite focused on being able to withstand a long-term siege, and thus they can provide for all their needs from within the city’s walls. Trade is primarily conducted in the small river docks built into the walls that allows goods to travel to and from Korenhold down the Demater River.  There is also some land trade with Korratus.