- Details
- Category: Kingdom of Wallen
The Kingdom of Wallen is a small, but powerful human nation. It was founded by Girard, one of the members of the Triad. Girard was a warrior born and raised in the Wallen Woods, who took inspiration from nature to achieve great feats of arms. Girard became the chosen of Dray, deity of the natural world, and preached her word to all peoples.
Girard was born to a minor noble house outside of the City of Wallen, with little money but a large tract of land. As a boy, he deeply admired the wild Rangers that lived off of the land but his family insisted that he join the military. Girard took every opportunity for field work, preferring the open sky to city streets. When it came time to unite his people, he had to find a way to protect the very different ways of life of nobles, merchants, farmers, and rangers. He created the Great Contract, and pledged his own life as well as that of his descendants to defending those ways of life. The great cities of Hollyport and Darkwood joined, and became Wallena, as did the men of the fields and wilds between.
In theory, the Crown has absolute power. The word of the King is law. The King may act however he chooses in matters legal, financial, and military. In practice, though, the Crown must proceed slowly and carefully, lest it attract the ire of the Advisory Council. According to the Great Contract, the Advisory may nullify any act of the King which violates the terms of the Great Contract. A majority vote is needed. The Advisory can paralyze the Crown into submission, rendering it impotent through repeated nullifications. However, with no power to act independently, sooner or later the Advisory must let up and allow the King to run the realm again.
Since a Faction needs one percent of the citizenry to obtain a seat on the Advisory, there could be as many as one hundred Advisors. In practical terms, there are from one third to half that number. Many citizens register with tiny, niche Factions with no chance of achieving a seat. Several factions fall just short of the one percent threshold. A few popular factions regularly register much more than the required minimum. All of this is reconfigured every ten years during the Census.
On the one hand, the system encourages a diverse range of viewpoints. Since a Faction only receives one vote regardless of the number of registrants, large factions inevitably lose most of their support to smaller groups at the next census. On the other hand, there is a strong incentive to work together. Unless the Factions can put their differences aside, they will allow the Crown to run amok.
The King and the Advisory Council both conduct business in the lordcity of Wallen. The Royal Residence and the Advisors' Palace are both crescent-shaped structures hugging opposite sides of an enormous hill. You cannot see one structure from the other. Sitting atop the hill is a sacred grove of enormous trees called the Cathedral of Dray. The Green Lady's highest clerics are available to advise both sides at all times. It is said that no two trees are alike in the grove, and all of the trees are always both in full flower and heavy with fruit.
Regular, stone cathedrals to the other deities form the core of the city's other neighborhoods, with folk living in Brin's Quarter or Kremin's Quarter, for example. The neighborhoods' architecture and décor reflect their patrons, and a citizen crossing the street can go from red granite carved with apples to black marble hung with purple lilies. The populace recognize the importance of all of the gods in their lives, and count the days by the multitude of holy days and religious festivals.
King Darius Girardine III took the throne as a boy, before learning the political tricks and negotiating techniques that he would need to keep the Advisory at bay (or better, at each others' throats). As a result, he has been a laissez-faire king, content to simply let things continue on as they are.
When each Faction is created, they are issued a charter. The Faction chooses its own method of deciding who will stand, or be nominated, to potentially represent the Faction on the Advisory. Ultimately, the Crown has the right to choose the Advisor from among those who stand. Some Factions offer dozens of potential candidates to choose from, while others give the Crown only a single option. Most Factions allow anyone with enough signatures to be submitted to a committee, which approves candidates to stand.
The Advisors' Palace is anything but. While in theory all of the Advisors may reside here, generally they find better-appointed quarters elsewhere. Originally a modest building, most of its living space has been converted into offices, meeting rooms, lecture halls, dining halls, and private studies. The original, square building of red stone has been supplemented with two sweeping wings. One contains baths, saunas, and several dining areas for the use of Advisors, as well as a modest gymnasium and extensive stables. The other contains the Grand Salon, an enormous hall where the Advisory council can meet and vote. It is large enough to accommodate all of the Advisors while accompanied by a small staff, with plenty of room left for spectators.
Majority Square, in front of the Advisors' Palace, is the frequent site of festivals, markets, and parades. Once a year, in midsummer, a huge crowd gathers and twelve enormous wooden poles are erected. Teams from each of the Kingdom's twelve regions (the duchies of Hollyport, Darkwood, Draketooth, Wooddeep, Clearwater, Far Hills, Eastgate, Fey Point, Grey Fields, Sharwick, Far Fields, and Northland) compete. Each competitor from the team of three has to take turns climbing to the top, then returning to the ground. The winning team is paraded through the city, and has their banner hung from the Palace for the next year.
The Royal Residence is built entirely of a white brick specially made by the dwarves. The entire building is carved with decorations and scenes from the natural world, many painted in bright and realistic colors. The grounds are taken up by extensive gardens, including dozens of groves of trees. In front of the Residence is the Grand Arcade, a three-story, circular enclosure filled with shops and surrounding a wooded park. All citizens have access to the park, which is filled with animals, birds, and even fish swimming in crystal clear pools.
Articles under The Kingdom of Wallen
- Details
- Category: Kingdom of Wallen
Darkwood is located on the shores of Amber Lake. Originally, the lake was located deep within the Wallen Woods. Over time, farmers and merchants cleared more and more space, and a few small villages became a thriving city. When the Kingdom was formed, construction began on the Ducal Residence, which looks like a grand hunting lodge more than anything. The rest of the city is made from a combination of field stone, wood, thatch, and plaster. Buildings are often carved with runes, and sometimes the structure is even built to incorporate them directly.
Darkwood still depends on the woods for most of its economy, including game, furs, lumber, and more. Historically, its residents warred with the rangers, who preferred to keep the woods in their natural state. Since the formation of the Kingdom, they have reached an uneasy truce, with only occasional fighting. Duke Harold actually apprenticed with the rangers in his youth, and works hard to keep the peace despite the occasional skirmish.
Though it is the smallest of the Kingdom's cities, Darkwood is important as the point of contact both for the rangers of the wilds and the mages of Draketooth Tower to the South.
Type: City
Parent: The Kingdom of Wallen
- Details
- Category: Kingdom of Wallen
Draketooth Tower is hidden in the deepest, darkest part of the Wallen Woods. The tower's mages have always had a somewhat sinister reputation, and many blame the various monstrosities found in the wood on Draketooth experimentation. Still, when it came time to bring the kingdom together, Girard reached out to the Master of the Tower. The mages agreed to be a part of the Dragon War, but have never really integrated with the rest of the Wallena. Though the Master of the Tower, Iblis the Black, is a Duke, he has no nobles beneath him and does little in keeping with his title and position.
Much of the distrust of Draketooth's mages is tied to their closeness with dragons. They maintain a good relationship with dragonborn and kobolds nearby, and in their search for the secrets of the magic of the natural world have conducted research with the great wyrms themselves. While this sort of "dealing with the devil" is suspect, it has also been unquestionably productive. The Guild recognizes Draketooth University despite several irregularities in its practices, and has benefitted from their amazing work in Metamagic and Sorcery. For obvious reasons, sorcerers with draconic blood feel especially welcome here. Their token is the coiled head and neck of a dragon.
The tower itself is a single curved spire of ivory stone, rising to a point. Seven silvery ribs protrude along the tower walls, rising up to form a claw around its zenith. From the ground there appears to be no entrance, with the gates appearing only to those carrying a Draketooth token or charm.
Wallen's rangers maintain a tradition going back for millennia. Living in the wilds, they serve as a link between the civilizations of man and the natural world. Over time, they learn to channel this natural power into acts of magic and might. Their lives give them knowledge of the outdoors, flawless tracking skills, and more.
The rangers are nomadic, moving from place to place as needed. They live and work in small groups called packs, named for their leader (such as the Lessig of Shar Pack). By tradition, these leaders (and only these leaders) wear a wolf pelt to show their station. These men and women are elders who are strong, wise, and experienced. They typically lead a pack until they are lost in combat.
Type: Citadel
Parent: The Kingdom of Wallen
- Details
- Category: Kingdom of Wallen
Hollyport is a wonderful place to build a port, and a terrible place to build a city. The large, calm, sheltered bay has deep water with no rocks or other hazards. The land on shore, however, is rocky, hilly, and broken. The most level and even spaces are taken up by the docks and warehouses.
The rest of the city rises up, level after level, layer after layer, seemingly without end. All of the homes and businesses have to be built to counter the slopes and inclines of the land. Everywhere are stairs, ramps, and bridges moving between the different levels and crossing various gaps. It's not uncommon to be strolling at street level and suddenly find yourself on the roof of a building.
Structures throughout the city are painted in a riot of bright, beautiful colors. The tradition started as an act of defiance against orc raiders, showing that the citizenry wasn't afraid and refused to hide. Walls, stairs, pillars, and other public structures are completely covered in graffiti, ranging from beautiful landscape murals to vile curse words.
Throughout the city are its famous holly trees and bushes, with dark green leaves and bright red berries. Holly is considered the personal property of the Duke, and it is unlawful for others to cut or kill it. The city is also overrun with small, stray dogs that are beloved by the residents. The dogs hunt and kill the rats that are ubiquitous on ships arriving in the port, and keep their population under control.
Duke Charles lives in Hollyport Manse, perched atop the highest bluff in the region. The building has six great towers with pointed domes, all painted with bright stripes, swirls, or checks. The cliff below is carved and painted in an enormous frieze of the Duke's family crest, visible even far out to sea. The lighthouse in the crest is enchanted to glow brightly, and functions as an actual lighthouse for nearby ships. Legend has it that all of the previous dukes haunt the dwelling after death, and that the current head of the family can consult with them when the moon is new.
Hollyport University is built around an enormous spire of rock, overlooking the sea atop a cliff. The University is built in the shape of a great spiral wrapped around the spire, its dark red brick contrasting sharply against the pale and weathered rock. Below, the rocks are furiously pounded by the relentless surf. From its peak, on a clear day, mages can just make out the tops of the towers at Suden Torni, the elven University across the channel.
Before an initiate at the University can be apprenticed to a master mage, they have to go into the Wallen Woods and survive an encounter with a dangerous creature. This could be a venomous snake, an owlbear, or a beholder. The apprentice returns and takes the creature as their personal token. The mages here are experts in Transmutation magic, maintaining large Battle and Divine colleges. Their token is a seagull.
Hollyport is well-known for a confection called atesti. These atesti are made from a mixture of sugar, honey, ground nuts, egg whites, and tree gums. Traditionally, they are formed into the shapes of fruit, flowers, or nuts and painted realistically with edible dyes. Confectioners sometimes compete by making much more elaborate sculptures, such as statuary, furniture, animals, or even full meals.
The region is well-known for its apples. There are dozens of varieties ranging from honey sweet to powerfully tart. Halflings in the employ of Duke Charles keep two favorite varieties for his family, one a bright gold and the other a deep violet color. Halflings are also responsible for tending the holly. One unique feature of Hollyport is that Halflings tend the bars in almost every tavern, where hard cider made on-site is much more popular than wine or ale. These taverns also serve a variety of baked goods, both sweet and savory, in place of typical meals.
The nearby Whitecap Bay isn't suitable for shipping but is the source for beautiful pearls. Divers brave the currents, undertow, and vicious sea creatures to collect them. The bay's pearls come in a rainbow of colors, due either to the chemistry of the waters or the proximity of the headquarters of the Guild of Magicians.
Type: City
Parent: The Kingdom of Wallen
- Details
- Category: Kingdom of Wallen
The King and the Advisory Council both conduct business in the lordcity of Wallen. The Royal Residence and the Advisors' Palace are both crescent-shaped structures hugging opposite sides of an enormous hill. You cannot see one structure from the other. Sitting atop the hill is a sacred grove of enormous trees called the Cathedral of Dray. The Green Lady's highest clerics are available to advise both sides at all times. It is said that no two trees are alike in the grove, and all of the trees are always both in full flower and heavy with fruit.
Regular, stone cathedrals to the other deities form the core of the city's other neighborhoods, with folk living in Brin's Quarter or Kremin's Quarter, for example. The neighborhoods' architecture and décor reflect their patrons, and a citizen crossing the street can go from red granite carved with apples to black marble hung with purple lilies. The populace recognize the importance of all of the gods in their lives, and count the days by the multitude of holy days and religious festivals.
King Darius Girardine III took the throne as a boy, before learning the political tricks and negotiating techniques that he would need to keep the Advisory at bay (or better, at each others' throats). As a result, he has been a laissez-faire king, content to simply let things continue on as they are.
When each Faction is created, they are issued a charter. The Faction chooses its own method of deciding who will stand, or be nominated, to potentially represent the Faction on the Advisory. Ultimately, the Crown has the right to choose the Advisor from among those who stand. Some Factions offer dozens of potential candidates to choose from, while others give the Crown only a single option. Most Factions allow anyone with enough signatures to be submitted to a committee, which approves candidates to stand.
The Advisors' Palace is anything but. While in theory all of the Advisors may reside here, generally they find better-appointed quarters elsewhere. Originally a modest building, most of its living space has been converted into offices, meeting rooms, lecture halls, dining halls, and private studies. The original, square building of red stone has been supplemented with two sweeping wings. One contains baths, saunas, and several dining areas for the use of Advisors, as well as a modest gymnasium and extensive stables. The other contains the Grand Salon, an enormous hall where the Advisory council can meet and vote. It is large enough to accommodate all of the Advisors while accompanied by a small staff, with plenty of room left for spectators.
Majority Square, in front of the Advisors' Palace, is the frequent site of festivals, markets, and parades. Once a year, in midsummer, a huge crowd gathers and twelve enormous wooden poles are erected. Teams from each of the Kingdom's twelve regions (the duchies of Hollyport, Darkwood, Draketooth, Wooddeep, Clearwater, Far Hills, Eastgate, Fey Point, Grey Fields, Sharwick, Far Fields, and Northland) compete. Each competitor from the team of three has to take turns climbing to the top, then returning to the ground. The winning team is paraded through the city, and has their banner hung from the Palace for the next year.
The Royal Residence is built entirely of a white brick specially made by the dwarves. The entire building is carved with decorations and scenes from the natural world, many painted in bright and realistic colors. The grounds are taken up by extensive gardens, including dozens of groves of trees. In front of the Residence is the Grand Arcade, a three-story, circular enclosure filled with shops and surrounding a wooded park. All citizens have access to the park, which is filled with animals, birds, and even fish swimming in crystal clear pools.
Type: Capital
Parent: The Kingdom of Wallen