The Kingdom of Tyvald

The Kingdom of Tyvald is the Human Kingdom that makes up a large part of The Pious Union of the Awakened. Tyvald is a traditional feudal kingdom, with some lands held by the King, and other divided up among the various noble houses. These nobles vote for representatives among them to be sent to the Chamber of Nobles, one of the two legislative bodies of the Pious Assembly of the confederate government of The Union. Commoners in Tyvald are allowed to vote for representatives in the Folks' House.   Tyvald is arguably the most powerful of the four constituent kingdoms of The Pious Union of the Awakened, owing in large part to the capital of Tyvald and the capital of The Union being one and the same, the metropolis of Vyberg. That the capital of The Union was placed here was a concession by Thalia Heilar, the Elven first Premier of the Union, in a gesture of goodwill.   The official state religion of The Kingdom of Tyvald is The Church of the Sun and Moon, which officially worships the Human Automaths except for the Dissident, Omil. The military might of The Kingdom of Tyvald is divided into thirds, roughly: the King's own professional army, the knights of the several holy orders sworn to The Church of the Sun and Moon, and armies levied for the defense of the Kingdom by the various noble houses of Tyvald.   Though Niested was the first Human settlement (indeed, the first Awakened settlement) outside of The Cradle, the Kingdom was officially founded by King Gilven the Founder when he declared the Kingdom at the founding of Vyberg.   Tyvald is mostly a coastal kingdom, with its lands extending to the city of Niested to the north of Vyberg, slightly west into the Gellenmoors to the border town of Reisehaus, and south and east to include all of the coastal towns and regions down to Cape Fortuity, and finally down to Rigwell and Brineside in the far south. The south lands are rich agricultural and pasture lands, second only to the abundant fields of Fleissland. The Kingdom also earns much income from the rich fishing grounds off the coast, and of the four realms that make up The Pious Union of the Awakened, it has by far the greatest presence on the seas, with a vast merchant fleet and powerful navy to protect it. The bulk of trade between The Union and other nations beyond passes through Tyvald, and due to the long and narrow shape of The Union, it is often more efficient for the mineral wealth of (dwarven kingdom) and the agricultural bounty of Fleissland to pass through Tyvald's ports and along the coasts. Tyvald also boasts many prominent centers for education, and after becoming the capital of The Pious Union of the Awakened and the center of (pan-Awakened faith), Vyberg has become even more prominent.    The current King of Tyvald is King Hedrek of Tyvald.