Riverford

This historical kingdom, now a province of the Everyn Federation, is situated along the eastern side of the Backbone Spires. It is a geographically small territory, but its two established cities have decently large populations and have been able to flourish and grow for centuries. Most of this growth and prosperity is due to the arable land and trade opportunities that are both possible because of the twin rivers: the Mercer and the Colvin.   Forx was one of the cities in eastern Ayndrinor settled just after The Smiting by the magically displaced people. The mainly gnomish settlers discovered a lush plain between the two rivers, backed up to the mountains, where they could set up roots. They were not thinking in terms of military defense, but it turns out the area was great for that as well. For centuries, the city grew and prospered, but war elsewhere on the continent convinced the Marka that Forx needed an advanced outpost to warn of invaders coming from the east and slow them down while Forx prepared. In 531, a group of settlers escorted by Forxian soldiers headed downriver to find a suitable spot to build this new town.   That expansion to create Bridgington is considered the beginning of the kingdom of Riverford, as it branched out from the city-state of Forx that had been mostly insular up to that point. Bridgington was treated as a military outpost and subordinate colony for about thirty years, until the citizens of the rapidly growing town appealed to the Marka for more self-rule responsibility. With some convincing from the town's governor, the Marka and the council approved giving Bridgington their own council that would do most of the work of running the town but would still answer to the authorities in Forx.   With the recent Everyn War, Bridgington was under attack for a few weeks, but it managed to hold off the siege. The Marka and council in Forx appealed for peace, hoping to negotiate some autonomy for the region instead of being conquered and forced to accept new leadership. In the wake of the war, as the Federation has set up its governing style and principles, not much has changed for the people of Riverford. As a result, opinion on the Federation is largely either positive or apathetic, with only a very small portion of the populace upset at the leaders for giving up independence so easily.