Bretawald
Great seafarers, traders and raiders, though rarely ocean-going, Bretawald is ruled by a hereditary noble caste under High Thane Grimirsson Brightblade. The nation trades widely with those nearby, using rivers and sea trade as the primary means of international travel, with a strong internal trade network utilising carts and wagons by road.
While ruled over by the High Thane, the Wealds within Bretawald are ruled by various Thanes, heads of families that have held the positions for generations. Within each Weald are Skalds overseeing more local interests. The noble caste have highly ritualised obligations and forms of greeting and living.
When not trading, Bretawald is notorious for raiding. The various Thanes and Skalds will gather their forces and lead them to foreign nations or even each other's territory to sack anywhere they can get to reach by boat. The High Thane ignores these raids as they tend to be small; for him to gather the nation would be a declaration of war, an act not taken lightly.
Bretawald is home to fine weapon and armour smiths as well as producing many fine ornaments and garments. Much of the clothing and armour tends to include have fur, skins and feathers, both as a display of wealth and as protection from the elements.
Bretawald
Government: Hereditary Ruler
Capital: Port Kolin (2300000)
Population: Human (Bretawald, Quoshua) Elf, Dwarf, Half Elf, Goblin, Gnome
Language: Common (Bretawald)
Religions: Lathlane, Elise, Helena, Grund, Urkest, Bellastene, Damash, Kul-Cain
Other Characteristics:
Primary Exports: fine weapons amour, decorative wood pottery & metal ornamentation, jewelery, fish
Primary Imports: grain, meats
Allies: Quoshua, Kalites
Enemies: Darkhans, Halaxia
Factions: Griffon Knights, The Coin, The Grey Walkers.
Threats: The Lucky Bones, TitanSworn, expansion of Darkhan.
Significant NPCs:
High Thane Grimirsson Brightblade. (LG Human Male Warrior) ruler of Bretawald
Structure
Bretawald is ruled over by the High Thane, the hereditary leader of the ruling family. Below him are the noble families, each headed by a Thane managing large areas of the nation known as Wealds. These are then split into portions governed by Skald, usually containing several settlements or areas of importance.
Skalds are often appointed by their Thane for acts of great service or loyalty, usually during actions taken whilst serving as knights under their lord. Some Skalds are granted hereditary titles for the greatest of acts, though usually they are just granted to a single individual. Individual settlements are usually overseen by mayors or councils, and this varies by local geography, politics and threats to the wider area.
Skalds are often appointed by their Thane for acts of great service or loyalty, usually during actions taken whilst serving as knights under their lord. Some Skalds are granted hereditary titles for the greatest of acts, though usually they are just granted to a single individual. Individual settlements are usually overseen by mayors or councils, and this varies by local geography, politics and threats to the wider area.
Culture
Bretawald as a nation is one of ancient pride, with nobles whose lineages stretch back into the mists of history. The Knightly Orders, made up of the scions of nobility, are a significant source of this pride. Festivals, including great celebrations of martial prowess, are an oft-enjoyed pastime of both the nobles and common folk of the lands.
The people of Bretawald are an odd dichotomy: open to new experiences, to experiment and invent, generous and friendly with guests, and unchallenged by foreign cultures, yet rigid and unwavering with their adherence to the central principle of their traditions, Honour and valour and the veneration and celebration of ancestors past. Breach of these traditions is unthinkable, to do so would shame ones family and bring dishonour on your ancestors. This stain would require penance, this could vary from the individual being stripped of rights and endentured to clear the debt, having to complete a complex and dangerous penance quest, or at the worst, to be cast from the family, struck from its records and disinherited, most faced with this final punishment would rather seek death in combat with mighty creatures or to retrieve a lost artifact. They are many open trade routes, allowing travel over great distances by sea or land to find new exotic produce, making Bretawald's port towns and cities a melting pot of many cultures and peoples. They are also ferocious raiders of coastal and riverside settlements. The younger Thanes aim to prove their martial prowess, raising small bands picked from the finest young warriors in the Wealds and heading out to make a name for themselves. Due to the age of Bretawald as a nation and its wide-ranging trade activity, the population is very mixed and in the largest of settlements, you could meet families of almost any ancestry and find they have lived within the nation for many generations. Consequently, the culture of the nation itself can change quite dramatically, from the great metropolis of Port Kolin to the small farming or mining settlements where travel is rarer. However, the nobles families are steadfast in maintaining a culture of honour, loyalty and martial skill. They take great pride in the achievements of their ancestors and push the younger generations to excel not only on the fields of battle but also as diplomats, seafarers and traders.
The people of Bretawald are an odd dichotomy: open to new experiences, to experiment and invent, generous and friendly with guests, and unchallenged by foreign cultures, yet rigid and unwavering with their adherence to the central principle of their traditions, Honour and valour and the veneration and celebration of ancestors past. Breach of these traditions is unthinkable, to do so would shame ones family and bring dishonour on your ancestors. This stain would require penance, this could vary from the individual being stripped of rights and endentured to clear the debt, having to complete a complex and dangerous penance quest, or at the worst, to be cast from the family, struck from its records and disinherited, most faced with this final punishment would rather seek death in combat with mighty creatures or to retrieve a lost artifact. They are many open trade routes, allowing travel over great distances by sea or land to find new exotic produce, making Bretawald's port towns and cities a melting pot of many cultures and peoples. They are also ferocious raiders of coastal and riverside settlements. The younger Thanes aim to prove their martial prowess, raising small bands picked from the finest young warriors in the Wealds and heading out to make a name for themselves. Due to the age of Bretawald as a nation and its wide-ranging trade activity, the population is very mixed and in the largest of settlements, you could meet families of almost any ancestry and find they have lived within the nation for many generations. Consequently, the culture of the nation itself can change quite dramatically, from the great metropolis of Port Kolin to the small farming or mining settlements where travel is rarer. However, the nobles families are steadfast in maintaining a culture of honour, loyalty and martial skill. They take great pride in the achievements of their ancestors and push the younger generations to excel not only on the fields of battle but also as diplomats, seafarers and traders.
History
The founding of Bretawald is lost to time, though perhaps there are some lost, dusty tomes that could shed more light on the earliest days of the nation, their whereabouts being equally mysterious. What is known is that the landmass that makes up the Maelstrom Nations was once ruled entirely by the High Thane of Bretawald but over time various Thanes seceded. This occurred either due natural attrition of control over lands so far from their power base that the governments declined, or through violent rebellions that led to the establishment of nations with extremely varied power structures.
Some scholars speak of legends suggesting that the nation of Bretawald once ruled over lands greater than that of the Maelstrom nations, before a great sundering of lands and the formation of the Maelstrom. If there is any truth to this it would have been many thousands of years ago, likely some time in the Second Age. The incredible age of Bretawald can most clearly be seen in the great city of Port Kolin, the largest city in the Maelstrom nations by a considerable margin.
The architecture of the buildings varies greatly as you travel out from the centre of the city to the most recently built portions. The city centre has many enormous structures, crafted with a skill long since lost, with great sweeping arches and towers improbably high, yet graceful and beautiful, reminiscent of an elven design yet somehow more otherworldly. The more stout and practical structures in the newest districts, while skilfully built, are yet visibly constructed by the hands of the modern age.
It is rumoured that there are buildings of earlier ages below those that now stand, making up cellars and catacombs that sprawl beneath the city. Some of this has been explored over the years by opportunistic, adventurous types who have come back with ancient wonders, and all report that the subterranean network is immense in size, going down many layers and back through the ages, winding out further even than the walls of the current great city.
Demography and Population
Human (Bretawald, Quoshua) Elf, Dwarf, Half Elf, Goblin, Gnome
Military
The military of Bretawald is governed by the noble families, each is bound to be able to raise armies in defenses of the lands from the peoples would live within their lands, these are made of common folk who at times make up raiding parties or militias that are needed in defense of their settlement from the roaming creatures of the world. Their is also a smaller more full time force that can be raised from the guards and armies of the settlements themselves, day to day these soldiers are protecting settlements and enforcing the local laws but benefit from a much higher degree of discipline than the bands, though in martial skill are not dissimilar.
Then their are the knightly orders, primarily made of the members of the noble houses, highly trained from a very young age in all manner of combat, oft found riding steeds and in the heaviest armours. there are many such orders, joining some takes many years of demonstrating the correct virtues and skills in the less prestigious orders, the Griffin Knights are one such order that only the greatest of the nations knights could even attempt to join.
Any one can under go the trials to become a knight, but those without a noble linage would be joining the newest and least prestigious orders and would need to achieve legendary goals if they hoped to get into any of the greatest orders. these knightly orders also have attached units of more regular soldiers, though the training and discipline is much greater in these supporting forces than any other part of the nations forces as they are trained by the knights and held to much higher standards of skill and behaviour.
Foreign Relations
Allies: Quoshua, Kalites
Enemies: Darkhans, Halaxia
Education
The education within Bretawald does vary widely, the noble houses can afford the finest tutors from within Bretawald, or from any of the surrounding nations depending on what skills they wish to impart to their children, often the oldest being trained as a knight with subsequent sibling becoming anything from a Priest or wizard to a trader or diplomat, as their natural talents dictate.
Within the common folk their is still a great variation, there are scholastic training places for those who have a natural talent in magic in many of the smaller towns spread across the nation, and the various deities churches will take in any who want to dedicate their lives to a chosen god. Outside of this the more rural areas operate more on an apprenticeship basis, where once of age you'd become the apprentice to a local crafter or trader, learning their skills. within the cities it is easier to strike out on your own path or find tutors in various skills who's cost is more within the means of the normal population.
Maps
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Faradell
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Port Kolin
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New Wayford
The burnt ruins of Wayford are now home to a growing community of undead. Since the Fall of Wayford undead and other strange creatures have moved in -
Bretawald
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Leader Title
Head of State
Government System
Monarchy, Constitutional
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Traditional
Major Exports
fine weapons amour, decorative wood pottery & metal ornamentation, jewelery, fish
Major Imports
grain, meats
Parent Organization
Subsidiary Organizations
Related Traditions
Related Ranks & Titles
Comments