Edhellon's Great Houses

The Great House of Woodshearth is one of the founding members of the United Kingdoms of Edhellon, and was even the House responsible for the Assembly that resulted in the nation’s creation. They have always been a House that understood the importance and usefulness of diplomacy, with its members being trained in the diplomatic arts from an early age. A useful trait of course, when your goal is to unite many different nations into one.   Partly because of their role in the founding of Edhellon, and partly because of their skills in diplomacy, the House of Woodshearth has, so far at least, always been selected by the Council of Lords to deliver the monarch of the nation. In essence, the Woodshearths are the Royal Family of Edhellon, they are the kings and queens. This is something that the House of course takes great pride in, but it is also something they consider necessary, as the Woodshearths see themselves as the glue that holds the nation together. They know how to rule, when they have to intervene and when they have to leave local affairs to the local lords, they know how to mediate and are able to resolve conflicts with every side being satisfied. Yet, despite this, everyone wonders how long the Woodshearths will be able to hold the crown, as it seems that every generation the other Houses grow more and more ambitious.   The Woodshearths are a people that usually favour diplomacy and talking over violence, although they have a very pragmatic side as well and do whatever is necessary to achieve the most favourable outcome.   The Woodshearth also have a sizable Vassal Army, something which is needed as the family that up until this point has held the crown. Much of the Vassal Army is located in the capital of Aelwic, to make sure it is as safe as can be.   Succession within the House of Woodshearth is hereditary. By default the oldest child will take over the role of the Head of the House, although the Head is able to change that and choose another one of their children as heir.

The Capital of the Woodshearth’s Lordship is also the capital of the United Kingdoms of Edhellon, although it is not the largest city in Edhellon (that title is reserved for Goldcaster). In fact, compared to the Capitals of other nations such as the Empire of Evadrin and the Theocracy of Dorothel Aelwic seems small in comparison. Nevertheless it is still a sizable city, and amongst the largest in the nation. Aelwic is located on the coast and has a busy harbour with many commercial and passenger ships constantly arriving and leaving. Aside from being an economical hub, Aelwic is also the heart of Edhellon’s bureaucracy, with many administrative buildings spread all over the city. As the capital it is, of course, also very well defended. Because of all this, Aelwic is often considered to be one of the most pleasant places to live.

The current Head of the Great House of Woodshearth is King Edmund Woodshearth. See his dedicated page for more information.

The Great House of Albigny was one of the founding members of Edhellon, although initially it was responsible for matters related to magic. The House of Albigny designed the gross of magical regulations that Edhellon uses to this day, and worked hard to institutionalise magic by creating dedicated magical academies as well as separate training courses in the army, and even installed an Arcane Court specialised in dealing with those that broke the laws of magic. All this while carefully trying to maintain a balance between the freedom of spellcasters on the one hand and the safety of the people on the other. Their work was mostly well received, however, the House of Albigny had little magical affinity themselves, so they granted their largest vassal, the House of Vhearz which had much more practical experience with magic, leadership of the Justicars, the order dedicated to keeping spellcasters in check and hunting down those who broke the laws of magic. With their interest and success in writing law it should come as little surprise that after the revolt that occurred in the year 172 of the Fifth Age when the Great Houses of Dunstan and Magrath turned against the United Kingdoms, the Great House of Albigny showed interest in the Dunstan’s domain of Justice. The Council agreed with the change, and so it happened that The House of Albigny moved to the Justice domain, while also being granted a large chunk of the Dunstans their territory. The domain of magic would be passed on to the House of Vhearz, which became a great House and received a part of Albigny’s original territory, while also being allowed to expand.   Despite being the instigator of the revolt, the House of Dunstan did lay a solid groundwork for the United Kingdom’s judicial system. The House of Albigny choose to continue to build on their work, rather than performing massive reforms. The House, which was already popular during their time as the Lords responsible for matters related to magic, has only become more popular over the years. Many amongst the populace consider them fair and just, as they punish small crimes with appropriately small punishments, but are very harsh for repeat offenders and serious criminals. While the family is indeed very effective in their domain, some amongst the nobility do feel like they tend to take too much credit as their own.   The Albignys takes great pride in their work, and they are a family that considers respect extremely important. They demand respect from everyone, including the monarch, but at the same time they are also respectful of others, as long as these others are deserving of it. They work hard and much, and are often considered to be a very serious no-nonsense kind of people. It is even commonly said that it’s rare to see an Albigny have fun, or do something outside of working. When asked about this, the Albignys often say that working is their fun. Nobody really knows yet whether this is a joke or not.   The Vassal army of the Abignys is average in size, but very well trained and equipped.   Succession within the House of Albigny is hereditary. It is the first child of the Head of the House that will become their successor.

Fairvale is the capital of the Albigny’s Lordship while simultaneously being the heart of Edhellon’s Judicial system. While the size of the city is on par with that of the other regional capitals, it is sparsely populated with many manors, courts, and judicial buildings spread all over the place. Fields, parks, and statue squares fill in the wide gaps between them. Despite lacking grand buildings and architecture, it is often considered to be both one of the calmest as well one of the most beautiful cities in Edhellon.   Fairvale is sometimes called “The Fancy Man’s City”, as its main population exists out of high ranked and well off officials such as judges, lawyers, and prosecutors. Most severe crimes, like murder and conspiracy, are tried here. Even the Grand Court, reserved only for the worst of the worst with the Monarch as Judge, is located in the centre of Fairvale.

Lord Albigny, much like most people of his family, is serious and ambitious. He works hard to make the judicial system work as well as possible, and is known to be incredibly harsh towards those that break the law. It isn’t just criminals and evil-doers that fear him, however, as Lord Albigny watches those around him with severe scrutiny. He expects the best from everyone, especially those that work for him, and he has a habit of cracking down severely on those that fail to meet his expectations.

Strong, tough, and loyal. These are traits often ascribed to dwarfs, and even more so to the Great House of Ambergrip. It should come to no surprise that this House, one of the founding members of Edhellon, would end up as the House responsible for Law Enforcement. The Ambergrips and their people take their responsibility very seriously. Whether you’re a commoner, a Petty Lord, or even a Great Lord, you begin physical training at a very early age. You train to fight, to defend yourself and others, and how to deal with difficult situations. Growing up everyone within this Lordship will also learn the law, inside and out. Indeed, the dwarves within the Lordship of Ambergrip are the best law enforcers one can wish for, and so many of the dwarves within the Ambgergrip Lordship eventually join the military or the city watch to aid the United Kingdoms of Edhellon as well as they can. They are good at what they do, although they aren’t exactly considered to be nice or fun to be around. Things can get especially tense when a dwarf from the Ambergrip Lordship gets in conflict with a fellow city watch member or soldier, as many of them consider themselves better in their job than people from any other region.   The Ambgergrips also have one of the largest and best equipped Vassal Armies in the United Kingdoms, and therefore provide a significant contribution the United Military. Because of this Dwarves are far more common and visible than other non-Dwarven nations.   As the Ambergrips consider skill and loyalty more important than the order in which people are born, the Head of the House chooses which of their children will follow them up. This is often almost a contest between the children that can occasionally have very nasty results.

The Capital of the Ambergrip’s Lordship, Bel Urghum, is the only real regional capital fully within a mountain. Located beneath one of the northern mountains of the Frost Giant Mountains, Bel Urghum is also the main connection to the Independent dwarven clans living deeper beneath the mountain range. It is a large city filled with stone buildings, more functional than aesthetic, with many barracks and training academies. While everyone from the United Kingdoms is welcome in Bel Urghum, its population is almost exclusively dwarven.

A veteran of many battles and an extraordinarily skilled fighter, Lord Ambergrip is as serious, and according to some as grumpy, as a dwarf can get. Law Enforcement is his life, and he will die before failing to fulfil his duties.

House Anderfex was not one of the founding Great Houses of Edhellon, but instead they were of the most important and powerful vassals of the House of Sollfeld, which was responsible for the Treasury. The lordship of Sollfeld was by far the wealthiest region within the United Kingdoms because of the many gem mines, as well as the wise investments in trading and infrastructure of the Lords residing there. House Sollfeld was the richest and most powerful of these lords for a long time, but after the revolt of the Great Houses of Dunstan and Magrath in the year 172 of the Fifth Age their power and wealth began to decline rather quickly. It is unsure what exactly occurred for the House to weaken so much, but a couple of generations later, in the year 234 of the Fifth Age, the former vassal of House Anderfex had grown so significantly more powerful than the Great House of Sollfeld that the Council of Lords removed Sollfeld’s title and privileges as Great House and granted them to House Andefex. What remained of House Sollfeld fled outside of Edhellon in a self-imposed exile. Many had seen this change coming as the Anderfexes had structurally and ruthlessly been taking control over from the Great House of Sollfeld, although none of this was against the laws of Edhellon. Nevertheless, there are those who think that the House of Anderfex may have also somehow been responsible for the decline of the House of Sollfeld.   Currently the House of Anderfex is by far the richest House in the United Kingdoms, with their Lordship being the richest region. The Nobles within the Anderfex Lordship are able to perform such feats with money that many have begun to call it magic, although it is in fact simply a combination of smarts, business instinct, and ruthlessness. The Anderfexes and other nobles within their lordship usually appear to be your best friend, although don’t let that friendly façade fool you, as they won’t hesitate to turn against you should there be profit in it for them. It is commonly said that an Anderfex is your most trustworthy ally as long there is something in it for them, but they will turn into your worst enemy the moment that changes.   As lords of the Treasury the Anderfexes have, even more so than their predecessors, made the entire United Kingdoms of Edhellon a richer and wealthier place, something which many are grateful for. However, a closer look does reveal that those that profited the most during these years have of course been the Anderfexes themselves.   As the Anderfexes are keen on maintaining their position, and of course need to protect the wealth of themselves and their lordship, they have the largest and best equipped vassal army in Edhellon.   The Great House of Anderfex has a hereditary system, with the oldest child of the Head of the House becoming their successor.

A huge, beautiful, and incredibly busy coastal city, Goldcaster is the capital of the Anderfex Lordship, and also the largest city with the greatest population in the entire nation. It is a hub of all different manners of activity one can imagine. Trade, tourism, pleasure, business, and more. Almost anything you can need, you can probably find or do it in Goldcaster.   The city has many great and beautiful buildings, and even the smallest of houses meet a certain beauty standard. This can be taken quite literally, as buildings that don’t meet the city’s standard are in fact destroyed, and their residents removed. This means of course that the poorest class has little chance of living within Goldcaster itself, and many of them are forced to live in small villages a walking distance away so they can travel back and forth on a daily basis for work. Small crimes that make the city uglier, such as littering, are also punished severely here.   As Goldcaster is the richest city in the nation, it is also commonly, and perhaps even ironically, considered to be the city with the ugliest underbelly. Organised crime likes a share in the city’s wealth, and many believe that some lords even have ties to these criminal organisations, using them to gain more personal power.

Much like is commonly believed of his family, Lord Anderfex is one of the nicest and friendliest personalities on the Council of Lords, although behind that mask resides a ruthless and calculating genius that is always looking for a way to increase his power and wealth. Nevertheless Lord Anderfex is amongst the most respected people within the United Kingdoms of Edhellon.

A proud founding member of the United Kingdoms of Edhellon, the Great House of Gallovan has always been responsible for matters related to the faith, not an easy task with so many different cultures suddenly coming together. From early on it became clear that religion was never going to be something that could be united, as even within the lordships different Gods were important, with different ways of practicing faith. The House of Gallovan, which was chosen not because they themselves were very religious people but instead for their clear-headed pragmatism, worked out a solution that allowed the worshipping of all but the evil Gods in Ehldaron.   After writing the regulations with regards to religion, the House of Gallovan of course oversaw all religious institutions and their members to make sure these regulations were being followed. And this they did very thoroughly, so much so that they gained the reputation of being the sternest Great House on the Council of Lords. More than even the Albignys, the Gallovans do not tolerate any kind of infractions on their regulations. They have a high standard for all officials they appoint, and inspect all of them on a regular basis. The moment they feel an appointed official does not meet their standards anymore, they are quick to remove them from their function and find a better suited replacement.   While one could look at this sternness in a negative way, corruption within the religious institutions is almost non-existent. Many believe that the Gallovan’s neutral attitude towards religion aids immensely in this regard, as while all of the family’s members know the regulations and the workings of the religious institutions inside out, they rarely worship one God before another. Instead, they simply admit that all Gods exist, and that all Gods therefore can be worshipped, as long they’re not evil in intent. Therefore, no matter what kind of priest you are, whether you worship a single God, a group of Gods, or all of them, the family looks at you in the same, very critical way.   While not the largest in Edhellon, the vassal army of the Gallovans is significant, and extremely well equipped.   The Great House of Gallovan has a hereditary system, with the oldest child of the Head of the House becoming their successor.

The capital of the Gallovan’s Lordship is Belhaven, a beautiful city of average size that houses much less religious temples and shrines than many expect. Despite being the bastion of the Great House that oversees the Faith, the city contains far more bureaucratically focused buildings than religious ones. Many religious functionaries can be found in Belhaven though, although this isn’t because they’re on some kind of pilgrimage, but more because they probably need   Despite the city’s beauty it is commonly considered to be a rather dull place, as there are few interesting things to doto meet with the Gallovans.

Lady Gallovan was actually the second daughter, and because she wasn’t expected to become the Head of the House and lead, she was sent to a temple as a child to learn how acolytes, priests, and clerics live and work. Unfortunately her older Sister Viola, who was meant to follow in her father’s footsteps, died before even reaching adulthood. Marian was recalled from the temple, but not before she herself became very religious, and began to seriously worship of the Circle of Caretakers.   This has made the current Lady Gallovan very different from her predecessors, as she is one of the first that is, publicly and openly, worshipping certain Gods before others. Initially many worried whether this would be the end of the neutral disposition of the Gallovan family. However, Lady Gallovan has always said that her personal beliefs and preferences wouldn’t stand in the way of her neutrality. Something she has proven to be the case so far, as she is every bit as stern as many have come to expect from her family.

The Gnomes have always been small in numbers compared to the other races within the region, and they have always been rather reclusive. Disinterested in the fighting that happened between the many petty kingdoms and city states before Edhellon’s founding, they preferred to stay in their burrows and interact as little as possible with the warring nations around them, and simply do what they enjoy. Nevertheless, the gnomes were known by all as geniuses. Skilled inventors with strange minds that could come up with the craziest of ideas, and the stubbornness to see them through, although not all ideas necessarily turn out to be good ones. When different Great Houses began talks of a unification, many of them greatly desired the inclusion of the Gnomes, as they recognised the immense value they could bring. The gnomes, however, were initially distrustful. After all, they had lived the centuries of continuous wars between these nations. How could they now simply began to work together? Theobald Woodshearth was nothing if not persistent, and after long and difficult negotiations, as well as the earning of trust, the gnomes joined The Assembly of Edhellon. They would become one of the 13 founders of the United Kingdoms of Edhellon, and in the centuries to come they would have an immense impact on the nation as a whole.   The choice for the gnomes as the Great House responsible for technological innovation was a no-brainer. And innovate they did. Together with the Dwarven House of Swiftstone the gnomes performed massive upgrades to the newly formed the United Kingdoms, with the dwarves focusing on infrastructure and the gnomes focusing on the technology. In a relatively fast pace, the outdated, backwater technology of the former Independent Regions was quickly replaced with far more advanced substitutes. To this day, many of the gnomes spend their time travelling around to discover and invent new things, and share it with people they now consider good friends. They may still be small in number, not even reaching 10 000 within Edhellon, but their impact is felt by everyone.   Since the gnomes had no real hierarchy within their clans (nothing at least comparable to the neighbouring nations), they simply chose the family that served as some kind of “mayor”, the Gizmo’s. Entering the Council of Lords and ruling something as big as the United Kingdoms of Edhellon was a big change for the family, but they happily took on the challenge and have proven themselves more than worthy of the title. Like most gnomes, the house of Gizmo is known for their love for discovery and inventing, and an attitude that allows them to enjoy life to the fullest.   Since the gnomes are so small in size they add little in terms of manpower to the military, although they have created many constructs that form the bulk of their vassal army and provide much aid to the United Army. Small as their help may be, it is very dangerous.   The gnomes don’t really have a hereditary system similar to the other races because of their long lifespans. Instead, a member of the Gizmo family can come forward as a successor, and the other family members can approve or deny the gnome.

Wundlefundle is the regional capital of the Gizmo’s Lordship. The gnomes don’t live in cities in the traditional sense however, but prefer burrows beneath hilly and forested areas. Wundlefundle is no different, and lies mostly underground, although it is not blocked from the outside and much of the sun does shine inside as long as it isn’t raining. Wundlefundle is by far the biggest of the gnomish burrows in Edhellon, and houses around 4 000 gnomes and a few hundred people of other races that choose to settle there, but it still is one of the smallest regional capitals in the nation. Only the halfling’s regional capital of Longplain is smaller. Nevertheless it is an incredibly special city, blending nature and technology in a wondrous sight. Underground in the burrow, with roots of trees all over the place, lies the most mechanised city in all of Edhellon, filled with constructs making sure that everything runs fine.

Lord Gizmo was one of his family’s most prominent inventors, and remains to this day passionate about tinkering, although he has much less time for it than he wishes he had. He is a happy and kind old gnome (nearing 500 years of age) and only the second gnomish Great Lord since the founding of Edhellon, resulting in many dubbing him the wise old man of the Council. That wisdom, however, may be somewhat overrated, as despite the gnome’s old age he is still as impulsive as he was 300 years ago. The many explosions coming from his chambers when he is tinkering seem to prove that much.

The Dwarven House of Grandbeard was during the founding of Edhellon actually a large vassal of the Great House of Magrath, which was in charge of commerce. Nevertheless the House of Grandbeard was firmly loyal to the United Kingdoms of Edhellon, and actually spent much time gaining support of other dwarven clans and getting them to join the young nation. Indeed, the House of Grandbeard had done more to expand the United Kingdoms than its Great Lords, the Magraths, ever did did. That is not to say that the Magraths were incompetent, but rather preoccupied with writing trading regulations. However, the Magraths revolt in the year 172 of the Fifth Age along with the Dunstans may indicate they always had their doubt about Edhellon. During the revolt the House of Grandbeard worked together with the other dwarven clans it had brought in to help fight their former Great Lords. Once the rebellion was over, the Council of Lords rewarded the dwarves, making them the new Great House and granting them ownership of the Magrath’s Lordship, as well as the family responsible for Commerce.   Ever since they became the Great Lords of Commerce the House of Grandbeard made major changes to the trading regulations initially written by the Magraths. The Magraths were rather restrictive in terms of trade and granted a lot of power to the different Lordships to set up their own rules. The Grandbeards did the opposite, and broke that up completely. The United Kingdoms of Edhellon were to them one nation, that should have open trade within it and one set of rules for everyone within it. This change was initially not well received by the different Great Houses, although nobody can deny that on the long term their changes have had far more benefits than downsides. Curiously enough though the Grandbeards never did away with the Magraths system of permits, and only enforced it. All merchants require specific permits for everything they want to trade. This is done to minimize the risk of fraudulent and shifty traders, as well as ensure a certain minimum of quality. Additionally, for certain objects, such as weapons and armour, even the buyer needs a permit, so that only people that actually need it can get their hands on these items.   The Grandbeards work hard to make sure trading in the United Kingdoms happens as freely and as safely as possible. For the latter they work closely together with the Great House of Ambergrip. Despite the system of permits, they are usually are easy to get, although the moment you are found to break regulations they take usually take it away and will be unable to ever get a permit again.   The House of Grandbeard has an averagely sized vassal army.   The Dwarves of Grandbeard have a male hereditary system, in that the oldest son of the current Head of the House will become their successor.

The regional capital of Nex Thorum is a massive trading hub that is connected to some remaining independent dwarven clans and of course Edhellon itself. The layered mountain city contains multiple immense markets, and in the centre of the city a massive auction house can be found. It is quite an impressive sight, as the city is actually a big hollowed out part of the maintain that is very open. The entire city is focused on trade and it is commonly said that anything you can legally buy, you can find in Nex Thorum. Many of the Grandbeard’s administrative buildings are located here as well, but on a separate layer not accessible to the public.

Lord Grandbeard differs a bit from the average dwarf, as he is a very open, friendly, and charismatic person, that has spent most of his youth in libraries learning as much as he could about trading. He is considered to be a skilled diplomat that works hard to achieve the best solution for everyone involved.

The Great House of Middleton may be one of the founders of the United Kingdoms of Edhellon, but it has always been and remained a small and humble House. The family always had little interest in war or conquest, and they tried their hardest to maintain a neutral attitude, hoping none of their neighbours would drag them into a fight. The region controlled by the Middletons was one of the few that showed any serious interest in the gathering and the passing on of knowledge, so the decision to make them the Great House responsible for this domain was an obvious one.   The Middletons were basically tasked with the implementation of a unified library and education system, as well as the introduction of a more knowledge focused tradition within Edhellon’s culture, as many nations lacked that entirely. This was a tremendously difficult request to fulfil, but the Middleton’s passion regarding this subject helped them to see it through.   Many new libraries were built, and major existing ones received overhauls to make them a place where people could come to read and learn, and for academics to perform research. Additionally, a schooling system for children was implemented. While certainly not available to all, it was definitely an improvement on what already existed in many regions. Specialised academies were created to train adults for the many different aspects in society, ranging from academies focused on bookkeeping or laws to academies focused on cooking or building. The Great House also knew that literacy was the most important factor in the preservation and transferring of knowledge, but with so many of the regions that formed the United Kingdoms being disinterested in this aspect, literacy was low, even amongst the upper classes. This is something they wanted to improve immensely. The solution was the instalment of classes in all major libraries where teachers would offer sessions on reading and writing to the general population, children and adults alike, for a very cheap price. All academies, no matter what they were specialised in, would also offer these courses to any that entered. The Middletons wanted to reach all members of civilization with their reforms so that they could make a much larger part of the populace literate in a mere generation. While it did take longer than they initially hoped for, the Great House’s efforts bore fruit. The Middletons their approach has been so succesful in fact, that literacy within the United Kingdoms of Edhellon is the highest of all nations on the continent, with many commoners in current day being able to both read and write.   Currently the Great House of Middleton is still trying to improve literacy, while ensuring the standards within all institutions of learning are acceptable, and that they are well maintained. They also make sure all texts are in a good state, and employ many scribes whose sole responsibility is rewriting ancient or poorly maintained scrolls and books so that they can be used longer. Many members of the Great House are academics themselves and contribute to the knowledge of the nation as well.   Despite the tremendous importance of the Great House and everything they’ve done, the Middletons are often overlooked by the general populace. They are after all one of the smallest Great Houses within the United Kingdoms. However, the family doesn’t seem to care that much. They are an extremely humble people, and take joy from the fact that they know their changes have made life within Edhellon better. They do not require gratitude or much attention to continue their amazing work.   While this humbleness is admirable, some do fear that it is a weakness, and that the Great House should work harder to get their name out there. After all, if a Great House becomes too insignificant it will likely be voted off the council and stop being a Great House. However, those that fear for the Great House of Middleton their future often underestimate the power and importance of knowledge. The other members of the Council of Lords certainly recognise this, and takes note of the Middletons their achievements, even though they general populace may not. They have no plans of kicking the humble (and non-threatening) Great House of the Council any time soon.   As a Great House that was never interested in warring, the Middletons have a small Vassal Army. However, they do have some of the most interesting soldiers in the entire United Kingdoms, the so called “Warrior-Scholars”. Inspired by the Librarians of Cardell Keep in the Theocracy of Dorothel, these soldiers are a mixture of scholars and soldiers, and consider the protection of knowledge their sole purpose in life. These elite forces can sometimes be seen libraries, although most of them stay in the Lordship of the Middletons, close to their capital of Addellyn.   The Great House of Middleton has an elective system of succession, with the Great House choosing someone amongst themselves as the successor.

The Middledons their capital city of Addellyn is relatively small compared to most of the other regional capitals. It lacks a dense city centre, busy marketplaces, and crowded streets. It is instead a very open and calm city, filled with a variety of academies and libraries. In the centre of the city lie the University of Addellyn and the Great Library of Addellyn, both of which are amongst the largest and most prestigious on the entire continent of The Tear. The capital is filled with students, researchers, and teachers, but also philosophers, writers, and artists, as the Middletons, resulting in Addellyn having a quite unique atmosphere.

Lord Middleton is believed to be one of the few genuinely kind, honest, and empathic Lords on the council. His intentions are altruistic, as he simply wants the best for the people and for the nation, while uninterested in personal gain. Issac Middleton is also considered to be quite intelligent, and he himself was an accomplished historian before his position on the Council. To this day, history remains one of his greatest passions.

The Northwards aren’t exactly a Great House in the traditional sense. In fact, “Northward” isn’t the name of a family, but actually serves as the collective name for the entire group of half-elves in the north-western region of the United Kingdoms of Edhellon. Between the nation of Edhellon and the elven lands of Gelasea lies hundreds of miles of dangerous wild nature. Yet, despite being this far apart, Edhellon remains the elves’ closest neighbour. While travel to and from the reclusive and mysterious elven lands is very rare, this because Gelasea does not tolerate outsiders, it was inevitable that people from both nations would meet at some point. This actually happened many centuries before the unification of Edhellon, as a group of elven scouts from Gelasea met up with humans in one of the latter’s small villages. Despite their differences, both people grew a mutual respect for each other, as both had to learn how to survive the harsh and unforgiving nature that constantly threatened to wipe them out. They learned from each other and became cautious friends. In the centuries following this initial encounter, elven rangers would occasionally visit these small villages. Over time strong relationships were formed, and even some children, half-elves, were born. By the dawn of the Fifth Age this group of half-elves had grown to a few hundred. They were a small but very capable group, using their own survival skills as well as knowledge and magic learned from the elves to survive in a harsh and hostile environment. The half-elves became known as the people that mastered wilderness survival. When plans were made to unite (a part of) the Independent Regions, many of the Lords saw great potential in having the half-elves as allies within that nation. After all, many of them wanted to expand, but none of them knew how to tame the dangerous wilderness that surrounded them. The half-elves were given a name, “The Northwards”, and the could choose someone amongst themselves a leader to sit on the Council of Lords.   Ever since the Northwards work hard as the nation’s main rangers of the wilderness. They scout the northern heavily forested region as well as the frost giant mountains for any kinds of threats, and there are many. From large groups of aggressive wild beasts to sentient malicious groups such as goblins and gnolls, from mysterious and horrifying monsters within caves deep underground to the brutal and deadly frost giants on their mountains, it is the half-elves that are responsible for tracking them and dealing with them. The number of actual rangers is still only within the hundreds though, so the Northwards work closely together with the United Military to make sure Edhellon stays safe. Because they are so small in number for the area they have to cover, most of the time that these rangers spend at home is spent training new ones. In addition to these tasks, the rangers also serve as the main guides for travellers that go through this wilderness, although the Northwards watch the borders carefully and do not like spending resources and manpower on simply any traveller that feels adventurous.   The Northwards range in the hundreds, meaning they are far bigger than the common Great House, and they are not all one big family. Nevertheless most of the Northwards do have a strong sense of duty, and consider the skills they are privileged to learn extremely important. However, they are always cautious towards others, even fellow inhabitants of the United Kingdoms of Edhellon. This makes them a somewhat difficult people to deal with.   There are many that go to the Northwards and hope to be trained as a ranger just like them. However, their ways are secretive, gifts from the elves to their family, and they are not meant for non-half-elves. Nevertheless the Northwards do train capable man and women so that they can provide some sort of support if need be, and to keep the peace at home. This is how they form their Vassal Army. While these normal rangers are not nearly as skilled as the half-elves themselves, they are still capable fighters, and the most skilled longbowmen in Edhellons armies.   The Northwards have an elective tradition to choose the Head of their Great House. This is always an old half-elf that has been a skilled ranger all their life and proven themselves on multiple occasions as a true leader.

Most of the Northwards spend the majority of their lives outside of their Lordship, and Edhellon, rather than inside it. Such is the life of a ranger. Because of this their regional capital, Farpine, is not the great city many would expect it to be. In fact, one could easily arrive in Farpine and mistake it as just some unimportant large village.   Faprine lies on the far north-western corner of the United Kingdoms of Edhellon, and serves more as a forward outpost rather than a bureaucratic centre of Edhellon, like is the case in most other regional capitals. Deep within the dangerous and wild forests it is difficult to reach and doesn’t look all that special, as simple wooden walls surround the wooden houses. Farpine may not be a true city, but despite its remote location it is certainly the biggest settlement so far away from true civilization. It is filled with life and activity, as the Northwards train new rangers, and its citizens are constantly hunting for food, fishing, and gathering herbs. Everyone is focused on survival, and it is not an easy task. Life in Farpine is certainly not for the weak or lazy.

With more than 100 years of experience as an accomplished ranger and over 40 years as a teacher of new rangers it is fair to say that Lady Northward is one of the most seasoned veterans in the entire United Kingdoms, and therefore no surprising choice as the Northwards’ Head of the House. While she is long past her prime, Lady Northward is still a deadeye shot with her longbow, and what she has lost in strength and finesse she has gained in wisdom. However, be careful asking her for advice, as the Lady Northward always says what she thinks, and what she thinks can be very harsh indeed.