The Bandit Kingdoms

The Bandit Kingdoms are a collection of petty holdings which were founded sometime around 300 - 350 CY. This collection of small personal territories stretches from the southern Shield Lands to the Bluff Hills and northern verges of the Fellreev Forest, from the Ritensa River to the Artonsamay River in the east.

Each little kingdom is ruled by a robber chieftain claiming a title such as Baron, Boss, Plar, General, Tyrant, Prince, Despot, and even King. The territorial boundaries of the holdings of these kinglets are subject to rapid change due to sudden warfare and defeat or victory. In all, there are 17 states within the confines of the area, ruled by four to six powerful lords, with the rest attempting either to become leading rulers or simply to survive.

The relationship persists because no single bandit lord is strong enough to conquer the whole territory, and the combined strength of all is often required to defend against neighboring states' retributive expeditions. So bandit and brigand band together in self-interest, and no kinglet, regardless of ambition, has seriously attempted to rule the whole, for fear that threatened lords would turn to neighboring states in spite—even at the risk of destruction by the summoned "ally."

Thus the combined kinglets continue to stand more or less together. The total military strength of all territories is quite considerable due to the fact that each ruler maintains a large force with which to raid and pillage. (There probably are some 10,000 regular troops in total; if recent reconnaissance is to be trusted.)

This map defines the territorial borders within the Combination of Free Lords as of the spring of CY 576. The text below gives the basic makeup of each force: Its number (keyed to the map), the name of its leader (and his class and level), and the quantities of different types of troops in that force, where Cav = cavalry, Inf = infantry, and H (plus a creature type) = humanoids.

Borders of these territories are shown by thick, black hexsides, except where a river forms part of a boundary.