Kingdom of Tolden

  The Kingdom of Tolden is a venerable panedur country renowned and respected for its dedication to preserving their ancient heritage as the last surviving successor state of the old Patic Kingdom, along with the values and ideals of that lost realm. In recent decades, the country has fallen under the sphere of influence of the Empire of Pallernen, being forced to pay tribute in wealth and manpower as a result of the military and economic pressure exerted by Emperor Hânsil II.  

Government

The Kingdom of Tolden used to be an absolute monarchy with an established royal family, the House of Kotehoi, but following the untimely death of their last ruler, the nobles of Tolden been resonsible for the election of new kings and queens from amongst their own ranks, turning the realm into an elective monarchy.    

History

The Kingdom of Tolden is one of the oldest countries in Lethea, originating from a time when the Patic Kingdom was at its zenith. Uluhhudar, the capital of Tolden, was initially established as a Patic outpost in the region, a place for exerting their influence and extracting the abundant resources of the Toldenian moutains. When the power of the old kingdom waned as the Imperium of Qerthéllnaval landed on the shores of Lethea, eager to expand and dominate the eastern shores of the continent, the Toldenians declared their own independence.  

Tributary

The people of Tolden had a rude awakening one fateful day in 1551 AA when the armies of the Empire of Pallernen, supported by troops from their client state in the Grand Duchy of Yegri, crossed the border. Hânsil II of the House of Pentiwichen, the Emperor of Pallernen, understood the defensive prowess of the Toldenians and knew that a direct assault against their fortifications would have resulted in a bloodbath, but he had more up his sleeve than mere offensive actions. The forces of the empire could ravage the countryside, striking at everything beyond the range of the defender's artillery batteries, while all trade in and out of the country was halted in a matter weeks.   Unprepared for a war of such scale, the Toldenian leaders panicked in search of solutions. King Tōri-Kor Napra, fraught with the gravity of the situation, summoned the matriarchs and patriarchs of Uluhhudar to court. There they discussed their options, yet despite their arguing and the insults that were being hurled from one end of the great hall to the other, capitulation seemed like the only viable choice. The proud folk of Tolden were, however, unwilling to relinquish their freedom for eternity and so a deal was sent to the invading emperor, offering the partial subjugation of the Kingdom of Tolden, but only for the duration of their king’s reign. Tōri-Kor had still been a fairly young king at the time, so the emperor deemed the proposal acceptable, figuring that if he could subdue the Toldenians once, he could do so again in the future.   Since that fateful deal was signed, the Emperor of Pallernen has succumbed to a tumour, leaving the throne to his daughter, Sohhia. The unexpected passing of their old foe had taken the Toldenians by surprise, and there was much debate on whether the deal still applied, as many viewed it as a contract between two monarchs. With one of those monarchs dead, what right had the new empress to the wealth and men of their kingdom? Despite fierce opposition, however, the king continued paying the tribute, claiming that it was better to keep good relations with the new ruler so that when a new king is elected and the deal has ended, they will have a better chance at achieving peace.