The Kingdom of Alran

The Kingdom of Alran

The Kingdom of Alran is one of the oldest continuous kingdoms of Pania. The kingdom was the ancient enemy of the Elulalfanan Empire, and contained it's spread alongside it's closest ally, which is now the modern day Kingdom of Zord. Alran is the "Annon-In-Númë" the Gate of the West. This is in reference to the fact that the great continental road passes through this Kingdom to service all of the major western kingdoms.

Politics

Alranian politics is centralised in the capital Raumerara. The current King Callon of the Elerrína dynasty rules. The Kingdom is split into four duchies, each one ruled by a Duke who acts as councillor, and enforcer, to the king's will.

The Duchies and Their Dukes

• The Duchy of Hlyuetha - The Hlyuetha Shire - Duchess Ironna of House Nermi

• The Duchy of Chaul - The County of Chaul - Duke Othorion-I-Tornanga of House Lunganë

• The Duchy of Merkraz - The County of Merkraz - Duke Orym of House Sauro

• The Duchy of Dhodh - The County of Dhodh - Duke Great Chief Gulm of House Kala

The Council of Earls

The Council of Earls performs a similar function to the Dukes, as the Dukes do to the King. The earls typically preside over a city and its surrounding towns and villages, performing the daily duties assisted by the barons who serve beneath them.

The Peasantry

The peasantry have basic rights garunteed in the Kingdom of Alran, with the right to free travel within the kingdom garunteed by Monarchal Decree. Slavery is outlawed in Alran, except for The Duchy of Dhodh where it is practiced extensively. Alrand, unlike many other nations, encourage basic literacy and numeracy amongst the peasantry.

The Duchy of Dhodh

The Duchy of Dhodh is a remnant of the war fought by Alran and the old Elulalfanan Empire. The Empire had invited Orcish tribes from the south to settle in the borderlands between Alran and modern day Elulalfana. The orcs, nomadic by nature, leapt at the chance to settle in fertile land, rich in resources. They descended upon the lands like a plague and a great many wars ensued. Many Orcs saught to unify the disparate and warring tribes. Eventually one succeeded, the great Morb No-Blood, took supremacy and conquered great swathes of land during his life.

His holdings consisted of much of modern day Morb, the Duchy of Dhodh, and the Kingdom of Zord. Morb's incursions into Elulalfanan lands was his ultimate downfall and he was eventually vassallised by the Emporer. He was granted feudal rights over Morb, and the Grand Duchy of Dhodh. The Kingdom of Zord, once the Kingdom of Sandastan close ally to Alran, was annexed by the Empire and a puppet king put on the throne.

Eventually Morb died and his Grand Duchy fractured as his children each staked claims of their own. The civil unrest was soon subsumed by the death of the Elulalfanan Emporer, and a similar succession crisis in the Empire. It was during this time that Chieftess Ghozra matrilineally married the Alranian Prince Sudryl, who rescinded his rights to the throne and was given the Duchy of Dhodh instead. The alliance was officially an annexation, with loyalty by the Orcish forces sworn to Alran. The issue of Ghozra and Sudryl became the seed of the House of Kala, and it is their descendant who sits upon the throne to this day.

Dhodh remains distinctly Orcish in its culture, prizing martial prowess, and often engaging in contest of honour to establish place. The Dhodhian orcs do, however, suffer the effects of the Alranian culture. Contest of Honours have become duels, formal contests rarely to the death. Honour has become dynastic, and so familial prestige through service to the duke and crown becomes a method of swift ascension. Raiding within the borders is almost non-existent. Raids take place usually in the form of incursions into Morb, or the Kingdom of Zord. Slaves are often taken, and orcish slaves tend towards the practice of Ekla.

Alranian Culture

Alranian has evolved from the Proto-Northern-Elven Culture. The Elves of Alran prize structure. They believe in Dynastic regality and strive to prove their family's propriety through achievement in service to the crown. The Alranian elves tend to have a deep love of the sea, with their lands having a long and unbroken coastline. There is, as such, a strong naval tradition in Alran (especially in recent years).

There is a tradition in Alran of "Tercol" or 'carrying through.' The eldest child will take on the trait of their household head (male or female) and will be gifted a tool of that trade upon maturity. The tool is one that is passed down through generations and each holder will repair and add something to the tool. It is not uncommong for a soldier to wield a spear bearing many wraps or bindings, each one added from an ancestor who was also a soldier.

The general Alranian believes in 'proper' manners, and etiquette can seem incomprehensible to those outside of the society. There is a strong sense of heirarchy, and duty through service is one of the most highly respected method of advancement.

Alranian Religion

Alranians tend to worship an appropriate deity of the Pantheon of the Maqua. There are no religious centres in Alranian borders, and the state does not endorse, or tie itself to, an official religion. In Dhodh ancestral worship is the primary source of worship.