Northern Realms

Overview

Geographical

In the eyes of outsiders our claims are nothing more than snow and ice, large forests of pines nearly freezing over completely, this however is only a fraction of who and what we are. We may be formed and molded by the cold of our homes, but we do appreciate the many more landscapes our claims have to offer. Close to the sea the cold lessens and gives way to a much milder temperature, while the winds grow stronger and stronger, blowing everything away but the hardiest of plants. So we find large swaths of rocky coast dominated by tiny grasses and emerald moss, not a tree in sight. Few cities survive out there, the oceans bounty is scarce and trade ships have a hard time reaching the harbours.
Farther inland the previously described forests, created by Cerunna of the Woods herself dominate the landscape. Long winters and rarely melting snow make this the beautiful land it is today.
In the furthest northern parts even trees do not survive the cold and the harsh winds, creating ginormous plains of ice and snow, further supported by the Snow Witches, so the people living there have dug themselves into the mountains, carving great cities into the rock to weather the storms rocking their world.

The Icy Plains
 

Geopolitical

For many hundreds of years we have fought over the same claims, splintering ourselves into many small kingdoms each barely worth as much as a barony. It took the wisdom of our royal family to unify us. Although some still resist the natural order of the world. The empire has reached a point at which it is large enough to be the political powerhouse in our parts of Hyperborea. As such the wise King Theoderich III has decided to lay down arms and further the unification of our realm by the diplomacy of balls and pens instead of the costly wars we were fighting for so long. An uneasy peace exists between us in the Empire and the so called "Independent Kingdoms", with us doing our best to show them the proper ways, intended by the gods, and them using their positions to force diplomatic marriages upon us, trade deals we would never consent to if we wouldn't care so much about the shape of our world.

Common Cultural Phenomena

While we are still divided between each other, there are still things that bind us together, making us one and not many. Unlike all other places in the world, the ancestral races have kept their hold over these lands tight, no one else will ever reign here. We hold high the worship of our ancestral gods, we do not ignore or diminish the other gods, but we will also not deny who we owe everything to.
The cold winds have formed and shaped us, no matter if we live beneath Cerunna's trees, in the rich mountains on the coast or along the frozen plains. All of us know the cost of a single mistake and all of us know that the community is stronger than the individual, no matter the family, clan or brotherhood. We are steady and enduring, there is a reason the conquerors of the past never managed to hold the Northern Realms.
 

Countries & Alliances

The Empire

Our home, on a historical scale only a recent addition to the world. In the past many larger kingdoms have existed in the Northern Realms, but ours is truly the first capable to call itself an empire. We have been forged in the crucible of war, while others fought meaningless battles, our strategists came up with the plans to unite us.
Founded during the Long War by the late grandfather of our King Theoderich III we took a mere 200 years to emerge as the victors, ending generations of war peacefully. Although, our King has not given up on the dreams of his family and still plans to bring all people of the Northern Realms under his banner and into prosperity.
 

Claimed Borders

While the will soon have conquered all lands in the Northner Realms, the current borders look as follows. The empire now stretches from east to west, without anyone claiming the sea ports on either sides, in the north lie the independent kingdoms, at the borders of their ice sheets end our claims. In the south our lands merge with those that belong to the Lords and Ladies of the Border. While they are part of the Empire, their contracts dictate that their lands stay in their hands without interference from our side.
 

Diplomatic Relations

In the interest of peace and stability the Empire holds a line of contact to the following players on the political stage.
 

The Independent Kingdoms

Our negotiators are hard at work securing future alliances and convincing the unruly territories to rejoin the Empire, as is their and our birthright. A worrying trend has been forming in which these kingdoms use their diplomatic leverage to arrange for marriages heavily benefiting them while completely discarding the needs of the Empire.
 

The Lords and Ladies of the Border

The situation is very similar to those with the independent kingdoms, with the difference however, that they are much better integrated already and heavily rely on the Empire to secure their borders, protecting them from the incursions by the clans of the Middlelands. We in turn are in need of their support to guide our troops and caravans through the thick forests that dominate their lands.
 

The Clans

The clans of the Middlelands are numerous and very different from each other. The Empire holds connections to whoever is the most dominant at the moment, negotiating for the release of hostages taken in raids into our lands, while also recruiting these same warriors into our military, as they are ferrocious fighters - if guided correctly.
 

The Free Cities

Barely better than the clans they formed from, they have many of the same issues plagueing the clans. While they might appear as a cohesive unit, they are far from that, fighting among each other for the most parts. We uphold relations to the general leaders among them, hoping to secure the use of their artisans in the grand constructions we are building and planning.
 

The Order of the Rose

While the rest of the Middlelands are dangerously close to blasphemy and disturbing the natural order of things, the Order of the Rose has taken it way too far. Their blatant use of undead, while loudly proclaiming their sentience is a step to far, as is the soul binding they practice.
The only reason we are keeping up the diplomatic channels is that we are in need of the wisdom and knowledge they are able to retrieve from the dead. They are nothing more than a necessary evil.
 

The Queng-Ho Alliance

To not upset the Seven Families, we have not established proper diplomatic channels with the Queng-Ho. A trade caravan of theirs has established a permanent trading post within the borders of the capital.
 

The Seven Families

Their delegation is known to be rude, demanding and ignorant. We however need them, as they were the first nation to send proper envoys when our Empire was in its early stages, giving us the legitimacy we needed for the outsiders. They are to be treated with the highest honours and any attack on them will be treated as absolute treason.
 

Dragonfall

Accepting their delegation caused quite the uproar from the Seven Families, as they consider them to have lost the blessing of their divine guardian. Refusing them however would close the eastern sea-routes to the empire even further.
 

The Coral Kingdoms

They too are reemerging from a long war, we are happy to accept their ambassadors in hopes of forming strong alliances to further our control over the ocean.
 

The Noble Lines

The Family von Hohenstein - The Royal Line

The family that started it all, the family that had the wisdom and guidance to persevere until victory was finally achieved. Currently the head of the family is our King Theoderich III, leading the destiny of the Empire with an iron fist and the wise judgement of true ruler.
 

The Family O'Lara

A family well know within the Empire, they seemingly are everywhere. In every branch of the military, or civil services will you find an O'Lara. Many of them have risen to fame and infamy alike. The currently best known member of the family is Admiral O'Lara who led the expedition that managed to uncover the second continent. The family has been close to the royal line for a very long time and will continue to do so for much longer.
 

The Family Hohenbaum

A rather young family on the political stage. Coming into fame and fortune in the last years of the long war, by pulling off great feats during many battles and sieges. They were rewarded with a noble title and lands close to the independent kingdoms.
 

The Family Laurent

Having turned to the Empire during the beginning of the long war, this family was originally part of the Snow Witches domain. Their turning to the correct side has been called a "defection" and they were heavily attacked, relying on the Empire for support. In return they have been fortifying the borders even further, giving us access to their specialists.
 

The Family Steinsaltz

The family has been a part of the Empire for long, being one of the earliest supporters of King Theoderich I. Lately their lands have been plagued by a string of abductions and disappearances. A large amount of political opponents of the family vanished, casting doubt on them. This theory was tragically disproven, when the heads of the family also vanished, leaving no clue to the actual culprit.
   

Specialties

Our military is our pride and security in these trying times. No other army is as well trained and disciplined as ours. Covering all ground one can possibly imagine, from the navy to incredibly specialised battlemages, healers to the common foot-soldier. It has always been our specialty to incorporatel, strategize and adapt to anything any enemy will throw at us.
 

Noteworthy Historical Events

The Capital is founded by Theoderich I

Discovery of The Continent

The Independent Kingdoms

The so called independent kingdoms are a reminder of our dark past, clinging to old ways which should have been discarded long ago. Splintered, reclusive and generally hostile. They are backwards and will be brought back into this age kicking and screaming if necessary.
Their fragmentation into these many different kingdoms is pathetic but unfortunately very effective. Disrupting one of them does exactly that, as they prefer to work together but are not reliant on each other.
Their alliance is led by the oldest of the kingdoms, one that bound itself to old forces, older than our ancestral gods even. Bound to the forces of ice and cold they became the Snow Witches and follow dark and untold paths.
 

Claimed Borders

The independent kingdoms claim the everything from the beginning of the ice sheets to the northern mountains and their connection to the sea. They also claim the two small isles just off the coast as their domain.
 

Diplomatic Relations

In the interest of brevity we wil describe only the known connections to the Snow Witches.

The Empire

We obviously hold diplomatic connections in their court and they in ours. They have been making more and more laughable demands with each passing year.
 

The Lords and Ladies of the Border

Still trying to convinve them to rennounce us, with little success.
 

The Order of the Rose

The Snow Witches hold up favourable connections to the Order of the Rose. Their dark and despicable alliance only underscores further why all of them should be brought back into the light.
 

The Queng-Ho Alliance

One of the very few to have accepted an official delegation from the Queng-Ho. They seem to hold good connections, not caring for the outrage from the Seven Families. We have heard rumours and whispers that they might want to set up a similar system to the alliance up in the Northern Realms and are working towards this goal.
 

The most important Kingdoms

The Snow Witches

Led by their Queen Aurelia Sánná they have been a plague upon the Northern Realms for as long as we can remember. Once they used to rule large parts of the Realm, having lost a lot of their former power, they are stil clinging to. Theirs are the mages that keep up the spells that protect the icy plains, from our incursions.
 

The Kingdom of Álbma

One of the younger kingdoms in the area, covering large amounts of the northern mountains, claiming specifically only the exterior, leaving the inside of the mountains for the dwarven clans living in there.
 

The Clans of Vilhealbma

All dating back to their semi-mythical founder of the same name. They have been known to be very open to accepting outsiders, often pronouncing them as part of the clan.
 

Specialties

As much as it pains us to admit, they are excellent miners and guerilla fighters. All too often have we sent a legion only for them to be ambushed from tunnels we never even knew existed, to have our legions frozen in place and time by their powerful frost magic.
 

Noteworthy Historical Events

The Lords and Ladies of the Border

Born on the fringes of the Northern Realms, they are a strange mix of us and the clans of the lands they border in the south. Do not make the mistake to underestimate them. They may present themself as weakly nobles, but each of them has survived the dense forests and spent many years living in them serving as trackers for the trade caravans.
Their position as trackers and local experts gives them control over the trade routes through the forest, which has made them very powerful and wealthy.
 

Claimed Borders

In the Northern Realms their borders end with the thickest parts of the forests of Cerunna. Along the rivers flow their trade routes, but as the trees give way to the light, that is where their influence ends. In the south it is the same, although the clans of the Clanlands will always keep attacking and raiding them.
 

Diplomatic Relations

The Lords and Ladies of the Border have no official channels of communication to any other major political player. As part of the Empire the follow our diplomatic lead, while our ambassadors will also negotiate in their name.
Unofficially they hold contact to some of the clans in the Clanlands, to ensure the safety of their traders.
 

The Noble Lines

The Family Woolahan

The family that has held on to power for the longest amount of all. Their lands right at the centre, providing a very useful waypoint.
 

The Family Monaghan

The family leading the coalition against the Empire, they have been subdued for now. Cutting them out and replacing them is currently not an option and they have to be pacified in another way.
 

The Family Risewell

A young and upstart family, recently came into power with help from the Empire. They are an eager vassal and know very well who is responsible for their place in the world.
 

Specialties

Their use as trackers and navigators in the darkest parts of the forests makes them very useful allies. If integrated correctly into an armie, they are the perfect scouts to operate behind enemy lines.

Noteworthy Historical Events