Red Realm
The Red Realm was once Arvor's most powerful kingdom, carved out of Gnomish ancestral forests. The kingdom was ruled by the descendants of the first Lord Galvyn for nearly 700 years, until King Galvyn XII died in 1500 GS leaving no heirs. Galvyn XII's death came at an already precarious time for the kingdom, which was on the losing end of war. The region tipped into a bloody succession crisis, trading their failed conquering war for violent civil war.
Government
After years of conflict, the kingdom found tenuous peace in an agreement called The Concordance. The Concordance established a governing body of the highest ranking nobility called the Council of Peers. The Council agreed that in the absence of a true heir, they were best suited to elect a Regent of the Crimson Crown to unite the kingdom. This led to a tenuous peace in daylight, but assassins still haunt the shadows of noble houses.Nobility
The Red Realm is an aristocratic society ruled by a large noble class. The nobility has a strict hierarchy consisting of both inherited and uninherited, landed and unlanded titles. See Nobility in the Red Realm for more information.Currency
The Red Realm mints its own currency, allowing the crown greater control over the flow of goods, services, and wealth. While its currency matches the standards held across Arvor, spending outside currency within the Red Realm is illegal. Merchants have been known to occasionally look the other way for small sums, but are wary of undercover tax investigators.- Crown – Platinum piece depicting the crown
- Ducat – Gold piece, depicting the cone and leaf of a ducal coronet (colloquially: "Cones" or "Pineys")
- Knight – Silver piece, depicting a knight on horseback (colloquially: "Knaves" or "Horsies")
- Sequoia – Copper piece, depicting a redwood tree (colloquially: "woodies", "trunks")
Culture
"The Last War"
In the Red Realm, the War of the Last King is known as "The Last War". To call it The War of the Last King is considered treasonous speech, as it implies that the monarchy has ended.Gloved Nobility
During the Last War, all citizens were required to have the modified seal of the Red Realm on their left hand. Those who swore loyalty and accepted the brand (especially in high-society) were referred to as "The Sworn". Within the nobility, all were branded. After the war, most people of the Red Realm looked at these brands with regret. The nobility started wearing gloves to cover them. Those who mingle with nobility often wore gloves as well. This trend has continued to this day even though there are few left who lived through the war 100 years ago.The Royal "We"
Possibly starting in an attempt at unity, or (more likely) in a power grab, the whole nobility started using the Royal We instead of first person singular. It is considered gauche for those without noble rank to use it, though it’s not illegal.Religious Wariness
Many in the Red Realm are skeptical and wary of active religion, feeling that it was the meddling of the divine that brought about the nation's decline. You will find temples and shrines in all settlements, but most of the nobility holds religion at arm's length and views it as highly transactional. While the noble houses will have a cleric on retainer for miracles, they rarely do work on behalf of the nobility in public.Geography
The Red Realm once stretched all along Southern Arvor, but its current territory is limited to the south central portion of the continent, with the Duchy of Riverglen reaching farthest north to Razor's Pass.
Alternative Name(s)
Crimson Realm
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