Queendom of Keeleon
The Queendom of Keeleon is a nation in the land of Tarteria. Its territory is mostly north of the Orog Range in southern Tarteria to the coast of the Leviathan Sea in northern Tarteria.
Description
The territory claimed by the Queendom of Keeleon covers most of central, northern, and eastern Tarteria. Namely, these regions include the Northern Orcish Plains, Desecrated Hills, Southern Orcish Plains, and Serra Coast regions of the continent. The historic Kingdom of Keeleon also claimed the territories of the Western Valley and Orichalcum Peninsula, however the Queendom has less influence in these areas. The Queendom of Keeleon is a nation primarily of orcs, built and rebuilt by their efforts to tame the wild places and carve their claim in the land of their ancestors. The current monarch, Queen Voltha, daughter of Rava, seeks to purge the remnants of Esturk, The World's End’s corruption and finish the work of her ancestor, Queen Alena. The rebirth of this nation was largely fueled by the goodwill of other nations and the influx of people and resources. These influences have established a wide trading network along the Orc Highway, and this has transformed a nation that was once mostly orcs into a mashing of cultures all along the trade roads and the Rexun River. Humans and dwarves mingle with elves and gnolls in the coastal port cities and in the capital Kievs, which stand in contrast to the frontier settlements in the orcish plains, where more traditional lifestyles continue.Notable Locations
- Kievs: Captial city of the queendom, located in the Southern Orcish Plains.
- New Keeleon: The northern point of power for the queendom in the Northern Orcish Plains.
- Alena's Landing: The first city of the queendom, founded by Queen Alena.
Society
Notable People
Royal Family
- Queen Voltha, daughter of Rava: Ruling orc queen of the Queendom of Keeleon, and heir of the line of Queen Alena. Leader of the Keel’s Council.
- Princess Shanazara, daughter of Voltha: Young orc royal heir and next in line to the throne in Kievs.
- Sire Pargum, son of Deven: The orc father of Queen Voltha. Husband of the late Queen Rava.
Keel's Council
- Crown General Mazorn, son of Mazorn: Orc general of the Keel's Council. Second in command to the Keel’s Band soliders after the Queen, and head of the Queensguard.
- High Matriarch Inkathu, daughter of Zael: Orc priestess of the Keel's Council. Head of the faith of Zenethia in the queendom.
- Lord Lortuk, son of Mog: Orc spellcaster, Special Counsel on the Arcane of the Keel's Council.
- Guild Marshal Hagar Krugg: Half-Orc guildmaster of the Keel's Council.
Ambassadors
- Rasim Varsk: Human ambassador of the Santeem Republic.
- Olathana Sollol: Elf ambassador of the Undying Aristocracy.
- Khural Akvol: Hobgoblin ambassador of the Hobgoblin Khanate.
Culture
Keeleon is primarily a nation of orcs, built and rebuilt by their efforts to tame the wild places and carve their claim in the land of their ancestors. That said, this has changed from what it was historically since the rebuilding. An increase in trade presence and the efforts of the other countries across the seas at the behest of the Zenethian Heroes has brought in many more cultural influences up and down the roads of the central Orc Highway. These central core Keeleon cities not only must balance orcish needs, but the needs of an ever growing and ever diverse citizenry. As a whole, the orcish outlook is one of hard work and earning one’s keep. There’s a constant sense of work yet to be done, as well as a pervasive understanding that everything can be lost in a moment. There is pride in what they’ve accomplished, and a desire to continue reclaiming what was lost. Though it’s been generations, the orcs of Keeleon have not forgotten the destruction wrought by Esturk, and they are keen to not let such evil fester again in their communities. Perhaps the most difficult aspect facing the Queendom is the growing rift between its now varied cultures. A great amount of the population was displaced to neighboring lands across the seas: Santeem and Endor primarily. Now batches of orcs continually return to Tarteria, with multiple generations of cultural shift between their return. The orcish peoples that remained in Keeleon or returned earliest hold resentment for those that left. These orcs feel they rebuilt this land from the sweat and blood of their backs, much different than those orcs who families forged their lives in the lands of others, became influenced by human and dwarf cultures, and who now return and make claim to these lands.Religion
The Church of Zenethia is widespread in Keeleon. Worship of Chedae, The Heaven's Light is strong, both as the antithesis to Nadiria, which caused such strife and damage, and as the force that helped to rebuild Keeleon. It was by the aid of the Grupe, the Monster Hunter, a figure that every Keeleon orc knows, that the Queendom was able to recover as it has. The gods Barduumus, The Battlelord, and Gaia, The Allmother, are also widely worshipped. Barduumus represents the strength to stand against the forces set against them, and Gaia is core to valuing the strong sense of orcish community that’s come from rebuilding the country. Worship of Morounin, The Learned-Lady is rare among traditionalist orcs. She is directly opposed to Barduumus. Orcs have relied on the strength of their body and the strength of their bonds over any form of learned understanding that Morounin represents. That said, the orcs influenced by generations in the Kingdom of Endor have a strong reverence for Morounin, who is widely worshipped among dwarves as the god of creations and smithing. As these orcs have been returning in recent generations, shrines with silver bells are becoming more numerous.Government
The queendom is a monarchy led by a ruling matriarchal dynasty. The current ruler, Queen Voltha, daughter of Rava, can trace her lineage back to the country's founder, Queen Alena, daughter of the Last Orc King. Assisting the ruler with matters of state are the members of Keel's Council. These appointees hold much power in the government and carry the weight of the crown with them. In the towns and cities of the queendom, a town’s lord, called an Oknar, is tasked with keeping the order and preserving orcish interests in the area. In more populated cities, these are often elected positions. However, farther afield, more traditional orc villages and towns can be found. These are largely organized around a strong local lord from the area, entrusted to make the best decisions for their people. Matters of discussion are brought directly before an Oknar. It is they who maintain the city’s appointments for head of the city guard and enforcer of laws (watchguard), the regional military (warguard), the local commerce and relations with the trade guilds (coinguard), and religious affairs (godsguard). If it is needed or they are called upon, these local Oknar officially report back to the lords in either Kievs in the south or New Keeleon in the north, called the Nalt Oknars. These figures report back to the authority of the crown, but are given control over local government.Politics
When the orcs were forced to abandon their country as Esturk advanced, it was largely to Santeem as the closest place they could flee to. Many orcish vessels crossed the Leviathan Sea and reached the western Santeem ports and the eastern bazaar. However, the Santeem government at this time was under the corruptive influence of Esturk as well, and a prison system was implemented for the incoming refugees under the guise of protecting Santeem’s people and its culture. The conditions of these encampments were harsh and cruel, and it was only after the intervention of the Zenethian Heroes that they were abolished. This has created a long-standing distrust of Santeem’s government in the eyes of orcs, who hold resentment of the imprisonment of their people in their time of need. Though reparations are being paid, these have fallen out of public favor and are now much rarer. The orcs view these as not enough and Santeem’s citizens view them as a waste of resources better spent internally, as their public opinion continues to shift towards their internal politics. Endor also has had a large influence on the orcs. After liberating the orcs in Santeem, the Zenethian Heroes brought many of those orcs to Endor instead to settle and begin anew. They were taken in by High King Thorik Oathenhammer at the behest of the Heroes, and they began to grow into their own subculture in the mountain city, influenced by the dwarf world they were now in. Over the quick generations of orcs, they would grow to appreciate finer craftmanship and embrace learning and mastery as a goal. Now, these orcish families have been slowly returning to the home of their people. Often called Dworcs by those that wish to disparage them, this interaction between these two styles of orc culture is causing shifts across the continent. The Hobgoblin Khanate to the south has laid claim to portions of the southern orcish lands since the time of Alena. Their claim rests on the lives of their soldiers spent defending it against the forces of Esturk after Keeleon was defeated, and a growing mixed population of orc and hobgoblin exists in the southernmost cities of Keeleon. Recently, the crown has been pushing back against this to fully reclaim the rest of their ancestral lands. This is in violation of previous treaties between the two nations, but internal pressure to solidify the power of the crown is pushing Queen Voltha to make bold actions. Tensions are rising as Grand Khan Brodur weighs his options against this rising tension.Military
The forces of the standing orcish army are called the Keel’s Band soldiers. There are stations of these warriors in all the major cities of the Queendom along the main trade roads. Keeleon also boasts a growing flotilla posted in Alena's Landing and Porgorag, though it is not the same strength as that of the Santeem Republic to the north or of Konenbur and Soretta far to the east. In addition to the standard forces, the Queensguard are the elite warriors of Keeleon. They are easily identifiable by their stark yellow sashes and the tassels on their halberds. It is they that form the core battalion protecting Queen Voltha as well as each Nalt Oknar. Small detachments of this force are often sent alongside dignitaries and diplomats as well. A specialist group of archers, scouts, and rangers, called the Warden Rangers, operate in and around the Desecrated Hills region. Their units are small and often not engaged with by others during their rare forays into the cities. They are charged with dealing with the spreading corruption from Keeleon Castle and to keep any creatures, any demons, at bay, no matter the cost.History
The Third Age: The Age of Zenethia
The historic Kingdom of Keeleon was formed by the orc Warlord Keel, the First Orc King late in the Third Age: The Age of Zenethia. This tribal leader used the rich veins of orichalcum in his lands to wage war and press his influence across northern Tarteria and unite the orc tribes under one banner. He founded the city of Keeleon and built a castle that would form the capital of the first orc nation.The Fourth Age: The Age of Shadow
After the events of the Great War, the kingdom was quick to recover and trade blossomed across the oceans as the warriors and kings of the world were introduced to the green metal used by the orc warriors in the war. Keeleon would become the prominent force in Tarteria and would continue its growth. The nation came into conflict with the hobgoblin tribes to the south in the Baloratak War, which woudl eventaully be ended with the Treaty of Sword and Axe. The country would continue its growth until Esturk’s forces returned at the end of the Fourth Age. The Tarterian War tore the country apart as the orc armies met the demons and beasts of The World’s End on the battlefields of the northern orcish planes. However, they were not enough, and with several key losses, the armies and citizenry of Keeleon were sent fleeing as their country burned. Keeleon Castle fell and most of the royal family were slain. Only Princess Alena and several of her retainers were able to escape and head southwards. There the royal took leadership and led the evacuation of many of the remaining orcs, who fled across the sea to Endor. After the Zenethian Heroes defeated Esturk and the demons were banished, Princess Alena returned to Tarteria determined to reclaim it for all orcs.The Fifth Age: The Age of Beginnings
On 29 Janafen 5A 004, Queen Alena, daughter of the Last Orc King, returned to Tarteria and founded the settlement of Alena's Landing. She declared herself queen and founded the Queendom of Keeleon. This was followed quickly in 5A 005, when Grupe, the Monster Hunter, founded the city of Porgorag. In the wake of the Tarterian War, the regions near Hezrou Pass were claimed by the Hobgoblin Khanate by the right of the blood shed to defend them. This caused much tension between the Khanate and the fledgling Queendom. After Grand Khan Drack's disappearance, Queen Alena used this time as the Khanate was leaderless to negotiate an ammendment to the Treaty of Sword and Axe, resulting in dual fealty over certain parts of the Southern Orcish Plains near to Hezrou Pass, and ultimately avoiding war.
2021 Art by K Bredain
The heraldry of the Queendom of Keeleon consists of a regal crown for Warlord Keel, the first king of orcs. The gold band over the field of green represents the unification of the orc people under one banner.
The heraldry of the Queendom of Keeleon consists of a regal crown for Warlord Keel, the first king of orcs. The gold band over the field of green represents the unification of the orc people under one banner.
Founding Date
29 Janafen 5A 004
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Demonym
Keelish
Location
Controlled Territories