Duchy of Dorlin

This vast province extends north from the city of Niole Dra, along the Sheldomar River to the border of the Axewood. It continues north and west nearly to the edge of the Rushmoors, and is the largest territory in the kingdom. These grasslands are the ancestral lands of the Neheli, an ancient Suel noble family whose roots date back to the migrations following the Twin Cataclysms. The Duke of Dorlin is the title usually held by the leader of the house, save when the Neheli hold the Throne of the Lion in Niole Dra and another prominent member of the family assumes the dukedom.
The province is administered from Dorglast Castle (pop. 1,080), an ancient fortress that completely encircles a small township some 90 miles northwest of Niole Dra. Located adjacent to the main north-south road to Shiboleth, Dorglast Castle is a sprawling walled complex formed by a half dozen small citadels connected by a labyrinthine set of walls and towers. Reportedly, this jumble of edifices comprises no fewer than two thousand chambers, a figure which may or may not include the vast dungeons below the town. In the open area located between the walls, amidst the shadows of the towers, lies the town proper, which in ancient days formed the housing of men-at-arms and servants. Built primarily of stone like the citadels, the narrow alleys of the town are crossed by a pair of main roads that pierce the outer walls like points of the compass.
Numerous individuals spend their entire lives within the walls of this place, such is the gloomy and often decadent existence afforded its residents. Dorglast Castle makes Niole Dra seem vibrant by comparison. The most prominent of the citadels and the first to be built nearly a millennium ago is the palace of the duke, called Gollunfane. The other citadels hold numerous apartments, the living quarters of various lesser nobility, many of whom rule minor provinces of Dorlin in absentia. Many here spend their time embroiled in family politics, quasi-scientific research (so called nomology), or inscrutable artistic pursuits. A great many skilled artisans, including some of the most gifted in Keoland, dwell within Dorglast Caslte, many of them jostling for the attention of fickle patrons. Even Rhen folk have been spotted within these walls, which mark the westernmost point of their annual migrations. These migrations culminate during the Festival of the Dead, held during Needfest, when the population of the castle and town swells to double its usual size.
The rest of Dorlin is carved up into various petty baronies and counties, all of which are enfeoffed by the duke to members of his extended family. These lands are not as well-worked or as richly harvested as the central marches of the kingdom, but have primarily agricultural economies nonetheless. Sleepy towns and villages dot the landscape, many of which are ruled by absentee lords. The people of these lands are meek and highly superstitious, often ascrib- ing supernatural explanations to events that require none. Most Neheli are firm believers in the concept of noblesse oblige, but rulership that was once considered just and honorable is now seen as patronizing and neglectful. The Neheli, like their rivals the Rhola, abhor slavery (banned by the Founding Charter) and only a very limited form of indentured servitude is practiced in isolation. The current Duke of Dorlin is Cedrian III, a young and ambitious lord who has worked hard to hold together his once-great house's somewhat flagging fortunes. At one time, the lords of House Neheli were the most influential in the kingdom, and it was largely from their wisdom that the Founding Charter of Keoland was fashioned. The last king before Skotti was Trevlyan III, a member of this ancient house and uncle to Duke Cedrian. This was three decades ago, after years of disease and disquieting rumors of madness damaged their prospects for a long-lived royal dynasty. The current duke has tried to reclaim his family's reputation from the incessant rumor mongers, for he styles himself a prime candidate to succeed Skotti on the throne one day. Chatter about midwives caught at the edge of the Rushmoors carrying freshly born children to be exposed in the wastes is not helping his cause. Cedrian's chief opposition within the family is from the ill-famed Count Orloc, a baleful lord who rules a small corner of Dorlin near the Rushmoors. In the Court of the Land, Cedrian numbers Baron Markos Skotti and other members of the current Royal Faction among his chief competitors, though the centuries-old rivalry with the Rhola still simmers, as always.

Type

Geopolitical, Duchy