Aedenhal (/Ay-din-haal/)
History and Government
In the farthest reaches of the Kcalsbury Continent, the children of the Bear stand as strong bulwarks against the forces of The Windy Country. Originally hailing from the Protectorate-Commonwealth before being driven off in The Brothers War, the modern residents of Aedenhal are a proud, simple folk with hardened ties to both the land and each other. Here, where frost covers the ground across the year, the lands are nonetheless kept tilled. Most of Aedenhal's residents are little more than peasants, but as peasants they are jacks of all trades. Both men and women are expected to hold all manner of practical skills, and it is considered a shame to not be able to help a neighbor in a time of need. Nominally, Aedenhal has no true governance; it is a true republic of peasants, where most issues are voted on directly by villages and resolved by majority-vote. Each town has a chieftain, but the authority of the chieftains is merely ceremonial; they represent the village's authority, but they can just as easily be replaced by a mere trial of combat. The nation's "king" is equally ceremonial - he is a chieftain of chieftains, subject to a challenge like any other. The only catch is that anybody who holds the title of king bears the title not of king, but of King Aeden the Eternal, the fabled founder of Aedenhal whose words charmed Hematfjold. An eternal king, replaced at the whim of a rival chieftain, may seem almost like a contradiction. The people of Aedenhal - the Aedenskolt - don't think so deeply about it. To them, it is tradition and ceremony, and they see no reason to complain about the matter. The fluctuations of King Aeden are but a reminder that changes come to one in time, and they are not to be feared. Indeed, King Aeden has no true qualifications, and he has at certain times been woman or non-human. In fact, concepts such as gender and race are almost foreign to the frozen wastes of Aedenhal; women are raised just like men, and outsiders are accepted so long as they pitch in and don't slack off. The lands of Aedenhal are in personal union with Venfros, and whoever takes on the mantle of Eternal King is bound to marriage with The Ice Queen. Venfros represents the original inhabitants of the Cliffs of Fear, the Uggrfyolth, which initially conflicted with the settling Aedenskolt. This conflict was resolved by the marriage and union, though both peoples prefer to keep their fates somewhat distinct, and norms and traditions govern what is considered the domain of the Eternal King and what is considered the domain of the Ice Queen. Put most simply, the Queen rules the mountains and the issues of the Uggrfyolth, while the King rules the plains and the Aedenskolt.Cities
Aedenholm
The capital of Aedenhal is Aedenholm. Traditionally, Aedenholm is the home of King Aeden the Eternal, though often times whoever holds the title remains in the local settlement from which they originated. As far as capital cities go, then, Aedenholm is not especially important; it has a population of only 10,000, it is not a major trade hub, and it does not boast any industrial capacity which makes it stand out from other cities of Aedenhal.Geography
Aedenhal is a nation of various snow-capped lands. In the nation's east, the jutting pillars of the Perai Mountains fall away into a swath of flat plains which straddles the unfrozen Perai Rapids. These rapids flow so quickly before merging with the Clear Creek and Quickbrook that they remain liquid year-round even in the extreme temperatures of the country's winter. In the south, the dark and shadowy Grey Woods haunt the countryside, though pine woods are scattered all throughout the nation. As one travels westward through Aedenhal, they shall eventually come to be faced by the intimidating facade of the Cliffs of Fear. These cliffs are steep, needle-like mountains that give no passage and howl with the great gales of the Windy Country. Only the bravest of the Aedenskolt shelter here, and it is traditionally the land of the Uggrfyolth whose Jezi witches keep their populations safe. The northern shores of Aedenhal are largely uninhabited, though some ice fishers and brave sailors do face their climes. Here, the Sea of Mists is covered heavily by ice and glaciers, and Longtusk are a common sight - as are more dangerous inhabitants of the frozen wastes. The waves also have a habit of batttering the shores in an unpredictable manner, for the Cliffs of Fear do not block the air of the Windy Country here. When the Greyhail comes, it often batters these shores first.Resources
Aedenhal subsists largely upon farming. Hardy staple crops, especially potatoes, are grown year-round in the land's frozen soils, but the majority of Aedenhal's population thrives on animal agriculture. Cattle - be they cows or oxen - are the center of every Aedenskolt banquet, and most households raise smaller livestock such as chickens. Alcohol is popularly produced throughout Aedenhal and prized across the world, as many believe it to be more pure or stronger when it comes from the Skolt. There are many rare creatures and plants in Aedenhal which can grow nowhere else in the world, and it just so happens that many of these are producers of dyes and pigments. Aedenhal's biggest export is thus colors of all sorts, sometimes raw and sometimes in the form of woolen or cloth textiles.Ethnicities
Only the Aedenskolt call the bulk of Aedenhal their home; the Uggrfyolth live only on the periphery, in the depths of the Cliffs of Fear, which may as well be considered Venfros or The Windy Country. When they found it, it was abandoned. Over time, wars have resulted in the annexation of lands belongings to Eowyr and Vestal, but most peoples indigenous to these two lands either fled or faced expulsion. Refugees from various other wars have sometimes come to Aedenhal and settled down, though they typically integrate into Aedenskolt society and consider themselves full-fledged Aedenskolt rather than maintaining ties to their old ethnicity.Diplomacy
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"The Children of the Bear"
Adjectives: Aedenskolt (official Aedenhalian (colloquial, outdated)
National Animal: Longtusk
National Instrument: Horn
Ethnicities: Aedenskolt, Kandeshi, Uggrfyolth, Uzbari
Languages: Aedenslang, Human Common
Capital: Aedenholm
Ruler: King Aeden the Eternal
Government: Peasant Republic
Hallmarks: Subsistence, community ties, frozen climes, the upper edge of the known world
Characteristics: Strong-willed, hardy, traditional, industrious
National Animal: Longtusk
National Instrument: Horn
Ethnicities: Aedenskolt, Kandeshi, Uggrfyolth, Uzbari
Languages: Aedenslang, Human Common
Capital: Aedenholm
Ruler: King Aeden the Eternal
Government: Peasant Republic
Hallmarks: Subsistence, community ties, frozen climes, the upper edge of the known world
Characteristics: Strong-willed, hardy, traditional, industrious