Karrnath

The tutelage of pain and suffering makes a foolish man wise

In a nation of storms and long winters, the grim and stoic Karrns are accustomed to enduring hardship without complaint.
First and foremost, Karrnath is known for its military tradition. Strength, strategy, and discipline are the core values of Karrnath. Karrnath's soldiers might be the finest in Khorvaire, but they lack the magical support of Aundair or Thrane, which evened the odds during the Last War. Nonetheless, Karrns are proud of their martial history, and most are convinced that they would have eventually won the Last War.
Karrnath suffered a series of severe food shortages and plagues early in the Last War. As a result, the king embraced the Blood of Vol as the national religion. The priests of this faith bolstered Karrnath's forces with undead. The current king, Kaius ir'Wynarn III, broke ties with the Blood of Vol and has stopped creating new undead, but Karrnath still has a significant number of skeletons and zombies in service. Many Karrns still believe in the Blood of Vol and approve of the use of undead, but just as many feel that this practice disgraces Karrnath's proud military history and that the necromancers might have been responsible for the famines and plagues.

Culture

One of the oldest human nations on Khorvaire, Karrnath was built on a strong military tradition, one that carries on to this day. Karrnath supports a heavy middle class with plenty of trade businesses running in the large metropolitan centers throughout the western region of the country.
Every qualified Karrnathi citizen is forced into compulsory military service lasting at least two years. While many turn this service into a life-long career, others are quick to fulfill their duty and begin their actual lives. Almost all Karrnathi have no objections about such a requirement; war and battle are seen as a cornerstone to who the Karrnathi are as a people.
Most interesting about Karrnathi society is their use of the dead. There are no qualms about necromancy or undead in Karrnath and the forces of the military in the Last War were bolstered by skeleton and zombie forces. In fact, the Blood of Vol was once the official religion of the country. For reasons unknown, however, King Kaius III rescinded the status of the religion, though it is still widely practiced throughout the nation.

History

Karrnath should have been the most well-equipped nation for the Last War, and they may very well have. However, famine and disease plagued the nation during the war- though no one knew where such ravages originated from. In King Kaius III's eyes, this forced his hand to resort to necromancy and the undead to have a fighting chance in the war. The nation suffered heavy losses in the war, and this was perhaps one of the reasons Kaius was such an adamant proponent of the Treaty of Thronehold once The Mourning struck.

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Hallmarks: Ale, dairy, glass, livestock, lumber, martial discipline, paper, textiles, undead

Population
5,105,000

Type

Geopolitical, Country

Capital

Korth

Demonym

Karrn

Leader

King Kaius III

Government System

Monarchy, Elective