The Kingdom of Eglarest
The Kingdom of Eglarest is a heavily wooded kingdom of gently sloping mountains in the south-west of Edras, it's brilliant emerald fields dotted with great castles of stone. Rich in flora and fauna, Eglarest is famous for its exotic and sometimes magical lumber and is the primary supplier of sheep and goats to the Four Kingdoms. The kingdom is known throughout Edras for its honorable and steadfast knights, the Eglaressian Dragoons.
It is ruled by the Great Houses of Eglarest, noble families that can trace their lineage back almost a thousand years to the founding of the nation. Currently, House Galanodel reigns over Eglarest through High King Arannis, a fair and honorable regent. Since the signing of the Treaty of Four Kingdoms over two hundred years ago in 3283 ATS, Eglarest has maintained a tight alliance with Dorwine, Tiriath, and Valonde, though relations with Dorwine are currently tepid over shipping lane disputes.
High King Arannis looks to expand Eglarest to the north along the coast, but has found expansion slow and difficult due to frequent raids from Avamast and the constant trickle of Caighreadhug’s nightmare Soulborn that filter south from the Labyrinth of Thorns.
Eglaressians are a simple and hearty people who value honor and chivalry above all else. They take great pride in their family names and will pass down heirlooms from father to son for generations. The most common professions among Eglaressians tend to be farmers, ranchers, carpenters, and woodcrafters.
The Great Houses of Eglarest
House Galanodel: House Galanodel was formed in 2843 ATS as a result of the discovery and proliferation of Biothaumaturgy. This lead the High King to seek out those elven bloodlines from all of the royal elven families who were most gifted in the arcane arts and form them into a new family and a new Great House. This house is exclusively elven, though eladrin, wood elves, high elves, and the rare dark elf can be found in its ranks. The current leader of House Galanodel is Lady Aravyre Galanodel, a high elf and the sister of High King Arannis. This noble house is most known for its mastery of the arcane arts, leading all of the Great Houses in magical studies, Biothaumaturgical practices, and the enchanting of magical items, though they work closely with House Oakshade to train Apothecaries. House Galanodel maintains incredibly close ties to the Circle of Twelve Seals, so much so that many among the other Great Houses worry that they are little more than a front for the Circle’s goals. It is rumored that at least one of the shadowy overlords of the Circle is a member of the Galanodel family. House Galanodel seems to be mostly concerned with centralizing and controlling the use of arcane magics within the Kingdom of Eglarest. Lead by a matriarchal line, the subjects of Galanodel tend to be viewed as secretive and aloof by the other houses. The ancestral home of House Galanodel is Oreth Asuna, a massive levitating castle deep in County Allelonde. House Qualanthri: House Qualanthri is one of the oldest of the Great Houses, having been founded in 2637 ATS at the first meeting of the elven royal families. This house is exclusively elven, though almost entirely dominated by wood elves. The current leader of House Qualanthri is Lord Glyngolor Qualanthri, a wood elf. This house is most known for its mastery of horticulture and husbandry; it is from the fields and pastures of the Qualanthri that the majority of Eglarest is fed. The Qualanthri are also pre-eminent trainers and breeders, overseeing the raising of the hawks, dogs, and horses the kingdom uses for hunting and war. Naturally, they are also some of the best hunters and horsemen in the land, none of which are so legendary as the Eglaressian Dragoons. House Qualanthri is not particularly fond of the political games of the Great Houses and so usually has little representation in various courts, instead focusing intensely on the governing of their own county and their friendship with House Tassarion. It is because of this philosophy that the Qualanthri are seen as being a bit rural and wild by the other houses. Their ancestral home is Amyal Avari, a rugged, utilitarian estate whose stables and pastures stretch for miles throughout County Lathnora. House Selevarun: House Selevarun is one of the oldest of the Great Houses, having been founded in 2637 ATS at the first meeting of the elven royal families. This house is exclusively elven with high elves its most numerous members. The current leader of House Selevarun is Lord Thedithas Selevarun III, a high elf. This house is most known for its mastery of finance and mercantilism, overseeing both the various merchant organizations of Eglarest and the banks and vaults which protect the riches and treasures of the kingdom. Their goals in the courts are Eglarest are simple - amass as much wealth and goods as is possible and then use those things as leverage for their political aspirations. The Selevarun are more tolerated than loved by the other Great Houses, mostly being viewed as cold, calculating bean-counters that control more of Eglarest’s wealth than is wise. That being said, House Selevarun does maintain a loose alliance with House Swiftwhistle, without whom their merchant guilds would quickly disintegrate. House Selevarun is obsessive about its bloodlines and it’s elven heritage; as a result, it won’t even knight non-elves. They make their ancestral home in Unhe Nalore, a vault-palace along the coast of County Ylellune. House Tessarion: House Tessarion is one of the oldest of the Great Houses, having been founded in 2637 ATS at the first meeting of the elven royal families. This house is exclusively elven, though it is mostly eladrin and wood elves. The current leader of House Tassarion is Lord Cratoris Tessarion, an eladrin. This house is most known for its mastery of the art of war. Though pulled from all of the Great Houses, practically every army in Eglarest is trained and lead by the scions of Tassarion. Aside from strictly military pursuits, House Tassarion is also known for its talented bounty hunters, mercenaries, and monster hunters, all of which can be found as far afield as Orlia. Loyal to a fault and tough as nails, the members of House Tassarion are sometimes seen as uncultured by the other Great Houses for their lack of interest in political dalliances. The ancestral home of House Tassarion is a heavily fortified citadel called Syll Elanore that sits atop a large hill in eastern County Caalnas. House Swiftwhistle: House Swiftwhistle was the first of the two halfling houses to be formed, being granted their titles by the High King in 2785 ATS. This house is exclusively halfing with lightfoot halflings making up the vast majority of their number. The current leader of House Swiftwhistle is Lord Flynnan Swiftwhistle, a lightfoot halfling. This house is most known for its mastery of all things travel. The Swiftwhistles count expert navigators, orienteers, and cartographers among their ranks, as well as talented ship pilots (both those that fly in the air and sail upon the seas), wagon drivers, expedition leaders, and trackers. Characterized by a stereotypical halfling disposition, House Swiftwhistle is friendly with most every Great House, though they do have closer alliances with both House Selevarun, for who they oversee all shipping and transport of goods, and House Durthane, who builds their vehicles. In general, Swiftwhistles are seen to be a bit flighty and suffering from an inherent wanderlust by members of other houses. The ancestral home of House Swiftwhistle is Silh Serine, a huge port-city that fills the entirety of the island upon which it resides just off the coast of County Ilfneas. House Goodbarrel: House Goodbarrel was the second of the two halfling houses to be formed, being granted their titles by the High King in 2890 ATS. This house is exclusively halfing with lightfoot halflings making up the vast majority of their number. The current leader of House Goodbarrel is Lady Kelzana Goodbarrel, a lightfoot halfling. This house is most known for its mastery of entertainment, art, and hospital (which is regards as just as much of an art as painting or sculpting). Goodbarrels and their vassals can be found running a significant percentage of the inns, pubs, playhouses, musical conservatories, and other establishments of that like throughout Eglarest. Quick to make friends, House Goodbarrel has a nearly sterling reputation among the other houses as a family of cheery, loyal, and talented halflings. Their works of art and performers can be found in nearly every court in the kingdom and their travelling troupes are known as far away as Aressea. House Goodbarrel makes its ancestral home at Imyran Shaeras, a series of connected villas at the heart of a thriving urban metropolis in central County Thenalion. House Oakshade: House Oakshade is one of the oldest of the Great Houses, having been founded in 2645 ATS shortly after the first meeting of the elven royal families. This house is almost exclusively firbolg, though there are some rare exceptions - most notable a family of tortles that were adopted in about three hundred years ago. The current leader of House Oakshade is Lady Brywynn Oakshade, a firbolg. This house is most known for its mastery of the healing arts and it's deep and unwavering faith in the Brisingelion. Most of the temples and shrines throughout Eglarest are looked over by vassals of House Oakshade and nearly every miracle worker and holy warrior of the faith in the kingdom was trained by their masters of divine magic. Even in matters of mundane medicine, the herbalists, medics, and doctors of House Oakshade are without peer. Today, House Oakshade steadfastly guards Thranwe’s Weald, the great wall that protects Eglarest from northern attack. The Oakshades have a generally good relationship with the other Great Houses, all of whom recognize how quickly the kingdom could be lost without access to their divine magics and without their stalwart defense of the northern passage. They maintain especially close relationships with House Galanodel, whom they provide miracle workers to be trained as Apothecaries, and House Pilwicken, whose archives they frequently consult their religious studies. Though many regard them as wise and kind, they also have a reputation of being somewhat stubborn and overly focused on matters of the faith. Their ancestral home is Thel Unarith, a fortress of stone and wood in northeastern County Ilnore that has been rebuilt from ruins three times in the kingdom’s history. House Hushed-Whispers: House Hushed-Whispers is one of the youngest of the Great Houses, having been founded in 3278 ATS as a reward from the High King for their irreplaceable support during the Wars of Succession. This house is exclusively kenku. The current leader of House Hushed-Whispers is Lord Potion-Swirl, a kenku. This house is most known for its mastery of the larcenous arts. Whether it be stealing treasures, stealing information, or stealing lives, House Hushed-Whispers are the experts. Gifted with royal titles for their infiltration of the other kingdoms’ courts during the Wars of Succession, House Hushed-Whispers’ ranks are filled with spies, thieves, poisoners, and assassins - all of which operate at the pleasure of the High King. Distrusted and rightly feared by most of the other Great Houses, House Hushed-Whispers has a well-deserved reputation for trickery, dishonesty, and manipulation. It is for this reason that they mostly stay within their own domain until called upon by the High King or another Great House to perform their duties. That being said, many courts throughout Eglarest will employ vassals of this house to protect them from the political machinations of other Great Houses. House Hushed-Whispers’ ancestral home is Aleth Caelora, a hidden chateau deep in the mountains of County Alari. House Pilwicken: House Pilwicken is one of the youngest of the Great Houses, having been founded by a family of forest gnomes in 3283 ATS as a reward from the High King for their assistance in ending the Wars of Succession through the signing of the Treaty of Four Kingdoms. This house is open to families of any ancestry and as a result is incredibly diverse. Families of forest gnomes, myconids, elves, and other ancestries all can be found within the Pilwicken. The current leader of House Pilwicken is a myconid named Lord Marasmius Oreades (Fairy Ring Champignon). This house is most known for its mastery of the academic arts, but its expertise in matters of governance and diplomacy are also second to none. Scholars, scribes, diplomats, philosophers and archaeologists make up the ranks of House Pilwicken. Their archives are legendary throughout southern Edras and their many academies, colleges, and schools are renowned for their talented teachers. Well-liked by the other Great Houses, the Pilwickens are never-the-less seen as newcomers to the political power structure of Edras and are somewhat looked down upon for their diverse ancestry. Pilwickens tend to be thought of as bookish and superior, but many of them are just as kind hearted and willing to teach as the Oakshades. Their ancestral home is Aal Dorei, a monolithic tower that juts out of the cliffs at the southernmost tip of County Onysanor. House Durthane: The first and oldest Great House of mixed ancestry, House Durthane was founded by a family of mountain dwarves in 2849 ATS after their founder Lord Brommund Durthane I led the effort to reclaim the mountains of Arethsera and the ancient Vorgarian mines that lay within from the Duergar who had infested them for centuries. This house is open to families of any ancestry and as a result is incredibly diverse. Families of dwarves, myconids, elves, gnomes, halflings and other ancestries all can be found within House Durthane. The current leader of House Durthane is Lord Brommund Durthane III, a mountain dwarf and descendant of the house’s founder. This house is most known for its mastery of crafting and manufacturing. The greatest artisan crafters in Eglarest, from blacksmiths and carpenters to wainwrights and stonemasons, come from House Durthane. Quite happy to stay within their own domain, the Durthanes let the other Great Houses come to them to request their wares rather than travelling throughout the kingdom hawking the treasures they make. That being said, they do maintain close relationships with House Selevarun, whose merchants oversee the selling of their goods, and House Swiftwhistle, whose deep friendship has sustained the house in dark times. Others tend to regard the members of House Durthane as stern and gruff, but their reliability and dedication are also quite legendary among the Great Houses. House Durthane’s ancestral home is Olren Taesi, a city-sized forge built into the side of a mountain in County Arethsera. It is rumored that there is some terrible secret hidden away deep within the city-forge’s depths, as House Durthane has forbid anyone but the High King access to the deepest sections of Olren Taesi since its founding.The Laws of Magic
- Arcane and Divine Magic are both legal.
- Natural Magic is generally well tolerated due to the proliferation of the Song of Edras in Eglarest.
- Necromancy requires special licensure from the Circle of 12 Seals and is restricted in use.
- Aberrant magic that comes from pledging oneself to Outsiders or agents of the Primordials is strictly illegal.
- Sorcerers are viewed with distrust and fear by some, though like most cullic nations licensure can be obtained for such unnatural abilities through the Church of the Brisingelion or the Circle of 12 Seals.
Structure
Secular Hierarchy:
- High King/Queen
- Prince/Princess
- Lord/Lady
- Knight (Sir/Dame)
Demography and Population
Population: approx. 2,400,000
Demographics:
- Elves 33%
- Halflings 25%
- Firbolgs 16%
- Kenku 12%
- Myconids 10%
- Misc. 4%
Territories
County Allelonde: The domain under the stewardship of House Galanodel, who oversee the county from their ancestral home - Oreth Asuna, a massive levitating castle. Allelonde is a fertile valley region that sits between the two largest mountain ranges in Eglarest and as a result is incredibly well defended. Allelonde is the center of magical research and instruction in Eglarest; if you meet a Wizard from Eglarest, it is fairly certain they were at least partially trained in Allelonde.
County Lathnora: The domain under the stewardship of House Qualanthri, who oversee the county from their ancestral home - Amyal Avari, a rugged, utilitarian estate whose stables and pastures stretch for miles. Lathnora is defined by its open fields of long-grass surrounded by patches of forest and gently rolling hills. Lathnora is the center of both husbandry and horticulture in Eglarest, being equally known for its stallions and hawks, fruits and vegetables.
County Ylellune: The domain under the stewardship of House Selevarun, who oversee the county from their ancestral home - Unhe Nalore, a vault-palace that serves to safeguard the riches and treasures of Eglarest. Ylellune is noteworthy for being the warmest of the counties, prone to quickly changing weather year-round due to the water that surrounds it. Ylellune is the center of finance and trade for all of Eglarest; its shipyards and markets are constantly filled with the ships and wagons of House Swiftwhistle.
County Caalnas: The domain under the stewardship of House Tassarion, who oversee the county from their ancestral home - Syll Elanore, a heavily fortified citadel that stands alone atop a large hill looking to the east. Caalnas is harsh territory, bordered on the south by a mountain range and the north by an inland sea, it is thick with forests and swamps. Caalnas is the center of warfare and defense in Eglarest. Although Eglaressian troops can be found anywhere in the kingdom, most of them are trained by House Tassarion in County Caalnas.
County Ilfneas: The domain under the stewardship of House Swiftwhistle, who oversee the county from their ancestral home - Silh Serine, a huge port-city that fills the entirety of the island upon which it resides. Ilfneas, while heavily forested to the south, is otherwise open land that drops into the sea to the north via a series of steep cliffs. Ilfneas is the center of transport in Eglarest; if something or someone needs to get from one place to another, it's the ships and wagons of Ilfneas that will get it down.
County Thenalion: The domain under the stewardship of House Goodbarrel, who oversee the county from their ancestral home - Imyran Shaeras, a series of connected villas around which a thriving urban metropolis has sprung up. Thenalion is a region of moderate forests dotted with occasional fields, all of which are filled with hundreds of lantern-lined roads. Thenalion is, without a doubt, the cultural center of Eglarest; it is there that you will find the finest draughts and the most entertaining performers.
County Ilnor: The domain under the stewardship of House Oakshade, who oversee the county from their ancestral home - Thel Unarith, a fortress of stone and wood that has been rebuilt from ruins three times in the kingdom’s history. Ilnore is a heavily forested region that is dominated by the huge arboreal wall to its east, Thanwe’s Weald. Ilnor is the heart of Eglarest, serving as its spiritual center and the country from which the manning of Thanwe’s Weald is managed; there are more temples, churches, and shrines in Ilnor than in any other three counties combined.
County Alari: The domain under the stewardship of House Hushed-Whispers, who oversee the county from their ancestral home - Aleth Caelora, a hidden chateau deep in the mountains. Alari is bordered by temperate sandy beaches to the south and thickly forested mountains to the north; it is most notable for its close proximity to Dorwine. Alari is the center of the High King’s information network and it is here where his spies congregate and make their plans to infiltrate other kingdoms.
County Onysanor: The domain under the stewardship of House Pilwicken, who oversee the county from their ancestral home - Aal Dorei, a monolithic tower that juts out of the cliffs at the southernmost tip of Onysanor. This region is one of the least forested of all the counties, second only to Ylellune, with whom it shares frequently changing weather patterns and high precipitation. Onysanor is the mind of Eglarest, containing the kingdom’s greatest libraries and universities within its borders.
County Arethsera: The domain under the stewardship of House Durthane, who oversee the county from their ancestral home - Olren Taesi, a city-sized forge built into the side of a mountain and descending deep into its core. Arethsera is almost exclusively mountainous terrain, though its borders brush against hilly, but more heavily forested regions. Arethsera is the centre of manufacturing and crafting in Eglarest; its wares are distributed throughout the entire country by the hands of House Swiftwhistle.
Religion
The Kingdom of Eglarest worships the deities of the Brisingelion, though maintains a special devotion to Arhah.
Foreign Relations
Joined to Dorwine, Tiriath, and Valonde in a loose confederation of nations through the Treaty of Four Kingdoms. Tense relations with Dorwine over shipping lanes. Tightly allied with Iolrath Vale. Constantly fending off raids from Avamast, assaults from the aquatic progeny of the Wrecks, and attacks from goblinoid tribes out of the Gobble Dominions.
Priesthood
Religious Hierarchy: High Cleric of the Kingdom > Archbishop > Bishop > Priest/Priestess = Abbot/Abbess > Nun/Prioress = Monk/Friar
Founding Date
2637 AS
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Alternative Names
The Emerald Kingdom
Demonym
Eglaressian
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Palace economy
Currency
Eglaressian Crowns
Official State Religion
Location
Official Languages
Neighboring Nations
Comments