Bhren

Bhren is a kingdom in eastern Talazic which shares a border with Jeltir and Vundkrag. Its capital is the great city of Goldcrest, the seat of its king, currently King Viktyffmashista Hirrithak. Other important Bhrennish cities include Valdmead, which contains the largest temple to Mannaret in Talazic; Streatham, an important historical site; and Heshkames, a large port town.

Demographics

38% dragonborn, 36% human, 12% dwarf, 9% halfling, 4% gnome, 1% other

Culture

Bhren is a kingdom built by dragonborn and as such their ideals are commonly emulated and reflected in its laws and social structures. Though Bhren has its fair share of large cities, most of its population is found in smaller, self-sufficient villages. Even in large cities, competitions and tournaments are very common year-round, and institutions of learning are perhaps more common in Bhren than in any other kingdom in Talazic.
Combat prowess and quality craftsmanship are held to be some of the most important skills one can have, and in fact basic knowledge of smithing is, in many regions, considered to be just as important as literacy.
Public devotion to Mannaret and Noveakrin is very common, as well as to various draconic Simrae and other heroes who receive little attention in other regions. Some Bhrennish sects introduce draconic traditions to their Meydran rituals, which has sometimes been a source of controversy.
Bhrennish cuisine is known to be extremely hot and spicy. Just about everything has a strong flavor, except yusija bread, which is included in almost every meal to counteract the strong spices present in the rest of the food.

History

Bhren began its fight for independence from Jeltir in EL 774. The Saij Desert and the land to the east had historically been populated by a large number of dragons and dragonborn and was often said to be blessed by Mannaret. Most dragonborn of Jeltir flocked to that area. At this time Jeltir was considered to be a global superpower, with King Brigo Norlander making progressively more extreme plans to claim land from practically every surrounding country.
The warrior Viktyffmashista Sorvin, when embarking on a pilgrimage across the Saij, was visited by a silver dragon who, he reported, told him, "You must take back the land of your ancestors." It is still a subject of debate whether this was actually a manifestation of Mannaret, but in any case Sorvin believed it was, and began gathering armies to rise up against the king. This began a long, hard endeavor to found a new kingdom on more traditionally draconic ideals. Joining in the rebels' fight was a number of dragons, mostly metallics but with a few chromatics, which made the endeavor possible to begin with.
During the war, a brass dragon was suspected of having attacked the entourage of Prince Regus Norlander, Brigo's eldest son, as his guards were found dead with him not among them. Brigo waited to receive the conditions of his release but they never came, and it was long suspected that the dragon had taken the prince to its lair. Regus was never found, and neither was the dragon. Several months later, a lone traveler appeared in the small Jeltiri town of Henlock claiming to be the prince, but was gone by the time royal escorts arrived to bring him back home. The prince's final fate has never been known for sure.
Fourteen months later, Brigo was killed by a rebel assassin, who was quickly caught and executed. Martyrius, Brigo's third child and second son, was named king, and went on to grant the rebellion independence in the winter of EL 762. This decision caused significant civil discord within Jeltir.
A few years later, Sorvin, who was serving as the first king of Bhren, met with Martyrius for a peace summit. They managed to negotiate a truce, as Bhren had quickly become a strong and respectable kingdom, making a better ally than enemy for Jeltir. Tensions were still high between the kingdoms for several decades, until the pointed efforts of Martyrius's daughter Queen Kemma Matyus to build bridges between the two countries. Because of these efforts, trade between Jeltir and Bhren was made possible and today a mutual respect exists between the kingdoms.
Bhren celebrates its independence on January 27th of each year.

Founding Date

EL 762

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Demonym

Bhrennish

Controlled Territories

• Avid Kaj