Rynord

Rynord is a proud nation whose people hold their independence dear. Their first act as an independent nation was to create a government without a monarch in which the people held the right to partake in elections. What they created was a parliamentary republic headed by a Grand Chancellor. The Grand Chancellor and the members of the Grand Parliament each serve four year terms with the possibility of reelection. The current Grand Chancellor is Wilton Kordo.
Rynord is a relatively young nation and its economy primarily revolves around the mining industry. Therefore, it expends a lot of resources protecting this industry. Military troops, adventurers, and mercenaries are all used for the protection of mining sites in the dangerous Quartzrock Mountains as well as for escorting the delivery wagons carrying the ore and gems extracted from the mines.

Life and Society

Rynish people are known to be loud, fun-loving, and generous. They love to drink and sing songs when it is time for merriment. And they are equally known for being hard-working and determined, dutifully back to task even after a long night of festivities. They make friends easily with anyone looking to be friendly. However, they can also be dangerous enemies when angered or offended.
Rynish society has no official division of classes. But old money, families whose lineage can be traced to Baroski nobility, still exists. These families have influence and power, typically the kind that money can buy. But any citizen of Rynord has equal status under the law.

Major Geographical Features

Rynord is a mostly flat country with a few sparsely wooded areas here and there. To the northeast the land becomes moderately hilly until it reaches the mountains. The majority of Rynord’s farming areas are within the triangle formed by its three major settlements.
Pale River: The Pale River gets its name from whitewater often found throughout its length. The rapids in the river can be turbulent and dangerous in spots. The worst areas, however, are closer to its source in the Quartzrock Mountains.
Quartzrock Mountains: Named after the heavy quartz deposits in the range, these mountains truly became famous for gold mining. However, most of the gold mining is in the northern half, controlled by Great Thrundar. The southern half of the mountain range is known for being more volcanic and generally less habitable. Multiple species of giants and dragons have been known to lair in the Quartzrock Mountains since the time of the Andarian Empire, most of them concentrated in the southern half.
Rynord’s northern border ends at the Quartzrock Mountains, from the Pale River in the east to just northeast of Tuple.

Important Settlements

Rynord has three concentrated areas of population. Throughout the rest of the nation the majority of people either live on small farms or in small villages. The major roads throughout Rynord were created during the time of the Andarian Empire. Since then, they have not been maintained significantly and can suffer from spring rains, becoming muddy, water-soaked paths that are difficult to traverse.
Pruil (Large City, 19,000): The largest city in Rynord, Pruil serves as both its capital and only major port. A key stop between Goldcoast and Barosk, Pruil sees steady traffic, keeping its port busy and crowded with trade ships, as well as fishing vessels and military ones. The docks are on the west side of the city, giving way to the market and trade district just to the east. Beyond that is a long crafting strip where multiple blacksmithing houses do business, followed by the residential areas. The government buildings sit on a rise to the east, overlooking the city. Chief among the government buildings is the Hall of the Grand Parliament.
The current mayor of Pruil is Horville Understar.
Tuple (Large Town, 3,500): This town caters to caravan traffic and the mining operations in the Quartzrock Mountains. Some traveling merchants come here and wait for delivery wagons full of ore, hoping to get the best price before the material is further distributed. For a town its size, Tuple has several inns that stay busy most of the year.
The current mayor of Tuple is Drak Pims.
Wilcree (Small City, 7,500): On the banks of the Pale River, Wilcree is an important city in Rynord’s mining business. Delivery wagons bring ore into the city from the Quartzrock Mountains, carrying the majority of Rynord’s production. Unfortunately the dangerous rapids in the Pale River prevent transportation by boat, but the rushing water powers mills used for a variety of industrial purposes such as flour mills and hammer mills.
The current mayor of Wilcree is Grolan Amian.

Regional History

The Rynish region was conquered and settled by the Andarian Empire in 1194 AC and named after the commanding general, Viran Ryne. For his service to the empire, he was granted lordship and land in the area. Under the Andarian Empire, the region of Rynord saw stability. Then, when the empire collapsed, it was thrust into chaos, much like the rest of the land. Power struggles saw many changes in leadership in the region, leaving it fragmented into small baronies and independent city-states until 2518 AC, when Barosk conquered the region under its banner.
For a short time after, the stability provided by Barosk was somewhat welcomed. But as the decades passed, it became clear to the Rynish people that the kings of Barosk were more interested in profiting from their new land, than enriching it. They saw the ore mined by their workers misappropriated, bound for Baroski markets and blacksmiths. Their taxes often received steep increases, costs for improvements under Baroski rule, yet those improvements were slow to come to the Rynish cities. Finally, in 249 AV, after years of unjust and incompetent rule by the Baroski kings, the people of Rynord rebelled. The Rynish Revolution lasted barely a year before the poorly led Baroski military was defeated and abandoned the region.
The country of Rynord was founded. Rynord aimed to separate itself from Barosk, both in identity and image, beginning with the creation a parliamentary republic, instead of a monarchy. Subtle changes to traditions, festivals, and mannerisms followed. Some of these were practical, but many were just out of spite. The Rynish speak Baroski, but in the past two centuries, it has become somewhat accented, distinguishing it from the Baroski spoken in Barosk.
Since its founding, other than battles with monster tribes within its territory, like orcs and goblinoids, Rynord has only been involved in one significant war. The Border War, as it is now known, was fought in 307 AV with Goldcoast to the northwest. The conflict involved disputes over territory claimed by both sides. The war lasted three months and saw only one battle, which ended in a stalemate. In the end, the border between the two nations was settled diplomatically. Today, relations with Goldcoast are friendly, and the two nations have entered into an alliance. This alliance was prompted by the sudden ideological change in Barosk to the south after the Baroski Revolution and the rise to power of the Faydren kings.

Capital
Pruil
Government
Republic
Banner/Flag
White and blue vertical halves with a golden sun over two crossed swords in the center
Population
368,000 (humans 87%, halflings 5%, half-elves 3%, elves 2%, gnomes 1%, dwarves %1)
Demonym
Rynish
Religions
Artis, Fortuna, Iustitia, Luna, Solis, Viribus
Imports
Books, glass, livestock, spices, textiles, timber
Exports
Gems, metal, ore
Language
Baroski
Alignment
NG, LN, LG

The Continent of Velen

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