The Peregrine Union

The Peregrine Union is a human kingdom, a loose conglomeration of island kingdoms in the cold north that aspires to be more. The symbol of the Peregrine Union is a crimson, peregrine falcon on a white field. Led by the unremitting and relentless Jarl Esmond I, the kingdom is perched on the edge of greater success, though most of the recent gains made by the Peregrine Union are Esmond's doing, and it's unclear how successful they can be without him at the helm.

Esmond's task of unifying the island kingdoms has been hampered by the insistent pride of the smaller, indepedent kingdoms to the west who, in spite of the name, have banded together to fight off Esmond's Crimson Guard. Esmond's increasingly aggressive unification efforts have led to many deadly skirmishes across the western islands.

Much of the kingdom's success is due to the jarl's shrewd decision making, but a fair share of the success is also due to the Gryphon Riders of Iris, The Peregrine Army, and the Crimson Guard, the jarl's peace-keeping force, often sent to “keep the peace” in claimed lands that do not recognize the Union, making for some less-than-peaceful confrontations.

The Union has also decided to push south, founding Tralene in the forested territory of Beriza. This is- daring, given that the Spider-Kin began their empire-building not far to the west, in the Mosswood. The inscrutable manti of Tair to the east have not been aggressive, but spies report an uptick in recruitment and military activity in the region.

Tralene has its own standing regiment of over 1,000 soldiers in addition to 100 permanently-placed gryphon riders and more Crimson Guard than would be needed for city policing. The jarl clearly has no intention of letting his southern city on the mainland go. And in fairness, it's in a fantastic strategic location if he can hold it, both facilitating military action on the mainland and increasing the union's control of trade.

While the union had no shortage of lumber, Tralene's arable land and the medicinals found in the nearby forest are a boon both for the fledgling city that is just approaching a 25-year 'Founding Jubilee' celebration. Iris, the union capital and the home of the jarl, has also nearly positioned itself politcally, largely thanks to the work of the now-deceased Queen Ivanu, Esmond's mother. Though she died young due to a “wasting disease,” she started the annual Iris Assembly fifty years ago now, ostensibly as a neutral ground for forces of the north to meet peacefully and discuss future plans and cooperative agreements.

Ivanu made this happen based on the force of her personal charisma and some carefully seeded information that overstated the size of the Peregrine Union's military. Major politcal players, like the Spider-Kin's Queen D'Neve, had no intention of showing up in person, but the first Assembly saw the jarl seated with a representative from The Empire of the Spider-Kin, The Empire of the Blue Lotus, The seemingly lawless Isle of the Valkyries, and one of the more powerful “librarians,” the mages of Moonfield Hold. Pelan, a Red Lotus settlement in the northwest that refuses to surrender to either the Blue Lotus or the Spider-Kin despite its size, sent its declared head of state, Duke Rilaros “Riley” Larothen.

While some arguments broke out, it was ultimately peaceful, and some impressive compacts and trade agreements were drawn up as the emissaries and representatives worked to show their value to their respective countries. It was an unmitigated success, and it has continued annually since. The Iris Assembly and the founding of Tralene have been crucial success stories, and in both cases they have won respect and support for the Peregrine Union. On the other hand, they are wedging themselves into ancient politics and into the middle of the Spider-Kin's reign as the Kin dominate the northern continent. Jarl Esmond, for his part, is supremely confident. So far, he's shown the aptitude to back that confidence up, and his military's growing strength gives his ambitions teeth.