Kandar
The province of Kandar formed as a direct response to Thrull’s incursions. Seeking mutual defense against a vastly superior force, the three
clans of Limgri, Morgöng, and Mithra banded together to create a unified front.
The area known as Kandar reaches as far to the northeast as Volgen, which was once an island but is now connected to the mainland by a coldfire glacial bridge. The more populated regions are far to the west, near the center of the peninsula, at the Grensfal Mountains and the disputed lands adjacent to Thrull. There, the united troops of the Kandar clans of Mithra, Limgri, and Morgöng keep watch. The more temperate Summerhelm in the southwest provides a southern border for the major Kandar clans, though a city even further south, Runeheim, is nominally within Kandar’s borders.
Despite Kandar’s diplomatic efforts, the people of Etharis still first associate Valika with the greater violence of Thrull. Kandar’s desire for peace has allowed them to make inroads with the southern nations, but the wilds of the region, the facial tattoos worn by many of the northerners, and the reputation of their neighbors leave the people of Kandar fighting against stereotypes from any foreigners within their lands.
Structure
Though most of the populace is still arranged into
clans, the leaders choose one person as the single
leader during wartime. Their current war chief,
Queen Andrea Helsing of Mithra, seemingly holds
the three clans together through will alone. The
chiefs of the three clans hold court together at the
Mithran capital of Hrist, though they spend most
of their time arguing over how best to deal with
incursions from Thrull.
Of late, the Bürach Empire has been providing
military support to Kandar. They have also made
overtures about making Kandar a protectorate of
the Empire in exchange for greater military aid.
The question is currently up for a bitter debate in
the queen’s court.
History
Composed of three clans that rejected the
supremacy of the elemental druids, Kandar
seeks to thrive by assimilating elements of other
cultures. Kandar’s survival is on the line: it is
currently at war with Thrull, while trying to resist
attempts by other empires to influence its rule,
and also facing the coldfire menace that threatens
all the Valikan lands.
Clan Mithra, the most diplomatic of the three
clans, was the first to establish trade relations and
embassies with other lands. The most cultured
of the clans, Mithra produced the Lord Edda and
maintains the lore and history of Grarjord.
Clan Limgri has assimilated religions from other
cultures and hopes to use their divine power to
counter that of the elemental druids. Limgri has
taken control of Cold Iron Keep, a prison for the
most powerful enemies of Kandar.
Finally, Clan Morgöng runs the spy and black
market networks of Kandar. Very little happens
around Grarjord without their knowledge.
Trade & Transport
Kandar lies at the end of the Caravan Way, the
main artery of trade with other nations. Its
proximity to neighbors allows Kandar to profit
from trade, providing fish, furs, lumber, and
produce from what meager farming can be done
in their cold climate.
The recent discovery of an herb known as Dreams
Leave, which works as a powerful anesthetic,
has also shaped Kandar’s trade. Normally used
in herbology, the root is also traded on the
black market as an addictive drug. Kandarian
authorities have tried to crack down on the sale of
the substance, but have been largely unsuccessful
due to manpower being diverted to the war effort.
Kandar’s economy flags due to the war with
Thrull, the incursion of coldfire onto their lands,
and the destabilising effects of these on trade
relations with other countries.
Type
Geopolitical, Vicekingdom
Capital
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