The Charneault Kingdom

Politics and Leadership The Charneault Kingdom has always valued greatness of soul and heart above bloodlines. When the Kings dies or feels his time has passed, the Royal Council gathers to appoint his successor. As the Royal Council is composed of the most valiant knights, the new king is usually chosen from within their number. Succession to the throne is granted to the knight who has shown the most nobility in the service of the Kingdom. The most valuable deeds that determine the new king are swearing oaths with Spirits and the accomplishment of daring quests. The Knight Chapters are powerful actors within the kingdom’s politics, and their Chapter Masters are the most valiant and renowned knights. This positions them as obvious candidates for the throne. One of the most influential Chapters among the knights are the Severe Templars. Once a minor entity, they rapidly grew in influence when the threat of Dark Elves emerged. Today they openly despise the elven civilization and would gladly revive the ancestral war. They consider Mystic Oaths to be foul sorcery and swear by force of arms alone. This state of mind aligns with their mission, which consists of maintaining law and order. They have strongholds near most important cities and castles in the kingdom, from which they send out their patrols. It is whispered in hushed voices throughout the land that the Severe Templars’ Chapter Master Hermand le Sévère, who unsuccessfully competed toe-to-toe with Thibault de Sauveterre for the succession to the throne, is secretly plotting his revenge to take control of the kingdom. The Vermeil Guards are another major Knight Chapter of the kingdom. Their sacred duty is to escort the Bondmakers, elven shamans, as they assist the kingdom to reinforce the bonds with the Spirits of Nature and thus maintain the peace. Only the most virtuous and devoted knights are accepted into this chapter, as it requires a true faith in the Pact of Sacred Land and in the symbiosis established between elves, humans, and nature. This mutual faith between the protector knights and the shamans grants superhuman capabilities to the knights. Once knighted, they wear vermeil armour—silver overlaid with gold—as a sign of respect and allegiance. Economy The Charneault Kingdom’s economy relies heavily on agriculture and fishing. Hunting is limited by the great turmoil it provokes among the Spirits of Nature. Fishing, meanwhile, can be focused on intensively thanks to the many streams that weave their way through the kingdom. The Rockteeth mountains also house several mines that supply the kingdom’s craftsmen, including the elven artisans of Tol Leyemil. Exchange between the Charneault Kingdom and the outer world becomes less and less each year, as the Grove Maze is a barrier not worth crossing unless there is considerable profit to be had. The days when elves regularly travelled between Caer Neiada and other parts of Etharis are long gone and all but forgotten, and nowadays the Charneault Kingdom is almost an autarchy.

History

The First King, Aymeric Noblecoeur The name of Aymeric Noblecoeur has lasted through the centuries as the paragon of inner nobility. His honorable reputation is matched only by his physical stature. Tales of his height are so numerous that some even call him Aymeric Géantcoeur, the Giant-King. Other tales describe his sword, said to be the largest blade ever forged. The truth of these tales doesn’t really matter though. Above all Noblecoeur is remembered for the Pact of Sacred Land that he signed with the elves of Tol Leyemil. By gathering the human people of Caer Neiada under his authority, Noblecoeur ended decades of rivalry and conflict, enabling the human tribes to be a unified kingdom and end the conflict with the elves. This is what actually tipped the scales in favour of armistice and finally led to peace. The Glorious Growth Once a gathering of disparate tribes that had settled in Caer Neiada, over time Charneault developed into a powerful and wealthy kingdom. After the Pact of Sacred Land, the kingdom’s population and wealth grew rapidly. Castles were constructed, and the roads to connect them. The most famous of these is Castle Lamesdhonneur, the capital of the kingdom, built between huge waterfalls. The network of new roads between settlements, guarded by the Knight Chapters, allowed people to travel safely and push the boundaries of the kingdom. Yet no one dared to settle too close to the dark area of Tol Kerdywel or in the forests surrounding the Temple of the Mists. The Knight Chapters grew during this time, each chapter managing particular aspects of the kingdom’s needs in order to maintain its course of progress.