Callidyrr
The Kingdom of Callidyrr is the largest and most powerful of the kingdoms of the ffolk, but its location as the easternmost of the Moonshae Isles has seen it exposed to Faerun’s influence far more than the other islands which has resulted in it losing much of its ffolk traditions.
Whereas the ffolk of Gwynneth and Moray remain true to the clan structured society of old, Callidyrr has all but abandoned it in favour of hereditary nobility as exists on the mainland. The clans still exist and they occupy the position of landed gentry among noble society, but they wield little or no power in Callidyrr beyond the amount of wealth and assets they possess.
Callidyrr is divided into five Shyrs; Bregonshyr, Talffolkshyr, Stagfordshyr, Stirgewycshyr, and Fareighshyr. Each of these Shyrs is governed by an Iyorl who reports directly to the King. A Shyr is further subdivided into Cantrevs, each governed by a Laird who collects taxes and enforces the law for all inhabitants within their territory.
Historically the Lairds (and later the Iyorls) would have been clan elders. As the centuries progressed, tethyrians arrived from the mainland and their industrious and material nature made them favourites among the High Kings who gradually bestowed more and more titles upon the migrants. In more recent centuries, as connections and merchant traffic with the mainland increased, a number of rich foreigners have gained noble titles in exchange for money and power.
In Callidyrr today, over half of all nobles are of tethyrian origin, with only a quarter of nobles having majority ffolk ancestry (and almost all those are located within Stagfordshyr). The remaining nobles are a mix of illuskan and calishite ancestry and they are centralised in Talffolkshyr in the lands closest to the King around Cantrev Callidyrr.
Structure
Iyorls: The Iyorls are the highest rank of nobility beneath the King, they control large areas of land (known as Shyrs) within the Kingdom of Callidyrr and have equal control over a number of Lairds and the Cantrevs within their territory..
The current number of Iyorls in Callidyrr stands at 4; the largest and most developed Shyrs are those on the east coast of Callidyrr with the closest links to mainland Faerun. The southern Shyr of Bregonshyr is more rural than Talffolkshyr and Stirgewycshyr but is benefiting from increased interest in trade with the Kingdom of Gwynneth. The western Shyr of Stagfordshyr is the most underdeveloped region, having been left to the traditional clans of the ffolk (although the last few kings have seen fit to appoint a number of tethyrian nobles to the title of Laird).
The last Shyr is known as Fareighshyr and once encompassed the western half of lands in what is now known as the Kingdom of Gnarhelm (the eastern shyr and the title of Iyorl has been unclaimed since 852 DR when the illuskans invaded). Over a century ago the title of Iyorl of Fareighshyr was given to the Laird of Cantrev Blackstone in return for efforts to secure the northern border against invasion from Gnarhelm, and as an encouragement to reconquer territory from the illuskans (in direct contravention to the Treaty of Lillemaron – which the King of Callidyrr never actually signed).
Iyorls are responsible for setting taxes in their shyr in accordance with the king’s policies, and for ensuring their vassal Lairds collect those taxes. It is also the responsibility of the Iyorl to control the feuds between Lairds and provide an army for the King upon demand (usually consisting of conscripted militia and guardsmen from his own household or those of his Lairds).
Lairds: A Laird is the noble lord of a Cantrev, ruling over every ffolk and every settlement within the cantrev territory. The Lairds report directly into one of the Iyorls that control the shyr within which their cantrev is based.
A Laird is typically responsible for ensuring taxes are collected, that law and order are maintained, that bandits and monsters are dealt with and that the militia is ready and available for the Iyorl should a muster be called. Lairds appoint shyrivs to assist with many of these tasks, giving the title to family and friends.
Banners: The flying of banners is common practice among the nobility of the ffolk (a practice imported by the tethyrian migrants of 467 DR), and any family of any importance will fly a flag on their estate bearing their family emblem. The nobility often employs a flag bearer to carry their emblem into battle.
The King and Caer Callidyrr fly a number of banners as follows, the first is the family emblem (a broken sword through a crown), the emblem of the Kingdom of Callidyrr (a single tower castle), and optionally although rarely used today, the emblem of the High Kingdom of the Moonshae Isles.
Commoners: The majority of commoners of Callidyrr are little different from the commoners of other ffolk kingdoms. However, there is a marked difference between those living in rural and urban areas that is not found in anywhere else in the Moonshae Isles.
Rural folk spend much of their time farming, hunting, fishing, mining, crafting, etc, performing whatever tasks their skills allow to generate wealth or goods enough for barter to ensure their continued survival. These tasks are still performed with the balance of nature in mind; never taking young or pregnant animals, allowing fields to recover, replanting trees after logging. The Church of the Great Mother assists the folk in maintaining this balance, having taken over the role from the druids of the Ring of Callidyrr.
The folk generally work for themselves on their own lands and the fruits of these labours go directly towards ensuring the continued survival of their family (feeding, clothing, and sheltering them), or for barter at nearby cantrevs to acquire the goods to feed, clothe, and shelter them.
In the more urban areas, such as the cantrevs of Talffolkshyr, the common folk is starting to migrate towards the settlements where they are employed by other wealthy merchants, landowners, or nobles in a variety of employment (as farmers on large farms, as miners, as craftsmen, or as shopkeepers and any other variety of jobs in the service industry). Their labour results in monetary reimbursement that can be spent on goods and services to provide for their lifestyle.
In many ways the life of folk in urban areas Talffolkshyr and Bregonshyr resembles that of mainland Faerun, but less complex (albeit that complexity is growing with each decade).
Demography and Population
The general population of Callidyrr is a mix of ffolk and tethyrian blood. In the eastern and southern shyrs there is a higher concentration of tethyrian blood, while in the western Stagfordshyr there is a higher concentration of ffolk blood, however the bloodlines have sufficiently mixed to the point that no-one can distinguish physically between a majority ffolk or majority tethyrian ancestry.
In Talffolkshyr, there is an increasing number of people with illuskan and calishite ancestry as wealthy merchants and those seeking to escape the Sword Coast try and establish themselves in the Moonshae Isles.
Military
The Kingdom of Callidyrr exists as a feudal kingdom and so the defence of the nation is dependent upon the loyalty of its nobles to the King.
Each Iyorl is required by law to provide 200 suitably equipped men at arms (each with a weapon, shield, and leather doublet), 50 mounted men at arms and 1,000 militia in defence of the realm when called upon by the King. The Iyorl may provide these men however they see fit, most would rely upon their vassal Lairds to provide men at arms from their own households and militia from their cantrevs (plus conscripted extras) to meet the requirements.
The Iyorl depend upon the loyalty of their Lairds to provide soldiers for the muster. Lairds that dislike or do not respect their Iyorl may not provide many (or any men) making excuses for the lack of numbers. Any shortfall in the must will require the Iyorl to supplement the numbers from his own household or even by hiring mercenaries. For an Iyorl to fail to meet the required numbers risks the displeasure of the King and potentially the loss of his lands and title (and potentially a war if the Iyorl fails to relinquish those lands and titles).
In total the Kingdom of Callidyrr can easily field 1,000 men at arms, 250 mounted warriors, and 5,000 militia. The number of militia can double with the necessary impetus (in the event of an invasion for instance) as more commoners are conscripted into the army.
At a local level a cantrev Laird often maintains a militia of varying size (according to the size and wealth of the cantrev, and the vigilance of the lord). These militia are usually volunteer forces, sometimes with a meagre payment to cover maintenance of their equipment.
The Scarlet Guard: A recently formed unit of elite bodyguards, hired on the suggestion of the Council Sorcere to protect King Reginald Carrathal (from his perceived enemies). The Scarlet Guard is currently 700 strong, with 100 ogres among its number (hired from The Chill mercenary company active in the Sword Coast region), they are named in homage to the Blooded that once guarded the High King in ages past.
The majority of the human warriors of this unit were hired on the suggestion of Cyndre through Jalboun of the Two Blades from Luskan. They are greedy and cutthroat to a man, doing anything for sufficient coin
The Scarlet Guard are armed and armoured with the best equipment that money can buy, plate armour and heavy swords that are beyond the ffolk’s current level of craftmanship (purchased instead from the markets of Waterdeep). The ogres carry stout, metal shod clubs and reinforced leather armour with metal helms.
Navy: As part of King Reginald Carrathal’s attempt to claim the title of High King, he has commissioned the construction of a great navy (which will allow him to enforce his claim upon the other islands should they reject him as their High King). Despite the fact that it would cause instability in the Moonshaes, Ashardalon has allowed it so far as it has distracted the Carrathals from doing anything else stupid.
The first vessel of the navy is complete, a large curragh style ship elongated like a longship, and whispered to be the greatest vessel in the ffolk kingdoms. The ship is captained by Danis pen Foryth a taciturn sailor of many years experience (mostly fighting off norl raiders and Nelanther pirates) who is soon to become the admiral of Callidyrr’s navy.
Religion
Like other ffolk kingdoms, the people of Callidyrr have trouble believing in a concept of extraplanar deities that dwell in another plane of existence, and which hold absolute power over the people of Toril. The ffolk believe in peace, freedom, and hard work, and those concepts do not marry well with another being controlling their existence in return for sacrifice.
Instead, the ffolk believe in that which they can see, hear, and touch, the real and tangible world in which they live. They have come to humanize the powerful land in which they live and worship that land as a powerful being (for in many ways it seems to them that the land itself is alive). This being they have termed the Earthmother, and they offer thanks and respect to her in all they do.
The other ffolk kingdoms of the Moonshae Isles still worship the Earthmother as they have traditionally done for a thousand years, with druids attempting to understand the mysteries of the land and aiding the ffolk in living alongside the Earthmother.
On Callidyrr; as an increasing number of foreign people have integrated into the society, they have brought with them foreign religious practices. Thus far only one has been accepted by the ffolk; the worship of Arawai, whose church dogma closely matches the druids of the Earthmother. Over the centuries the priests of Arawai have integrated into the Ring of Alaron and slowly replaced the druids of the Earthmother within that organization.
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Leader
Leader Title
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Client state / puppet state
Economic System
Barter system
Currency
The majority of people in Callidyrr; those living in rural areas and away from the larger port settlements, still use barter to buy and sell for things they need, coins are highly valuable and kept in secret caches (often buried under their house or near a site of personal significance). Those in Callidyrr living in or around the port settlements that see regular merchant traffic from the Sword Coast accept currency from those cities or nations based upon the metal purity of those coins (the merchants of the Moonshae Isles are excellent valuers of foreign coinage and often act as mobile currency exchange in any port they visit (having ready supplies of many different currencies to hand).
It is believed that the High Kingdom of the Moonshae Isles once minted its own currency; known as Crowns (gold coins) and Swords (silver coins), with the Swords being more valuable, due to the prominence and power of the Sword of Cymrych Hugh, and the low purity of the gold ore available to the ffolk at the time.
These ancient currencies gradually fell out of favour following the migration of large numbers of tethyrians to the islands beginning in 467 DR. These tethyrians brought with them their own coins and connections to the mainland that allowed trade to flourish for a time and more foreign currency.
The Crowns and Swords were finally abandoned with the fall of the High Kingdom in 944 DR, but they had long since ceased common usage as the kingdoms drifted apart over the centuries and the respect for the High Kings diminished.
Since 1332 DR, King Reginald Carrathal has attempted to improve his prestige in preparation for an attempt to reform the High Kingdom of the Moonshae Isles. In 1335 DR, the Kingdom of Callidyrr began minting its own currency once more, the first of which is a large gold coin known as a Castle, for the symbol of a crenelated tower on one side (and his face on the other). Castles are worth 1 gold coin in Callidyrr and elsewhere on the Sword Coast because it is of high purity.
Major Exports
The Kingdom of Callidyrr has trading agreements with the likes of Baldur’s Gate, Calimshan, Mintarn, and Waterdeep. Those ports on the east coast (and the southern tip of Callidyrr), strongly favour trade with these major mainland trading partners. Ports on the west coast of the Kingdom of Callidyrr (those with strong clan traditions) still trade primarily with the ffolk of Corwell, Moray, and Snowdown, although the quantity of this trade traffic is minuscule when compared with the rest of Callidyrr.
Metal: The Fairheight Mountains provide copper, gold, iron, and silver in sizeable quantities and of exceptional purity to the ffolk of Callidyrr, almost all of which is mined in Cantrev Blackstone and smelted before being sent on to Callidyrr. The metal and its crafted products (mostly weapons) are mostly bought by merchants and transported via ship to Baldur’s Gate, Calimshan, and Waterdeep (with some traded internally within the Kingdom of Callidyrr).
Timber: The Dernall Forest is a large pine forest, much like other forests of the Moonshae Isles. It is considerably less dangerous to log than the likes of Llyrath or Winterglen Forest on Gwynneth (but its pines are not quite so large as that primeval forest).
The logs from the Dernall Forest are transported to Callidyrr where they are sold to merchants (usually passing Calishite or Baldur’s Gate merchants) on their way to Mintarn or Calimshan. At Mintarn the logs are used for building the larger ships such as Calishite trading galleons.
Logs are also processed into planks and used for other crafts internal to the ffolk of Callidyrr, but these are rarely transported to the port of Callidyrr and instead remain within the cantrevs in which they are cut.
Food: Callidyrr has an excess of arable land (thanks to centuries of logging), which when combined with the warmer temperatures and increased growing seasons, has led to an excess of grain and vegetable foodstuffs. The surplus grain in particular is transported to Callidyrr and exported by ship to ports all along the Sword Coast. In times past this trade has always favoured the other ffolk kingdoms of Corwell, Moray, and Snowdown, but in recent centuries the exports of the port of Callidyrr are almost exclusively to the mainland.
Herbs and Spices: Calidyrr grows a number of unusual herbs and spices within its borders (although most of these come from trade with the Kingdom of Corwell). These unusual items are highly prized by the rich and powerful in Baldur’s Gate, Calimshan, and Waterdeep, and although the quantities are small the prices are high enough for a healthy trade.
Manufactured Goods: Callidyrr has a growing number of craftsmen in and around the port of Callidyrr and other port settlements. These craftsmen produce manufactured goods from raw materials, such as weapons, tools, locks, jewellery, etc. These goods are valued by other cities and nations for the unusual styling of the ffolk and the quality of the craftsmanship.
Major Imports
Callidyrr as a kingdom is largely self-sufficient thanks to the bountiful nature of the Isle of Alaron. What few goods it imports are luxuries from the mainland that cater to the increasingly expensive tastes of the nobility of Callidyrr. These luxury goods come mostly from Baldur’s Gate, Calimshan, and Waterdeep. From the other Moonshae Isles, Callidyrr imports weapons from Moray, horses, and spices from Corwell, and whale oil from the norl islands.
Fabric: Silk and other fine woven cloths are in great demand among the Lairds and Iyorls of Callidyrr (being much more comfortable than the rough wool and heavy furs of typical Moonshae attire), and are quite well suited to Callidyrr’s warmer climate (when compared to the other Moonshae Isles).
Oil: Many fine and fragrant oils are available from the mainland that burn purer and smell infinitely better than the whale oil that the norl trade. Callidyrr imports these fine oils (as well as whale oil).
Alcohol: The ffolk are expert brewers of mead and ale, but the nobility have a taste for finer beverages such as spring wine and other fine liquours from Waterdeep and Calimshan.
Minerals: Callidyrr imports coal and iron ore from Moray because the ore of that island is even purer than that obtained from the mines of the Fairheight Mountains. This ore is smelted into excellent quality steel and manufactured into weapons that are the envy of any weaponsmith on the mainland and will fetch a high price for these simple, but quality weapons (mostly swords).
Parent Organization
Location
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