Kingdom of Arador
Arador is a Kingdom of Men situated in the Westerlands of Faenir. It is one of the kingdoms that was formed when the Randirion Empire dissolved, and remains close with the Empire to this day. They are by and large a righteous and just kingdom, known for their high judicial standards, and piety to Tor. It is a strong kingdom, and maintains good relations with its neighbours, though recently, a war has broken out without warning with the Dominion of Illyria to the north, and with the King ill and unable to lead, the kingdom's survival stands on a knife's edge. It falls to Prince Kadian to lead the defence, though more is stirring in the kingdom than even he sees...
Structure
The Kingdom of Arador is ruled by the King of Arador, and is often advised by a council made up of four to ten people, who are usually other members of the nobility, but not always. The capital, Aelenar, is ruled by the king, and the other two major cities, Torgos and Daemarin, are officially ruled by the third and fourth in line to the throne, though the actual governance is usually delegated to a loyal bureaucrat. Aside from the king, the most powerful person in Arador is the Commander of the Aradorian Army, which is often the role given to the Crown-Prince, though there have been a few exceptions. Their seat of power is at King's Hold, but again, they rarely govern there.
History
The Kingdom of Arador was the last country to succeed from the Randirion Empire, and finally did so only after Kovia the Mad finally died in 2413 TE. Due to their reluctance to leave the Empire, their succession was remarkably peaceful, as the Empire had their own issues to deal with closer to home at the time. Since then, Arador has had good relations with the Empire, never having gone to war with their eastern neighbours in their 900 year history. Nevertheless, a settlement was built on the Aradorian side of the border at King's Hold to mark their independence, and to defend the eastern border. Arador claimed the Erosian Peninsula in it entirety, up to the Grey Mountains, as their sovereign land, and they have held it since that time.
Since then, the Kingdom has been one of the most prosperous in Faenir, fostering healthy relations with all its neighbours. Cornadia has attempted to seize Aradorian land from time to time, most significantly at the Battle of Yarham in 2603 TE, which rose tensions to an all-time high between the two countries. Arador repelled the landing effort, though not without significant casualties, and was too weakened by the attack to respond in kind. It took emissaries from the Randirion Empire to both nations to smooth things over, and since then, the two kingdoms have had a flourishing trade relationship.
Arador's main concerns since their founding have been with the Orc tribes which inhabit the Grey Mountains, who do not swear fealty to the King. Raids from both sides are common, though the Orcs have never been wiped out, always managing to hide in the caves within the mountains, where they are too difficult to assault head-on. Rape is quite common on both sides of this rivalry, and therefore a breed of Half-Orcs has sprung up in the region, where none existed previously.
Most recently, and seemingly out of the blue, the Dominion of Illyria declared war on Arador, and at a weakened moment, the King having fallen ill. The unprovoked attack caught the kingdom totally unaware, and they are currently engaged in a war for their survival, with none of their other neighbours willing to aid in the struggle.
Demography and Population
The population of Arador is centred mainly in three large cities on the coast of the peninsula, as well as many villages throughout the country. It is mainly comprised of Men, though some notable additions must be made. Due to their proximity to Limraes, there are at least some Half-Elves throughout the kingdom, and there is a prominent breed of Half-Orcs present as a result of the many raids to and from the Orcs of the Grey Mountains. Most noticeably is the large Gnomish population within the Grynda Wood, who predate the kingdom's founding, yet respect its dominion. The Gnomes and Men have an understanding between them of mutual respect, and as of yet, there has been no significant tension between the two groups.
Territories
The Kingdom of Arador controls the entire Erosian Peninsula, which is now unanimous with the kingdom's name. Their domain runs from the southern side of the River Limraes, along the Grey Mountains, to the mouth of the River Grynda. Whilst technically within the bounds of the kingdom, the Grynda Wood is not claimed by the realm, though the Gnomes within do acknowledge the King of Arador as their monarch.
Military
Arador is defended by the famous Aradorian Army, which is one of the most impressive infantry forces on the continent, specialising in defence and open-field engagements. They have defended the kingdom for the duration of its history, and have not once lost control of a major settlement within the kingdom. They have a strong presence throughout the kingdom, though their headquarters are at King's Hold, close to the Randirion border. Aside from the army, Arador doesn't have much else in terms of a professional military. The number of standing vessels is far to few to rightly call a navy, and whenever sea travel is required, commercial ships are often commandeered for the task.
Religion
The Order of Tor is obviously the most dominant of the Divine Orders within Arador, as is the case with most Kingdoms of Men in Faenir. Aside from Tor, many of the Gods are worshipped by the common folk, with Nieva possessing a substantial number of followers in the kingdom. Tyatar and Rik-Va are also worshipped, along with most of the minor Gods. Worship of Llyra is notably absent within the realm, and service to Atash is outlawed entirely. Aside from this, and obviously Titanic worship, religion is mostly free within Arador, with many paying homage to whoever they wish.
Foreign Relations
The Kingdom of Arador doesn't share any official alliances with other realms in Faenir, though they have enjoyed peaceful relations for the last 500 years or so. The relationship with the Randirion Empire has always been strong, given the nature of their eventual separation, and trade has always been healthy with them. Cornadia has had a much more rocky history with Arador, and many skirmishes have been fought throughout the years, though in recent times, there has been relative peace amongst them. Whilst the relationship with the Dominion of Illyria has never been cordial, it hadn't ever been openly hostile until last year, when the Dominion attacked the city of Daemarin without any provocation or notice. What has resulted is open war between the two for the first time since their foundation, and as of yet, no other realms have joined in support of either side.
Founding Date
2413 TE
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Demonym
Aradorian
Leader
Leader Title
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Unitary state
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
Randirion Marks
Legislative Body
The King of Arador, the Advisory Council
Judicial Body
The Order of Tor
Official State Religion
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Comments