Khador (Kay-door)
Vast, combative, and possessed of an unquenchable nationalist fervor, the empire of Khador has been at the heart of most of the conflicts that have rocked the Iron Kingdoms over the past six centuries. It has also suffered more than most other nations—first at the hands of the Orgoth, and then during the Claiming. As the infernals swept into Caen, highly placed members of the Khadoran court revealed themselves to be infernalist traitors. Infernal monstrosities reaved through the citizens of many Khadoran cities, and not even the Imperial Consort was safe from their predations.
Although modern Khador dates back only to the signing of the Corvis Treaties, the people of this harsh and wintry region trace their history much further into the past: to the horselords who ruled the human tribes who made this land their home in ancient times, to the Khardic Empire of the Thousand Cities Era, and to the Menite missionary Geth, who first brought his faith to the peoples of the north centuries ago. Hardy people born of an unforgiving climate, Khadorans are justly proud of their nation’s history and accomplishments, even though many of those achievements have come at the expense of their neighbors. Battle is a way of life in Khador, just as it has been since the time of the horselords, and military service is mandatory. Citizens of the “softer” kingdoms to the south might see such demands as onerous or even tyrannical, but Khadorans view this service as part of what binds their nation together, and most sons and daughters of the Motherland serve their time in the Winter Guard gladly.
Khador’s history of military conquest and martial excellence may be proud, but much of it is as dark as the northern winters. The kings and queens of Khador have long counted their share of witches and necromancers among their number, from Queen Cherize the Cunning to the reviled Ivan Vladykin. During the Claiming, the Great Princess Regna Gravnoy, ruler of one of Khador’s most forbidding territories and known as the “Winter Queen” to her subjects, revealed herself to be among that number.
As it turned out, Gravnoy was only the foremost member of Empress Ayn Vanar’s court who had allied with the infernals. Many others of lesser stations had also pledged allegiance to the inhabitants of the Outer Abyss, trading loyalty to their fellow Khadorans for the promise of increased power. The revelation of these infernal traitors in the highest ranks of the government threw all of Khador into disarray, and the empire suffered a major decline in the years following the Claiming. Worker strikes were put down with brutal military suppression, and the empress struggled to hold on to her power in a fractured court. To do so, she appealed to two things that had always unified the Khadoran people: love of the Motherland and military conquest. As other nations enjoy a renaissance of technology and culture, Khador prepares once again for war, and the empire has cast its eyes not only on the kingdoms to the south, but even to lands beyond western Immoren’s shores.
GOVERNANCE
All the nations of western Immoren are ruled by monarchs, but few exert as much unbridled command over their people as Empress Ayn Vanar. In Khador, all power flows downward from the throne, and beneath the empress, the nation is divided into seventeen provinces known as volozkya, each of which is ruled by one of the great princes. These individuals hold considerable political power and trace their lineage back to the Khardic Empire or even the horselords who came before.
Known for both her benevolence and her severity, the empress is beloved by her people and seen as the Motherland’s “Prime Daughter”—a personification of all that Khador represents to her citizens. In the wake of the Claiming, however, Ayn Vanar’s power has been challenged as never before. In response, the empress has shown herself capable of being as ruthless as she is benevolent in order to hold on to her birthright and that of her young son, born shortly after the defeat of the infernals at Henge Hold. Strengthening the police powers of the Greylords Covenant, she has swiftly and mercilessly quelled political and social unrest and has worked tirelessly to once again unify Khador’s people beneath the banner of her popular nationalistic policies. She has also empowered her agents to root out infernalists and any other traitors within her court. Not even the families of the great princes have been immune to the scrutiny of the Motherland’s occult agents.
Although trade with other nations ostensibly flows freely throughout Khador, the nation’s borders remain the most formidable in western Immoren, and those who wish to travel to the northern empire had best have their travel papers in order.
SOCIETY
Even though most Khadorans remain implacable in their love of the Motherland, many found their faith in the empire shaken in the aftermath of the Claiming. Whereas peace has reigned over much of the rest of the Iron Kingdoms in the years since, Khador has dealt with waves of violent social unrest that have been put down with even greater violence. Empress Vanar has delivered a clear message of Khadoran unity and solidarity and a return to the ideals of the Motherland—by force, if necessary.
Prior to the Claiming, the Khadoran government had largely stayed out of the day-to-day lives of its citizens, and many Khadorans living in the small villages on the fringes of this vast, often trackless, and ethnically diverse empire had kept to the old ways. Many Umbreans in the east practiced folk rituals and customs that predated the formation of the Khardic Empire, while the Skirovs and Kossites adhered to the traditions of their old faiths. Although the Morrowan faith had long been the official religion of the state, Khador was always home to a massive population of Old Faith Menites who worshipped much as they had since the days of Geth.
Khador was hit much harder by the Claiming than its neighbors were. Many of the realm’s heroes perished in the fighting, including the empress’s royal consort, Great Prince Vladimir Tzepesci. Resources that could have helped rebuild crucial infrastructure or eased the burden on those left behind have instead been directed toward modernizing and expanding the empire’s military might. While the other Iron Kingdoms made headway on rebuilding their damaged nations, in Khador such efforts advance at a glacial pace.
GEOGRAPHY
Khador is not a gentle mother to her people. The land provides its bounty grudgingly, and much of the nation is made up of frozen tundra, untamed forest, and rugged peaks where only the hardiest souls can survive. The already substantial difficulties of these harsh environs are exacerbated by the claims of the many northern trollkin kriels that call these remote regions home. These fierce warriors are quick to take up arms against outsiders and frequently raid nearby Khadoran settlements, whether in retaliation or as a warning against further intrusion.
Despite this grim way of life, Khadorans would not love their Motherland so fiercely were she gentler, and the northerners take great pride in being formed from sterner stuff than their southern neighbors. Spanning many hundreds of miles—from the Khardic Sea and the Shard Spires in the north all the way down to Port Vladovar, the Gallowswood, and parts of what used to be the kingdom of Llael in the south—Khador encompasses a bountiful variety of different environments, although most outsiders see it as a land of perpetual winter and darkness.
The southern steppes of Umbrey, Khadorstred, and other regions are not only generally more temperate than most of Khador, but also dotted with scattered forests and riverlands. Among the most notable geographic features of this region are the massive Shattered Shield Lakes, which protect the capital city of Korsk. Most of this southern portion of Khador is heavily connected by rail lines that run outward from Korsk and extend even outside the nation to Merywyn in Llael. These lines were improved and expanded during the Khadoran occupation of Llael, and today the trains run regularly to and from Merywyn to Khadoran Laedry and the capital city of Korsk.
North of the Bitterrock River, which flows from the Gravewater in eastern Khador to the Meredius in the west, the terrain becomes increasingly forbidding, and the weather grows ever colder with each mile traveled north. No rail lines run here, and those who travel these harsh lands must trek overland or steer sturdy barges up icy rivers. The coniferous trees of the Scarsfell Forest cover much of this land, and much of the rest consists of soaring mountain ranges that run all the way to the Blackice Mountains at the roof of the world and into the dwarven kingdom of Rhul to the east. Settlements are few and far between here, but those who dwell in this foreboding region continue to eke out a living even in the most unforgiving of environs.
Demography and Population
Although the Khadoran people are not as diverse as their southern rivals, the nation of Khador is home to numerous distinct cultures. From the horselords of Umbrey to the Kossites who range through the mountains of the far north, all Khadorans share a rugged nature. That said, Khador is home to four main ethnicities: the Khards, Kossites, Skirov, and Umbreans. Other groups exist within the bounds of Khador but remain insular and xenophobic, speaking only their own languages and offering little to no trade. These groups are considered part of Khador in name only.
Foreign Relations
Khador had been the Khadoran Empire once, and most think it seeks to be again. The Corvis Treaty limited the lands it held, and after bearing the brunt of the Orgoth attack, occupation, and subsequent rebellion, Khador was too weakened to bring any force to bear to claim the lands it held before the Orgoth came. In the centuries since, the nation of Khador has advanced slowly technologically, with the major advancements coming as part of a war effort; this means that war is good for Khador, and Khador as a whole wants their ancient lands back. Every war that has been instigated by Khador has been based on land acquisition - lands that it held before the Orgoth invasion. And every war has increased the quality of life for those still alive. Khador sees this as a win.
You have the following traits in common with all other Khadoran Humans, regardless of which region of Khador you hail from.
- Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution and Wisdom scores each increase by 1.
- Legacy of the North: You have proficiency in two of the following skills: Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, and Survival.
- Iron Will: You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
- Northern Resilience: You gain a +2 bonus to Constitution checks and Constitution saving throws.
Comments