Principality of Redking
The Principality of Redking is a Duland nation in the south of Weston, bordered by the Kingdom of Newia in the south, Uyagh in the north, and Kingdom of Orbach in the east. Its population is largely confined to the coast, and the Newleigh river valley, with the majority of the land made of up the uninhabitable The Great Weston Plains. Whilst predominantly Duland, the county of Kindoria is majority Schwarz. It shares a lot of heritage with its southern neighbour, Newia, and the two are great rivals. Whilst unofficial conflicts often break out along their border, particularly west of where they are separated by the Frosthill Mountains, they are almost always assigned to rogue nobles seeking to enlarge their territories. Officially, the two nations acknowledge that presenting a unified front to combat the potential for invaders from the mountains and plains is important.
Inspired by Newia, Redking earned its independence from a larger neighbour through rebellion, but it was from the Schwarz kingdom of Uyagh that Redking seceded, a success largely won by the unique nature of its capital and largest city, Conmore. Conmore is built on a bridge over the Newleigh river, and is the only crossing for almost 500 kilometres giving it prime strategic importance and a rich source of revenue. The enormous bridge is a relic from ancient days and is believed to be of probably elven construction, but some sources claim it is even older than that.
Structure
Redking was founded as a monarchy, like many of its neighbours, but a sequence of corrupt and ineffectual rulers led to power being peacefully usurped by a council made up of wealthy merchants. There is still a hereditary monarch, but the position is largely ceremonial, with power resting in the hands of the Council of Trade and the Noble Estates.
The Council of Trade is made up of representatives from each of Redking's ten guilds, each one having a single vote on issues raised, and a single representative from the Noble Estates, who is there to provide a tie-breaking vote, if required. The Noble Estates represent the eleven richest and most powerful aristocratic families. Whilst the Council of Trade holds the power, in Conmore especially, the Noble Estates control the vast majority of the land and the workers who live there. A careful balance is maintained between the desires of the nobility to remain in their position, and the Council's desires to maintain the flow of wealth. The entire process is technically governed by the monarch, who approves all legislation and it is issued in the monarch's name, but in practice it is a powerless position.
The aristocratic familes are all headed by a Count or Countess, and tend to vary with the appointment of titles underneath them; Dulend nobles tend to follow a similar system to the Newians to the south, Schwarz are more like the Uyagh to the north. Unlike the nobility in other nations, Redking nobles do not hold either great amounts of land, or a large population. Of the eleven noble houses, only two are Schwarz; eight are Duland and the final one is the melting pot that is Conmore.
The Guilds
Guild name | Represented industries |
---|---|
Mercers | Merchants and traders |
Alchemists | Alchemy and healing |
Goldsmiths | Precious metals and jewellery |
Skinners | Furs and leathers |
Salters | Salt and chemicals |
Ironmongers | Metal working |
Brewers | Food and drink provision |
Masons | Construction |
Drapers | Textiles and fabrics |
Magic | Magic and wizardry |
Demography and Population
Redking is majority Duland, but with a large Schwarz population that make up the majority north of the Newleigh river. The capital Conmore is the most multi-cultural place in the nation due to its prime importance on the Great Weston Road.
Outside of the capital, humans are generally regarded as equal, although there is a rivalry between Schwarz and Duland that very occasionally breaks out into feuds. Officially, the two groups have no issues, but grudges are held regardless and family disputes can involve entire villages. Non-humans are often viewed with suspicion, unless the group has lived in the area for a while; dwarf, half-elf and halfling populations are tolerated well and are generally integrated, as a lot have been there for many hundreds of years. Like in a lot of rural Weston, Dragonborn have an equal mix of fear and awe, and tieflings generally treated with mistrust, forced to live on the outskirts of settlements in their own communities.
Conmore is far more cosmopolitan, with most species mixing in the confines of the city. Tensions between groups does occur, but it is generally similar to any other tensions between groups in close confines, as opposed to being species based. In the public and commercial areas, open hostility is rare towards any species other than orcs; even half-orcs are given the benefit of a doubt, so long as their coin is good.
Group | Population |
---|---|
Duland | 104,396 |
Schwarz | 45,673 |
Halfling (both types) | 13,049 |
Hill Dwarves | 5,779 |
Half-elves | 3,728 |
Dragonborn | 2,237 |
Druidas | 2,051 |
Tieflings | 1,864 |
Other | 7,643 |
Founding Date
380 years before present
Type
Geopolitical, Principality
Capital
Government System
Oligarchy
Location
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
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