Narvik and Cantrev Solein
Narvik is the second largest city, and Cantrev Solein is the second largest kingdom, in the Eastern Kingdoms. It is a major trading center. In particular it is known for wood, ships, metals and items manufactured from metals. The current king, Thangar, is new to the throne and has been working to wrest control back from the nobles who grabbed power during the 15 years of the old king's illness. He is still in his early 20s, and laboring mightily to wrest power from the nobles by balancing them against the merchants. And by hiring talented people to help him run the government.
The Eastern Kingdoms (known to the inhabitants as Sohland, or Lands of the Sohla) are a relatively loose federation of anywhere from 23-25 kingdoms. At any given time it is likely that some of the smaller kingdoms have a monarch that is also the monarch of another kingdom, through intermarriage. Such combined kingdoms are sometimes ruled jointly, sometimes independently, and sometimes the throne is split between offspring. The kingdoms first formed about 700 years ago, as the more powerful warlords conquered their neighbors, and more importantly, carried back plunder from the surrounding lands. In particular, the Sohla hastened the decline of the old Hirasi empire, which lies across the sea to the west of Sohland. Sohla longships are now more likely to engage in trade than in piracy, but large plunder operations are not unheard of these days. Usually these are now undertaken when one power wants to attack another, and offers plunder to Sohla captains on top of mercenary fees.
Narvik is second only to Alesund in population in the Eastern Kingdoms, and will likely overtake Alesund within the next 20 eyars. Its economy is larger and more robust than any of the others. Originally, Narvik's economy was based on fishing, agriculturd and the mining of iron and copper. As well as steel and serving as a conduit for the the weapons and other goods of the dwarves who live in the north of the kingdom and in the lands to the north beyond the kingdom. About 200 years ago, some of the largest silver deposits ever found in the world were located in the mountains to the north. This made the economy of Narvik explode. It also benefited the dwarves, Cantrev Aalswythe to the east, and the giants in the mountains to the north.
This economic expansion, coupled with the rule of several weak kings and queens, allowed the nobility to wrest a lot of power from the monarchy. It also threatened to stifle economic growth, as the nobility sought to impose significant limitations on merchants. In essence, the nobles were striving to make it so that merchants, from shopkeepers and artisans through large merantile enterprises with thousands of employees had to work with, and pay for, the patronage of a noble. This allowed many noble houses to become fanastically wealthy. That changed when Thangar's grandfather came to the throne 35 years ago. He and his wife made many changes that limited the power of the nobility. Many of the those changes were then reveresed when Thangar's father, who had been king for 5 years, fell ill with some sort of curse. He never fully recovered, and despite his efforts, much of the economic power was taken back by the nobles. Those nobles did not, however, succeed in changing the laws back. This key point has allowed Thangar to claw back power to the throne. He has also instituted political reforms, including the formation of a parliament and the codification of a legal code that had up to that point been based mostly on precedent and tradition.
Narvik is currently in the midst of a long expansion, and this means there is a lot of social turmoil in the city. Despite that, people are generally pretty positive. The lot of the average citizen is definitely improving under Thangar's rule. The idea of individual legal rights for ordinary people is not the norm in the Eastern Kingdoms. And the economic growth means that jobs are plentiful and wages are high.
The Eastern Kingdoms (known to the inhabitants as Sohland, or Lands of the Sohla) are a relatively loose federation of anywhere from 23-25 kingdoms. At any given time it is likely that some of the smaller kingdoms have a monarch that is also the monarch of another kingdom, through intermarriage. Such combined kingdoms are sometimes ruled jointly, sometimes independently, and sometimes the throne is split between offspring. The kingdoms first formed about 700 years ago, as the more powerful warlords conquered their neighbors, and more importantly, carried back plunder from the surrounding lands. In particular, the Sohla hastened the decline of the old Hirasi empire, which lies across the sea to the west of Sohland. Sohla longships are now more likely to engage in trade than in piracy, but large plunder operations are not unheard of these days. Usually these are now undertaken when one power wants to attack another, and offers plunder to Sohla captains on top of mercenary fees.
Narvik is second only to Alesund in population in the Eastern Kingdoms, and will likely overtake Alesund within the next 20 eyars. Its economy is larger and more robust than any of the others. Originally, Narvik's economy was based on fishing, agriculturd and the mining of iron and copper. As well as steel and serving as a conduit for the the weapons and other goods of the dwarves who live in the north of the kingdom and in the lands to the north beyond the kingdom. About 200 years ago, some of the largest silver deposits ever found in the world were located in the mountains to the north. This made the economy of Narvik explode. It also benefited the dwarves, Cantrev Aalswythe to the east, and the giants in the mountains to the north.
This economic expansion, coupled with the rule of several weak kings and queens, allowed the nobility to wrest a lot of power from the monarchy. It also threatened to stifle economic growth, as the nobility sought to impose significant limitations on merchants. In essence, the nobles were striving to make it so that merchants, from shopkeepers and artisans through large merantile enterprises with thousands of employees had to work with, and pay for, the patronage of a noble. This allowed many noble houses to become fanastically wealthy. That changed when Thangar's grandfather came to the throne 35 years ago. He and his wife made many changes that limited the power of the nobility. Many of the those changes were then reveresed when Thangar's father, who had been king for 5 years, fell ill with some sort of curse. He never fully recovered, and despite his efforts, much of the economic power was taken back by the nobles. Those nobles did not, however, succeed in changing the laws back. This key point has allowed Thangar to claw back power to the throne. He has also instituted political reforms, including the formation of a parliament and the codification of a legal code that had up to that point been based mostly on precedent and tradition.
Narvik is currently in the midst of a long expansion, and this means there is a lot of social turmoil in the city. Despite that, people are generally pretty positive. The lot of the average citizen is definitely improving under Thangar's rule. The idea of individual legal rights for ordinary people is not the norm in the Eastern Kingdoms. And the economic growth means that jobs are plentiful and wages are high.
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