Duchy of Portshilia
Geography
The Duchy of Portshilia is one of the smallest in the Kingdom, but is geographically and strategically vital for the Kingdom. The region lies as the Kingdom’s access to the ocean in the northwestern corner of Sinderlan, as well as acting as a strategic chokepoint between Hrim and the Crag. Historically, this chokepoint has been viewed as the only thing keeping the Crag and Hrim from regular open warfare with one another. The region stretches from the Tarbur Mountains in the northeast to the coast to the west. At the foot of the Tarbur Mountains is the small town of Warwikhamp, known only for the fact that it is one of two settlements in the Duchy. Its primary contribution is timber from the highlands of the Tarbur Mountains.On the coast sits the port city of Balsearenta, a city famed for its fisheries, shipyards, and whaling industry. These trades have brought in mass amounts of income over the centuries, leading to exorbitant displays of state wealth. One such example is Balsearena’s gleaming silver walls; in 4502, then-Duke Gilam commissioned half the ducal treasury be melted down and used to coat the ancient Fortress walls of the city. Since then, the Silver Walls have been an icon for the duchy, despite the fact that they have fallen into disrepair in recent centuries.
Culture
Culturally, the inhabitants of Portshilia are defined by their strong sense of industriousness and communal pride. As one of the smaller duchies with only two settlements of note, the people view themselves as tough and resilient despite the odds. Even the odd citizens who do not particularly view the Kingdom or the Monarch with the traditional reverence still feel a strong pull of community and kinship with other Portshilians, especially when odds are against them. Portshilia’s culture also is known to spawn adventurers of all walks, most of which venture out to neighboring regions such as the Crag and Hrim in search of thrills and fortune. They sail out from freshly-christened ships into the unknown. This has been much to the chagrin of both neighboring nations, feeling othered and exoticized by these notions. One famed adventurer, Korton of Balsearenta, was known for his pirate-fighting adventures on the high seas of Hrim in the 57th century. His exploits led to an entire generation of Hrim pirates avoiding the western coastline of Sinderlan in its entirety.
History
The Ducal Throne has historically been held by multiple families as appointed by the people or by the Monarch, the most recent being the family of Duchess Pellia. Pellia, a Water Genasi, is the first of her dynasty. She achieved the rank by impressing the King of the Harvest with her business acumen and her multi-point plan for restoring the Fortress City of Balsearenta to its former glory. She laid out multiple strategies to recoup the losses from centuries of poor management of the city’s oceanic enterprises. These included subsidizing fishing, an increased investment into the timber industry in the north near Warwikhamp, and a restoration of the poor road system leading to First Light in Illuma. The sudden increase in revenue for the city allowed Pellia’s administration to restore much of the dilapidated Balsearenta, even recasting the great silver plated walls. However, this was short-lived as Reginald Pelk declared war on the Duchy in 9047.
During the war with the Crag and Hrim, the village of Warwikhamp was fully occupied and the city of Balsearenta was besieged for multiple months. The great silver plated walls of Balsearenta were hammered by siege engines and magical bombardment over multiple months. The Circlecrash was the final step to its fall when the wave emitted from Vortex enveloped the city and all its teleportation circles were destroyed, along with any hope of reinforcement. A militia operation destroyed the town of Warwikhamp in the final days of the siege. Duchess Pellia surrendered the city on the condition that she and her entourage be allowed safe passage to the east. The Crag and Hrim commanders agreed and allowed her to flee east out of the war zone while they began their occupation of the Kingdom's sole mainland port in the northwest. With Portshilia’s two main settlements destroyed or occupied, the rest of the duchy fell into chaos.
During the war with the Crag and Hrim, the village of Warwikhamp was fully occupied and the city of Balsearenta was besieged for multiple months. The great silver plated walls of Balsearenta were hammered by siege engines and magical bombardment over multiple months. The Circlecrash was the final step to its fall when the wave emitted from Vortex enveloped the city and all its teleportation circles were destroyed, along with any hope of reinforcement. A militia operation destroyed the town of Warwikhamp in the final days of the siege. Duchess Pellia surrendered the city on the condition that she and her entourage be allowed safe passage to the east. The Crag and Hrim commanders agreed and allowed her to flee east out of the war zone while they began their occupation of the Kingdom's sole mainland port in the northwest. With Portshilia’s two main settlements destroyed or occupied, the rest of the duchy fell into chaos.
Type
Geopolitical, Duchy
Capital
Demonym
Portshilian
Leader
Ruling Organization
Head of State
Parent Organization
Location
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Comments