The Final Kingdom
The Final Kingdom was allegedly founded 1000 years before the era of the First Free City. Scholars of the Didacy posit that its founders were exiles from the civilization that once ruled the Free Cities. Archaeological records indicate that the first settlement on the continent was Broken Bow, the mythical landing site of the first settlers. Limited contact with the Free Cities was established some time after the rise of the First Free City.
The land is primarily dominated by expansive deciduous forests dotted with large lakes and long rivers. Massive farms take any additional space that is not taken by forest. The farms taking up hundreds of square miles are dotted with small temporary settlements for the farmers and their families, living out pseudo nomadic lives across the farms to ensure an efficient crop rotation.
All cities in the kingdom are built around massive fortresses. The fortresses dot the landscape with very little in between them, sometimes with hundreds of miles of wilderness or farmland in every direction. The cities themselves are developed and diverse, being some of the most defensible locations on the planet. Living inside the fortress is considered an honor and a privilege, and all citizens doing so are expected to serve in the King/Queen’s Bulwark, the main military branch of the Kingdom. All those living in the city around the fortress live fairly normal city lives, and are taxed in resources rather than currency, which go toward supplying and fortifying the city on a communal level.
The kingdom is ruled by a King or Queen who chooses an heir from their people when the time is right; this has sometimes been their direct descendants, but is more often a citizen that the monarch has never even met from somewhere in the kingdom. This has led to some disgruntled children of monarchs attempting to seize the throne. All coup attempts in history have failed, and the chosen heir has always emerged as monarch.
The monarchs receive a Throne Name upon their ascension based upon an entrail reading. Their name reflects the greatest accomplishment they will achieve in their reign. No legitimately-given Throne Name has failed to come to pass. The law and tradition dictate that a monarch must spend every moment they can in Throne itself. The only time a sitting monarch was seen outside the capital was when Queen of Starfall struck down Prime Didact Victus I over 7000 years ago.
The capital of Throne is the largest city in the world by many orders of magnitude, with a census count at over 50 million, though the actual population is likely much higher. It was once called Finality, though no one is sure when that was. It has temples to every major religion and there are virtually no homeless citizens within the city walls. If the population ever eclipses capacity, a new building is magically constructed by skilled teams of Warlock city planners in a matter of hours. The sight of the city is difficult for outsiders to comprehend and articulate, often described simply as a force of nature.
The people of The Kingdom are incredibly diverse and tolerant of one another. They live together in cities and fortresses. Mysteriously, even to the citizens, the people regardless of race, age, class, or background have larger than normal physiques and live long lives. Should a citizen ideologically separate themselves from the ideals of the Kingdom, their bodies will weaken to a more average baseline. The king or queen is revered as a god by the citizens alongside whatever deity they worship. There is no authority enforcing this worship.
The Final Kingdom is currently afflicted by a continent-spanning famine which began in early 9047. Additionally, they are currently being invaded in the west by The Duchy of the Crag and Hrim. The hard times have weakened the people, but they constantly work together to assist each other. Despite being weakened, they have stalled the joint invasion.
The current monarch, The King of the Harvest, has provided level-headed leadership and has been working constantly to protect all his citizens. Little is known about his background before being chosen as heir, and as king he is rarely seen except by officials and those seeking an audience.
The Duchies of Finality
The Final Kingdom, being the most vast singular nation in the world, naturally requires division of rule to effectively rule, manage, and communicate across the continent of Sinderlan. To accomplish this, the Kingdom is divided into 17 large Duchies, known collectively as the Duchies of Finality. In the empty lands of Sinderlan in the eons past, before the Era of the FIrst Free City, peoples roamed and settled together. Across the continent, the people came across long-abandoned fortresses of stone and marble. In and around these fortresses the people founded cities and towns, becoming the first Fortress Cities. Eventually, cities allied and formed Duchies. It is likely that as each Duchy rose into existence, it petitioned for inclusion into the Final Kingdom. However, details of the rise of most Duchies are lost to history, save for some in the far west. Speculation and scant evidence is all that guides scholars in this realm. Each is ruled by a Duke, Duchess, or vassal representative who acts as a regional monarch, answering only to the Ducal Council and the Monarch in Throne. The Dukes rule according to their best judgment and often have differing approaches to maintaining control and ultimate loyalty to Throne. The Ducal thrones are typically, but not always, hereditary in nature. Over the course of the Kingdom’s existence, many families, individuals, and collectives have sat on the Ducal thrones in the name of their Monarch. Peaceful transition is not always guaranteed, but is typical. Conflict between Duchies is rare and often leads to harsh edicts handed down from Throne. Borders of the Duchies are a strange affair, usually being the result of minor conflicts between Duchies or swaying loyalties of land owners along borders. However, ultimate say on the borders resides solely in the hands of the Monarch in Throne. They have mandated and refused seemingly random border shifts, resulting in strange areas of administration that can ignore geographic or population features.
"The Monarch Protects"
Maps
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The Duchies of Finality
A map of the various Duchies that make up the Final Kingdom.
Founding Date
-1000 FFC (allegedly)
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Alternative Names
Finality, The Kingdom
Demonym
Finaliteans
Leader
Leader Title
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Theocratic
Power Structure
Confederation
Economic System
Mixed economy
Subsidiary Organizations
- Augurs of Finality
- Cord Ea Lorin
- Duchy of Basentia
- Duchy of Ext Elia
- Duchy of Illuma
- Duchy of Kellenwa
- Duchy of Ofayer
- Duchy of Portshilia
- Duchy of Redalia
- Duchy of Reshensha
- Duchy of Sindar
- Duchy of Symphon
- Duchy of Tarburland
- Duchy of Tytheli
- Duchy of Ulana
- Duchy of Vizenia
- Duchy of Voron
- Monarch's Musical Academy of Vizenia
- The Monarch's Bulwark
- Trelgani Bastion of Ren
Deities
Location
Related Traditions
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Myths
Comments