Cape County

Cape County, fromally known as Kernow, is a province of the Eldrian Empire. An ancient kingdom with strong ties to magic and learning, Cape County is known for its ore rich highlands and long unbroken coastline. Its capital, Saunton, is an ancient city originaly built by the Giants during the Mythic Age, and houses the centre of human arcane learning, The Misaktonic.

Economy

Cape County has a diverse and well developed economy. The region is rich in numerous ores and raw materials such as lumber and stone, far more than it requires domestically, making it a key export region of the Eldrian Empire. Cape County also has a well developed commercial and cultural sector, and is regarded as amongst the most economically powerful regions of the Eldrian Empire, and amongst the most diverse economies.
Its raw goods, and original reason for imperial occupation, are in its vast abudence of multiple metal ores. The primary ores are iron, tin, and gold. Its other raw materials are lumber and stone, which the region has in plenty. Much of its lumber is used domestically in its shipbuilding industry, but it exports most of its stone to the rest of the empire.
Its commercial sector is incredibly large and diverse, with even the most rural villages having multiple merchant shops and marketplaces. The capital city of Saunton has multiple foundries and commercial sector shops. Saunton is a trade and political hub, and any good imaginable can be found there.

Settlements

Cape county is densley population and has multiple settlements.

Cities

Saunton: Saunton is the capital city of Cape County, and is amongst one of the largest empire. Built on an ancient Krowethian settlement, Saunton has been continuously inhabited since the first age. It is a hub of trade and manufacturing, with multple forges and worskshops. Its cultural sector is also prominent, with multiple riverside theatres and architectual workshops. Key landmarks include St Wayne's Cathedral, The Cobalt Castle, and The Miskatonic. Carely: A former industrial city, the industrial shipbuilding wharfs of Carely declined in the 940s. The city was a hotbed for crime and the theives guild for a decade, until a gentrification process began. Carely is now a cultural centre, with numerous art and literary centres, and nearby quarries being primarily used by the prominent architects and sculptors. Denly: An industrial centre for the county, it was a former Giant city during the Krowethian empire but wasn't reinhabited until the second age. The city is known for its wide canals and industrial shipbuilding sector. Known to be a degenerate city full of criminals. Gurnbourne: Gurnbourne is on the northern shore of the county. It has a large smithing sector, and numerous mines in the hills behind the city. As such, Gurnbourne has the largest population of Dwarves in the city, who live in a near slum full of towering stone tenanments. The city is also home to a small elven and half-elf enclave. The city is a forging and shipping hub, with it being one of the key stops on the Aedrinar and west-coast trade routes. As such, the city is also a domiante financial centre home to banks and trading companies, with a notable skyline.

Towns

Elfracombe: A pretty town on the north shore, it has a small harbour and is known for its fishing and pottery industries. The town has brightly painted sea-front houses and hotels, and a large bath house and numerous tourist attractions. Considered a resort town for imperials. Buchstable: A small agricultural village with farms and pastrues on its exterior, and fisheries on its docklands. A largely working class town, it has a famous market and is known for its butchers. Yinnsmouth: A declining fishing and resort town. It was one an important town on the north coast trade route, but since the construction of a large bypass the town began to decline. It is known for its inbreeding and foul fishy smell. Goldmoor: an up and coming mining town in the northern fringes of the Great Marsh. In the past 25 years the town has grown massively, with an influx of all matter of entrepenaurs. Considered a booming frontier town, the numerous gold mines have put the town on the imperial map. Marley: A rapidly declining peat town in the hearts of The Great Marsh. Much of the town has become abandoned and has started singing into the marshland. The town is largely unemployed, but a small industry based around harvesting and growing magical plants and components remains, with alchemists often journeying here. Bunnsburgh: A market town near Saunton, Bunnsburugh is modern and upmarket. It has a large baking and manufacturing industry, with its cart producing factories being widely reknown. Its position near Bonner lake makes it a good weekend retreat for the elites from Saunton. Rame Cross: A small and tightly compact town built around the walls of a former defensive citadel. The city is a religious centre, with the town being full of clerical monasteries, a large church, and numerous businesses dedicated to supplying clerics and monks. Styton: A port and trade town, Styton is a middle-class maritime town known for its production of private boats, its large beaches, and its casino district. A prominent tourist destination from the empire and beyond, with many Marcians travelling to the city via ferry, it is a tourist trap of a city with multiple cultural and commerical sectors dedicated to capturing that market.

Villages

Delmoor: A beautiful south coast resort village, Delmoor is known for the Delmoor dozen, a famous pub crawl of the 12 taverns and inns the village contains. Devil's Bridge: A village on the banks of the River Strichen, Devil's Bridge is populated by Tieflings. Their ancestors struck a deal with a devil centuries ago, meaning all that are born in the village will be tieflings. It is known for its bread. Curcastle: The adminstriative castle town home to the powerful Lord Blackwood. It is a mysterious and ancient village with multiple ancient ruins and an Archaelogists Guild outpost. Nordshore: A small fishing village on the northern coast. Durgen: A declining agricultural village recently recovering from plague. During the plague, they isolated themselves to stop it spreading to nearby Styon and lost most their population. Seely Cross: A small and plesant farming village, notable for its large market place. Amwhich: A notriously inbred village with some farming and mining. Has a notably mysterious hill. Bonnwood: A lumbering village on the banks of the the River Lavender, an old village with a pleasant demeaner.

Hamlets

Mora: A trade outpost in The Great Marsh built around the ruins of an ancient giant castle. The castle is used as a fortification and training place for the domestic army of the region. Starkhelm: An isolated homestead known for training horses. Shelly Camp: A small temporary settlement for farming. The inhabitents are hoping to build a new permanant settlement once they have the resources.

Demographics

45% Human 20% Dwarf 10% Halfling 8% Elf 8% Gnome 4% Lizardfolk 4% Half Elf 2% Other
Cape County is a diverse region, with a human majority. The region has a large Dwarven population who are drawn to the hills and marshlands for their ore rich mines. Many clans have lived in the region for multiple generations, and have their own subsect of Kernowian culture. Elves have been drawn to Cape County for centuries. Many Elves fled to the region during the Seldrinar Supremacies rise to the power, as many were considered enemies of the state.

Religion

78% Goose God 12% Old Gods 10% Other
The Goose God has had a presence in the region since the second age. It was a minority religion until the Eldrianisation process saw the once dominant Old God religion persecuted in the region by the puritanical imperial overseer of the process. Worship of the Old Gods is considered taboo, and many of those that still worship their historic religion are isolated druidic communes, largely on the border with Gwenydd. Others are regular citizens, practicing their religion in secret and operating out of small isolated societies who travel to the standing stones under moonlight.

Geography

The County is a temperate peninsula. Its northern shore is harsh and rough, with frequent storms and harsh waves hitting their stoney beaches due to being on the tumultuous Terassic Ocean. The south lies on the Gulf of Marcia, a calmer stretch of sea, makes its shores smoother and sandier, and popular with tourists. Its inland is dominated by hills, forests, and the large Great Marsh dominated its interior. Several smaller marshlands exist on the coastal areas of the region and along river flood plains which are largely inhabited by Lizardfolk tribes.
The county's seasons are in line with a temperate climate. Its summers are warm and winters cold, with snowfall not uncommon. Its position on the Terrasic ocean makes it vulernable to autumn and winter storms, but during the winter it is relatively calm barring the occasional day long rainfalls.
The forests and flora are most deciduous, with some winter flowers blossoming in autumn. The Spring is notable for the large fields of flowers that bloom, making it a colourful and plesant landscape. The fauna are largely temperate woodland and grassland animals, with the marshalnds having large amphibious and reptillian creatures. There are no notably dangerous wildlife, outside of the occasional shark in the Marcian channel.

Structure

Cape County has a strong demi-centralised fuedal government, installed by the Eldrian Empires in place of the ancient Kernowian early-feudal strucutre. The Kingdom is ran by a King, who is a vassal of the King/Emperor in Eldron. The King has multiple vassals, all controlling various settlements, usually scattered across the region.
Below these Lords from prominent families are the barons, who will run speciifc areas of land and certain prominent estates. The Baron Class has declined as the country has modernised and more land becomes public ownership. In the more rural areas, the barons still control vast areas of countryside, leasing their land to tenant farmers.

Public Agenda

Cape County is seen as the access point for the Eldrian Empire by many outside empires. Its trade links to multiple different states mean the lords of Cape County will have direct diplomatic channels with multiple other powers from as far as the Serpantine Isles.
The Empire largely leaves the county to it, they extract their taxes and resources but only have presences in the more important strategic areas such as Saunton and Gurnbourne. The country is publically supportive of the Empire, but their are rumours that secret plots are brewing to remove the empire from the province for good.

Assets

Cape County is diverse and massive with a modern economy. They are rich in natural resources and external connections, and their position on a peninsula makes them an important martime nation.
Defensively, every town and city and Cape County has high walls and strong castles and additional fortifications. Since the Eldrian Occupation, the nation has been militarily modernized, and multuple forts are scattered around the country, but some lie empty and unused.
Militarily, each lord of the county has large levies on which they can upon. Some of these levies are permanant soliders, gaurding key assets and settlements, whilst the rest can be called upon in times of war. The soldiers are well equipment and trained well, as a strong and fearsome modern army. Additionally, the numerous coastal cities are strongly defended, and house both imperial and domestic fleets.
Important religious assets include the abndoned standing stones around the country, and the impressive St Wayne's Cathedral, the third largest cathedral in the world.
The county has numerous natural resources, mainly in the form of ores. This includes tin, copper, silver, gold and iron. The county also has numerous forests for lumber. The coastline is a hub for fish and salt resources, whilst in land qurraries and mines provide raw material such as stone and gemstones.

History

Cape County in its current form was created following the Eldrianisation process following the Kernowian revolt in the 920s. Prior to this, Cape County was known as the Province of Kernow, and their local traditions were somewhat respected. Prior to that, Kernow had been an independent kingdom since the first age.
Following the collapse of the Krowethic empire, the long enslaved Kernowian people remained in lose tribes, electing a nominal leader by the middle first age. This lose coalition was the first form of state created in the region. This First Kingdom of Kernow began to build around the ruins of Giant cities. This meant that unlike their Gwenyddian neighbours to the north, Kernow had a stronger foothold on being a centralised nation.
This loose version of the state lasted for the whole first and second age. The only intervals were around the Gwenyddian occupatoin and Aedrinaric raids of their coastlands. During the Marcian empire, it was briefly a client state and allowed multiple Marcian colonies to built on their shores, namely in the town of Delmoor.
The late second age saw the kingdom in stagnation. It was stable but comfortable, and as the awakening dawned during the third age it was technologically behind the rest of the west. This meant that after the fall of Gwenydd, it was an easy target for the Eldrian Empire. Their kingdom fell in a brutal 10 year war, capitualting in 902.
From this point and until 929 it was known as the Province of Kernow, with its king left with nominal power. The Kernowians were resistant; having had an independent and centralised state for centuries before the Eldrian Empire existed. A revolt broke out, based on Salian Isle in 922. This lasted until 929, and in response the empire punished the Kernowians deeply.
The religious and cultural institions of the region were greatly reformed, and the province was put under direct imperial control until 938 when an imperial symapthetic branch of the house of Durniss were installed as rulers. Some high ranking Kernowian families were executed or exiled and their cities were renamed, given Eldrianised names. Following this process of Eldrianisation, the Kingdom of Cape County was offically formed.

Founding Date

(3a) 929

Type

Geopolitical, Province

Leader

King Gryffn IV Durniss

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Power Structure

Autonomous area

Economic System

Mixed economy

Official State Religion

Goose God

Neighboring Nations

• Petty Kingdom of Gwenydd

Related Ethnicities

• Kernowian