Kingdom of Asturia
Asturia is the dominant kingdom on Duros. It stretches for hundreds of miles along the south-eastern edge of the continent.
After the Shadow War ended and the understanding of the threat to the North was fully realized, Asturia began to see an increase in the martial arts amongst the population. Many mercenary companies were formed looking to protect as well as profit from the newly kindled fears of the people. The production of arms and armour increased alongside the surge in mercenary work, with the majority of raw materials coming from the Crimson Lowlands to the west. One of the oldest Houses in the royal court—that of Siva—control the flow of iron and other precious materials harvested from those lands. Rumors have begun to spread of strange stones being unearthed in the search for iron, crystals which—if the stories are true—are said to hold what are being described only as “memories”.
Even though the Devourer and its minions lurk far beyond the mountains to the North, the people have begun to see what they believe to be its influence in their very midst. Practitioners of the arcane—witches and warlocks—have always lived amongst the prosaic minds of Asturia. Similar to, yet somehow distinct from the magic wielded by the dwarves, the witchcraft commanded by those with the Mark seems more sinister. Now, witches and warlocks have drawn the wary eye of the common folk, the Gazel Ministry, and the Crown. Surely, they are agents of the Devourer, seeking to undermine the safety of the Kingdom and the souls of its people?
Structure
The heart of the kingdom lies in Estlund with the seat of power in the Royal Capital of Rabanastra. Westlund, the kingdom’s economic heart, is overseen by Duke Siva in Redwall Citadel. Northlund is a sparsely populated region ruled by Duchess Brienna Harclay from the recently constructed fortress of Bastion. Lastly is Southlund which is ruled by Herzog Volkhardt Blackhammer from the mountain city of New Greysmere.
Within the provinces, the Dukes have the power to appoint Counts who are typically landowners or other equally powerful and/or wealthy individuals. Count is the lowest-ranking title in Asturia that is a guaranteed hereditary title. Unlike with Dukes, there are multiple accounts of a Duke stripping a Count of their title as part of some political plot among the nobility.
Barons receive their titles as a reward for performing an important role or providing a great service to the Duchy or the Kingdom. Most Barons find their titles diminished if they travel outside of their home province, although it is not unknown for particularly famous Barons to receive respect when they travel abroad. In some rare cases, an individual Baron may have his title passed to his eldest child.
Each summer and winter, the Dukes travel to the Royal Court in Rabanastra where they hold council with the King and discuss the state of each province in turn. The Dukes hold the right to bring with them one or more Counts to the court so they can represent the “common man” who resides in their lands. Like the King’s Court that is held in the summer and winter, the Dukes hold their own courts in the spring and fall. The court is attended by local Counts who in turn can summon Barons to attend.
History
Astur Velaryon founded Asturia over 1,100 years ago when he led a small fleet of catamarans across Leviathan’s Deep to the “Promised Land”. Over half of the ships were lost to persistent attacks by sahaugin and powerful storms. They brought precious little with them besides a desire to find a better life across the sea and their faith in their Eternal God. The survivors of the crossing landed somewhere near where Anglet’s Spire currently stands. Astur led the survivors north until they reached the Bay of Elrod, where they built their home, the camp that eventually evolved into the mighty Royal Capital of Rabanastra.
Asturian explorers quickly surveyed the rest of the continent but found that there were places best left alone in this strange new place. Beyond the Shining Peaks, travelers reported strange, unholy abominations that defied reasoning. They were fierce and fearless and attacked without provocation. They seemed to feed upon their very souls. Understanding of these creatures did not come until hundreds of years later.
The fledgling kingdom grew swiftly in size and power as it was often tested by the orc tribes of the Hornwood and the Veldt. Alongside the royal house of Velaryon, three great houses arose during these early days – they were house Koreleth, house Siva, and house Nabudis. They often jostled for the favour of the king who, until that point, was a direct descendant of Astur. Nearly 600 years after the founding of Asturia, the relative peace that the nation enjoyed was shattered in 640 AR when the king, Olfin Velaryon, died under mysterious circumstances.
The Crown Wars
Olfin’s death was the catalyst for the Crown Wars, which lasted nearly 50 years. The three great houses warred against each other until it was discovered that one house, house Nabudis, was using witchcraft to open gates to the infernal realms. It slowly came to light that they had been breeding with foul creatures with hopes of strengthening their bloodline. When the other houses learned of the unspeakable acts being committed, the differences between them were put aside and their combined might was turned upon the Nabudis stronghold and their unholy temple. When the dust had finally settled, the castle was reduced to ruins and all the blood members of the house were put to the sword. At the same time, the people of Asturia also found that the war of succession had also come to an end. For during the siege at Nabudis, the Koreleth army had intentionally delayed just long enough to let the Sivan forces take the brunt of the assault, losing a large portion of their soldiers in the process. With their numbers significantly reduced, the Sivas didn’t have enough resources to continue their war with the Koreleths. In the years that followed, the Koreleth family ascended the throne and the lands once held by the Nabudis were divided between the remaining houses. In a surprising gesture of good will, the newly crowned king Haron Koreleth split the country neatly in half, giving the south western portion to the Sivas while keeping the lands to the northwest for himself. However, there were still those within the Siva family that felt that they were cheated out of the crown, and still resent the Royal House to this day.Invasion of the Shadow Army
In 1198 AR, a great darkness that had been festering beyond the mountains for hundreds of years poured forth from Harker’s Pass and into the Plains of Astur. An army of the risen dead, under the command of the Dreadlord, Kozakura, laid siege to the town of Falyon. King Bannon Koreleth rallied his countrymen to battle against the undead horde. The Asturian army fought long and hard against the Army of Shadow, but to no avail. Through dark powers, the undead continued to press their assault, assimilating the fallen as they went. With no need to eat or sleep, they seemed invincible. Even the forging of the legendary sword Durandal by Josephine Anglet, the Chosen Prophet of the Gazel, seemed to be of little aid. It was then, when the dark army had pressed far into the Plains of Astur, that hope returned. From a hidden valley deep within the Shining Peaks, a vanguard of warriors appeared. They were a people unlike anything the Asturians had ever encountered before. They claimed to be elves, though any and all lore, recorded or unrecorded, told no tales of such a people. They called themselves the Luril, and they had come to offer their aid to Asturia and destroy their hated enemy. The Luril seemed to command nature itself as they summoned great creatures and storms to decimate the undead army. The tactics and weaponry wielded by the Luril were of equal wonder as they were completely foreign to them. With their new allies at their side, king Bannon lead a daring assault to the very heart of the army. When finally, they confronted the Dreadlord, Bannon slew the foul creature in single combat, wielding the holy blade Durandal. Upon Kozakura’s death, the army crumbled into a mouldering mass of corpses, the dark necromancy that controlled them gone. At the conclusion of the Shadow War, the Luril offered their hand in friendship to king Bannon and his nation. A time of great prosperity followed, much knowledge and wealth began to flow between the two nations.Territories
Asturia is divided into four provinces: Estlund, Westlund, Northlund, and the most recently formed dwarven province of Southlund. Each of the four provinces are ruled by Dukes who have been given the authority to govern by the grace of the Crown. Each province is also home to a Viceroy, who acts as the Voice of the King and ensures that the Dukes remain loyal to the monarch.
Duke is a hereditary title that is passed to the eldest child upon the death of their parent. While the Crown does reserve the right to strip a family of their title, there is no recorded occurrence of such an event ever taking place.
Trade & Transport
Since few “true” countries exist on Duros outside of Asturia, almost all trade is conducted between its provinces. However, some trade exists between the Luril elves to the north and the Anasazi lizardfolk to the west. Trade with the elves is mainly martial in nature as the exiled Luril look for any advantage they can get that will allow them to retake their homeland. The Anasazi on the other hand are largely uninterested in commerce with the humans but have developed a taste for manufactured goods such as metal weapons and other utensils, cloth, and paper. In exchange, the lizardfolk have granted mining rights to several companies based in Westlund.
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Demonym
Asturian
Leader
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Traditional
Legislative Body
Austuria is an autocracy. The political power structure of the country is centered on the King and the Royal family and supported by the nobility and the Gazel Ministry. As a unifying authority figure, the King is the ruler of the land. He is supported by his Dukes which each see to the province in which they live. In turn, each Duke is supported by Counts and them by Barons who form the lowest level of the nobility.
Official State Religion
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Official Languages
Related Ranks & Titles
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities