Kalamar
The Kingdom of Kalamar (population 4,450,000), the
largest and most populous nation on Tellene, is the central
kingdom of the Vast Kalamaran Empire. Once the most
powerful force for good and justice, the Vast Empire has Kaiathar
declined to an unspeakable state of decadence. The current
ruling family, the royal House of Bakar, has controlled the
Empire for the last three centuries. During this time, the
incompetent Bakar dynasty has managed to lose half the
original land of the Empire.
Despite this decline, the central Kingdom's borders
remain unchanged. Kalamar's boundaries include the
Doreba, Ridara and E'Korug Rivers on the north, west and
south, and the mighty Ka'Asa Mountains on the east.
Kalamar and the rest of the Kalamaran Empire are ruled
solely by His Most August Supremacy, Emperor Kabori I of
the House of Bakar. The other nations currently under
Emperor Kabori's rule are the Kingdoms of Tokis and Basir,
the Lands of Tarisato, as well as the Duchy of Dodera.
Additionally, Kabori occupies the dwarven Kingdom of
Karasta, located beneath the Ka'Asa Mountains.
Unlike his ancestors, Emperor Kabori is a strong,
gifted and clever ruler. His genius in military tactics and
strategy is said to be exceeded only by the Old Man himself.
Ar the Battle of Kadir Ridge, Kabori's tactical abilities and
ruthlessness brought the dwarves and gnomes of' the
Ka'Asas to their knees.
In order to ensure productivity and obedience from his
demi-human slaves, Kabori has stationed an army along the
Ka'Asa Mountains. Most of the troops consist of hobgoblin
infantry, recruited from the P'Tikor Hills and the Obakasek
Jungle. The apparent unending supply of iron, tin, silver
and copper ores flowing out of the mountains justifies the
high costs of such an army. Along with these raw materials,
Kalamar has an abundance of foodstuffs, livestock and
gems. Kalamaran merchants export all of these resources to
foreign ports, imperial and otherwise.
Kalamar remains on good terms with the entire Empire. In the foreign political arena, Kabori has given
Favorable trade status to Ahznomahn and Ek'Kasel, that is,
merchants from these countries are taxed less than those
from other nations. It is rumored that the Emperor has
been secretly aiding Ek'Kasel in her battles against Norga-
Krangrel and in return, Ek'Kasel is to help Kabori reunite
the Young Kingdoms with the rest of the Vast.
The Kalamaran empire has three main political
enemies; Pekal, Tharggy and Paru'Bor. Of these, Kabori's
primary foe is the Principality of Pekal, which, of course,
was once a member of the Kalamaran Empire. For the last
decade, there has been an increase in violence along the
E'Liral River, including several major battles between
Pekalese and Tokite troops. King Adoku of Tolds is reportedly
preparing for a major offensive, designed to destroy
Pekal and return her to Kalamaran control. It is generally
believed that if Adoku fails, Kabori will personally invade
Pekal using the Imperial Grand Army. This action may
mean the end of Pekal, but it would certainly mean the end
of Adoku.
Additionally, Pekalese warships constantly battle
Imperial Frigates for control of Elos Bay. This activity has
increased as of late, because Kabori recently issued letters of
marque to several local pirates, effectively giving them the
freedom to legally assault Pekalese water-borne craft.
Kabori has also issued an Imperial Decree to Basir ordering
all Basiran ships to attack Pekalese vessels on sight.
Kalamar herself; like all nations of the Empire, is
organized as a feudal society. Serfs farm the land owned by
manorial lords, who pay tithing to their lords and so on.
Ultimately, Kabori receives tribute from every lord and
landholder in the Empire. For the common folk, this
system provides an extremely harsh way of life. There is no
liberty for serfs as they are bound to serve their lord. They
are merely chattel, owned by the landed gentry and unable
to travel. Occasionally, the peasants revolt. But, since
Kabori has assumed the throne, these revolts have only
resulted in the destruction of whole towns and villages. All
involved are flogged and their leaders are publicly
butchered. News of these massacres has spread far and wide
resulting in fewer and fewer revolts.
Taxes are extraordinarily heavy as Kabori bleeds the
nation in preparation for Imperial expansion. The lords
who have dared to express their dissatisfaction over the
current state of affairs have been arrested and their lands
seized. One plot to overthrow Kabori resulted in the
destruction of an entire noble family. Thus, commoners
and lords alike cringe before the Emperor. Although they
fear his wrath, most of the lords support Kabori and hope
to gain his favor.
The heavy taxes have created a burgeoning black
market for untaxed goods. Although the penalty for selling
untaxed goods is often dismemberment or worse, every
large town and city has an underground where anything can
be purchased - for a price. In connection with most of these
services is the Society of the Blue Salamander, which is very
active within all nations of the Empire.
Banditry is common throughout Kalamar and
brigands can be encountered along any major road. While
the vast majority of these highwaymen are independent,
some are paid by robber-barons. As local lords look for
ways to increase the size of their own coffers in the face of
heavy taxation, they have taken to disguising their personal
troops as bandits. They then raid their neighbor's lands or
ambush merchants or affluent travelers. As a result,
Imperial soldiers scour the countryside, in search of these
offenders. These same soldiers are very corrupt and many
have taken to waylaying passersby and forcing them to pay
a small fee or suffer arrest. Some of these troops also receive
kickbacks from the local lords, and thus, turn a blind eye to
their illegal activities.
Demi-humans are occasionally seen in Kalamar.
Dwarves and gnomes are rarely seen east of the city of
Lidereta because they fear being mistaken for escaped
slaves. Many elves and half-elves live within Kalamar,
although the elves typically stay within the confines of the
Paliba Woods and the Edosi Forest. Halflings are rarely
ever seen. Humanoids are common only as Kalamaran
soldiery. Independent humanoid tribes are sometimes seen
raiding the countryside, but these excursions usually end in
complete annihilation of the humanoids by well-trained
Kalamaran soldiers.
Alternative Name(s)
Kingdom of Kalamar
Type
State
Population
4,450,000
Related Ethnicities
Location under
Included Locations
Related Plots