Young Kingdoms
The history of the Young Kingdoms began when, to quench his
nephew Voleln’s lust for power and remove him as a threat to the
crown, King Andovel of Brandobia decided to grant Voleln all land
east of the Legasa Peaks. The solution was perfect; the lad could rule
these worthless and uncharted wastelands as his own in the name of
the Brandobian Empire. Voleln’s legions soon enslaved or drove out
many of the peaceful Dejy tribes they encountered, and he named the
land the Eastern Brandobian Empire. Yet, when the empire tried to
expand further northeast, they encountered new tribes of elves and
dwarves - and were soundly defeated.
While the elves and dwarves returned to their normal way of life,
the empire prepared for renewed warfare against them. Suddenly,
armies of hobgoblins marched forth from the Ashul Weald and
goblins streamed down from the Brindonwood, sweeping through
the fledgling empire and crushing all who dared stand before them.
However, the goblins did not enjoy their place in the social strata of
the new hobgoblin kingdom, for they were barely better than the
human and humanoid slaves, and productivity rapidly declined.
After the great hobgoblin King Kruk-Ma-Kali was assassinated, the
previously united hobgoblin tribes fell into civil war, while roving
bands of Dejy, scattered Brandobians and groups of elves, dwarves and
halflings continuously assaulted them, eventually driving the
hobgoblins south to what is now Norga-Krangrel. In time, the
Brandobians set up another kingdom in the central plains and rebuilt
the Eastern Brandobian Empire.
Shortly thereafter, emissaries of Kalamar arrived, requesting that
the Eastern Brandobian Empire submit or be destroyed. The
Brandobians refused, and a mere three months later, their emperor’s
head decorated the western gate of P’Bapar. The lands now became
the newest part of the Kalamaran Empire. A generation later,
Kalamar divided the lands into separate kingdoms and duchies, each
of which gained their freedom from Kalamar and today are ruled
independently.
History
While the rest of the human races were still tribal societies,
Brandobia was establishing itself as a true empire. For over 400 years
they dominated all land west of the Legasa Mountains. The civilized
Brandobians saw no need to explore east over the Legasas, an area they
considered a wasteland, full of mindless savages and worthless to the
Brandobian Empire. Two decades into the reign of King Andovel, he
found a use for the strange lands to the east.
King Andovel wisely began to fear his ambitious nephew, Voleln.
To quench Voleln’s lust for power and remove him as a threat to the
crown, Andovel decided to grant Voleln all land east of the Legasa
Peaks. The solution was perfect; the lad could rule these worthless
and uncharted wastelands as his own in the name of the Brandobian
Empire.
So it came to pass that Voleln led an army of men across the
Legasas. His legions, armed with several millennia of elven strategy,
bested and enslaved many of the peaceful Dejy tribes they encountered. Other tribes were simply driven out of the area. From the enslaved Dejy, the Brandobians learned to tame and herd cattle and
they brought them along with their armies.
Voleln’s army successfully conquered the land east to the Renador
River and the Hadaf Highlands. This area Voleln claimed for
Brandobia. He named it the Eastern Brandobian Empire and
crowned himself Voleln I.
The Brandobians built roads, towns and traded with the various
Dejy and humanoids of the area. The peace ended upon Voleln’s death
and the coronation of Emperor Voleln II.
Voleln II, it seems, inherited his father’s ambition. He immediately
tried to expand the empire further northeast, into the Hadaf Hills.
Once Voleln and his exploratory military units entered the highlands,
they encountered new tribes of elves and dwarves. He immediately
tried to conquer the humanoids, but the Brandobians were soundly
defeated.
The dwarves went about their business as before, but the elves
offered to trade goods with the Brandobians despite their recent
warfare. Still embarrassed by the military loss, Voleln refused. His
pride and greed caused him to secretly plan another attack.
While Voleln and his generals planned for renewed warfare against
the humanoids, armies of hobgoblins marched forth from the Ashul
Weald and goblins streamed down from the Brindonwood. The
humans were unprepared and their combat techniques were inadequate for fighting superior numbers in the open plains. The humanoids swept through the fledgling empire, crushing all who
dared stand before them. Many Brandobians were slain or enslaved.*
The rest fled before the humanoid onslaught.
The hobgoblins claimed the land for the benefit of their king and
their goblinoid cousins. They established a kingdom in the central
plains region, generally known as the Kingdom of Krangi, or more
properly, the Krangi Empire of the Central Plains. Not all were equal
in this new kingdom; the goblins held an inferior place in the social
strata, just above that of the enslaved humans and humanoids.
The goblins did not enjoy their new role as slaves to the hobgoblins. Productivity rapidly declined and the humanoid kingdom disintegrated after the mighty hobgoblin king, Kruk-Ma-Kali, was assassinated. The previously united hobgoblin tribes warred with one another, each tribal chief trying to put himself on the throne. During
this civil war, roving bands of Dejy and groups of elves, dwarves and
halflings continuously assaulted the humanoids. The scattered
Brandobians reorganized and helped drive the hobgoblins south to
what is now Norga-Krangrel.
The Brandobians learned a great deal during that time of crisis.
They began to use mounted troops, a practice they learned from the
Dejy tribesmen. They also became skilled at breeding cattle and
growing crops. The Brandobians set up another kingdom in the
central plains and rebuilt the Eastern Brandobian Empire. Shortly
thereafter, emissaries of Fulakar of Kalamar arrived, requesting that
the Eastern Brandobian Empire unconditionally submit to the will of
the Kalamarans or forever be destroyed. Voleln III, Voleln II’s only
son and Emperor of Eastern Brandobia, refused to bow before these
outsiders. A mere three months passed before the head of Voleln III
decorated the western gate of P’Bapar and Fulakar’s army stood poised
to march to the Brandobian Ocean.
Fulakar the Conqueror claimed the lands and they became the
newest part of the Kalamaran Empire. A generation later, Emperor
Kolokar divided the lands into separate kingdoms and duchies. These
new nations came to be known as the ‘Young Kingdoms.’ They were
self-governed but remained part of the Empire, much like Tokis and
Basir are today. Eventually, one by one, the Young Kingdoms gained
their independence and today each of them is ruled independently.
Type
Subcontinent
Location under
Included Locations
Related Ethnicities
Inhabiting Species