The Grand Duchy of Oberlan
The Grand Duchy of Oberlan is governed in the fuedal manner by The Archduke of Oberlan, who resides in the Citadel of the Archduke, just outside of the capital city of Vallance.
On Neighbouring Lands
The Forbidden Kingdom of Shariff lies beyond The Blacktooth Mountains in the east and beyong that the far eastern Desert Caliphate of Kaddish. To the north the harsh cold Lands of the Ice Barbarians. North west of the capital Vallance is the Barony of Norwand. To the south beyond the great salt lake known as the Lake of Stars lie the infamous Spice Lands.On Gods and Men
The main religion in Oberlan may be dividided into two pantheons. First there were the Gods of Natyre or so their worshippers claim. The ancient ones were born long before the time of man it is claimed. Personifications of the many varied aspects of nature these gods are ruled by the Great Goddess Kilian the Earth Mother, considered to be both terrible and loving, cruel and nurturing, bestowing endless bounty and demanding heartfelt sacrifice. Gods of this pantheon tend to be capricious, wild and untamed. Understandably they are popular among the traditional rural communities and those dependent on nature for their livelihood. In contrast, The Gods of Man or Civic Gods were born of the affairs and needs of men. Gods of Law, Gods of Justice, Gods of Chance and Desire under the stewardship of Astalon the All Father, Bringer of Law.On Magic and Monsters
As ever the broad mass of simple, generally ignorant common folk fear and distrust magic and it's practitioners. Divine magic as gifted to favoured priests by indulgent gods is accorded some measure of respect and deference from the ill educated masses but those who wield the arcane power of the element are treated as pariahs and subjects to persecution at every turn. Masters of the art tend of exist in splendid isolation removed from the common vagaries and prejudices of the herd. In well-travelled and populated areas the common creatures of the animal kingdom abound. However in the barren hills, dark marshes, bleak mountains and dark woods strange and mysterious beasts may be found. Lizard folk hold sway in the fenlands, while humanoids rumours persist of a world that lies beneath the very earth we walk on. Hardened adventurers claim an extensive realm known as the Underdark exists below ground. There lurk the evil twisted creatures of dank cave and cavern, ruled by nameless dark forces. The occasional incursions of goblins, bugbears, orcs and their like give some credence to their wild tales.Government
The Grand Duchy of Oberlan is governed in the fuedal manner by The Archduke of Oberlan and his Council of Advisors. The Grand Duchy is divided into a number of counties, each under the stewardship of a different noble family. As a consequence the quality of law and order in each country is rather dependent on the qualities or lack thereof of the current steward. Inconsistency in the law and it's application is common particularly on the margins. However it is typically true that the high crimes and petitions are heard by the nobility or referred to the Archduke. Middling crimes are heard by a sheriff, magistrate or perhaps cleric, while low crimes and local petitions are hearb by a local dignitary, be it mayor, priest or innkeeper.
Infrastructure
The population is somewhat scattered. Small towns and rural communities are tenuously linked by a fragile network of cart tracks, trails, poorly maintained roads, streams and rivers. The towns and cities of Oberland are fairly humdrum and unsophisticated. They have little of the scope of the grandeur of the cities to be found in the great Kingdoms of the south and east. Vallance the capital with it's intricate network of canals and bridges and it's towering colossus has points of interest, whilst the Free City of Cauldron may be the most intriguing of locations built as it is within the crater of an extinct volcano.
Geography
Oberlan is a temperate region mainly of arable grassland and low hills interspersed with extensive woodland. Sudden changes in terrain and weather conditions maybe found in some areas particular in the mountains and marshes.
Type
National Territory
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Owner/Ruler
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