The Kingdom of Unidiel
A former major power on the continent of Verden, second only to Olimandias in power and influence.
The Kingdom of Unidiel existed from antiquity until the year 610, and was unique among most nations in that it had been ruled by a single, unbroken royal line: The Dinrayal Dynasty.
Structure
The Kingdom of Unidiel was a traditional feudal government. Land was divided into dukedoms, which were further divided into counties. Many of these counties remain intact in both modern Vanadiel and Uradiel. The monarch held considerable power over vassals, with the monarch's high council acting as the judicial system in national disputes.
Elected ministers handled mundane governing, laying the foundation for Vanadiel's future democracy. Churches were awarded no lands or political power, but Diel's clergy was allowed to administer aid and charity to the public.
Culture
The culture of Unidiel was one of shifting internal conflict, but during the Kingdom's golden age it was a beacon for higher learning and religious freedom. Unidiel cultivated strong ethics in leadership at every level, championing acts of charity and working among your subordinates to set good examples. Much of this unraveled by the end of the Kingdom's existence.
History
Antiquity
After the defeat of Demise and the departure of Hylia, the people of the world recovered and built numerous city-states and petty kingdoms. In the shadow of Death Mountain, roving bandits and expansionist settlements competed for power, conquering rural villages without mercy. A young folk hero named Vatru teamed up with a group of friends to defend his town -- and they then pushed ahead to challenge the bandit lords and would-be monarchs directly. Using a combination of muscle and magic, he defeated them one after another, seizing their realms and bringing them under his protection. After decapitating the most powerful of the bandit lords in personal combat, he became known as King Vatru the Defiant, and he founded the city of Van'Duras. His legend quickly grew, as rumors suggested that he was blessed with the blood of the divine dragon known as Dinraal. His family would subsequently be known as the Dinrayal Dynasty. Vatru and his descendants would then go on to expand throughout the southern Interior.The Founding of the Kingdom
Van'Duras was considered a city-state in itself for two more generations. Vatru's granddaughter, Luciana, then simultaneously married the queen and king of two neighboring states and peacefully combined them into a single kingdom with herself as the primary monarch. In this time of shifting states, worship of Diel had become widespread -- among peasants seeking stability, and among nobles seeking public unity. Van'Duras was formally expanded into "The Kingdom of Unidiel" in his honor. Worship of Diel became the primary state religion, although the kingdom allowed the worship of other non-evil gods.Expansion and Moonfall
Unidiel expanded slowly-but-deliberately over time, usually by way of strategic marriages or by offering protection to smaller states facing other external threats. The Dinrayal dynasty held a policy for many centuries that it was easier to annex land into their territory by "leading from the front" -- either personally leading troops to defend territory or by using magic or other gifts to bring relief to the people. This caused many settlements to willingly annex themselves into the kingdom, caught up in the well-manufactured reputation of the Dinrayal family. The Kingdom of Unidiel reached its peak influence and maximum territory roughly 1000 years ago, taking in many refugees from northern Verden as they fled the impact of Luna Majoris and the collapse of Clocktown and the Arctic Realm. The borders of Unidiel included the present day Vanadiel, Uradiel, much of the adjacent Taj-Nar Mountains, and even the westernmost section of the Innagos Desert.The War of Chaos and Order
The Kingdom of Unidiel remained a major power in Verden throughout the war between Diel and Lazu -- with the kingdom naturally loyal to their namesake. They supplied Diel with countless quality mortal troops and spellcasters. While Glenien was put under siege for years in the north, and while the continent's other major cities were faced with constant threats of invasion, Van'Duras remained a shining beacon of hope for all of those who had been displaced by the conflict. Ur'Almen, on the eastern coast of Unidiel, took the brunt of attacks, often forced to rebuild structures constantly being destroyed by Lazu's forces. This disparity in treatment eventually led to much of the tension that would lead to the kingdom's later collapse. After enduring enough hardship and bloodshed, the people in eastern Unidiel lost all faith in their monarch and their government. They began to distrust neighboring societies and turned increasingly inward, only willing to rely on themselves for protection and recovery. Their faith in Diel filled the void created by trauma, with many frontline commanders and common folk turning to religion for hope in the absence of practical aid. Modern Ur'Almen is the result of numerous rebuilding efforts during and after the war, a patchwork city with much of its ancient history lost to conflict. Whereas modern Van'Duras is largely the same city it always was, albeit with a larger population. The cultural divide between the religious east and the studious west would only grow over time.Lazu's Imprisonment; Sacrifice of Artus Dinrayal
In what is regarded as the "final battle" of the War of Chaos and Order, Diel and Lazu clashed openly in the Taj-Nar Mountains with their most loyal retainers. Diel was badly wounded in this cataclysmic duel. Artus Dinrayal was one of many bastard children sired by the reigning king of Unidiel, and was a renowned warrior beloved by nobles and commoners alike. His father commanded Artus and his siblings to serve at Diel's side during this fight, fully knowing that most would not survive, quietly hoping to "clear up the line of succession" as the war came to a close. And indeed, Artus had to watch as most of his half-siblings were cut down in battle by Lazu and their followers. There came a point in the battle where Diel was grievously wounded, and it looked as if Lazu was about to be victorious. Artus was positioned behind Lazu in the battle and decided to sprint directly for the god while they were distracted with the potential of a killing blow. What happened next is a matter of mystery to arcane scholars, but the battle shifted in an instant. The leading theory is that Diel briefly transferred his power to Artus. Diel briefly lost all their power -- radiant halo dimming to leave behind only a headless suit of armor -- and Artus began to glow with divine might, his molecular structure struggling to hold together from the sheer force of energy. Artus then impaled the back of Lazu's knee with his spear, causing tremendous pain and stunning the god. Divine power then immediately snapped back to Diel, who opened a rift in the mountains to imprison Lazu for eternity. Artus committed himself to keeping Lazu pinned while the curse took effect, no matter how he might be impacted by the cascade of imprisoning magic. The people then watched as Artus, his spear still buried in Lazu's knee, fell beneath the earth, sacrificed to the Abyss alongside his divine opponent. And in that moment, the war ended. Diel retreated to the upper planes to recover. The reigning monarch was forced to abdicate, his "legitimate" heir passed over, and the people demanded that the Dinrayal line continue through Artus's young daughter.Decline
The polarization between eastern and western Unidiel increased in the centuries following the divine war, with Ur'Almen effectively becoming its own shadow capital. Unidiel attempted to placate the east by giving them greater autonomy, but this merely led to increased hunger for independence. Though the Kingdom of Unidiel was an associate member of the Hegemony -- with generous leave to create its own laws -- many suspected that the Eyes of Diel and other organizations were deliberately trying to tear the kingdom apart by making matters worse on purpose. Unidiel had one last hurrah as, with the blessing of Olimandias, they invaded Kakariko Village and burnt it to the ground shortly after Jericho's failed attack, acquiring the territory for themselves. Subsequent Labyrinth raids followed, allegedly out of retaliation, causing strain on the economy and the military for decades, with one major attack occurring without warning in the heart of Van'Duras itself. Between attacks, internal strife, and a short sequence of ineffective rulers, the political situation in Unidiel quickly deteriorated.The Failed Invasion of Olimandias
It became evident to the leaders of the region that various organizations were using agents to make the civil unrest worse, and Olimandias saw this as an opportunity to eliminate their one true rival. By dividing the Kingdom of Unidiel, the Hegemony would have unchecked power across the continent. The leaders of the region, including King Sovin III, Chikara Nadir, Selena Nadir, King Dasravan of the Gerudo, and the Admiral of the Forsaken Fortress, held a private summit to discuss the situation. Despite old rivalries, the Labyrinth committed to supporting The Kingdom of Unidiel in an emergency attack on Olimandias before it was too late for Verden. Selena Nadir spearheaded efforts to unite the more distant domains and commit troops to the coming battle, a task she was successful at. It looks as though the invasion was set and ready to begin, but Selena and Chikara Nadir both went missing on the eve of the invasion, and the domain alliance swiftly broke down. King Sovin III was killed in the streets of Van'Duras by a rioting mob shortly thereafter.The Sundering of Unidiel
Olimandias agents went to Van'Duras to hold a formal cessation of civil unrest, brokering a deal to separate the kingdom into two new nations -- Vanadiel and Uradiel. After years of polarization and discontent, the public largely agreed to the proposal. Families were given free leave to relocate to the nation of their choosing, with travel expenses funded by Olimandias. King Sovin's relatives -- the last members of the long-lived Dinrayal dyansty -- were forced to surrender their titles or be exiled abroad to the nations of Virrat and Vildmark across the ocean. The Kingdom of Unidiel ceased to exist in the year 610.Demography and Population
The Kingdom of Unidiel was one of the most diverse nations during its time, drawing in immigrants from all over Verden.
Territories
The Kingdom of Unidiel, at its greatest extent, covered the modern day lands of Vanadiel and Uradiel, with slight extension into the Innagos Desert and the Taj-Nar Mountains.
Military
The Kingdom of Unidiel once fielded a very capable military. They had professional full-time knights and spellcasters, and their able bodied citizens were all trained to serve as conscripted levies in times of distress -- rather than the hastily trained commoners of later Vanadiel. While Roslen had a larger army, and while Muldinach and Olimandias outclassed them in technology, Unidiel has the most well-rounded military force on the continent.
This army collapsed in quality and size as the kingdom neared its end.
Foreign Relations
Olimandias
Though the Kingdom of Unidiel would become an associate member of the Hegemony, the Dinrayal dynasty deeply distrusted Olimandias and resisted their influence as much as possible without pursuing armed conflict. The Kingdom sought to eventually overtake Olimandias in influence and become the new hegemon of Verden.Gerudo Tribes
The Kingdom of Unidiel occasionally warred with the Gerudo Tribes in antiquity, but usually on a case-by-case basis. The Gerudo were typically the aggressors in ancient times, led by more aggressive Gerudo Kings, and Unidiel rarely encroached into the Innagos Desert due to lack of interest in the land's resources. By more recent centuries, Unidiel had actually fostered a friendly relationship with the collective Gerudo Tribes. This was undone in the war between Lazu and Diel, as eastern Unidiel grew distrustful of all its neighbors, leading to increased xenophobia. Ever since the war, leaders in eastern Unidiel regularly sought conflict with the Gerudo. After Unidiel's dissolution, Uradiel was free to pursue war as they saw fit.Muldinach
Unidiel always fostered good relations with Muldinach, as both countries were very interested in the advancement of arcane practices and science.The Labyrinth
Generally quite hostile, the Kingdom of Unidiel was the Labyrinth's preferred target for raids and skirmishes. This was briefly paused during the end of the kingdom's history, with both considering each other "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" in regards to Olimandias. While the Labyrinth had great distaste for the everyday culture of Unidiel, considering them soft and weak, even the Labyrinth's leaders held respect for the more capable members of the Dinrayal family -- game respects game, so they say.2458 AC - 610 PC
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Government System
Monarchy, Constitutional
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Market economy
Neighboring Nations
Comments