Karrnath
Known as the “birthplace of kings,” the nation of Karrnath was born in war. The art of war remains the birthright of every true son and daughter of the land, and it sings in their blood and their dreams.
Galifar utilized the military power of Karrnath to forge his kingdom, and no force could stand against him. Of course, he tempered war with hope and a dream of a better society, and thus succeeded where Karrn had failed. After the Kingdom of Galifar was established, military officers from across the land trained at the Rekkenmark Academy. Military traditions and training were disseminated to the rest of the kingdom, but as a people the Karrns continued to be more dedicated to and proficient in the art of war. To this day, every citizen of Karrnath serves a term in the military, and every citizen of Karrnath practices with the local militia.
Life in Karrnath can be cold and hard, but the Karrnathi people are colder and harder. An absolute monarchy, Karrnath continues to operate under martial law since the start of the Last War. This makes it a bit tougher on visitors and adventurer types, but the land isn’t totally closed to travelers. With the end of the Last War, the more stringent laws have been lifted, but the overall restriction of the martial system remains. When Kaius III rose to power he immediately set about ending the war. But even two years after the Treaty of Thronehold, Karrnath is still a militaristic society that’s reluctant to abandon its war footing. The warlords remain the most powerful and influential of Kaius’s nobles. Most towns still have large standing militias, and a short service in the national army is compulsory.
Today, Karrnath enjoys its role as one of the architects of peace, but there are undercurrents of unease throughout all levels of the nation. It came as a surprise when Kaius III, leader of a harsh band of hardened warriors, pressed for peace. Most of the Karrnathi warlords (the highest-ranking nobles in the land) believe that their king is simply rebuilding the strength of the nation and searching for an advantage to turn against the other nations. They trust that he will unleash their armies again when the time is right and grasp the throne of Galifar as his own. But there are those among the warlords and nobility that believe that Kaius is too soft, not at all like his father or great-grandfather. They see the Treaty of Thronehold as a symbol of his cowardice, and his efforts to curtail the power of the Blood of Vol as a rejection of the religion of the people. When the current peace finally breaks, it may be Karrnath that swings the first sword—despite the wishes of its king.
Structure
Karrnath is ruled by its monarch, who also leads their military. Military might has been an important factor in leadership since the establishment of the nation, and following this, the most important nobles in the land are the warlords. These powerful advisors form a council for the monarch, which has been a Wynarn family since its institution. Prominent land and titles are awarded by the king to important generals, and any landowning noble is expected to be able to raise and command a militia.
Currently the ruler is King Kaius ir'Wynarn III, grandson of Kaius I. While Kaius I was partially responsible for starting the Last War, Kaius III was the largest proponent for peace, drafting the initial Thronehold Treaty and putting the nations on a path to a ceasefire in the wake of the Mourning. This is currently unpopular with the Warlords, many of whom view Kaius III as soft, others who hate him for his rejection of the Blood of Vol, and others still who have grown to distrust the Galifar line after their failure to win the Last War.
Many of the Warlords command elite units, known as the Knightly Orders. These comprise of nobles and soldiers who've shown exceptional merit, and tended to be loyal to a specifc noble or warlord as much as to the country.
Culture
Long before the Last War, Karrnath’s culture had been steeped in military reverence. The army was a high calling—the scions of the rich and noble were groomed as officers. Of all the nations, Karrnath’s citizens were the most eager to fall in behind their leaders on the march to war. Karrnath’s rulers maintained the focus of the citizenry by never leaving a wartime footing and constantly employing nationalistic rhetoric to keep the people’s anger stoked.
A long-running trend for family pride is also common. The Blood of Vol has encouraged interest in genealogy, and combined with a Karrn’s natural pride in heritage, it’s not surprising for everyone to know their families well. Two Karrns who meet in a tavern will often start a conversation by mentioning their ancestors, trying to find a common link.
Between the cold and steel, however, is a strong appreciation for art. During the Last War, many of Karrnath’s artists painted colorful promotional posters that adorned walls in major cities, and which have become popular decoration even after the war. Duelling artistic styles, and a strong funding for the arts - nominally for propaganda, originally - have led the nation to have strong, competing art and musical styles.
History
The first humans to settle the region were Lhazaar marauders. They built outposts along the barren coastline and raided the softer lands to the south. Slowly, these outposts developed into towns and cities, and the people that remained in the land were tempered by the long, harsh winters.
As the descendants of the Lhazaar raiders continued to spread out and eventually divide into five distinct nations, Karrn the Conqueror rose to power. He transformed the pirates and pillagers of his northeastern realm into a trained, professional army. Under his leadership, the Karrnathi forces swept over the remnants of the goblinoids and made war upon the other human settlements. Karrn dreamed of ruling a vast kingdom, and in his zeal he conquered nearly half of the human lands. In the end, no single foe defeated Karrn - it was poor logistics, the sheer size of Khorvaire, and the unpopularity of his cruel treatment of his allies that toppled his kingdom.
Karrn’s legacy remains, and most people tend to forget the atrocities and prefer to remember the accomplishments. He galvanized the people and kick-started the march to civilization. He built the greatest army of his age. And he died in a kingdom that bore his name. Centuries later, his descendant Galifar, a true son of Karrnath, would pick up Karrn’s dream and unite the Five Nations.
When the Last War began, the people of the land rallied behind their king. It seemed unthinkable that the other parts of the collapsing kingdom could stand against the military might of Karrnath. Better equipment and training could take the Karrns only so far, however. They underestimated the arcane weaponry of Aundair, and the ingenuity and technology of Cyre. They underestimated the divine power of the Silver Flame that bolstered Thrane, and the incredible morale it lent its people. And they failed to account for the sheer heart and determination of the Brelish people, perhaps the most underrated nation at the start of the war.
Karrnath suffered a series of embarrassing and potentially destructive setbacks, forcing the King to accept aid from The Blood of Vol. Using the necromantic arts at their disposal, the Vol priests called Karrnath’s fallen warriors back from the grave, setting the stage for the rest of the long, long war. The tireless undead troops bolstered the nation’s living soldiers and brought a sense of otherworldly terror to the battlefields. The Karrnathi undead were some of the most unusual troops deployed in battle until the creation of the Warforged.
Demography and Population
Approx. 12 million. 52% Humans, 18% dwarves, 10% halflings, 8% khoravar (half-elf), 8% elf, 4% other.
Territories
Karrnath spreads from the Scion's Sound in the east, up to the northern limits of the continent with Karrn's Bay. To the west, the Ironroot Mountains mark the border with the Mror Holds, while the southern border is fuzzy but comfortably shared with the nomadic halflings of the Talenta Plains. The southwest border is divided by the Cyre River, with the Mournlands and the monsters it hides being a constant source of incursions.
Military
While many of the other nations focus on smaller and more mobile units, Karrnath makes substantial use of enormous legions and heavy cavalry. Its goal is to defeat an enemy force simply by overrunning it and crushing it into the earth. The undead soldiers for which the nation became infamous—and which resulted in the final diplomatic break between Karrnath and Thrane—are most often formed into separate units.
Karrnath was initially reluctant to mobilize large undead units that lacked living officers, due to the inability of the undead to think creatively. Toward the end of the war, however, this approach became more and more difficult to maintain, and the use of expensive rituals to create bone knights to command them was used. The majority of the undead are now housed in the Necrovaults of Atur, waiting silently until they are needed again.
Despite the skill and determination of their soldiers, and the dependable obedience of undead troops, the armies of Karrnath suffer from a lack of creative tactics. For the most part, they rely on the size and strength of their forces, and the expertise of individual soldiers, to overrun the enemy. Armies as large and rooted in tradition as Karrnath’s take a long time to adapt to change. The introduction of the undead—most of which, even if intelligent, lacked imagination—didn’t help matters. Even by the war’s end, Karrnathi forces would, more often than not, attempt a straightforward assault unless doing so was clearly the wrong decision. Undead are often used for pursuit and patrol, missions on which their ability to remain constantly active is a major advantage.
For the most part, Karrnath’s elite units are formed from knightly orders. The Knightly Orders Karrnath’s military culture has given rise to a number of knightly orders throughout its history. Some of these groups are loyal to a specific noble or warlord, others to a religious institution, and still others to Karrnath itself, but all are considered quite prestigious.
The Adamant Fang in Vedkyar specialise in guerilla tactics and light cavalry, the Blackened Sky in Karrlakton in alchemy and artifice, the Inviolate Way in Rekkenmark in defence and bodyguard duties, and the Onyx Skull from Atur in the use of the undead. The Emerald Claw was once the largest military force in the country, accounting for nearly a quarter of officers, but after Kaius III's split from the Blood of Vol, their crimes were revealed to the public and the Claw were formally disbanded. The Conquering Fist, originally from Vulyar, replaced the Claw as the capital city's local order, and they have gained a reputation for fearlessness and aggressive action in their efforts to prove themselves.
Religion
The worship of the Sovereign Host dominates the land of Karrnath, despite almost a hundred years in which the Blood of Vol was the national religion. Boldrei, Dol Arrah, and Dol Dorn are seen as the patrons of the land, with a strong emphasis on the virtues of honor, strength in battle, and love of community.
The Blood of Vol remains popular, however, especially in regional areas and certain cities such as Atur. Other towns, like Korth, view it with extreme suspicion, and the unpopularity of the faith has only spiked since it was officially blamed for many of the country's tragedies by King Kaius. While Kaius has officially broken ties with the Blood of Vol and declared it no longer the national religion, a significant portion of his citizenry continues to follow the tenets of blood as life and undeath as divinity.
Kaius has had better success in curtailing the influence of the Order of the Emerald Claw. In general, the nation has come to see this group of one-time patriots (at least that was how they were portrayed when the group was originally established) as violent extremists who no longer have the best interests of Karrnath at heart.
Foreign Relations
Karrnath is wary of Aundair and still regards it as an enemy. Kaius often opposes Aundair’s Queen Aurala diplomatically, but he doesn’t believe Aundair has the will or the ability to make a significant move against Karrnath. In general, Aundair is a lot more worried about Karrnath than Karrnath is about Aundair.
Kaius regards Breland’s King Boranel as his most powerful rival at the moment. Breland’s industry is second to none, and Kaius respects its capacity to return to a war footing and outproduce Karrnath at a moment’s notice. Karrnath thus supports anything that distracts or divides Breland. It offers a measure of diplomatic recognition to Droaam’s Daughters of Sora Kell quietly encourages firebrands in the Brelish Parliament, and has offered support to Cyran refugees and the creation of a new Cyran homeland... taken from Brelish territory, of course.
Karrnath and Thrane have cool relations for both geopolitical and personal reasons. Thrane’s military might be a match for Karrnath’s, especially when augmented by the many spellcasters of the Silver Flame. Kaius has no love for the religion. There is no love lost between the two nations, and hostilities between the two could break out at any moment, despite efforts to keep the Thronehold Accords alive.
Tensions run high with the Mror Holds, however, as similar to the Eldeen Reaches the dwarven Iron Council took the opportunity of the war to break free from Karrnathi influence, and declare their independance. There is still common trade, and people remember the Mroranon troops and war materiel provided before their independance, but Karrnathi opinion still views the secession as a traitorous act.
The peace between Valenar and Karrnath exists only on paper. Every few weeks, the Karrnathi army clashes with riders from Valenar in a series of raids and counterraids that have so far proved inconclusive. But neither side fully commits to all-out war because both recognize the clashes for what they are: a sideline. Both Karrnath and Valenar are too busy establishing themselves in the postwar political landscape to be distracted with a real war—at the moment.
Between the tensions, however, Karrnath enjoys excellent relations with the Lhazaar Principalities and its sea barons, as well as with Droaam and the Talenta Plains. They assist Lhazaar and Talenta with trade and military defence, and is the only nation to recognize Droaam sovereignty - most likely because any headaches they cause will be on the other side of the continent.
"Death holds no terror"
Founding Date
-429 YK
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Demonym
Karrnathi
Leader
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Major Exports
Ale, dairy, seafood, glass, livestock, lumber, paper, textiles, ore, weapons, armour.
Major Imports
Grain, fruit, arcane services, wine, luxury goods, books, manufactured goods, artifice.
Official State Religion
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Comments