Donsteed (Don-Stead)
Donsteed, formerly known as the Kingdoms of Ridria and before that the Ridric Earldom of Namadarine, is a land of great warriors and sturdy shields. Since the second age Donsteed has been separated into three separate Clans, each consisting of Holds and Earldoms, often divided, but if ever an outside threat came to there land they would unite under the shield and banner of one king, for if there is one thing the clans hate more then each other it’s outsiders.
A collum of Donsteedian knights ride to break the siege of Nochi 5A3
A column of Donsteedian Knights leaving the mountain pass to charge upon the Union forces laying siege to Nochi in the Kivox War of the 5th Age
Ardmane light cavalryman.jpg
Banner of Clan Ardensteed
Banner of Clan Snowborn.png
Banner of Clan Torag.png
Crown King Redoran
Crown King Redoran hunting with his wife 5A 23
Donsteed Sigil
Earl Alina Freerider, first Earl of Ridria
Earl Harroldson
Earl Harroldson standing victorious on the shores of Everwinter 2A 544
Earls of Clan Torag, Ardmane and Snowborn
Early Ridric people
First Age Ridric gallop north to war
Funeral of Crown King Vilgarson
Gudhafoc hall
King Eorl Snowborn 2A 577
King Redoran
Portrait of Crown King Redoran "the puppet"
King Redvan leads the charge to break the Union lines
King Sven standing victorious after a raid of Riftweed
Ridric Beserkers
Ridric Missionarys
Ridric warrior
Snowborn Beserker
Snowborn Dragon hunter
Snowborn Scout.jpg
The first voyage - 2A 13.
Torak guides the people of Ridria across the Rift
The slaying of Velghard
Alesid the brave lays the final blow of Velgard Dragonchild of Veskerband the Black Terror
Toraguard
Toraguard Longship
Torguard Helmsman makes landfall
Veskerband the Black Terror stairs down a Snowborn Longship.jpg
Veskerband the Black Terror swoops low towards a longship of Snowborn dragon slayers hoping to ambush the dread.
Vilgarson the Brute
Village of Snowford
Culture
History
Donsteed has a rich and flavourful history, in the Fist Age, Donsteed was established as an Earldom of Namadarine, functioning effectivly as a small kingdom ever at war, ever supplying the King with armys to fight the northen war. The good people had little taste of war, Eldenkros advances were few and far between in the south with only two major battles occuring to push the elves out of there land. Like most many the Ridric people had a hand in the building of Helden and the Cracking of the Seal, and in the wake of the tragedy belived it punnishment from the Warmother for Merlins deception.
As the second age dawned, and the Infernal war raged the Earl of Ridira served his King loyally, leading the charge in multiple skermishes and battles across the Southwester Seal, Majorly problimatic however was the great rift, in the early second age had only two ways to reach the west side of the Seal, north and around the headland for a year, or south across the deadly loemans icedrift. This came to a head in the 7th year of the Infernal war, the eastern fortress of Eldalm was laid seige to and King Arron marched to break it, casulties were expected to be high and he called for Ridrias aid. This put a question in front of them, wether to ride north and risk ariving too late, or cross the icedrift and risk losing over half there forces before blades had even met. It is here that history and myth blend into one, for only the songs of victory record what happend. They say Torak riverseal apeared to Earl Hadvar on the banks of the snow and told him that he would teach his people how to cross the rift. So under Toraks guidance Hadvar gathered the best shipwrights in the land and though they had never crafted anything larger then fishing boats Torak taught them to make bigger and better vessals, the Longship. So it was that Earl Hadvar along with 30 ships full to the brim of the best soldiers and sailors in the land set sail across the rift, guided by the riverseal they crossed the sea making landfall in the east, it was there they planned to disembark and march for days and nights till they reached the fortress, yet Torak had other plans, he told them to sail up the river and to carry the longship around any areas they could not pass and re-enter the water on the other side. Thus it was that Earl Hadvars men reached the fortress in time to bolster the line
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