Kingdom of Corellum
My fellow Corellians, I am equal parts humbled, saddened, and proud standing before you today. Saddened, of course, by why we are together. My father was a good man, and he did the best that he could in guiding us through these trying times. His passing comes as a shock, and a reminder that the Deities work in ways that we cannot understand.
I am humbled by all of you, and the trust you have placed in me. When I was called back from the embassy in Londe, where I have spent the past year seeking an end to the wars, I worried that it meant that the peace I had striven for was being tossed aside. But you, the people of Corellum, have come to embrace peace yourselves. You have seen the deaths of your neighbors, your friends, and your children, and you know that it must end. I am humbled by the weight of your sacrifice and your pure desire for peace.
And I am proud - proud of what I have done, yes, but also proud of my Kingdom and my peers, and of my father and brother. They both have fought and bled for this Kingdom, fought to keep the invaders from subjugating our people. They, and the Council, pursued war when they had to, when forced to do so, and they are pursuing peace now, when it is possible again. I am proud of my brother, for understanding that he is a man built for war, and that what the Kingdom needs is a man who can build peace. And I am proud that I am such a man.
I promise to lead this Kingdom through the end of this war, into a time of peace and prosperity. And I further promise, that I will show the same courage as my brother, should war ever be forced upon us again.
Structure
The King has ultimate control, although this usually plays out as veto authority over the Ducal Council. Each of the five duchies appoint a single person to the council, and these five are responsible for the overall direction of the nation. They determine foreign and domestic policy, and define the bureaucracy that allows the country to function. Usually, the king stays out of it, both allowing the kingdom to benefit from the wisdom of specialists, but also to have a layer of people to blame when things go wrong.
The bureaucracy manages the various aspects of government. An example is the Bureau of Coin - this department oversees divisions that deal with tax rates, tax collection, minting of coins, detecting forgeries, and regulating banking. The Minister of Coin controls the entire bureau, with sub-ministers for more specific divisions who have their own assistants, administrators, auditors, and so on. The need for qualified people in these ranks are great, and bureaucrats are a good path of advancement in society.
The five duchies each follow the control of the council, but are free to act in the best interest of their duchy when it does not conflict with the Council's directives, and they are free to implement the Council's directives in the way that best meets their needs. The Dukes control their duchies as they see fit - some have regular discussions with their counts and barons, while others keep sole control.
There are a total of 21 counties, with two in the smallest duchy up to seven in Bandar Philia. The number of baronies varies with the whims of the higher nobility, as lands and titles are granted and revoked. Manor houses are common in small villages, led by either a Lord or a Knight. Knights are part of the fighting force of the nation, and treated with more respect than administrative Lords.
Culture
The Kingdom follows a strict hierarchy, although there is surprising room for movement within it. Everyone has their place, based on their situation at birth. However, movement both up and down is possible at all levels except the King. He (or she) is fixed in office for life, no matter the actions they take.1
The hierarchy in Corellum extends from the king down to the lowliest serf. Royalty receives deference from everybody, the nobility has their own internal rules but expect deference from all commoners, professionals expect but do not always receive deference from other commoners and argue among themselves their relative rankings, and the lowest level commoners are often the strictest at ensuring everyone knows their place.
Even the heir is not a safe position to be in. As often as not, the person born as the heir does not eventually ascend to the throne. They must constantly prove that they are the correct person to take over the throne, and what the Kingdom sees as necessary to take the throne changes over time, making this a moving target for the heir. Experienced diplomats have been cast aside as feelings turned to war, only to have those diplomats return to prominence when the people tire of the fighting.
Public Agenda
The current King of Corellum came to power at the end of a decades long war with the Dominion of Londe. He was the younger son of the previous King, but was the skilled diplomat in the family, and the older brother gave up his position in favor if the new King.
The Kingdom is dedicated to maintaining peace, although they are prepared to take on any treachery from Londe, and considers it their duty to contain the lawlessness of the uncontrolled lands to the west.
Assets
The Kingdom has a large number of castles, keeps, and forts, especially on the eastern side closer to the Dominion of Londe. Most are currently running with a reduced force, and are under direct control of the local nobility. Weapons to outfit a full complement are required to be kept on hand and in good repair, and these laws are mostly followed. Horses for cavalry are in the shortest supply.
The Kingdom is the premier ocean power on the continent. They have as many ships as every other power combined. These are all owned directly by the crown.
The Kingdom has a significant amount of platinum and gold bars available. Total reserves are on the order of one million platinum pieces, although this is spread between the gold and platinum bars, coinage, and cut gems. Kingdom expenses are such that the reserves would last less than two years without income.
The major cities of the Kingdom each have libraries and museums, with priceless collections of artwork and books. In addition, the Kingdom keeps the number of magical resources a tightly hidden secret, but they have been used in past wars, making it known that there is some sort of repository in the Kingdom.
History
The Kingdom was founded when Corell, the Master of the Seas, landed and established Corellum as his first city. His forces quickly established outposts along the coasts, and absorbed the population already there. Within 20 years, the Kingdom stretched along the coastline of northwestern Helion, although it did not go more than one hundred miles inland.
At the time, Barad Philia was in a losing war with Londe. Corell's daughter, Kira Corell, went to Barad Philia to secure an alliance and more territory. The King of Barad Philia took her hostage, planning to force her into marriage and allying the countries through marriage. Kira was a wizard of not insignificant power, although this was generally kept hidden. She played along, until she was allowed some run of the palace, at which point she used her magic and her considerable will and charisma to take control. She forced the King to bow and swear fealty to her and her father. She married the king anyway, as she quite liked him, but with herself in control. She impressed her father enough that he made her his heir, and she eventually became the second King of Corellum, with the former King of Barad Philia serving as her Consort and Duke of Barad Philia.
Most of the expansion occurred under King Kira, with the seven duchies boundaries firm by the end of her rule. There has been some minor expansion in the years since, although the biggest push for new territory ended in a stalemate. This was the war with the Dominion of Londe, which ended with no change between the two nations other than the many lives lost in war.
Demography and Population
Trade & Transport
Corellum follows the standard coin values accepted across the continent. Standard coins weigh one coinweight, cw, which is ~1/50th of a pound. The most minted coin is the copper piece, closely followed by silver. Gold pieces are uncommon outside trade centers, though certainly not unheard of. Gold coins are made from 18k gold, in order to keep their shape. Corellum does not mint electrum, and platinum is almost always solely used by banks.
All Corellum minted coins have an anchor on the reverse. On the obverse, the platinum piece has the Corellum Oak Tree, the gold the likeness of the current King, the silver an oak leaf, and the copper a sheaf of wheat. The coins are colloquially called grains, leafs, and kings, for copper, silver, and gold, respectively. Corellum gold and platinum coins are just under an inch across, while copper and silver are close to 1 1/4".
Ours is the Glory
Maps
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Kingdom of Corellum Political
The Kingdom of Corellum, with the five Duchies shown
Trial by Combat
Royalty
- King of Corellum
- Consort
- Heir Apparent
- Royal Prince/Princess
Nobility
Titles are all gender neutral- Duke (5 total)
- Count (21 total)
- Viscount
- Baron
- Knight
- Lord
Professional
- Yeoman
- Merchant
- Engineer
- Crafter
- Bureaucrat
- Service
Commoner
- Farmer/fisher
- Hunter
- Forester
- Miner
- Laborer
- Beggar
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