Gristamere Overview

  The Kingdom of Gristamere is the homeland of the Goblinoids (goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears) of Aldorath. Although they were loyal to the alliance of the Seven Kingdoms through the War of the God King and the First Witching War, they turned-coat during the Second Witching War, giving their service to the Witch Queen, Adala Tarmoore. This betrayal has earned them the powerful enmity of the other Kingdoms, but their military might and great numbers have rendered them impossible to cow to date.

The Kingdom is ruled by a Zhakastir (War-Marshal) who is almost always a hobgoblin. Its capital is Kuhrzhakkos (“the Great Marshaling Tower”). Their flag depicts a red dragon on a black field. During the Second Witching War, they added a gold crown over the dragon’s head in the manner of the Kingdoms that called the earlier Conclaves.

The goblins like to claim that they’re one of the only races native to Aldorath, for they originated on this continent, although some evidence suggests they emigrated from the Feywild. Many years ago, they controlled a large area of Aldorath, even subjugating some of the Kalrentai and Halflings in the area. Raiding parties of Hastane came in exodus from Jotunheld, fleeing the wrath of the Titans and Giants, and they settled in goblin territories, leading to fighting. Then raiders of the Orcish Hordes and the emigrating Summerlings attacked from south and east, causing the goblins to give ground. By the time of the Conclave of the Seven Kingdoms, the lands south of Gristamere were held firmly by the Summerlings, and the goblins very reluctantly accepted their new borders at the Conclave. It is generally assumed that this later made it easy for Adala to secure their loyalty through promises of goblin lands restored. Although Gristamere’s borders didn’t change as significantly as they might have hoped, they took enough land and slaves to make betrayal profitable for them.

Gristamere’s terrain is hilly and often barren. They have large forests in sections which they cut for lumber, but the primary terrains of Gristamere are wide open, barren plains and broken hills.

Gristamere trades lumber to Summerlund in exchange for horses. They trade glass to Dalenshire for pepper. They also trade coal and oil to Faerinwold for corn that they then trade to Norhast for mutton.

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom