River Kingdoms

The River Kingdoms is the region between the Bluerun and Greenrun, with the Kingdoms of Men to the north and the Red Mountains bordering them to the west and south. They have maintained independence from the Kingdoms and fiefdoms of their north for many centuries, and were ruled in 1220 A.S. by King Jessos Merric, an old and valued member of the nobility of the region. Predominantly human, they are a generally tolerant people to the civilized races of the region, yet they are ruthless to those who are deemed uncivilized or generally ignorant of their laws and people.

Society
For most of the history of the River Kingdoms, they held an unsteady peace as maintaining both independence from Erros and the Kingdoms of Men alike. While this is a celebrated fact for the people between the rivers, they also do not share the meddling tendencies of the fiefdoms to the north. Their high society was made up of dozens of royal families, each holding hundreds of acres of the marshy area that makes for fabulous farmland. This excess in food that is grown during the harvest season is shared by the people, but also a good deal was exported to the north to the Kingdoms of Men and west past the Red Mountains in perilous caravans. Below the nobility in the upper class lay the priests of their religion, following the teachings of Saint Ulthor the Blessed primarily, as well as the bureaucrats and merchant-lords that traded in the rich trade city of Lannowar. Soldiers and artisans also occupied this class, giving them a good status among men. The lower class was mostly populated by builders, unskilled workers, or plantation farmers.

Since the coronation of King Jessos Merric in the year 1186 A.S., the nation has been given a great deal of new prospects in the area of expanding their interests into the Red Mountains. Many people had traveled to set up outposts in the region, giving way to mineshafts and other operations that have employed at least an equivalent amount of people as their great plantations. This has grown the nation rich with metals, and thus with trade.

A popular form of entertainment in the River Kingdoms is ship-racing, where boys and men who have built delicate crafts race down the currents of the Bluerun and Greenrun for gambling and glory. In addition, many folks fish in both the rivers and swamplands, however the increase in flooding in the Hanglands has driven a great many people out. Superstition has grown from these people, and they speak of terrible creatures that float in the waters as well as haunting apparitions.

Culture
The culture groups of the River Kingdoms were predominantly occupied by the Lensh of the north and the Muron of the south. While both of these cultures generally get along well, they are different in many aspects. The Lensh primarily subsisted on a diet of fish, frogs, and other foods gained from the waters of the Starsea and marshes around the north River Kingdoms, while the food of the Muron mostly consists of the farmed fruits and grains from the vast swamp plantations. The Lensh are a tall, lithe people who are fantastic acrobats and dancers that revel in acts of dexterity, while the Muron are mostly shorter and stout that value strength over all. While neither group held strong connections to Spellsinging, they both followed the predominant religion of Saint Ulthor, and many clerics came from both sides.

While the nobility was mostly formed of the Lensh, there were plenty of Muron that held positions of authority in the less-populated south. The ruling king himself was from a noble Lensh house, yet the princes of the cities largely depended on the ethnic majority of the city in an elective monarchy.

The native ethnic majority was actually the Lensh, with the Muron having migrated from the north many centuries ago. For the most part, their ways have now intertwined, and their religious culture is now very similar in addition to the holidays they celebrate. All people of the River Kingdoms sought personal fulfillment by following the teachings of Saint Ulthor, who spoke that the way to personal greatness was not through power but through strong-willed compassion and love.

Racial Relations
For the most part, the River Kingdoms was a human-based society. However, they held good relations with the Elves, who they used for their skills with botany as well as spellsinging. Dwarves were well-liked in the Red Mountains, where they were the native population, and often served as foreman for the mines and smelteries for their knowledge of the region as well as their natural skill in it.

The other 'civilized' races such as Lothors, Rennic and others were rare in the River Kingdoms, however not particularly minded one way or the other. In fact, many Lothors served as drill sergeants in the military for their strength and skill in battle, endlessly training the men with their tactics and knowledge of war. For the most part, those other races native to this region (or having fled from other areas) did not share the prejudices of their forefathers in their homes. As such, it was a rather peaceful place.

Monstrous races such as Lizardfolk, Kilbaro and the Tauric people were little tolerated for their savage ways, however. If they chose to remain within one of the places inside the sight of civilization, they had to act like it. Lizardfolk were known to inhabit the deep swamps, and sometimes were known to raid small villages.

Swampfolk
The people of the swamps, mostly consisting of uncivilized peoples and monsters, were held with disdain in the high cities River Kingdoms. They were looked down upon as filth, and annual purges of those they could find took place in a blood-sport known as Comaithan for many of the nobles. In specific, Lizardfolk and Tauric people in the swamp were seen as prize targets as they held capability to fight back in a vicious pace. Though slavery was not permitted, it was not uncommon for these peoples to be paraded around and executed in the center squares of various cities as a show of dominance over the natives. The religion of Saint Ulthor does not permit this in the slightest, and the clergy of the regions often try in vain to stop the massacres from taking place.

Religion
The predominant religion of the River Kingdoms was the worship of Saint Ulthor the Blessed, who was said to have gained independence from the Kingdoms of Men many centuries ago. The hierarchy of worship was clear, the High Priest of Ulthor resided in the Temple of Ulthor in Lannowar where they keep his blessed and holy sarcophagus deep within the catacombs. Each person, of any civilized race, that dies within the River Kingdoms is buried within the catacombs of a city or village under the laws of Saint Ulthor's teachings. Some of the Swampfolk revered their native gods in the River Pantheon, a lesser religion to the Ulthor pantheon.

Evil deities had no place in the River Kingdoms, and cultists were quickly taken care of by the holy people and religious soldiers that served in the cities. However, deep within the swamps, there lies cults of Abaddon who wish for the destruction of all cities within the River Kingdoms and actively raid the villages and peoples for slaves and coin. The Lizardfolk and Tauric people of the swamps tend to worship Abaddon singularly, and pay no regard to the other demons or evil gods.

Spellsong deities such as Yanna had a secondary position to religion in the River Kingdoms. Worship of the Magic deities was permitted so long as the Spellsingers paid their respect to Saint Ulthor and attended the religious ceremonies. However, they were rare besides the Elves within the confines of the rivers. Regardless, they were the second most dominant religion.

Government
The main governing body of the River Kingdoms is the River Monarchy. Ruled in 1220 A.S. by King Jessos Merric, it is given through his orders as well as a council of princes, one from each of the main cities. The capital of the lands is in Lannowar, where his seat of power is. Each prince had several mayors of the lands surrounding their cities, and each mayor had several subordinates in turn for certain parts of governing. The laws of the land were simple to follow, and rather general in their scope. Criminals were harshly punished, however. The removal of a hand was a common punishment for theft, for example.

Each tier of the government was subservient to their superior, all the way from peasant worker to king. Generally, this came into play when disagreements arose between those of the same tier. Their superior would settle it, granting passage to whichever one whom he thought was correct according to the laws of the land. Each tier was protected night and day by knights in service directly to the King.

Likewise did guilds of artisans and craftsmen hold sway, yet they were separate to the politics of the realm. They held most of the commerce of the region, regulating imports and exports in the place of the political advisers and rulers who governed the people.

Laws
The trading, capturing, and creation of slaves is fully illegal and punishable by death within the borders of the River Kingdoms. This law has been in place for many centuries and is strictly enforced by the knights and guards of the nation.

The export of military gear to other nations is prohibited as well, however it was often ignored by the guilds. Enclaves of arms dealers had sway over the trade of armor and arms within the bounds of the River Kingdoms.

Usually, the Clerics of Ulthor took the position as judge when a situation arises, pulling forth the importance of religion within the region. Outsiders and trade envoys were seen as members of the merchant class, and the guilds took care of most of the trade regulations and agreements between kingdoms, while the nobles took care of militaristic and enforcing the laws.

Economy
It would be no surprise that the vast majority of exports took place in the form of food, with the River Kingdoms being a predominantly agrarian society. However, a great deal of artistry in the form of furniture and goods crafted from the great swamp trees that populated the forests. The lush plantations of the River Kingdoms were ripe with fruit and vegetables, with wheat and other grains being generally rare among the people and often imported from the northern kingdoms. Bananas, apples, and citrus fruits were the predominant fruits grown on the plantations.

Trade
Exports of the River Kingdoms were predominantly made up of excess fruit and sustenance that were harvested in the season. However, a secondary major export was that of wooden crafts and finely made furniture, a valuable commodity for collectors to the north of them. Jewelry is especially valued from the great mines of the Red Mountains, and Dwarven crafts fetched a high price. Many of the southern Kingdoms of Men were dependent on the River Kingdoms for food. Gemstones were often traded to these southern kingdoms, which generally had little to no mines within their borders.

Magical items were rare within the borders, and uncommonly traded due to the scarcity of Spellsingers. Regardless, the elves did trade their scrolls and magical items to others in the north.

There is little to no trade to the west where lay the empires of Erros, however food caravans were not unheard of.

Military
The nation of the River Kingdoms possessed a small yet powerful military, unified under the same banner. Stronger than any singular fiefdom of the Kingdoms of Men, they were excellent at defending their own land just in case they were invaded by a coalition of kingdoms. Each prince of the cities had the power to raise their own legion of men, and Lothors especially were valued as shock troops. Thrusting spears such as the awl pike made up the majority of their legions. Knights and other high-ranking troops often used swords or axes in combat.

Since there was little in the way of spellsingers in the River Kingdoms, much of the large-scale magic in conflicts was up to the divine nature of Saint Ulthor. Clerics are able to summon and cast great spells in combat, however, and the paladins are constantly training to be able to fight if the need be, as well as being able to cast spells of their own (weaker, however, than a fully trained cleric would be able to)

Infantry
Much of the infantry of the River Kingdoms are spearman, yet there are still a sizable portion of axe and swordsmen able to be fielded. Legions from the cities generally were sized of upwards of ten thousand men, while from the villages and towns could vary from 800-2000. They were often made up of mixed Humans and the Lothors that inhabited the area, and a sizable shock troop was always available. Their tactics were often simple: defend at any cost. They often had the terrain advantage, the River Kingdoms being generally marshy and known to the men. Rennic, Dwarves, and Elves were rare in the infantry, however Dwarves were often seen in the back lines firing their sizable artillery. Elven spellsingers could be seen as well, and are known to animate trees to fight as defensive infantry. A greatly feared regiment was the Accadian Sect of Vesp, a group of paladins known to fight with blunt weapons and utterly crush their opponents in battle. They hold one of the most important positions as shock troops when skirmishes arise with the southern lords of the Kingdom of Men.

Cavalry
There is little to no cavalry in the River Kingdoms, as horses are not prevalent in the area. Furthermore, the marshy ground is not suitable for horses to charge in combat. However, some soldiers are known to ride animals such as the Waterlion, inflicting equal damage with their ferocious mount as they do with their weapon. Such cavalry often consist of small units who charge in.

Naval capacity
The naval ships of the River Kingdoms are not particularly well-suited for combat. While the trading vessels of the Starsea are common enough, much of the traders that float down the rivers are not suited for fighting. However, Lannowar maintains a small fleet of warships at all times, just in the case of a sea invasion that they must fend off. As of 1220 A.S., it contains twenty frigates and galleons.

Origins
The origins of the River Kingdoms began in the year 450 A.S., when the then-living Saint Ulthor the Blessed was the leader of the city of Lannowar under the jurisdiction of the Kingdoms of Men. Under his guidance, he was able to invade and conquer the other cities within the Greenrun and Bluerun with a mighty force of paladins and clerics to help him. Blessed by the goddess Emeri, he was able to command vast hordes of archon and angel soldiers to aid him in this. After his final conquest of Ner was he able to fully integrate all of the cities in his realm in the year 462 A.S.

River War
At the completion of his initial conquests of the River Kingdoms, he sparked the civil war within the Kingdoms of Men that had jurisdiction over the lands at the time. In the year 465 A.S. did he invade the city of Pollos, and emerge victorious after he had summoned a grand angel to completely decimate the forces of the evil and bureucratic city. This sparked the coalition of southern lords that is now known as the River War.

With the invasion and destruction of Pollos, a grand coalition lead by the King Havrick Sestoria, the leader of the Kingdoms of Men, and the combined force of sixteen lords. The armies then marched to meet Ulther at the razed city of Pollos, with a force of over twenty thousand men against Ulther's mere ten thousand.

However, unbeknownst to the forces of Havrick did Ulther summon a great avatar of Emeri to conquer the fields of the corrupt Kingdoms of Men. In the ensuing Battle of Nymerhold, almost all of the Kingdom's men were killed or wounded, while Ulther lost only about a third of his own. With this, the River Kingdoms independence from the Kingdom of Men was secured. Ever since then, and after Ulther's death in 502 A.S., he was proclaimed a Saint in the lands of the River Kingdoms.

Bloodriver Rebellion
In the year 854 A.S., a force of Lizardfolk calling themselves the Bloodrivers staged a rebellion. Starting in the Hanglands and moving south, they razed and pillaged each village they came across in the marshlands with a goal of reaching Ner to stop the annual purges of their kind in the Comaithan.

In the Battle of Ner of 855 A.S., the force of several thousand Lizardfolk, Tauric and other combined races laid siege to the city. The forces sallied out, meeting them in combat outside on the fields and orchards of the city proper. The rebellion, bitterly fought, was crushed beneath the general Als Bor, prince of Ner in 855 A.S. and routed to the last man. In the coming Comaithan, bounties were placed on the heads of any Bloodriver - marked by their distinctive reddish brown scales - that was found in the Hanglands.

In the 855 A.S. Comaithan, the Bloodriver band was announced completely extinct in the River Kingdoms, however it is unknown whether or not this statement was true. At the very least, no Bloodriver-coloring Lizardfolk have been spotted or culled since then.

1220 A.S.
In the year 1220 A.S., with the King Jessos Merric at command, the River Kingdoms have become a prosperous and mighty entity within the political region between Erros and the Kingdoms of Men. As old as he is, he has several sons to be expected to continue his family reign in the position of King at the election of the Council of Princes.

Notable Locations
The River Kingdoms are separated into seven territories, each belonging to one of the major cities. While the Hanglands are considered belonging to none of the major cities, and generally is unsuitable for habitation, many villages of Swampfolk or other natives survive in the land.

Cities
Lannowar

The capital city of the River Kingdoms, where the Chapel of Saint Ulthor resides as well as the River Palace. Most of the population of the River Kingdoms resides here, however the city itself is mostly middle to upper class citizens peddling their trades, while many of the lower class still reside outside the walls farming, mining or otherwise working.

Vesp

The city of Vesp lay on the southern banks of the Greenrun, southeast of Lannowar. It is a primarily agrarian city, where many fruits are grown. In addition, it is the main trade city for commerce between the southern Kingdoms of Men and the River Kingdoms, a title it shares with Ornn.

Ornn

The city of Ornn, like Vesp, is primarily agrarian and a major trade city. It is the last city on the southern bank of the Greenrun until Ner, with the wild Hanglands between the two cities. Much of the travel between the two takes place by sailing downstream, as there are no official roads connecting the two cities.

Riverrock

The city of Riverrock houses the largest diversity in racial population of any city in the River Kingdoms. While Humans are still a majority, many Dwarves and other mountain-dwelling folks live here due to the mining industry in the city.

Impus

Surrounded by the Manarfen, Impus is primarily a fishing community based around the rich waters of the Manarfen. Fish and crustaceans of all sorts are traded north and south along the Riverway to many cities.

Merril

Merril, the last city on the northern bank of the Bluerun before the meeting of waters at Ner, is generally considered the cornerstone city of logging and carpentry in the River Kingdoms. Indeed, they produce the finest quality furniture and wooden goods in the region.

Ner

Ner is the southernmost and easternmost city in the River Kingdoms, lying at the meeting of the Bluerun and Greenrun into the Redrun. Primarily, it trades downriver to the coastal cities on the Sun Bay.