Hey there Patrons, today's post is about the subkingdoms Kingdoms of Ferrodia. You'll find a picture attached of their territories (the shaded section), and a few paragraphs about who each one is. The most important thing they have going for them is their relationship to the Voraci Empire - the chaotic tide of monsters and men driven by a the fanatical four generals and the king priest Oris.
Aktoria
Aktoria has the 2nd largest population, 2nd largest city (Justar's bay), and is a hub of commerce, industry, knowledge, and power. It is the seat of power for the Voraci Empire, and ruled as a dictatorship by Censor Corbid Krellis. He is the ultimate authority for Ferrodia, has legions of monsters at his command, and is a powerful conjurer with access to at least 5th level spells (Conjure Elemental, Domination, Magic Jar, & Teleport).
Once the center of The Empire of Aktoria that spanned the whole North East quadrant of Ferrodia, now a crumbled mess of its former glory. When the armies and navy of the VE arrived to conqure Ferrodia, the old kingdom resisted with all their might, even enlisting the help of rivals across the island. When they lost, choice sections of leadership were used to make an example out of. What stands today is held together only through fear of reprisals.
Life in Aktoria is all about keeping your head low, and trying not to be noticed by the authorities. That or trying to climb the chaotic ladder and find your place of power.
tl;dr: Aktoria is a terrible place these days. Think something like North Korea.
Kingdom of Porvermos
The Kingdom of Porvermos hosts the largest population, the largest city, fertile earth, excellent resources, and a fractured political class. When war came to Ferrodia, the Dwarven King in Terradore hedged his bets. He had heard about what had been done in Solumn and feared becoming too involved in the conflict, yet war came anyway and the kingdom was brutalized - but not directly conquered. Agara, the coastal town, was burned to the ground as a show of force for what would come if they failed to accept their new overlords. The king in Terradore was swift to bend the knee, and was allowed to keep his domain for as long as he cooperated. For some this was an act of mercy to his people. For others it was an act of cowardice.
The infighting among the political class existed before the war, and has crippled what once was a powerful kingdom. Lords and Ladies of all walks point fingers at one another for every problem, and squabble over every scrap left on the table.
The primarily dwarven lands in the headlands broke away at the end of the war to form their own regions. There is a strong dwarven minority in Terradore who are either holding the kingdom together, or responsible for tearing it apart, depending on who you talk to.
Kingdom of Kataba
The vast windswept planes of Kataba can be a difficult place to live. There are few trees, fewer rivers, and little in the way of what other people would call civilization. The heart of the Kingdom is the city of Hussan, where the nomadic people of Kataba come to trade animals, goods, services, knowledge, art, and culture. Only a quarter of the city is permanent residents at any given time, with the bulk of the city's population being those who have come to trade and do business before leaving again.
The Kingdom of Kataba has a long history of successful and stable rule. Invaders must cross great rivers, the sea, or the massive Fiskat lake to even reach their lands, and then must contend with the greatest light cavalry in the known world in an environment poorly suited to large formation of infantry. So when war came to Ferrodia, the Queen of Kataba felt safe that they would be more than capable of defending her lands from goblin or orcish hordes. She was unprepared for a small group of powerful warriors and wizards approaching her capital from the sky. She was unready for them to land on the rooftop of her castle without being seen, and make their way into her throne room. She stared agape as they appeared out of thin air with a shimmer. When her head rolled to a stop in the great hall, it still had a look of shock upon it.
Kataba was the first and fastest kingdom to fall. Their families were held hostages while their warriors were forced to fight for the invaders. Now, Kataba complies with any order out of Justar's Bay. They have their lands, their raid their neighbors, they fight among themselves for status - and they bide their time, waiting and watching for opportunities to undercut their masters without sticking their necks out.
Kingdom of Gria
Once part of The Empire of Aktoria, this new kingdom is comprised predominantly of rural farmers.
Sylmorre opened their gates to the conscripted horsemen of Kataba and let them across the river to ravage all those who opposed the invading army. When the rest of Aktoria resisted, Sylmorre broke away, proclaimed its independence, and has lived happily ever after. They maintain excellent relations with Justar's Bay.
The capital, Sylmorre, is a very small city that hosts a lot of industry. They make the finest papyrus, vellum, and paper in all of Ferrodia. The rural areas produce half the linen for Ferrodia, and have excellent limestone quarries.
This paradise is not without its own problems. Monsters within the forests, elves, bandits, and the Kingdom of Akki to the north all challenge their borders and rule.
New Ferrin Empire
At the heart of the New Ferrin Empire lies the city of Adler. They had long chafed under the rule of The Empire of Aktoria and welcomed with open arms an invading force to break up the status quo. They saw the Voraci Empire as liberators, and did what they could to cooperate.
When the dust settled, and the old ways were gone, the noble warriors of Adler came together in a united vision of rising from the ashes and creating a new order. Calling upon ancient ideas and myths, they rebranded themselves as The New Ferrin Empire claimed new territory from the corpse of the old kingdom. The Voraci Empire doesn't seek direct rule over any place but Justar's Bay, and is content to let the warlords of Adler expand their borders - so long as they cooperate and comply.
Lutz was the first major settlement to fall into their domain. Odz, a center of learning, thought, art, and culture followed soon after. Now their eyes turn to Valisia in the north. Even as they feast on new territories, the democratic warlords have secretly begun to resent the Voraci Empire's presence in Ferrodia. As long as they are here, the New Ferrin Empire will be unable to reclaim the whole island - which is their gods given right.
Some people say their meteoric rise to power is fueled by ancient magics long hidden, and only recently discovered. Others say the name New Ferrin Empire is a desperate ploy for legitimacy, and that the empire will never reach lands beyond the water ways.
Sands of Zabara
Once a proud and independent trading kingdom, now little more than a puppet state. Zabara resisted the invading Voraci Empire, briefly, before they were overwhelmed and surrendered. As soon as they fell, and the sub-commander within the invading armies entered the city, she found what appeared to be a rich and prosperous, if somewhat small, kingdom ripe for the taking. She set up shop in Zabara, and installed herself as the monarch.
The local people have never taken to their new outsider queen, and have proven to be quite unruly. Raiders, monsters, and the difficult environmental conditions contribute to make this a challenging place to live, let alone to lead. Cults of all sorts have popped up in recent years, while bands of thieves run amok in the capital. The gemstone mines continue to produce great wealth, yet the queen must spend these stone on favor after favor from Justar's Bay to ferret out the dissidents and trouble makers.
Akki / Akkidia
The fourth section of the old Aktorian Empire that has found independence, and the northern coast of Ferrodia. This place has been ravaged by war. Countless villages and towns have been flattened. Monsters run savage throughout the woods. Bandits thrive beyond the reach of the struggling kingdom.
The people here have managed to survive through sheer determination. They are grateful for the end of the Aktorian Empire, resentful of their neighbors for escaping the worst of the war, proud of their survival, and have little time to spare for details. Old rivalries have been forgotten or put on hold. Laws, rules, right, and wrong, all stand second to survival which hinges on cooperation.
The Kingdom of Gria to their south is their greatest rival. Their shared border ends at the tree line, but neither side can agree on where exactly that is, with frequent spats of bloodshed only further cementing their problems. Great swaths of old growth oak forests provide excellent ship timber, while mills along the river process the mighty oaks into planks, and the calm waters of the bay make for an excellent harbor.
The Voraci Empire is their largest trading partner, buying up ships of war, arms, and armor as fast as they can produce it. This creates a complicated relationship. The VE freed them from their former masters, but slaughtered their people and razed their towns. They are their greatest source of wealth and prosperity, but also introduced the vast swarms of monsters that now harass and raid their homes. If the Voraci Empire were to fall today, the Kingdom of Akki would likely crumble.
Voemont
Heavily mixed of Humans and Dwarves, this small mountain society has managed to avoid any fighting, reprisals, or conflicts brought about by the war. The Kingdom of Voemont broke away from that of Porvermos at the end of the last war, and has largely benefited from the breakaway. They have no direct relations or communications with Censor Krellis in Justar's Bay, and keep the outside world at arms length to ensure things stay that way. The dwarves of Terradore originate from these mountains, and the strong intergenerational bonds of their ancient culture ache to see them divided.
For its size and position in the world, Daerun does well for itself. Production of led, books, spirits, and armor are their great exports, yet they run an agricultural deficit, relying on imports from the low landers.
While not openly rejecting outsiders, travelers, and new people, the people of Voemont would prefer to keep things the way they are. They would like it if you came, did your business, and left, without rocking the boat or attracting attention from the great powers.
East / West Rybeck
Once upon a time, there was a single kingdom known as Rybeck. An optimistic, if foolish, king left the lands to his twin daughters in hopes they could cooperatively rule when he was gone. It took less than a year for divisions to rise and the kingdom split into an East and West Rybeck.
Western Rybeck has a strong martial tradition, with many great warriors. When the Voraci Empire came, the western kingdom stood proudly with the Empire of Aktoria in defense of Ferrodia. Their port fortress of Taisa was crushed. An army far greater than they could hope to defeat marched toward their capital, and they were forced into surrender.
Eastern Rybeck has strong economic and legal traditions, with wise rulers. When the Voraci Empire came, the eastern kingdom took their time to see what would happen. They soon sent messages of friendship and gifts to the invading forces, and avoided any suffering.
The two kingdoms are quite bitter with one another, their world view limited to the mountain valleys and old rivalries.
Think Sparta and Athens for west vs east.
Ruskala
Ruskala is the most powerful single city state in Ferrodia. Merchant princes who act more like Pirate Kings cooperate within the city bounds, divvy up land along the coastlines to raid, and profit off the suffering of others. Silver mines in the nearby mountains provide a constant flow of riches, while river ships bring home vast hauls of agricultural goods, slaves, warriors, trinkets, and whatever else they can carry. The smiths in Ruskala make excellent arms and armor, while the more insidious warlords coat their weapons with poisons extracted from rare desert flowers.
Ruskala is ideologically aligned with the Voraci Empire - this is a world of might makes right, and those that have the power can do what they want. This attitude, and their success in employing it, leads Ruskala to be one of the richest cities in Ferrodia - just don't ask how that affects the surrounding lands they raid.
Microstates
There are a lot of mirco-states / city-states across Ferrodia. Most of them are afraid of being swept up and consumed, but by and large are ignored or completely undiscovered. These small, often isolated in the mountains, towns have little in common with each other. They have unique cultures and identities. Some have no contact with the rest of Ferrodia, some are centers of great wealth and industry. Some have access to rare resources, others are almost nothing going for them.