North Kingdom
Proper Name: Great Kingdom of Northern Aerdy
Ruler: His Righteous and Transcendent Majesty, the
Overking of Northern Aerdy, Grenell I, Grand
Prince of House Naelax (LE male human Clr19 of
Hextor)
Government: Independent feudal monarchy with
strong theocratic elements; current monarch is the
highest-level cleric of Hextor in the realm, simultaneously
commanding the forces of the church, the
northern branch of the royal house (Naelax), and all
feudal nobles and nonhuman leaders in his service
Capital: Eastfair
Major Towns: Atirr (pop. 19,700), Bellport (pop.
9,100), Darnagal (pop. 6,400), Delaric (pop. 22,000),
Eastfair (pop. 35,000), Edgefield (pop. 15,800, plus
4,000 orcs), Kaport Bay (pop. 5,800), Luvern (pop.
3,100), Rinloru (thousands of undead; besieged),
Stringen (pop. 4,700), Winetha (pop. 19,300)
Provinces: Eleven principalities, with a few tiny
counties, baronies, etc.; nearly all are centered
around cities, towns, castles, or strongholds
Resources: Foodstuffs, cloth, electrum, whale oil;
resources are not exported
Coinage: [Modified Aerdy] dragon (pp), crown (gp),
noble (ep), penny (sp), common (cp), wheel (iron
piece, 20 ip = 1 cp)
Population: 2,618,200—Human 83% (OFs), Orc 9%,
Goblin 3%, Halfling 2%, Half-orc 1%, Other 2%
Languages: Common, Old Oeridian, Orc
Alignments: LE*, NE, N, CE, LN
Religions: Hextor*, Zilchus, Erythnul, orc pantheon,
various goblin gods
Allies: Bone March (weak)
Enemies: Ahlissa, Nyrond, Ratik, Frost/Ice/Snow
Barbarians, Scarlet Brotherhood
Overview: As recently as a decade ago, the lands that now constitute the notorious North Kingdom included both North Province and other northern possessions of the old Great Kingdom. After the sundering of the empire following the Greyhawk Wars (584 CY) and the subsequent devastation of Rauxes, these lands united as an independent realm, ruled from the old provincial capital at Eastfair.
North Kingdom's northern border remains the Teesar Torrent, stretching from the independent county of Knurl in Bone March to the hills of Bellport and the Solnor Coast. The southern border is more tenuously defined, as the claims of the newly formed kingdom often exceed its actual grasp. This informal boundary currently extends from the northern verges of the Gull Cliffs at the Solnor Coast (including the city of Winetha) and continues west through the Principality of Delaric to the Adri Forest, some three days south of Edgefield. The lands farther to the south are in active dispute between North Kingdom and Ahlissa. That domain is defined by a triangular region between the Gull Cliffs, the northwestern Grandwood, and the southeastern Adri. It includes some independent towns like Dustbridge, which have yet to choose their ultimate master, but most importantly it includes the environs of fallen Rauxes. Ownership of this region will likely be settled (soon) by force of arms.
North Kingdom enjoys few of the rich natural resources abundant in the rest of the former Great Kingdom. Only a small fraction of these lands exhibit the fecundity of the river basins in the south, and these tracts are generally clustered around the banks of the upper Flanmi. The rest of the soil of the kingdom, particularly along the extensive coasts, is especially rocky and more suitable for grazing than tillage. Mineral resources are also few, but the ores drawn from the extensive hills between the cities of Bellport and Johnsport are key to the economic wellbeing of the country. The vast Adri Forest in the west also provides a rich source of forage and pillage, though its denizens resist such efforts. Coastal cities like Kaport Bay and the port of Atirr thrive on fishing and whaling, industries whose products are in high demand to feed and supply the masses who labor inland in the central cities and towns. In its favor, North Kingdom has an extensive system of dirawein, magical highways built by ancient Aerdi that allow quick transport over long distances. One dirawein runs south to Ahlissa and is carefully watched.
The people of the land differ somewhat from their brethren elsewhere in the former Great Kingdom. While the Aerdi of the south are more commonly an Oeridian-Suel mix, in the north and most particularly in the former North Province they are more typically Oeridian-Flan, often displaying darker features and hair colorings. A sharp and worrisome increase in the numbers of orcs and other evil nonhumans has been noted in recent decades. These races are considered inferior by the Aerdi gentry but are widely employed as laborers and mercenaries throughout the northlands.
Grenell of House Naelax rules North Kingdom, and he is an utterly ruthless and cold-blooded monarch. Grenell's temporal authority is augmented by his dominance of the church of Hextor in the north, of which he is the titular head. The line of succession in North Kingdom is unclear, with many potential claimants to the throne; Grenell has no children of his own. Fawning Naelax princes abound in the debauched court of Eastfair.
While the attention of Grenell is turned to the
south, that of his evil humanoid allies remains, to the
north, for the orcs and gnolls of the Rakers greatly
desire the destruction of Ratik While the presence
of the rapacious orcs threatens to send North Kingdom
into chaos, they may also be one of the most
important factors holding the nation together. Every
prince and lord in North Kingdom realizes that
crossing Grenell may bring down his wrath in the
form of a raid from his orc allies, who are organized
as shock troops with no love of humanity and its culture
(though they have benefited greatly from
human arts of warfare and command).