Dukedom: Aelfir Capital: Caer Tafearlane Ruler: King Kerlain Pop.: 2.5 mil Warband: 20,000
Central dukedom, this is an agrarian territory with large timber and fur industries. The King's own lands are twice the size of most other duchies, and its roads bear a good quarter of Aelfir's long distance trade. Most of the dukedom consists of low lying meadows and gently rolling wooded hills, and it is relatively heavily populated compared to other areas of Aelfir. It supports a good number of industries, with numerous guilds that export handcrafted toys, woven cloth, and primitive machinery.
Nonetheless, life is heavily dominated by old traditions. Even in the cities, these traditions have been adapted to honor the small brownies and gnomes which live at the edge of populated areas. Aelfir observes several holidays, offering the commoners extra days of rest and freedom from work. The common people know the source of this privilege, and pay due homage to the nature priests which preside over such rituals. The months after the war against the Army of the Blacklands saw a surge in demand for manufactured goods and a boost in revenue from higher road tariffs. Kerlain put these funds to use rebuilding and securing his network of roads, and equipping troops to serve tours of duty along the border with the Blacklands. Those warriors which remain in the King's lands have been undergoing extensive training. King Kerlain also issued an edict immediately after the war, that all able bodied males must spend five days out of the year training with weapons, but most city folk ignore this demand with impunity, and few country nobles enforce it. Kerlain's primary concern remains modernizing his own armies as an example to the other Great Dukes, but it will take time before his efforts have a dramatic impact.
Dukedom: Damar Capital: Damarind Ruler: Duke Orlend Pop.: .75 mil Warband: 8,000
Located in the north and west, this duchy specializes in mining and was a former center of trade. Much of the population is mixed blooded due to frequent intermarriage with neighboring Northman before the coming of Entropy. Damar is very loyal to King Kerlain, and Orlend is one of the few dukes who did not object to the inclusion of the Northman jarls in the kingdom of Aelfir. It is rumored that he has Northman blood in his own line. Damar has become one of the primary outposts holding the blackspawn at bay, and Orlend constantly pesters Kerlain for military and financial support. Although Orlend's warband remains moderately sized, he keeps substantial numbers of mercenaries in his service, and has carefully cultivated friendships with the Northmen and the dwarven clans to the north. A number of his mercenaries are themselves Northmen, who use earnings to purchase supplies to assist their kin establish new homes near the Winged River.
Damar imports a good portion of its food supplies, because most farming communities operate at a subsistence level while herding sheep and mountain ponies for income. It has only a few major cities, all specialized in smithing, which are supplied by numerous small mining towns. Though the people of Damar still worship the faeries of the earth and forest, they have also taken to worshipping both the Norse pantheon and various spirits, seeing no inherent conflict in venerating multiple pantheons. Needless to say, they keep much of their religious practice secret.
Dukedom: Iarann Capital: Greymantle Ruler: Duke Klachaire Pop.: .6 mil Warband: 7,000
A land in the north-north-east of Aelfir, this dukedom primarily exports ore and stone, and is known for its great fortresses and mountain paths. Though often at war with the Northmen during the days before the coming of Entropy, the people of Iarann did not suffer as much as Nograidh because of their stone fortresses.
In other dukedoms, rumors tell of unnatural dwarf-human mixings between the people of Iarann and the dwarven clans, but both humans and dwarves vehemently deny such rumors. The human smiths claim to have learned their skills from strange, reclusive gnomes who preceded the dwarven arrival on Landreth by many years. Nonetheless, both races get along very well, and respect each other's skills.
The population of Iarann generally resides in small mountain valleys and hilly country where they herd sheep and goats, farm hardy grains and vegetables, and indulge in clan rivalries. Every group of five to ten such communities shares a stone fortress which they all retreat to in times of war, and each fortress is maintained by a loyal vassal of the duke himself. While the duke doesn't maintain an over-sized warband, he can raise a higher percentage of skilled troops from his people than most other dukedoms in Aelfir. Perhaps more importantly, almost every man and woman in the duchy can shoot a longbow with more skill than an average trained bowman of Aelfir proper. Though fiercely independent, the people of Iarann serve Aelfir loyally so long as their own loyalty is not abused.
Dukedom: Fior-Coille Capital: Olamh-Doire Ruler: The Grand Druid Pop.: .5 mil Warband: 5,000
This 'dukedom' in the west-north-west, is effectively a huge forest. Its boundaries are unclear, but it is without doubt under the influence of Aelfir's druidic orders. Though humans and others are allowed to pass through, few are allowed to stay and all must obey the strict rules of the wilderness. The druids are known to worship the Celtic Pantheon.
Villages in Fior-Coille are small and strictly managed so as to minimize their effect on the surrounding wilderness. Though the people are not fierce warriors, outsiders both respect their nature wisdom and fear their secretiveness. The people of the forest keep their religious practices to themselves, sparking more than one dark rumor of blood sacrifice and brutal rituals. Though the woods remain heavily concentrated with faerie creatures, the forest faerie do not interact with humans as much as elsewhere, even though the humans do nominally observe the King's holidays, and other major rites to honor Titania.
Dukedom: Lurendaas Capital: Samhach Abainne Ruler: Duchess Caithlyn Pop.: .75 Warband: 6,000
The most fey influenced of all the dukedoms, this sylvan realm lies in the south and west. Lurendaas is reasonably loyal to Kerlain, but its true loyalties rest more closely with the seelie folk. Titania's Court is actively worshipped in Lurendaas. The duchy's main exports are bards, poets, and priests, though it also has a small but thriving industry in growing and harvesting rare herbs for healing potions and other magical substances. Lurendaas also has a large and thriving wine and brandy industry, and Lurendaas wines and liquors are famed throughout Aelfir.
By tradition, the duchess of Lurendaas is a priestess of Titania. The position of duke is open to the Duchy's greatest warriors. When the heiress is of age, a hunt is held at midsummer and Titania sends a white hart. Whoever slays the holy stag - a feat which requires cunning, skill, and strength - wins the right to marry the duchess-in-waiting, and to lead the dukedom's warriors in battle. The first daughter of this union (and the firstborn is always a daughter) is the next heiress.
Dukedom: Dvyl Samradh Capital: Bael Maraech Ruler: Duke Kilgreth Pop.: 1.6 mil Warband: 14,000
This realm stretches along a deep inland sea in the south and west. One of the few dukedoms to contain a significant population of fisher folk and sailors, Dvyl Samradh is the second largest duchy of Aelfir. Duke Kilgreth is firmly aligned to Kerlain, for he fears that any show of weakness will open his lands up to attacks from sahuagin living at the mouth of the inlet.
Dvyl Samradh boasts an extensive fishing industry, and exports dried fish throughout the kingdom. It also builds a large portion of Aelfir's sea-going craft, and numbers both shipwrights and merchant sailors among its population. Certain well guarded areas along the coast boast shoals where oysters bearing rare pearls can be harvested, but those who venture into these waters must propitiate the sea dwelling fey, and so their harvest is rather limited. Because of the trade and fish source which sustain a concentrated population, this duchy is among the most cosmopolitan regions in Aelfir.
Note - map is innaccurate. The G directly north of Caer Tafearlane should not exist; there should be a DA in the south west along the coast of the Blood Sea.
Dukedom: Ardeneth Capital: Dumreth Ruler: Duchess Ladir and Lord Vhionne Pop.: 1 mil Warband: 4,000
A fairly agrarian and civilized region to the east-south-east, Ardeneth is somewhat exposed to the culture of the Southern Empire but is still firmly rooted in Aelfir. Ardeneth remained largely neutral during the conflict with King Kerlain, and is generally pacifist. It fields the smallest army of all the dukedoms, and is tithed a much higher percentage of produce to make up for its lack of warrior strength. It is also famous for breeding some of the kingdom's best war-horses. Duchess Ladir's husband died in the last war, and by tradition she has married her husband's brother, Lord Vhionne.
In addition to war-horses, Ardeneth exports wine, grain, cheese and a host of other agricultural products. Druids and priests are welcomed here, though worship of the fey generally involves activities centered around the fields instead of the forest. Large swaths of forest do criss-cross the duchy, but these are set aside by tradition for the sylvan races which dwell within them. Some of these sylvan races have made inroads into the wide plains. In particular, tribes of centaurs now claim some of the wide meadows as their own. These centaurs and the horse herders of Ardeneth have a fine working relationship.
Dukedom: Grian Cath Capital: Caer Manach Ruler: Ruadh Morair (the Red Duke) Pop.: .8 mil Warband: 12,000
A mountainous realm of miners and smiths in the north east of Aelfir, this realm has frequent contact with dwarves, and is also on the border of the Blacklands. Ruadh Morair is the most warlike of the dukes, and the most directly threatened by Entropy. His loyalty is to himself first, and until he saw definite proof of Kerlain's ability to defend against Entropy, he was more than willing to ally with the Southern Empire. Though his isone of the smallest realms of Aelfir, his army is the best trained and equipped.
Grian Cath exports iron, minerals, gems, and especially weapons. The warlike people which dwell within its boundaries are known to worship a variety of deities, and honor the more warlike aspects of the sylvan pantheon. For example, Oberon is honored here as a warrior god and a slayer of fell monsters. The Red Duke and his sons frequently tour the countryside, leading their warriors in skirmishes and battles. In the past, this won the duke the enmity of his neighbors, but recently he has targeted his efforts against the creatures of the Blacklands. Even so, much bad blood remains between Grian Cath and neighboring duchies.
Dukedom: Nograidh Capital: Glas Doroinne Ruler: Duke Mac Fiore Pop.: .8 mil Warband: 11,000
A southern and eastern realm of hills and woods in which independent minded folk eke out a harsh life. Nograidh has always been plagued by constant raids from the Northmen, and its people have learned to hate and despise the barbarian folk. Though loyal to Aelfir, Duke Mac Fiore holds no great respect for Kerlain and proved willing to ally with the Southern Empire rather than use Northman troops.
The people of Nograidh have little use for most trade, though they do export meats, cheeses, wool, and woodcraft in exchange for steel weapons and tools. They are a clannish society, given to internal squabbles and always concerned about their honor and relative status. They are primarily held together by a complicated web of intermarriage that generally keeps the peace. From time to time, the humans come into conflict with the fey of the area, though they still take part in the major nature rites. Duke Mac Fiore opposes the arrangement/alliance with the Northmen and the demi-human races more than any other great duke. However, in the wake of Kerlain's triumphant victory Mac Fiore has chosen to remain quiet. Though sensitive to slights of honor and quick to anger, the people of Nograidh are steadfast warriors and honorable folk.
Dukedom: Cagair Capital: Gaemradh Ruler: Duke Bradeg** Pop.: 1.4 mil Warband: 15,000
This agrarian, and trading duchy is among the most cosmopolitan of the realms, and the one most heavily influenced by the Southern Empire, which it borders. Duke Bradeg clearly wanted to join the Southern Empire rather than be shackled to the tradition-bound Kingdom of Aelfir. He held back his own troops, in the hopes that Kerlain's forces would be weakened enough by the war for Cagair to proclaim independence, and perhaps lead a contingent of the other dukes in open rebellion. There is still considerable popular support for this idea, though the other dukedoms resent Cagair for avoiding the fighting while they suffered heavy casualties. Kerlain has laid a stiff surtax on all trade and wealth passing through Cagair from the Southern Empire for an indefinite length of time. Kerlain has also banished all known representatives of the Southern Empire from Cagair, insisting that they negotiate all treaties directly with the High King in Caer Tafearlane - two hundred leagues to the north. This has led to a significant increase in the smuggling trade.
The younger Duke Bradeg, now 9 years of age, "rules" Cagair.
The elder Duke Bradeg was banished after King Kerlain's victory
against the Army of the Blacklands. The other dukes jealously
prevented Kerlain from appointing a regent, and so the banished Duke's
wife, Duchess Aelwulf Bradeg, now holds effective power until the
younger duke comes of age. However, Kerlain does require that the
younger duke and all his brothers spend their summers at Caer
Tafearlane, where he, his faerie folk, and his bards can indoctrinate,
and watch, them properly.