Brunen

Brunen is located in the center of the continent and is the second largest empire. To the east, it borders the great Cardíz Empire, with which there have been repeated tensions throughout history. The Halgast family has ruled the kingdom for centuries. Currently it is ruled by King Regrat IV, who is generally considered hot-headed and capricious, unlike his father Tholga II, who was considered very kind-hearted and just. The capital of the kingdom is the rather centrally located Rabensberg, the main administrative and commercial center.

Other large towns are Dannenbruck, Hagen, Harsburg, Veersberg and Appelthal, where the old dynasties of princes rule as governors and implement the king’s laws.

The landscape of Brunen is very wooded and partly swampy. The most important economic sector is agriculture. Especially cereals, barley and rye are frequently cultivated. But also different kinds of vegetables like carrots, tomatoes or onions can be found on the fields, furthermore potatoes, which made their way to the continent from the southern lands by ship. But also resourceful hunters meets in almost every village. Thus, deer and wild boar meat were delicacies that were and still are of great importance for export. This is one of the reasons why the stag is the heraldic animal. In Brünnen, people are proud of being hard-working people and thus contributing their share to society.

Brunen is also known for its excellent craftsmen. Carpenters, joiners or even blacksmiths can be found in almost every settlement. This also attracts dwarves from the Ironmark who want to turn their skills into money.

Cardíz Empire

The Cardíz Empire is located in the east of the continent and has been conspicuous throughout the centuries for its annexation of another country or aggressive warfare. Once founded as a city-state, Cardíz spread across the kingdoms of Ikeria, Tangria, Olgaard and Maleria. Parts of northern Wallau and eastern Brno were also taken by force over the centuries. This allowed the empire to expand over the centuries into the largest empire on the continent.

As large as the empire is, as diverse are the cultures and regions of the empire. In the so-called “new regions”, in the west, which before the last war still belonged partly to Brünnen, poverty rules predominantly, while in the capital Cardíz City the rich live in luxury.

The empire is not closed from the other kingdoms, but hardly anything is imported or exported, the lands live mainly self-sufficiently and trade among themselves.

A lot of money and manpower is put into the army, which causes the other kingdoms worries again and again. It is not uncommon for soldiers to meet at the borders of Brünnen and Malerien. Even though the last war was more than fifty years ago, tensions are always present.

The empire is ruled by Empress Galina I, who is the first woman to rule the country. Since her father had no male heir and Galina’s mother, at least some critics of the royal house suspect, had her uncle and only cousin assassinated, the palace council, which is usually only allowed to determine laws of minor political interest, decided that Galina would be the last relative to be placed on the throne.

The Cardíz are also often referred to by the inhabitants of the other realms as blue lions, due to the heraldic animal, or pejoratively as predators, also referring to it.

Cadeira

The Kingdom of Cadeira is located in the far west of the continent and occupies the entire coast. In terms of area, it is almost as large as Brunen and thus the third largest kingdom on the continent. It is known for its many port cities but also for its wide, flat grassy plains. There are hardly any swamps to be found there, but many lakes and rivers with almost crystal clear water, which is often called “gift of the gods” by the inhabitants of Cadeira. In fact, Cadeira is rich in drinking water sources. However, it is mainly known for its excellent wine, which is produced almost throughout the south and east of the kingdom. Many families follow the traditional way of winemaking and have been able to make quite a fortune. Wine from Cadeira is considered exquisite throughout the continent. Olive trees are also frequently found there, which is why the export of olive oil is also an important branch of the economy. In general, people in Cadeira appreciate good food. Many noble dishes were developed there and inspire nobles of the whole continent. Even those who like it a bit spicier will get their money’s worth here. Besides good wine, beef, fish and all kinds of seafood are often served in the many taverns and restaurants.

But also militarily Cadeira is of great importance. Not only did they war with Cadeira for almost thirty years, which went down in the history books as “the long overseas war”, but they were also a driving force in the war of the kingdoms against the expanding Cardíz Empire. In general, the royal house of Cadeira maintains good relations with Brunen, Wallia and meanwhile also Brilonia. The throne is currently occupied by Queen Magarethe II, who was crowned at the age of 14 after the sudden death of her father. At the age of 21, she is already considered an extremely experienced regent who is loved by her people. Her seat is in the royal palace in the capital Batanessa. Her cousin Isolda, on the other hand, is the wife of King Regrat IV of Brunen and thus the mother of the heir to the throne. Margarethe herself is descended from King Ludovit I and his wife Frederike, who was herself a second-degree aunt of King Regrat IV. Thus, both royal houses are closely connected.

Brilonia

Brilonia is a small island kingdom in the north of Brunen and Cadeira. It is also called the land of seafarers, since shipping is of great importance to the Brilonians. Not only the overseas trade, but also their strong military fleet is the flagship of the kingdom.

A lot of fish, meat, but also vegetables and handicraft tools are exported. For this, mainly ores are imported from the mainland.

Brilonia had conflicts with Cadeira in the past centuries, but this has subsided after the war, which lasted almost thirty years. Now the two are linked by a close trading partnership.

The landscape is interspersed with valleys, small mountains, forests, lakes and several flower fields, for which the kingdom is very famous. Therefore, the rose is also depicted on the coat of arms. According to the legend, a former queen pricked herself on a rose and since then she has turned to stone. The corresponding statue stands in the palace courtyard in the capital Irvind and shows a young woman with a sad expression bending down. Rose vines have been planted all around it. However, whether the legend is true is not proven. Many also believe that the statue is supposed to represent Levia, the goddess of beauty and fertility.

The streets of Irvind and other larger cities are often filled with art dealers and artists trading or showcasing their skills.

The country is ruled by King Thomas V, whose mother is another great aunt of King Regrat of Brunen. He is considered rather introverted, but friendly and seems to have internalized the etiquette of the royal house extremely well.

Brilonia has a comparably small army, but has the largest fleet on the continent and the best trained sailors.

Wallia

Wallia is famous for its horse breeding. The white Wallia horses are a special breed bred only by the royal courts in the capital Rostad, under strict supervision of the royal house. Only the highest nobility or regents can afford one of these purebred animals. The white Wallia horse has even made it onto the kingdom’s coat of arms.

Otherwise, Wallia is known for its hilly landscape interspersed with rivers. It mainly grows grain, which is needed to feed its own population.

In general, the kingdom is considered extremely impoverished. Almost exclusively the export of breeding animals brings money into the state coffers, which is spent on splendid banquets and the own army.

Most of the country’s inhabitants live in simple clay or wooden huts.

The small kingdom is ruled by King Gregorios III, who is portrayed as rather harsh and rather below average in intelligence. Like the generations before him, he maintains a rather neutral military alliance with the other kingdoms. He stayed out of the wars with the Cardíz Empire for fear of being annexed. Trade relations with the other empires are considered stable. Especially the horses, oxen and other breeding animals from Wallia enjoy great popularity on the entire continent.

The Ironmark

The Ironmark is the great mountain range that separates the kingdoms from the south. It is the home of the dwarves and consists of a loose union of various underground dwarven cities.

The largest of these cities is Vallusheim. It is home to the largest ore mine in the Ironmark, which has allowed it to earn a great fortune. Tingeried is considered the second largest city and houses a rich silver mine. Exactly how many cities there are in the Ironmark is unknown, as the dwarves have sealed themselves off almost completely from humans. They rarely tolerate strangers in their ranks. But now and then you can meet dwarves in the human kingdoms. They try their luck as blacksmiths, craftsmen or merchants among the humans. Also, many of them are expatriates who were driven out of their homeland.

In general, the dwarves are considered very good blacksmiths and craftsmen. They are also active in mining. The trade with ores and silver has paid off for them. Although there are active trade relations with the humans, the dwarves keep out of political affairs.

Since the Ironmark is a loose confederation of towns, it does not have a single regent. Each city is led by a governor. The dwarves have a great understanding of democracy and hold regular elections. In general, their own population is involved a lot in the politics of the cities.

The dwarves are considered the last original people of the continent, which they once shared with the Eldarí and the Faun. This is another reason why they are often suspicious of humans. Since these spread, often by force, on the continent.