Valmyr, The Unified Kingdom

Valmyr is a unified kingdom of three formerly independent nations. These nations are now split into three provinces, each unique in its own way. These provinces differ geographically, culturally, and in the appearance of their people. Valmyr prides itself in its strong military, large numbers, and powerful economy.

Geography of Valmyr
The Kingdom of Valmyr is split into three provinces, each divided geographically. The northwest corner of the Kingdom of Valmyr, which has the largest coastline, is known as Havruk. The northeast corner of the Kingdom of Valmyr, which has the most forests and mountains, is known as Tzrel. The southern region of the Kingdom of Valmyr is comprised of large hills as well as open fields and a few forests. This region is known as Welreil, and it is the capital province of the Kingdom of Valmyr. The Kingdom of Valmyr is very far north geographically. The southern province is the only province where the folk experience a summer where all bodies of water thaw.

Havruk
Havruk is known for its large abundance of salt lakes and rocky formations. It is the flattest region of Valmyr, but comprises of very little fertile land. It borders Welreil with the large River of Izen, and borders Tzrel with the Fang Mountains and the Howling Forest. Havruk has the most coastline of any province in Valmyr, but comprises of the least amount of total land, as it wraps around the northwest corner of the Kingdom. The only city in Havruk is along the most southern coast in the province, known as Rajak. It consists of the largest port in Valmyr. The High Lord of Tzrel’s palace lies at the center of Rajak, and is thought to have the most hearths of any keep in Valmyr. The city of Rajak was built upon a natural spring, making the ground and city slightly warmer than anywhere else in the area.

The people of Havruk are known for being fishers and salt farmers. With such little fertile land they live off of a largely salt preserved and fish based diet. There are a variety of trades in and out to gain the other items necessary for survival, or wanted by those who can afford them.

Tzrel
Tzrel comprises of the northeast corner of Valmyr. In Tzrel resides the Fang Mountains, the Howling Forest, The Frozen Boyar Lakes, the Northern Waste, and the Tsar’s Fall. The Northern Waste is a frozen tundra that consists of the Fang Mountains to the west, but the remainder is hilly and open with not another noticeable landmark until it ends at the coast of the Winter Sea. Tzrel has two major cities, one is known as Balgrad, and the capital of the province Yemsk. Balgrad resides along the eastern coast as a small port city, and Yemsk lies just outside the Howling Forest. Balgrad is renown for its colorfulness, while Yemsk is known for its finely detailed spires. The Tsar’s palace is just outside of Yemsk to the east, and is said to be the largest fortification north of Welreil.

Tzrel has a large slum area by the Boyar Lakes, filled with folks who live off the land where they can to cut costs. While not necessarily looked down on, it is more ignored by those of the upper classes and Nobility.

Welreil
Welreil is the largest province of the three and is mostly hills of varying intensity, though also consists of the most open fields of fertile land in Valmyr. There are also some small forests scattered around. The small mountain range to the southeast known as the Steel Mountains are known for their high abundance of iron and coal. The mountains are said to shine like steel during the summer when their snow caps melt and fill the lakes and rivers of the rest of Welreil besides the River of Izen in the north border with Havruk.

Cities of Welreil
At the northern border near the Howling Forest is the city of Eichberg, which is the province’s capital where the High Lord of Welreil’s palace resides near the southern gate. This is the oldest city in Valmyr, and comprises of the oldest architecture, though it was built on a highland of rockish formations, making it very strategic for battle. The wall around it is rather short, but due to being built on a high rock formation, making it appear much higher. Eichberg is a central trade city for Valmyr as it is near the dead center of the Kingdom.

To southeast near the Steel Mountains resides the city of Deselin, the smallest city in Welreil. It is a key city for mining of iron for the rest of the kingdom, and as a result, has some of the wealthiest merchants and aristocrats buying and producing wares for the rest of the kingdom. It also has the highest slave and prisoner population in Valmyr. To the very southern coast of Valmyr is the city of Wel, the capital city of Valmyr. This is the warmest city in Valmyr, and has the second largest port in the kingdom. It is the largest trading city in the kingdom.

To the western end of the city lays the King’s Palace, known as the Silver Keep. It is the largest building in all of Valmyr, and includes the Bank of Izen in its southern spire. Just north of the Silver Keep is the Cathedral of Heizel, the largest church in all of Valmyr. The city of Wel has the largest walls built around any city in Valmyr. The farms outside the cities walls go for as far as anyone can see, stretching out across the land to many towns and communities across Welreil.

The Iceborn Islands
The isles to the east of Tzrel are often referred to as the Iceborn Islands, named for the large mountains found on all of the islands. It is commonly confused for one island at a distance as the mountains disguise the islands being separate from each other. Sometimes mistaken for another province due to history as a former kingdom of its own, the Iceborn Islands is a large group of islands, each island ruled by a different lord or group of lords. Typically, one lord is considered the leader of the other lords by virtue of who is the most worthy and strongest lord. However, the Iceborn Islands customs are much closer to Havruk’s customs than Tzrel’s.

The people there are often also a weird mix of Havruken and Tzreli in appearance. It is here that redheads in Valmyr originated. The Iceborn Islands have been known to raid the coasts of Tzrel and Welreil throughout history, persisting even to this day. It is a common belief that they are descendants of Havrukens that traveled around the continent. The largest island is known as Evriksfjall, and often is used to replace the entire name of the Iceborn Islands as it is the most influential of the islands. The accent in the Iceborn Islands is far different from all of the rest of Valmyr, but is perhaps the easiest for an outsider to be able to understand.

Other Islands around Valmyr
Due to the large size of Valmyr, there are varying islands scattered around the continent. Most of these islands are near Havruk, though there are also some small islands near Welreil. These islands are often the most secluded from the rest of the continent, not receiving as much thought as other regions. As a result, the islands remain in some ways more independent, as they have very little influence in the affairs of the continent. Unlike the Iceborn Islands, these islands do not show much variation in society or appearance than the closest province to them.

Other Places of Note
The Frozen Boyar Lakes are massive frozen lakes that are often used for ice fishing in the summer. The Tsar’s Fall is a huge chasm in the ground to the eastern side of the province that none are sure has a bottom. It is known to crack and expand every summer and winter cycle, making it larger and larger. The Howling Forest lays directly south of the Fang Mountains and is the other main border between it and Havruk. It also acts as a border with Welreil in the middle region of Welreil. Directly east of the Howling Forest is the River of Tears. The Valley of Flowers resides in the most southwest region of Valmyr. The Library of Adal is located in Welreil, which includes all the books and writings that once were in the Library of Yemsk. The Library of Adal is directly east of the Silver Keep.

Laws and Legal Rights of Valmyr
Valmyr consists of basic laws of any civilization, banning things like murder, theft, and treason. However, slavery is legal and has many laws to regulate it. No one may be made a slave unless they are a prisoner, captured outside of Valmyr and are not Valmyrian descent, or are born into slavery. Most slaves consist of people descended from people in Tzrel. It is against the law to commit any basic crime against a slave unless one is the master of the slave. Then they may do what they wish to their slave. To buy and sell slaves, one must travel to a major city in any province to the Slavers’ Auctions, held annually during the summer at varying times across Valmyr. The law in Valmyr also states that all those whose actions or words speak out against the royal family of Valmyr may be executed on sight by the Valguard.

The Valguard
The Valguard have the highest authority of any that are not the royal family. They are mostly nobles or well-respected warriors from the Valmyr army that serve the royal family of Valmyr. Any lord who does not listen to a Valguard may be punished severely.

Knightship and Lordship
Knights and Lords are the keepers of the peace across Valmyr, often having small armies of their own to help them do so. No Lord’s army, including the High Lords’ or Tsar’s, can be larger than one fourth of the King’s. All Boyars, Jarls, and Counts were retitled Lords after the Valmyrian first king came to power.

Each Province is ruled by a High Lord, though the High Lord of Tzrel is known as the Tsar. The royal family of Valmyr is related to all three ruling High Lords’ families through marriages. Often royal blood is also mixed with many Lords. Lords are usually exempt from simple crimes as they are the judges of their regions, and so are fit to enforce the law as they choose.

Punishment
Typical punishments for crimes are dependent on the crime severity and someone’s social status. Exile is absent as a form of punishment in Valmyr, meanwhile, the only capital punishments are slavery and execution.

Religion in Valmyr
Religion in Valmyr

Religion in Valmyr consists of the worship of three gods, known as Erulia.

The primary god is the god of the sun, summer, light, and power. The feared god is the god of winter, darkness, night, and corruption. The last god is the neutral god of justice, life, and the afterlife.

Each of these three gods are genderless deities that express no love or hate, but only a motivation to rule over the others. The primary god is known as Myr, the feared god is known as Lithe, and the neutral god is known as Gelisin. They all have a shared part in the creation of the world, and have created lesser gods to serve them.

The people of Valmyr believe that everything that happens is a direct influence by these lesser gods that are constantly doing battle with each other. Some of an ancient form of the religion believe that there is actually a fourth god, which is slumbering. They believe this ancient god is known as Erul and is the god of gods, and the only god with gender (male), and actually created the other three. When he awakens, he will end the war of the other three. This ancient sect of the religion is gaining mass popularity once again. It is only in Havruk that the population not in favor of it. It is the belief that the god Gelisin is caring for Erul. It is also believed that when one dies, they become a lesser god that serves Gelisin as he fights the other two for power and to hopefully awaken Erul.

The holy text of Erulia is known as the Myridian, as it is believed that Myr gave the book to humans in hopes that he would bring them to his side in the war. Humans typically worship Myr for hope of a warm summer and good crop yields, for he protects them from Lithe, who wishes to end humanity. Priests are typically highly respected officials in Valmyr, and are heavily influential in society.

Customs and Traditions of Valmyr
Valmyr has a widespread of customs and traditions, some varying between provinces.

Inheritance
In Welreil and Tzrel, the oldest born son will inherit all properties, wealth, and titles from his father, while in Havruk it is the first born child, be them male or female. This is why Havruk is the only province to have a High Lord be female. The royal family follows the traditions and customs of Welreil as they have since the beginning of the Kingdom.

Havruken Traditions
There is an old custom in Havruk where pillaging villages along the coasts of other nations is a rite of passage to adulthood. While this isn’t always followed, one can also prove themselves an adult by learning a trade or becoming an apprentice; it is still a common tradition. The Havruk also pride themselves in the use of large and heavy weapons, while wearing less armor and more leather for warmth. They’ve been known to drink a large deal of alcohol, and often use it to enter a rage while charging into fights. They are the most feared footsoldiers in Valmyr, seeming to feel no pain until death while yelling angrily.

Tzreli Traditions
In Tzrel, nobles will often try to show their wealth by wearing the finest clothing and jewels, while also building large and extravagant palaces, often containing a great deal of artwork and fine detail. The Tzrel are also customarily taught how to use a bow from a young age, and often pride themselves as the best archers in Valmyr.

Welreil Tradtions
Nobles in Welreil typically live the laziest lifestyles (besides the High Lord’s family in Tzrel) in all of Valmyr. The exception is for sons that are designated to be commanders, knights, and Valguard. These individuals may live by the sword, but still live much better than the average noble in the rest of Valmyr. Welreil is prided on having the best cavalry in Valmyr, as well as the finest built keeps and walls. Their armor and weapons are typically made the best in all of Valmyr, though their armour has less leather; resulting in them choosing to fight during the summer months.

The Kaiser Family
The royal family has not changed in all of Valmyr’s history, even holding onto the same family name of Kaiser. The family is highly respected and feared. It has a firm grasp on the government, often placing it’s lesser family members in strategic places in the kingdom to ensure the protection and welfare of the kingdom, as well as helping keep the Kaiser family in power.

Valions
A golden coin embroidered with the seal of the Kaiser family on one side and the crest of Valmyr on the other side. Copper coins with the same design are considered one-tenth of a Valion. These are made and distributed by the Bank of Izen through normal economical means.

Tattoos in Valmyr
On the continent of Valmyr, tattoos are not the most welcome of features. Though they may be openly presented in Havruk, they are seen as disgusting and unholy to the rest of Valmyr. The only exception to this rule is the Order of the Grey Raven. All others in Valmyr typically keep their tattoos concealed from the public eye. The Church of the Eternal Summer has banned tattoos from its churches, and any who is known to have broken this is not welcome back into the church until the tattoo is removed. Tattoos individually in Valmyr are not very large, the largest shapes often being the size between shoulder blades, and the larger the space the poorer the quality of the tattoo. As due to the taboo on tattoos, large or groups of tattoos are almost unheard of in Valmyr.

Society in Valmyr
Valmyr is divided in several distinct social classes.

At the very top is the King and his royal family. Valmyr has always had a king due to the custom that the first born son is always the one to inherit all properties and titles from his father in Tzrel and Welreil. This is considered the first tier social class. After the royal family comes the ruling High Lord’ and Tsars and their families. This is the second tier for social classes. The third tier includes all other Lords and Knights and their families. The Valguard is also considered a part of the third tier of social class, but if they are not already noble by blood, their family is not considered an addition to this social class. The fourth includes military, merchants, tradesmen, and other high wealth commoners and their families. The last is peasants and farmers. Prisoners and slaves are not considered a social class, but rather have lost their place in society and only live to serve. Many are considered worth less than horses and cattle.

People of Valmyr
The people of Valmyr are all light skinned naturally, typically having lighter colored hair as well. Eye colors typically vary from greens, blues, and hazels. Each region has some variance in appearance.

Those in Tzrel typically have the darkest hair colors and green eyes. They are also the palest of all three regions. They typically stand shorter at about 5’8 being the average height for males. Females typically stand about the same height, but it is more common to see women in Tzrel being taller than 5’8 than it is for males. The accent in Tzrel can be considered the hardest to understand.

Those in Havruk are typically the largest, often both male and females standing around 6’3 on average. Males are more common to be taller than females in Havruk. Eye colors are typically blue, and hair color is typically blonde. They are usually the tannest people as they spend most of their lives outside. The accent in Havruk is rough and sometimes sounds angry to an outsider.

Those in Welreil on average stand about 6’1, and follow the trend in height as the Havruk people do. Eye colors are typically blue or hazel, though green does happen on the rare occasion. Hair colors are typically more light brownish, though blonde is common as well. Those that work outside more often receive a similar tan to the Havruk people, but not as intense. The accent in Welreil sounds like a constant argument in the way they pronounce their words.

Generalised History of Valmyr
The continent of Valmyr has seen many rulers in its time. Most history lessons begin with the first unified Kingdom of Valmyr, named for the continent. This time period was known as the Era of the Sun. This Kingdom fell apart after several centuries into four smaller realms. These were the Holy Kingdom of Welreil, the Tsardom of Tzrel, the Kingdom of Havruk, and the Kingdom of the Iceborn Islands. These four nations had many wars amongst the four of them, none showing any true sign of dominance over the other.

Then the time period known as the Reign of Ice began. The Kingdom of Havruk managed to conquer most of the coast of Welreil, while the Iceborn Islands conquered all of Tzrel’s coast. These two both then entered a war with each other, resulting in a truce for neither side could truly beat the other. This was when Tzrel began a counterattack against the Iceborn Islands, easily taking back their coastal lands. Tzrel began to make political assassination strikes against the Iceborn Islands, weakening them enough to keep them away from their Tsardom. Then Tzrel began to invade Welreil and Havruk, conquering most of the landmasses. Tzrel ruled these regions for many centuries until a great amount of civil war erupted in Welreil, splitting the kingdom into many smaller kingdoms. Tzrel saw this as an opportunity and conquered the rest of Welreil. Havruk pulled all forces from Welreil’s coasts and prepared for a war with Tzrel. The war was evenly matched, but then the longest winter in history began. The winter was so brutal, that the Tzreli militia was severely weakened from not pulling their forces from the border with Havruk. The winter did no kindness for Havruk either. That is when a man known as Izen became a legend when he seemed to end this winter with his faith in Myr, making him a hero. The Tzreli Tsar feared Izen, and pulled all Tzreli warriors back to Tzrel. This was the end of the Reign of Ice.

Thus began the Era of Warmth. Economic growth boomed in Welreil, Havruk, and Tzrel. Welreil became unified under one king at long last, and rebelled against Tzrel’s control. This was easy due to Tzrel’s forces leaving. Izen died shortly after this happened from old age. Not a century later, another great name was born in Welreil, known as Adal. Adal was believed to be the smartest man ever born in the continent of Valmyr. His discoveries and inventions led Welreil to an era of scientific and economic growth that far surpassed Tzrel and Havruk. Adal helped a rebellious lord in a coup against the King of Welreil, and helped him hold the kingdom together until Adal passed away from a deadly disease. The rebellious lord was then defeated by the rightful King of Welreil, resuming power in his family once more. Meanwhile in Tzrel, the Tsar managed to conquer the Iceborn Islands, though with a very weak grasp. The Islanders were very displeased with this, but they lacked a strong economy, resulting in their kingdom crumbling. This is what helped Tzrel once more gain strength as a Tsardom. The three Kingdoms entered an era of peace and economic growth. This lasted for several centuries with minor wars and border disputes. Then ended the Era of Warmth.

And finally, the Reign of Fire began. The Tsar of Tzrel began the invasion of Havruk. It was surprising how strong the Tzreli military seemed to have become. The war was short, and the Havruken Queen was forced to bow to the Tsar of Tzrel. The Queen was then executed, and replaced by her son as the King of Havruk, but still in servitude to the Tsar. Then the Tsardom entered Welreil. The war lasted for many decades, seemingly endless. When all hope seemed lost that the war would never end, the King of Welreil finally called for peace. He knelt to the Tsar of Tzrel, and in return kept his head. This peace lasted for the many years, and the next Tsar of Tzrel found himself in a strong Tsardom of Valmyr, also known as the second Kingdom of Valmyr.

That was, until Klaus Kaiser came into play. The Era of Power began around this time. A young man with a great deal of influence and relation to the King of Welreil, Klaus had more than most people did in terms of history, but he also had great leadership and swordsmanship. He was a force to be reckoned with. The son of a general in Welreil became a hero when he helped win a war against the Havruken Rebellion. He also gained a great deal of respect in Tzrel and Havruk from this. He would then lead his followers and overthrow the King of Welreil, replacing himself as the King. He called upon Havruk to follow his lead. The King of Havruk obliged, leading a great deal of distrust and uncertainty into the greatest fellowship any King in the land had ever had. He then started the war against the Tsardom of Tzrel. And he won. Klaus Kaiser united the Kingdom of Valmyr for the third and final time. His family continues to rule to this day, preserving in the greatest kingdom that the Valmyrians had ever seen.