Brinn
Brinn is a nation of men, located in the lands of Galland and the Burinland, the latter of which lent the realm its name. Its capital of Cardien was once an elven fortress; in fact, its name derives from the Middle Gallic Caer di Elan, or "fortress of the elves". Notably, Cardien is the largest city of the continental Former Kingdom of the Sword, and remains an important cultural and economic center among those lands. Brinn is the largest realm of the Crownlands, and has enjoyed relative peace since the end of the Kurnish Invasion, due in no small part to its abundance of sturdy redoubts, which give the realm its name (Middle Uldennic Burinland, from Old Dennic Burrin (fortresses)).
Brinn is ruled by a King, who sits atop a feudal structure strongly informed by the Hierarchy of Rounds; that is, conforming to the structure of the Crownlands as decreed by King John in the days of Oathkeep. The current king is Lothan du Varlyr, bastard son of Taranis du Varlyr and third king of the Varlyr dynasty. Lothan slew half-brother, Riven the Crown Prince, and succeeded his father shortly thereafter, in what is largely regarded as a coup d'etat. Those who reject Lothan's legitimacy (as decreed by himself) prefer Tristan du Varlyr, son of Riven, as superior claimant. In any case, Tristan is the heir apparent, as Lothan has no issue.
Brinn is a predominantly human realm, although the older corners of the realm (most specifically Galland) have a history of special relations with the elves. Originally, the Gallic people were defined by this relationship, surviving and even thriving in lands other men could not enter on pain of death, thanks to their cooperation with elven law and custom. The larger portion of Brinn's current borders are the Burinlands, the product of conquest from the First Great War; the people of these realms are largely transplants from further east, although their modern descendents have as much as twelve centuries of history in their "new" lands.
Brinn is not well-liked by most of its neighbors, thanks in no small part to its current king's status as a usurper, but their economic value tends to overpower such concerns in practical, day-to-day life.
- below this point -- unofficial=
Geography
The largest part of Obrith lies in the Morrowood, or it might be called the former Morrowood, as it has been highly deforested to make room for farmlands. Said region is typically defined as the lands between the Amandine and the Sorodine south of the Thundercaps and not extending into the Misted Vale. Indeed, in the north, those great rivers form the realm's east and west borders.
The southern half of the realm is defined by the region of The Gates, a land conquered by Mennu in the eighteenth century BGC. So named for the massive bridges spanning the Sorodine and the Amandine, linking both to the Arnroc, this region comprises a broad sweep of land east and west of both rivers, some of which corresponds to Mennu's gains in his ancient kingdom, others of which are gains by the lords of Vostum and Menendras.
The nation is effectively terminated at the south by the cliffs of the Blue Water,a and on the north by the Ghostwall.
Duchies and Regions
The Holy See organizes the realm into six Duchies, each headed by a Duke or Duchess (or in the local tongue, Vojvode/Vojvoda). The duchies closely match the traditional lands granted to the High Lords of old. In practice, the names of duchies and lordly fiefs are often used interchangeably, as are the titles Duke and High Lord, but there are subtle differences and contexts any Obrin native can pick up.
Duchy | Lands | Seat | Family | Lord | Heir | Colors | Symbol | Motto | Population |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Orendras |
The Morrowood | Orendon (once Oathkeep) | Argard |
HrG Rulenka Argard |
Gold on Crimson |
Sunrise |
"Dawn has come" |
318,000 | |
Menendras |
The Gates | Menendara/the Arnroc | Mennos |
HG Gjor Mennos |
None |
Blue on White |
The Gates |
"Foundation of stone" |
344,000 |
Ostruck |
The Amman Vale | Flurburg, the City of Flowers | Flurmar/Helndun |
Gold on Blue |
|
"" |
186,000 | ||
Vallgard |
The Ghostlands | Alvanhalt (Elvenhold) | Wagnar |
HG Soren Wagnar |
HrL Sera Nell Wagnar OSS |
Black on Green |
Bear |
"Wake not the sleeper" |
98,000 |
Uthbren |
The Thunder Ridge | Uthbrenhol | Gennost |
HL Ser Lucian Gennost OR |
Silver on Black |
Griffon |
"No oath forsaken" |
64,000 | |
Vostum |
The Vast | Kurngard | Ozress |
HrG Malre Ozress |
HrL Sera Yseni Ozress OSA |
Gold on Brown |
Steed |
"We stand guard" |
121,000 |
Government
Official Government
The official government of the realm of Obrith is that of the Kingdom of the Sword--the realm considers itself the remainder of that empire, and should a new King of the Sword arise, it would seamlessly connect the Auld Empire with the new.
Of course, in the eight centuries since the death of the last king Orendil, this power structure has entirely collapsed--what vestiges of the govenrment of the Kingdom of the Sword that remain have been appropriated by the Church of the One.
De Facto Government
Each lord of Obrith's six realms owes his fealty to the King of the Sword, whoever that may be, and owes it to said liege to maintain the peace with his brother and sister lords. In practice, the lords do as they will, uniting only when called upon by the Church, or when convinced to by some great external need. They wield supreme executive power in their own lands, and all head a more or less secular government, handling most aspects of common governance, except as noted below.
The Church of the One, represented by the Supreme Potentate of the Ordo Valentia, holds in trust the power of the King of the Sword. For ceremonial purposes, such as the anointing of knights and new lords, and the weddings, funerals, and judgments of the high lords, the Supreme Potentate conducts the duties the King would otherwise.
The Church also administrates the civic functions of the absent official government, including the maintainence of major roads and walls, the management of trade between duchies and with foreign partners, and the education of common folk in the holy ways. To this end, the Ordo Valentia lends its considerable bureaucratic expertise, using the power of coin to implement their solutions.
Dev Notes
- The Crown of Roses
- Elven death cults hiding in the dark forest
- First human settlers arrived during the Interregnum; slowly carved their way into the realm despite "haunted" forests and elven bogeymen
- Cardien was the central hold of the elven clan that owned the land; they lost the Queen's grace when they did open battle with the humans
- King John's army took Cardien and other elven fortresses, but the Road to the Dawn was kept safe only by guerilla action from the natives
- When the Kurn came, they took the castles; the natives harried the Kurn for generations, ultimately reclaiming the realm, establishing a long dynasty
- Recently, a succession struggle went horribly wrong
Noble Houses
- Laurent
- Lythe
- Varlyr
- A warrior clan, ennobled by John Calabeth. Sigil of a dragon.
Varlyr
From the Auld Ascadian "va ir lyra", meaning "plays the lute", an appelation of endearment from John Calabeth to Marden of Tront, soon to be High Lord Marden Varlyr. Marden was the first High Lord of the Burinlands, or the Hundred-Keeps as they are known in the common tongue. By the end of the first century GC, the Varlyrs were a well-respected noble house.
Only in modern times have they become synonymous with Brinn. The Burinlands were far smaller than the modern realm, and separated from Galland, the ancient heartlands of modern Brinn, by the Huntsman's Wood, a massive and wild forest. But in the 9th century GC, the conquerer-king Andal Varlyr extend his claims, ultimately taking Cardien and all of Galland for himself.
The Varlyrs have ruled since, until Geldre du Lythe made his power play, siezing the throne of his sister Ellienne's husband when he passed away.
The Varlyrs are survived by