dar Origo Liber

dar met'Chon

Being a Dissertation on the Five Kingdoms, the Peoples of Vermé

The description of each locale is preceded by a data set which will include the following information; Population, Ethnic basis, Economic basis, Alignment basis, Government basis.

All cartography by Kramer. Copyright James D. Kramer design services.

• Population; will be indicated by two descriptors; type of city categorized as;
• Hamlet; populations of 100 or greater, but less than 500
• Village; populations of 500 or greater, but less than 1,000
• Small town; populations of 1,000 or greater, but less than 2,000
• Large town; populations of 2,000 or greater, but less than 5,000
• Small city; populations of 5,000 or greater, but less than 12,000
• Large city; populations of 12,000 or greater, but less than 25,000
• Metropolis; populations greater than 25,000
• Ethnic basis; unless it otherwise noted in the locale's description, it will be assumed that each locale will contain a sampling of all races that are available as standard player characters in concentrations of at least 2% of the total population. An indicated Ethic basis simply indicates those races which predominate.
• Economic basis; while it should be assumed that in order to maintain a healthy and vibrant economy, a rich sampling of economy variations will be present. The Economic basis only indicates that sector which is the locale's primary source of revenue creation. The economy variations are known as follows;
• Hunter/Gatherer; a rudimentary form of economy based on the basic needs of survival required by small populations. Generally the groups who practice this form of economy will be small nomadic bands. This form of economy does not sustain a population long in any singular area in order to establish a larger economic basis.
• Horticulture; a form of farming which has a low-impact upon the surrounding region in terms of size and scope. This is a small step up from the Hunter/Gatherer economy, which will allow a population to occupy a given locale for more extensive periods of time. The populace remains in generally poorly educated, or even illiterate nature.
• Agriculture; a more sophisticated form of the Horticultural economy. This provides the domestication of animals for food and labor. Further, the populace in this economic basis will generally be more learned and literate as their activities provide opportunity for trade with other communities. Yet, only the wealthy among them will have an appreciable education which spans the limited knowledge of the community at large.
• Pastoralism; similar to the Agriculture economic basis, this provides for the trade and commerce of such goods as are created in the Agricultural process, and may be seen as separate efforts. For instance, two economies may be established in a symbiotic relationship; one economy producing the goods, and the second managing the trade thereof.
• Manorialism; this is a complex system in which Agriculture and Pastoralism both exist, and are managed by a hereditary relationship of the peasantry and the nobility. This economic basis frequently gives rise to a thriving slave trade, as rival nobles strive to compete with their peers.
• Mercantilism; the largest cities and metropoli will be based upon a strong and vibrant Mercantile-based economy. In order to sustain the population of the larger communities on the continent, it is necessary to propagate a healthy economy through Mercantilism, in which the export and import of manufactured goods are maximized.
• Alignment basis; unless it otherwise noted in the locale's description, it will be assumed that each locale will contain a sampling of all alignments that are available for standard player characters in concentrations of at least 2% of the total population. An indicated Alignment Basis simply indicates those alignments which predominate among the general populace.
• Government basis; this indicates the locale's governmental body. Specific practices will be discussed within the description of the locale (where present), as each will practice a variation of the generalized basis.

The Five Kingdoms

The Ruling Families

There are five principal kingdoms which dominate the political and economic landscape upon the continent;

• Conetoci Catvrvgi; the Catvrvgi house controls the lands of the eastern Southern Continent ruthlessly. It manages to keep control of its vast wealth through the destruction of any serious threats before the threat can even become known. The Catvrvgi's use their vast control of water rights throughout the southeastern continent to keep its populace in-line.
• dar Conuonuc rok'Gurcenou; not in and of itself a force of evil, the Conuonuc rok'Gurcenou is nonetheless a puppet-government and tool of the Mage Council, which rules the lands which fall under its banner with unforgiving control.
The Conuonuc rok'Gurcenou itself is an ordered House of Representatives, populated by one elected member from each community with greater than 1,000 persons. Though many of the elected officials attain their positions through less than honest means.

Kingdom of Maphan; the House of Jotunheim remains one of the most peacefully ruled noble houses upon the continent. Mostly because it worries very little about violent and non-violent incursions from the other four kingdoms into its lands.

The Proteskian house of the Wind Lords have dominated the ruling family here for hundreds of generations. The Wind Lords themselves are not so much a family as they are an affiliation, or brotherhood, of like-minded individuals who pay homage to the cold east winds which blow unceasingly across the frozen landscape which surrounds the city of Protesk.

Mundilfari Kingdom; the Mundilfari of the western Southern Continent are reported to be in league with the Omanthrid Guilds in order to secure its long-term safety.

The Mundilfaris pay heavy tithes to the Omanthridian lords, which is in-turn passed on to the the citizens of the western Southern Continent. These fees take the forms of taxes on nearly every transaction, whether cash or bartered.

Rastschian Kingdom; this kingdom is ruled from its seat of power within Bodibeve. Outwardly, the ruling house of Rastsch is fiercely devoted to Avitori. So fiercely that it openly works to convert other communities to the Avitorian following. Those who do not convert, are sometimes persecuted violently.

The Rastsch family has ruled Bodibeve and the surrounding lands for many generations. It is in fact their House which established the contemporary forces of arms from which paladins are selected, and is their morality which has become the hallmark of the holy warrior.

Unincorporated Lands; Those regions which do not fall under the governance of one of the Five Kingdoms remain in the Unincorporated Lands.

These lands include several regions between the Five Kingdoms which remain in dispute between families, and a as result, remain under a constant threat of war.

Conetoci Catvrvgi

Best compared with Middle Eastern civilizations, the sultans of the Conetoci Catvrvgi kingdom lay claim to all lands southeast of the South Barrier River and the River Echtel. This includes the lands of Death Vale and the North Ta'a Desert, and the lands to the south which are declared free, and are under the protection of the Justicers of Henry-by-the-Sea. Skirmishes all along the mountain ridges above Death Vale and the North Ta'a Desert occur regularly as the Catvrvgi calvary attempt to rest control of the regions from the desert paladins.

To the kingdom's west lies Morleo Valley, and the city of Messcagni. Both the Conetoci Catvrvgi and the Muldifari Kingdom lay claim to this region. However, the citizens of Messcagni, who historically immigrated to this remote region from Henry-by-the-Sea, hold both kingdoms at by while they maintain the rugged mountain pass. This allows a passage between Bodibeve and Henry-by-the-Sea without necessitating a route through Maglocvani, which can be expensive, if not outright dangerous.

The kingdom is ruled from Maglocvani, which is one of the wealthiest cities in the whole of the continent of Vermé. The streets there, so it said, are paved in gold. The calif of Maglocvani holds sway over the sheiks of the other cities within this kingdom through threat, and the controlling of water rights. Water in this region is nearly as valuable as gold. The two large lakes here — Lake Henry and Lake Buab — are both high in salinity, and so the people must rely on large aquifers that exist many hundreds of feet below the ground. These underground reservoirs are controlled by the Maglocvani army, and rations are dolled out very strictly.

The sheiks in the other settlements here are related — either closely or distantly — to the calif of Maglocvani, and petitioners to sheikdom must be able to provide proof of their familial relationship to the calif. Most sheiks, in a desire to maintain their power, make sure they stay within the good graces of the calif. However, the sheiks of Vitali have historically been a thorn in the side of calif as they seek to remove themselves from the calif's boot heel.

Use of Noblehouse Brooches

"Beyond this 'bauble's' monetary worth, it marks the bearer as holding the favor of my household. If you ever you find yourself in the vicinity of Vitali, this will identify you to others on my behalf. And *that* my friend, is not a gift to be tossed aside lightly."

The Seat of Power

To come...

dar Conuonuc rok'Gurcenou

Text to come...

Contestation of power

Text to come...

The seat of power/capitol city

Text to come...

Noted communities [1]

*Seat of power/capitol city

[1] This table lists only those communities that appear on the official Usherwood Adventures maps. Official modules, and your specific game may include additional community listings.

[2] D=dwarf, DH=dragon hordling, E=elf, G=gnome, Ha=halfling, HE=half-elf, HO=half-orc, Hu=human, S=sarngoch, %=amount of population.

[3] Alignments in all communities will vary, dependant upon circumstance; the alignment listed is the most typical of the average citizen.

[4] Keeps will not have a form of self-sustaining economy as they are primarily a castle that houses men-at-arms (generally lead by a captain/marshall/steward or similar military commander). The economy required to maintain such communities will be by the taxation of the citizens and travellers. Keeps will always have a central castle with defensive fortifications, with the bulk of the populace in low to middle class dwellings outside the walls.

Kingdom of Maphan

The Kingdom of Maphan is a sparsely-populated region, with only the large city-state of Protesk, and the smaller but still powerful port city of Ponni enjoying any long term success.

To come...

The Seat of Power

To come...

Mundilfari Kingdom

Text to come...

Rastschian Kingdom

One of the oldest lived kingdoms on the Verméan continent, is the Rastschian Kingdom, which traces its familial roots very nearly to the time of the First Dragon War. And though not large in terms of population, the kingdom is steeped in traditions handed down from generation to generation.

Bodibeve

POPULATION: Metropolis

ETHNIC BASIS: Human

ECONOMIC BASIS: Mercantilism

ALIGNMENT BASIS: Lawful Good

GOVERNMENT BASIS:

The Seat of Power

Bodibeve is the unquestioned seat of power for the Rastschian Kingdom. It origins can be traced back to the time of the First Dragon War, when the city was built by followers of Avitori, and would later serve as the birthplace of the Order of Paladins.

Presided over by the Rastsch family for the past several generations, the community is, for all its piety, ruthlessly intolerant of any outside influences that would contradict the teaching of Avitori, or of any of the deity of the School of Lawful Good.

Letard Village

POPULATION:

ETHNIC BASIS:

ECONOMIC BASIS:

ALIGNMENT BASIS:

GOVERNMENT BASIS:

Though its lands fall under the glove of the Rastschians, Letard Village governs the Letard Archipelago nearly autonomously. The village is a large community for its economic basis, and the people there pride themselves on "thumbing their noses" at the pious kings, priests, and paladins of Bodibeve. However, the Letardians also know a good thing when they see it. The Archipelago is a strategic location from which Bodibeve protects itself from potential water-borne attacks. In exchange for the use of the Archipelago to provide safe harbor, the Bodibevian navy provides an excellent customer-base for its fishermen and farmers.

Olphinecta

POPULATION:

ETHNIC BASIS:

ECONOMIC BASIS:

ALIGNMENT BASIS:

GOVERNMENT BASIS:

To come...

Urpant

POPULATION:

ETHNIC BASIS:

ECONOMIC BASIS:

ALIGNMENT BASIS:

GOVERNMENT BASIS:

To come...

Wredech

POPULATION:

ETHNIC BASIS:

ECONOMIC BASIS:

ALIGNMENT BASIS:

GOVERNMENT BASIS:

To come...

Wrguist

POPULATION:

ETHNIC BASIS:

ECONOMIC BASIS:

ALIGNMENT BASIS:

GOVERNMENT BASIS:

To come...

Disputed Territories

To come...

The Unincorporated Lands

The vast majority of the territories upon the Verméan continent fall within those lands which are not governed by any of the five kingdoms. However, in several areas are lands of disputed claim and the kingdoms, working ever to expand their reach and thereby their power, and encroach on the lands of the ungoverned peoples.

To come...

Omanthrid Guilds

As is mentioned elsewhere, the Omanthrid Guilds is ruled and run by a collection of thieves' and assassins' guilds; bound together through the promice of profit and power. In all, throughout the Omanthrid Archipelago, there are thousands of guilds. Most of these number a score or two members, with some having as many as 100 members. But within the city of Omanthrid itself, only the strongest are able to attain power — and hold on to it — for any appreciable length of time. The controlling guilds located in the city are;

Power generally osscillates between these guilds in paticular, depending on the strength and influence of current leadership.

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