The Great Valley (Campaign Seed)
The Great Valley[edit]
The known world is a vast land-locked valley, around a small inland sea or large lake, encircled by mountain ranges on four sides. Within the valley are three kingdoms.
The Kingdom of Brafferton The kingdom to the west is called Brafferton. It is a land of canals, democracy, and public waterworks. Brafferton's government is a direct democracy where all interested in governance meet in the capital once a season and vote. The king and queen propose laws and ordinances that they think will appease the masses and further the kingdom. The public knows that education is necessary for their kingdom to function and thus require of all children seven years of schooling from age ten to seventeen. Enforcers are elected by district and paid by district taxes. Public works and maintenance are also managed by district. There is thus, some difference in quality between the poorer districts and the wealthier districts with limited redistribution of wealth, though the districts were designed to include both rural and urban populations, and are occasionally redrawn by the king and queen.
The Kingdom of Kafein The kingdom to the east is called Kafein. In many ways Kafein is the exact opposite of Brafferton. It is a dry, semi-arid plain and desert. It is however wide and fertile enough in most places for the many herds of grazing animals that are raised there. In particular Kafein is known for its riding horses which are fast, strong, and intelligent. They also boast great herds of cattle and in the desert regions camel. Kafein is ruled by a strong warrior king descended from a ruler in antiquity that united the nomadic clans of the region and established the eastern metropolis that is the kingdom's namesake. Irrigation from the distant mountains and access to several valuable mineral caches further empowered the city. Outside the metropolis the population is mostly still nomadic herders who pay allegiance to the king.
The Kingdom of Corleyon The kingdom to the south is known to most as Corleyon. Its old name and the name still used by the elves that founded it is Vyr Efitos. Both are names for the species of tree that grow in the core of the forest. The trees reach 6 meters in diameter and often 100 meters in height. Once a land dominated by elves, history has seen the integration of other races and it is now the most diverse and tolerant land in the great valley. It is governed by a council of representatives from each race, each claims the title king or queen. Each race chooses these representatives differently but most are unanimously considered the wisest and most learned folk around. These representatives serve as long as they are able. There are no laws in Corleyon, instead it is a system of give and take, mutual agreements, allowances, and economic freedom.
History of the Three Kingdoms As far as common knowledge goes, though now at peace each of these regions has been historically hostile to each other. In particular the kingdom of Kafein attempted many times to invade and take over the areas that are now Brafferton and Corleyon but for one reason or another either failed, or were later defeated and pushed back to the arid east. Corleyon too was once strictly elven but after losing a series of wars humans and halflings moved in to inhabit conquered territory and then eventually they united against a new expansionist empire that sprouted up briefly from historical Brafferton area. The most recent peace resulted from a requisite three-kingdom unity brought together to repel a massive orcish invasion from the northern mountains.
Wensburg There is single main highway that extends out from each kingdom and meets at a midpoint between all three. At this point a town sprouted up many centuries ago and is now the town known as Wensburg. It exists separately from any of the three kingdoms and manages its own affairs.
Races, Magic, and Religion The dwarves are most heavily concentrated in the mountains to the southeast, and the gnomes in the mountains from the east. Halflings live in small communities within each kingdom. Elves historically lived only in the south but some have moved to other areas. Humans are the primary movers in each kingdom. The orcs that invaded previously came from the northern mountains. Lizardfolk live in some marshes to the northwest throughout Brafferton. Centaurs roam throughout the forests of Corleyon alongside the fey. Goblins move about the entire valley, mostly sticking to the mountains but occasionally venturing into the foothills. A giant or two is sometimes seen coming down from the mountains. Dragons, griffons, elementals, minotaurs, and other exotic magical beasts are the stuff of legends.
Magic exists but is rare in its most potent forms. There are dozens of deities worshiped throughout the valley, reflecting the diverse cultures from which they arose. There is only one monastery and it rests in the mountains north of Wensburg. Much like Wensburg it is essentially neutral between the kingdoms and attracts monks from all parts of the valley.
Outside the Valley There are legends of a vast sea hundreds of kilometers past the eastern mountains, but they are untested. Most who depart deep into the mountains are never seen again, those that return bring back stories of endless peaks and harrowing journeys.
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