Calam
The Kingdom of Calam
According to legend, the Kingdom of Calam was founded by humans who fled the Demon Wood. The reason for this has long been forgotten, but the fact remains that only a fool would walk into the Demon Wood.When they came out of the forest they were a united people driving by a same goal: to build a place they could stay without ever having to flee again.
In the beginning life was going well, but soon the Calam were split (this happened some 500 years ago): those who continued their old hatred for the Spirits and those who wanted to go back to the Old Ways. The former became the Calam citizens we now know, while the latter became the Barbarians of the South. Some 100 years ago a new religion was founded in Calam, the Church of Hander came into being and is slowly becoming the main religion (some Calam still worship the Spirits, but don't want to go back to the Barbarian way of life)
The Kingdom of Calam stretches from the eastern ocean all the way to the great forest in the west, and from the northern mountains southwards where it borders on the lands inhabited by barbarians and orcisch tribes. The Calam people like to regard themselves as being "civilised" as opposed to the people around them. They live (for the most part) in houses made of stone, sturdy wood and loam constructions, while a broad network of well maintained road connects the major cities. There are colleges where the nobility & rich people send their kids to get an education and cathedrals where their god Hander is revered. Cities are protected by high walls topped with battlements and watchtowers. A city guard protects the city, while the small villages and the country can count on the King's guard patrols to keep them safe. Calam is an orderly and organised kingdom, having no real external foes they can concentrate on being prosperous and building a better tomorrow... Politicaly, Calam has a feudal system, which means that the nobility governs the land and pays tribute to their liege, who pays tribute to the king. The capital of Yorktown is situated on the banks of a large lake which is fed by a river from the mountains and which in turn continues it's flow towards the eastern ocean. This makes that it is not only the political capital, but the commercial center of the country as well.
Dress code: late middle ages
armor: chain mail for men at arms, full plate armor for nobility and knights and officers in the armed forces.
weapons: sword & shield dominate, while 2-handed weapons are rarely wielded. Bow and crossbow are used as well. The city defence also uses catapults, ballista's and trebuchets
The Kings men
These are the people who stay loyal to the king and will follow his orders without question, believing He is the one to follow.
The Duke of Gaerwoods men
They believe that their Duke made the right decision to declare himself independent. The Duke exposed the King as becoming mad and claims the King has some secret plans that will bring chaos to the Kingdom. The Duke wants to stop and save the King, or so he says.
The Church of Hander
With people loosing faith in the old belief of the spirits the Church is gaining interest. It was founded some 100 years ago and thanks to the struggle between the King and Gaerwood they are gaining strength. They told the King that they'd keep the working class calm if they could have their own forces (inquisition like) to quell any uprising of the people. The King agreed to this cause so he can use his own troops to reclaim Gaerwood.
