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Geography

The Kingdom of Calam is ruled by King Gregory the 3d. He’s no spectacular king. He maintains order well enough when all is quiet, but doesn’t seem up to the recent upheaval that is disturbing the kingdom. A devout Handerist, he sees the church as a solution to his problems. The king has 2 daughters, but no male heirs.

The 5 main regions of the kingdom are:

• The Royal district of Yorktown (central)
• Duchy of Oaksdale (north west)
• Duchy of Gaerwood (north east)
• Duchy of Leikland (south west)
• Duchy of Rocksend (south east)

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The Royal district of Yorktown (central)

Capital: Yorktown, situated on the banks of lake Derba.

Ruler: Archduke Marek Larsson. He is 65 years old and a cousin of the Duchess Eleanor of Rocksend. He's been Archduke for 20 years now.

Background: A relatively small piece of the Kingdom, bordered in the south by lake Derba and in the west by the Derba river. In the past it used to be ruled by the King directly, but since 3 generations it is ruled by the Archduke. It is the commercial & political centre of the country. Most of the region is heavily cultivated: fields, orchards, well maintained pastures full of cattle… Roads are plentiful and well maintained and the kings guard patrol regularly. It’s by far the most civilised part of the kingdom.

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Duchy of Oaksdale (north west)

Capital: Oaksdale town, situated in the north west corner of the duchy, near to demon wood and the mountains.

Ruler: Richard of Oaksdale was 46 when he was murdered at his birthday festival; he became Duke some 20 years ago, after his father died during a hunting accident. He was a cousin to the king and was fiercely loyal to the crown, he was also the first in the line of succession until the king produces a male heir. While he never married he does have a bastard-son whom he has acknowledged, but he had not yet named his successor. The duchy of Oaskdale is prosperous, mostly due to its fertile soil and trade with the mountain folk. The Duke was a strong man. Calm, self confident, capable.... He didn't mind the occasional feast or spectacle but rarely overindulges. As he was loyal to the crown, he was loyal to his subjects as well. He saw his position as Duke as a position in which to serve for the greater good of the Kingdom and his vassals. When the need arises, he was not afraid, nor incapable, to pick up arms and use them. An expert swordsman and he prided himself on his skill with the blade. As a Kings man he was not averse to the Church of Hander, however, many of his subjects still cling to the old beliefs and he did not want to alienate them. To keep everyone happy, he had to walk a very fine line...
With his death all this might change. Why did a man, so loved by his subjets and those close to him have to be murdered? Was it a sign to show that the Barbarians are an untrustworthy people? Only time will tell.

Background: Fertile lands and trade with the mountain folk make this Duchy the breadbasket of the kingdom. Corn, wheat and other grains dominate the fields and to the west there are several baronies devoted to lumbering and the related crafts. Well maintained roads criss-cross the Duchy, connecting the different baronies. The people here are sensible folk; hard working and duty full, though maybe a tiny bit unimaginative....
English is the main dialect here.

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Duchy of Gaerwood (north east)

Capital: Gaerwood Town, located up near the mountains in the north of the duchy; near the precious gold mines.

Ruler: Duke Patrick of Gaerwood is a young duke, not yet 30 years of age. His father still lives, but has traded the Ducal throne for an advisory position and the freedom to spend some time with his real passion: fishing. While the father is not always as astute in his duties as he should be, Patrick is all the more so. He's stubborn, loyal to his subject and to tradition. If tradition and the Crown are no longer in agreement, he follows tradition. This is what fostered his declaration of independence: he sees the church of Hander becoming more and more powerful and wishes no part of it, since he himself is a devout spirit-believer. It's even rumored he has a shaman of the barbarian tribes at his court! Because Gaerwood has the only goldmine in the country, Patrick has plenty of resources to defend his Duchy, however he may lack the manpower. Nevertheless, he's set on his course for independence now and will not waver from it. Others are free to join, but even if the king were to forbid and destroy the Handerian church, Patrick would not return to the kingdom. Because of his adherence to the "old ways", Patrick has always had good relations with the mountain folk who live at his northern border. He knows more about them and their society then most Calam people and has many contacts among them.

Background: More heavily forested and not quite as “tamed” as Oaksdale or the Royal District. Main source of income: goldmines, fish from the many lakes and sea, stone from quagmires, meat from sheep. The vales and forests of Gaerwood are dotted with small villages and forts, connected by roads that crisscross the woods. People are rather solitary, confining themselves foremost to the business of their own village. Travelers are not met with hostility, but once they have eaten, slept and perhaps traded a bit, they are not encouraged to linger either. However, once you get to know these people, and are considered their friend, you can count on a steadfast loyalty and warm welcome anytime you're near...
French is the typical dialect of Gaerwood.

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Duchy of Leikland (south west)

Capital: Leikland city

Ruler: Duke Hans Bratman. After the previous duke (Harold Leikland) died of old age without leaving an obvious heir everyone feared a prolonged struggle for power in the duchy. This was however cut short by the Cattle lords who did the most unprecedented thing: they held a grand gathering of all cattle lords and nobility where they pushed for a vote on who would succeed Harold. Hans Bratman, a minor noble but one of the more powerful Cattle lords, was chosen with an astounding support from his colleagues, and the gathered nobility could do little else then accept this most unconventional outcome. Hans has proven himself to be a capable Duke, managing his duchy like he does his business: clean, efficient, thorough with attention to details and the rewarding of actual skill, not of blood. The Leikland nobility looks upon this with grave concern as they see their position of power threatened, but as Hans is a noble himself, there's not much they can do about this...

Background: Cattle is the business of this Duchy. Large herds graze in the pastures during the day, guarded by mounted & armed herdsmen. At night the cattle & humans sleep well protected within fortified farmsteads or villages. There are a handful of “cattle lords”, not all men of nobility but all of them owners of such large herds of cattle that they are economical forces to be reckoned with, which in turn gives them political power as well. These “cattle lords” sometimes have as much or more to say then local nobility... A duchy of endless grasslands and few roads, it's easy to get lost here. Cities and villages are few and far between, usually heavily fortified and lockup up tight at night. The barbarians and orcs of the south are never far away... Cattle is serious business, and the Leiklanders are serious people. The continuous threat from the south has something to do with this as well... When they are in the field with their herds, or are on guard in one of the fortifications, there is nothing that can drag them away from their duty. However, once they start to “relax” they go into extremes as well. A feast is never “just a feast” in Leikland. Excessive amounts of food and alcohol MUST be consumed, and they often end in violence when pent up tension releases itself.
Germanic and Scandinavian dialects are common here.

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Duchy of Rocksend (south east)

Capital: Mardigal, situated at the mouth of the river Derba. A city where they have few streets, but many canals, as it is built largely on a swamp. This is not strange, since most of this duchy consists of swamp or marshlands.

Ruler: The Duchess Eleanor of Rocksend. While female rulers are not unheard of in Calam, they are unusual. The Duchess chose not to step aside when her husband died, claiming that her son was not yet ready for the seat of power. (which is possible, her son is only 8)

Background: Perhaps the most peculiar duchy of them all. While travel in the south is always perilous due to the proximity to barbarian and orcish lands, the geography of Rocksend makes it extra difficult. Bordered in the north by the Derba river, and consisting of low lands, this Duchy consists almost entirely of marches and swamps. Roads are sometimes built, but deteriorate almost as fast as they are created, so most transport happens by boat or on foot, cross country. The population of Rocksend is small, and almost completely concentrated in the capital of Mardigal. A few small villages exist here and there, and some other groups of people live a nomadic existence in the swamps. Rocksend is not poor however! The swamps provide many strange and wonderful flowers, herbs and spices, and in some places strange chemicals boil to the surface. These natural recourses are gathered troughout the duchy, brought to the markets of Mardigal and transported by boat to the capital where they are sold dearly... Life in Mardigal is cheery, with many feasts, carnivals, fairs and celebrations. The barbarians and orcs are a faraway threath, since they rather raid the easy grasslands of Leikland then the dificult swamp-terain of Rocksend. The Rocksenders, as they call themselves dress in bright colors. Linen, silk and satin dominate, elaborate hats with grand feathers are worn by anyone who is remotely important, wide sleeved shirts, rushes, lace,... fashion is important to the city-dwelling Rocksenders. The cumbersome combination of heavy armour and weapons with a swampy underground, combined with their keen sense of the fashionable, has made it so that in Rocksend, fighters prefer the rapier and other light weapons over the broadswords that are common in the rest of the kingdom. People from other parts of the kingdom look upon them as light-hearted, bright-plumed parrots. It would be unwise to underestimate them however. The Rocksenders fight as flamboyantly as they live, with a style & skill that may surprise you...
Italian and French are main dialects here.