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Vanhark

Page history last edited by Gillian 11 years, 5 months ago

Vanhark:

Back to Mistland

32,000,000 population: the southernmost kingdom of Mistland, and one of the largest. To the east is deep ocean, to the west, deep rainforest. To the north, the kingdom of Telomar, and south are both more jungle and hobgoblin lands. Vanhark must be forever on its guard from the dangers of invasion, pirate raids, storms and mysterious dangers from the dark jungles. The capitol city, Munstenberg is located in the north-west of the country, at the mouth of the Varnok river. The Varnock is part of the vast Mist River system, which gives Mistland its name.

 

The people of Vanhark are a tall, strong race, mostly fair-skinned and light haired, with blue, grey and green eyes. The population is about 85% human, 5% elvish, 5% half-elf, and 5% mixed other, including most commonly hobbyt and szathair. Dwarves and half-orcs are very uncommon in this kingdom. The people of Vanhark pride themselves on being strong and physical, with military strength a priority. However, they are not known to be a particularly hot-headed or aggressive people. They favor the gods Kehret and Nelora, Safreth and Beara, Annik and Owynder.

 

Vanhark is ruled by King Rothgar and Queen Bereth Franke. They have ruled for over a decade, since Queen Bereth's mother died of old age. They're middle-aged themselves, and have three grown children, Princess Leona, Prince Ritter and Princess Elke. Leona is the recognized heir to the throne; she is married to Prince Bertram, but they have no children yet. The others are not yet married. A dozen or more first and second cousins hold positions of rank and title in the kingdom, as well.

 

Vanhark is a moderately egalitarian society. The army and the church are the fastest way for the lower class to gain wealth and prestige, but social rank is not rigidly fixed, and it is possible to climb (or fall) on one's own merits. The military lifestyle is widely respected, and any person who becomes a soldier, most especially an officer, is going to find him or herself given the added weight of authority in all they do. Because the warrior life is idealized by Vanharkan culture, there is a heavy weight placed on being physically healthy, fit, and not impaired. Those who are less than physically perfect find it hard to win admiration and respect in a culture that so praises physical perfection. In fact, the crippled, handicapped, maimed and aged members of society are often marginalized, ignored, neglected or even abandoned. In some areas, especially in poorer families, infanticide or the abandonment of imperfect children, and the euthanization of elderly, no longer productive members of society is accepted.

 

Weather and climate: All of Vanhark is equatorial tropics, but it is not all identical. Rainfall everywhere is above 60" per year, and there is no dry season, but there are distinctly wetter and dryer regions. Daytime temperatures reach 80-90 degrees F in all seasons. Munstenberg is located in one of the wettest, most humid regions.

 

Because of the heat, humidity and rainfall, people dress lightly, in short-sleeved, loose tunics over short skirts or loose trousers. Men and women dress interchangeably. Bright colors and white are preferred; dark and dull colors are deprecated. Hats, usually woven of palm or straw, are common, usually large-brimmed to create shade and deflect rain. Typically sandals are preferred, sometimes clogs, but anyone who does heavy labor or much travel may wear boots. Warriors typically avoid heavy armor. Medium armor is worn only by those actually expecting an imminent need for it; wearing such around as a habit will become wearying quite quickly. Light armor is less burdensome, but still rarely seen being worn by anyone not on active military duty. Weapons are typically limited to short blades and tools of the trade. Town guards may carry crossbows but anyone seen with a panoply of weapons will rapidly find themselves undergoing frequent bouts of inspection and questioning by local guards.

 

Buildings are generally constructed of local wood, either logs or heavy planks; stone is used for more expensive construction; bridges, major roads, temples and public buildings. Tile is the preferred roofing material. Disease is an ongoing issue in the hot and sometimes fetid climate of Vanhark. Because of this, the culture has developed a strong sense of the importance of sanitation and personal cleanliness. Daily bathing is expected; bath houses are to be found in nearly every city neighborhood, and the wealth of a community is clearly marked by the quality of the sewage system. Most of Munstenberg is furnished with high-quality aquaducts bringing in fresh water, and sewers to carry away waste. Only the poorest neighborhoods lack such features, and even there, only the most slothful and ignorant fail to work to keep their streets clean and fresh. Of course, near-daily rain helps this immensely. Many coastal communities, or those that live where flooding is common build on stilts or raised platforms. In regions on the east coast where large storms from the sea often wreak havoc, buildings may be built  of lightweight materials, considered only temporary, and rebuilt often after the flooding, storms, mudslides and other acts of Owynder.

 

The political structure of Vanhark: the kingdom is ruled by a hereditary king or queen, usually accompanied by their spouse. The eldest child inherits, unless he or she is found to be unfit; disinheritance is unusual but not unheard of - in fact, Queen Bereth is the second child of her parents; an elder sister was found to be unfit to be queen before her and entered the Temple of Nelora as an anchoress. The kingdom is then divided into a number of lesser regions; they are called baronies. Each barony consists of a village or several villages, a small town, or even a city, and the land around the community required to support it. A Baron or Baroness may have only one small village in his or her authority, or, due to inheritance and such, might control numerous baronies altogether. These properties might be contiguous, or more likely, are scattered and intermingled with other Baronial properties. Thus it is impossible to draw smooth boundaries marking out clear areas of baronial control. This leads to a very complex political structure in which the interlinking power of various families is of critical importance, and often of byzantine appearance. This structure leads to one interesting fact; if a person gains the Ruler's permission (typically a royal charter), it is possible to found a new barony on the edge of the kingdom by simply establishing and maintaining a village community for a set period of time (typically three years). Once this is done, the new baron's title will be recognized by the King or Queen, and the new barony's existence legally established.

 

Most Barons do not live in any given town or village; instead they either permit a lesser relative to live in the village, and act as reeve or bailiff for them, or they hire someone to do so. Most Barons prefer to live either in or near Munstenberg, or in their largest/most prosperous baronial property.

 

Current political situation in Vanhark: Vanhark has a good political relationship with their nearest neighbor, Telomar. They've never fought over much, with only a few boundary disputes over the river-mouth access they share, and no other land disputes. However, the same cannot be said for Vanhark's relationships with Eor and the Southern Isles. Eor has always had a mixed relationship with pirates and piracy, and Vanhark holds them responsible for much of the raiding that goes on, whether or not it is actually true. Their relationship with the Southern Isles is equally dicey. 150 years ago, the Southerners "threw off the yoke" of Eoran rule, and became independent. Vanhark was a supporter of this change. However, the faction that won control of Southern was not the faction that Vanhark had supported; because Southern has become a militant aggressor, raiding anyone they even remotely suspect of supporting "rebels", labeling THEM pirates, there has been a lot of ill will generated between the nations.

 

At this time, piracy has become quite bad; ships vanish weekly, and trade is being hurt. All the nations of Mistland, except Southern, have begun to discuss how to band together to protect themselves. Thus a new interest has developed in an old legend - that of Azaserah, the Red Saint. Six hundred or so years ago, Azaserah had been a hero in Vanhark, his native kingdom. He became famous for putting down evil wizards, felling malicious cults, and restoring rightful rulership to several kingdoms. Eventually he left Mistland, went north, and spent several mysterious years working with the Emperor of Miraboria, putting down a rebel warlord who threatened the Empire of the day. Legend says that he returned to Vanhark when a vast pirate fleet threatened all of Mistland; supposedly the fleet was defeated, but Azaserah's ship vanished, and neither he nor many other heroes of legend were seen again.

 

Geographic features and wonders of Vanhark:

 

 

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