Cramen

Cramen is a small mountainous country in the Old Imperial Heartlands. It is noted for its international merchant's guild and its principal centre of trade.
==History and Culture==
Cramen was first established as a province of the Old Empire, as before this the land had been controlled by fierce barbarian tribes. Like Scarfell to the north, Cramen was very mountainous, but unlike in Scarfell the climate was warmer and the valleys full of life. Under the rule of the Old Empire, roadways were built connecting the valleys, and towns were established in the shadow of the mountains. Further south, the landscape was flatter, and here the Empire established the base of what would one day be Cramen's capital city; Vandahar. Other cities were also built, such as Stonebourne and Tivara, but both of these cities were established on the rivers that wind their way through Cramen's high slopes.
When the Empire began to crumble and the Horde first attacked Cramen, many felt that a full exodus was in order, that the country was doomed to fall to the demonic armies. However, when the Legion of the North withstood the onslaught in Howling Pass, the people of Cramen hailed them as heroes, and offered them all permanent residence in the small country, which many took. The Empire soon lost control of Cramen altogether, and a council of noblemen assumed tentative power.
Over the next thousand years or so, Cramen developed to be a nation led by trade. Their merchant's guild began to take in members from across the known world, and relations with Anvar, Bruanon, Orkay, Dura, Ravain, Altea, Thane and Kuldan arose, Vandahar becoming seen as an international centre of trade. Today, Cramen is a trade republic that has many dealings with other countries; a council of twelve is chosen from the land's wealthiest merchants.
Culturally Cramen is racially liberal, with elves, halflings, dwarves and humans being viewed equally. Halflings make up a surprising amount of Cramen's total population, and many nomadic clans also occupy the southern plains. The country is geographically defensible, but they maintain neutrality in almost all wars. Until recently Cramen was occupied by Thane, but this ended with the changing of the emperor.
==Locations in Cramen==
*Vandahar - The capital city of Cramen and the largest city west of Orkay and North of Freehaven in Altea. Vandahar acts as a centre of trade internationally and is built upon the River Landis in the south of the country. The council of twelve rule from Vandahar Castle in the Ruby Quarter, the rich district of Vandahar. The city has a large halfling population, who are distributed roughly evenly among the rich and the poor. Vandahar is the location of the headquarters of the international merchant's guild.
*Landis Valley - A great gorge running through southern Cramen carrying the Landis River.
*Tivara - A small city in eastern Cramen.
*Stonebourne - A small city in western Cramen. The home of most of Cramen's dwarves.
Category:Countries