The Grey Shield

The Grey Shield is on of the Twelve Duchies of Arland. It is comprised of a large island off the east coast of the mainland plus several small islands known as The Splinters. The Duchy is ruled by The Greymare Family, in the city of Greyholme.
== History ==
=== Human Migration ===
The first humans to inhabit the island were the Ardovni peoples that migrated from The Pale in the 6th century 7E. During this time, the world was in glacial period so sea levels were low and massive glaciers dominated the north of Palurin. Becuase of the low sea levels, humans were able to migrate across to Arland, which was at this time connected to The Pale. The Grey Shield was also connected to mainland Arland. 
Over the remainder of the 7th era, the world started to warm and the seas rose, turning Arland and The Grey Shield into islands. Because the humans on The Shield were now isolated, the started to form a divergent culture from the rest of Arland.
=== Gardaelic Tribes ===
As the interior of The Grey Shield is quite rocky and mountainous, the human tribes settled on the coasts and subsisted mostly on fishing. The developed sailing and fishing technologies and their population started to grow. This growth lead to specialisation or labour and and increasingly complex society. 
These tribes, known collectively as the the Gardaelic, started to make contact with the humans that settled on the southern coast of what eventually became Kingsford at the beginning of the 8th Era. They traded fish, seashell jewellery and other goods for grain and wool from the mainland humans. 
Further climate change forced the humans from the east coast of Arland to migrate west. This caused massive disruptions in trade and violence broke out across the region. Raids from dispossessed peoples caused the Gardaelic people to retreat inland, while their coastal settlements were taken over by the invaders. Over the next few hundred years, the Gardaelic returned to the coast, where they either defeated or integrated with the mainland invaders.
=== The Graeshkol Kingdom ===
Halfway through the 8th Era, the tribes of the Gardaelic started to band together to resist foreign raids. During this time, larger tribal groups were formed and centralised government started to form. By the 6th century 8E, The people of The Grey Shield were trading with the people in The Pale. This trade introduced bronze weapons and other technological advancements to the island. 
== Noble Families ==
* The Greymares of Greyholme
* The Harmons of Sanidyn Cash
* The Gladwins Kerrawyn Hall
* The Faulkners Glynnodey
* The Hogarths Naldenskeit
* The Humes Sorenskeit
* The Osbrinnes of Aerenskeit
Category:The Twelve Duchies of Arland
Category:Arland