Ripania

The Kingdom of the Ripanians (Ripani common: Ripanisches Kônigreich) is a predominantly-human kingdom located in the eastern frontier of the New Empire. Ruled and inhabited primarily by the Ripani people, the country is known for its strategic and bountiful placement at the fork of the Athua River, controlling much of the fertile Athua Valley. It has been long influenced heavily by the neighboring mountain dwarves, reflected in Ripania's culture of industriousness and austerity, as well as its traditions of heroic poetry and military might. The common Ripani language, which has become not only the means of common speech in the east but also a major language of poetry and the royal court, is widely seen as a dialect of High Dwarven.
Ripania resisted the onset of western dwarven feudal systems onto their culture, and only slowly adopted them as a breakdown in royal defenses during the 13-year Interregnum period made it necessary. However, its relative distance from the heart of the fighting in the Second Orc War enabled it to flourish and become a strong supporter of the allied war effort, despite an Orcish siege of the capital. By the end of the Second Orc War, Ripania had developed into manorial society with a thriving economy based on trade and manufacturing. This continues to this day, and Ripania is considered one of the largest and most important member states of the New Empire.
== Name ==
== Geography ==
== History ==
== Society ==
== Law and government ==
== List of kings ==
The Ripanians are one of the oldest "stem kingdoms" of the Ucralic humans, the first tribal kingdoms formed after their exodus from the Great Waste in the 3rd and 4th centuries. Their earliest kings are figures of legend, but by the 5th century written records exist which allow a clearer picture of the succession. Ripania is an elective monarchy, though most Kings have consolidated power within a few dynasties.
=== Early period ===
* Otto (late 3rd century – c. 330), led the tribe out of the Great Waste into the lower Athua valley.
* Rathbod (c. 330 – 360)
* Berthold (c. 360 – 380)
* Vornhem (c. 380 – 391)
* Kunigunde (c. 391 – 400)
* Conrad the Wise (400 – 439), long-lived and guided his people to safely settle the fork of the Athua river and fended off Orcish subjugation. First king for whom there is written record.
* Siegfried (439 – 445)
* Chlorinda (445 – 463)
* Theodemar (463 – 472)
* Hlothar (472 – 480)
* Lothmar (480 – 496)
* Brunnhilda (496 – 499)
* Berengar the Poisoner (500 – 511), husband of Brunnhilda, began a dynasty. Assassinated by his son.
Brunnhilda died at around 37 years old, and it was suspected that her husband Berengar had poisoned her. However, he fended off accusations and was elected King, beginning the first Ripanian dynasty. He was later assassinated by his son Arnulf, who claimed it as an act of vengeance for his mother. Arnulf was tried, acquitted, and elected King.
=== Lohengrid dynasty ===
* Arnulf I (511 – 518), son of Berengar, avenged his mother and seized the throne. Assassinated.
* Ludwig I (519 – 536), brother of Arnulf I.
* Lohengrin I the Great (536 – 573), son of Ludwig I. Patron of a cultural renaissance, and reconquered land from Orcish occupation. Issued a consolidated law code that still serves as the kingdom's constitution.
* Lohengrin II (561/573 – 583), son of Lohengrin I, crowned during his father's reign in 561.
* Lohengrin III (583 – 604), son of Lohengrin II. Died childless.
* Ludwig II the Holy (604 – 624), great-grandson of Ludwig I. First king to invite the Confessors into Ripania; promoted their teachings and consecrated himself as a Templar. Died childless.
=== Wolframid dynasty ===
Named after Wolfram, chancellor and son-in-law to King Ludwig I, this family was of great importance and were seen as natural successors to the previous dynasty.
* Arnulf II (624 – 639), great-great-grandson of Lohengrin I.
* Ludwig III (628/639 – 654), son of Arnulf II. King under his father from 628.
* Wolfhard the Regent (654 – 676), brother of Ludwig III. Officially regent of the Kingdom during his nephew's minority, tried to seize the throne and was himself imprisoned. Died in 685.
* Ludwig IV (654/676 – 704), son of Ludwig III. Elected at age 4 on his father's deathbed, supervised by his uncle Wolfhard until age 16. Ousted the regent and resumed the throne. Spent much of his life attempting to centralize royal authority and retain control over the appointment of priests, in opposition to the Mother Confessor. Forced to abdicated by his sons, died two years later in 706.
* Wolfram (687 – 701), son of Ludwig IV. Co-king, predeceased his father.
* Ludwig V (704 – 725), son of Ludwig IV. Submitted to the aristocracy and the Confessor temple demands. Died childless, leading to an interregnum of 13 years.
=== Hohenheim dynasty ===
Rulers of the a large duchy and holders of several castles, the Hohenheim family was able to secure their election after the interregnum, partly from their maternal cognatic relationship with the previous dynasty.
* Arnulf III (738 – 752), maternal grandson of Ludwig IV. Strengthened royal control.
* Hildebrand I the Lion (752 – 790), nephew of Arnulf III. Restored good relations with the Confessors while centralizing power. Died while taking up arms to defend far-off Eldorei against Orc raids, an act that inspired the later formation of the Dorei Militia.
* Ludwig VI (769/790 – 797), son of Hildebrand I. Co-king under his father from 769.
* Lohengrin IV (797 – 812), brother of Ludwig VI. Deposed 812, died 819.
* Hildebrand II the Magnificent (812 – 850), son of Lohengrin IV. Refined and centralized royal administration, liberated Ripania from the orcs, joined the New Empire.
* Arnulf IV, (835/850 – 854), son of Hildebrand the Magnificent. Co-king during his father's reign from 835.
=== Interdynastic period ===
After Arnulf IV's death, the kingdom fell into disarray. Several rivals claimed the throne, sparking civil war. There was an interregnum from 854 to 873. Duke Ruprecht of Vannheim, Duke Theobald of Rammling, and Countess Kastlin of Rozen all competed for the throne. Imperial legions mobilized in 870 and forced a peace conference, under which the neutral party Alonzo of Hochgau was elected King. This period is called also the era of Count-Kings, as the kings elected were typically of the middle nobility rather than powerful dukes in their own right, as the nobles wanted to prevent any one dynasty from centralizing power.
* Alonzo (873 – 891), Count of Hochgau. First king of the House of Rozen-Hochgau. Married Kastlin of Rozen.
*Conrad II (891 – 898), Count of Kassau. Deposed by the regal council in 898, died later that year in battle.
*Gertrude the Iron (898 – 908), Countess of Rozen; daughter of Alonzo. Assassinated by her nephew.
*Ludwig VII (908 – 913), Count of Brand. First king of the House of Brand.
*Conrad III (913 – 928), Duke of Vorn.
*Hedwig (928 – 947), Countess of Orkenmark. Daughter of Ludwig VII.
*Conrad IV (947 – 978), Count of Brand; son of Ludwig VII.
*Walpurga (978 – 993), Countess of Lohgau. Married the Count of Rozen and Hochhau; died in childbirth.
=== Rozen dynasty ===
Queen Walpurga had married into the wealthy and rising House of Hochgau, which had gathered several titles and lands from fortuitous dynastic marriages, including mastery over the lands surrounding the capital Rozengarten. This enabled them to leverage a strong position in royal elections, and after her death her husband Florian was elected king.
*Florian (993 – 1000), great-grandson of Gertrude the Iron. Vested his son-in-law with the counties of Rozen and Hochgau, raised Rozen to a duchy.
*Conrad V (1000 – 1010), Count of Brand; son-in-law of Florian. United the House of Brand and the House of Rozen.
* Ferdinand (1010 – ), son of Conrad V.
* Hildebrand III (1019 – ), son of Ferdinand, co-king since 1019.