Serth

Shield of the South

## The Kingdom of Serth

History of the Province:

Serth is the southernmost kingdom in the Earthborn Empire. It stretches nearly the entire southern border and controls the only safe part of the western coastline. The landscape is primarily flat grasslands that flood annually. There are small marshes dotted throughout the countryside.

The Serthi tribe originally seceded from the Syrkiv people, who still control massive plains to the south, where they operate in independent tribes. The Serthi took part of those grasslands and formed a kingdom that would eventually be annexed into the Earthborn Empire, and defended it from the Syrkiv raiders for thousands of years.

The Serthi people are dark skinned and love the sun, and their culture revolves around their relationship to horses, from hunting to farming to construction of large cities. Serth is characterized by many small towns and villages, as well as nomadic traders, but its capital, Stormgard, is known throughout the kingdoms as a sight to behold.

Originally, the Serthi were ruled by House Andross, but over time, House Thorson married their way into the throne. House Thorhold was made of pale skinned refugees fleeing persecution of the Archerians, who had removed the Thorsons as kings. The Thorsons brought Thor worship to Serth, and help solidify the connections between Archero-Serthi culture including the center-grip shield style of fighting and the reverence of horses and the sky, and thus the weather. This connects to the shared architecture as well: for Archerus, the tall slanted roofs help slough heavy snow off, and for Serth, the same structures kept the pounding rains sliding right off, and the elevated structures kept them above the deep snows and floods typical of the respective areas. Trade and close proximity maintained these connections and shared cultural touchstones.

Over the generations, the Thorsons mixed with the local Serthi, and became more dark skinned, eventually making their way into inheriting the throne of the kingdom of Serth. The Thorsons are the only royal family that has ever held the throne of two different kingdoms. Since their ascension to the Serthi throne, the Thorsons had retained their repatation for producing mad kings, and they would often attempt to start wars with other kingdoms, which the Empire would swiftly block. Because of this, the Serthi are the most skeptical of their relationship to the empire than any other kingdom. The Thorsons were considered vicious warriors and conquerors and thus retained the favor of the people and the emperor. Serth also allows the Westwatch to operate in their territory.

The newest king of Serth, Rehrgar Thorson the Patient, is attempting to repair the damage done as recently as his own father, who hired an assassin to kill Coterels in the recent past.

**King** **Rehrgard "the Patient" Thorson**- Current king and reformer, has made a radically good reputation for himself.

**Queen Shattrah Thorson**- King Rehrgar's wife, described as a very passionate but kind woman.

**Keitlbjorn**- Eldest child and only son of Rehrgard, known as a hot head and great warrior. Married to Phaedra Naemes.

**Esme**- Eldest daughter of Rehrgar and Shattrah, a warrior princess, married to Theodar Kilroy.

**Bera**- Daughter of Rehrgar and Shattrah, a shy girl just reaching her teen years, married to Darion Coterel.

**Hallvor**- The youngest daughter of Rehrgar and Shattrah, only a child.

Part of a series on The Earthborn Empire.