Errantlund

Leader
 Capital
 Largest City
 Militia
 Notable Citizens
 Population
 Language

Errantlund is located in the far northeast of the continent of Karandia.

## **Geography**

Known as the land of the Lion, or the Maned King. This is a land remarked as the home of chivalrous knights and a place where honour and renown are highly prized. Errantlund is a monarchy and its fortunes have risen and fallen with each royal family. Centered on the Royal Holdings, of the capital Lionelle, and then spreading out to the great dukedoms. Within the dukedoms are earldoms and the dukes rule their earls as they themselves are ruled by the king. If their is no direct royal descendant to the throne it is from the dukes that the next successor will be chosen. Such a selection is a political nightmare fraught with pitfalls and danger. In the end it is only the jurisdiction of the wizard caste/guild the Green Wizards whose loyalty is only to the throne that allows any decision to be made with anything short of all out war.

#### **Dukedoms**

* Burlliés
* Carissen
* Felmire
* Foremast
* Illetia
* Lionelle
* Toral
* Thanalaé

#### **Other Places**

* The Circle’s Tower
* Dragonwatch
* Eagleclaw Mountains
* Eaglesfarr
* Far Isle
* Middlecastle
* The Peninsula Forest
* Seaguard Keep
* Toral Castle
* Troutbridge
* The Wrenway

#### Natural Geography

 Errantlund is a temperate land, green and fertile with plenty of coastline to the north and east, some high land regions to the south and plenty of woodland to the north. It is divided into Dukedoms.

## Demographics

There are various races native to Errantlund. Specifically dragons have always frequented its wilder regions since long before and after the advent of man. Centaurs abound in every forested or undeveloped part of Errantlund. Ranats live in the mountains and in the sewers and 'undercities' of the largest cities and elves are a constant irritant due to the closeness of the disputed Karritan forest.

Having said that humans make up over 95% of the visible and official population of Errantlund. Centaurs and ranats on the whole do not consider themselves Errantlunders though they live within its borders. The crown would like to get the centaurs to change that attitude but has no interest in doing anything with the ranats other than purging them from the land.

* Centaurs
* Dragons
* Elves
* Humans
* Ranats

#### Organisations

There are various important organisations within Karritan.

* Dukes of Errantlund,
* Green Circle,
* Knights Errant,
* Lion Guard,
* Lion Knights,
* Royal Champions.

#### Important Characters

* King Aaron
* The Maned King
* The Royal Magician
* Vanguard Dragonsbane

## Culture

#### Disposition

Errantlunders tend to be set in their ways. They often dispute over their leaders and usually are either royalist or Dukal. No one in Errantlund has yet seriously put forward any idea but one of Feudalism. Most are happy/unhappy with their lot in equal percentages.

Typically they are a horse loving people for the nobles as a beast of sport, pet and war charger, to the poor as a fellow labourer and vital tool and transport. The sea is also a familiar friend to the Errantlunders and many of them are halflings who are particularly drawn to the port cities. The ports and border towns to the south tend to hold the most open minded where as the dukedoms of the north east and west Burlliés and Felmire hold the most anti-elf and dissatisfied portions of the country.

Due to their Knightly traditions they can be quite ready for a fight indeed challenges can spark off and do almost daily. A country almost always ready for war but always organised clear war rather than the sordid city fighting and brawling of Danaspree or Elygia

#### Religion

The Royal House adopts no official state religion at this time. In times past ‘bad’ kings have proclaimed one religion the royal one and outlaws or slighted any who would not follow their lead. This often resulted in arrests and killing and even civil wars (Though these have been deplorably common in Errantlund’s history). So when a King is crowned it is the Royal Magician who crowns him rather than a cleric as would be the tradition in most countries.

Nevertheless Errantlunders are a pious people. Attendance at church, temple or shrine is frequent and clerics are honoured by any but the lowest scoundrels. Indeed the church is one of the very few positions outside the knighthood considered acceptable for noble born sons.

They are a pious people and almost all Errantlunders attend church and have a healthy respect for the divine and the needs of their own souls. Nobles are on the whole decent landlords to their peasants but this is by their standards rather than those of, say Saracan.

#### Language

Language wise Errantlunders all speak Common though many know some elven or even ranat. Indeed ranat is the language of choice for the nations underclass and is a deliberate effort to undermine the authority of nobility and their ability to understand them.

## Politics and Government

Errantlund is a monarchy and its fortunes have risen and fallen with each royal family. The Royal Holdings are centred in the capital, Lionelle, and then spread out to the great dukedoms. Within the dukedoms are earldoms and the dukes rule their earls as they themselves are ruled by the king.

If their is no direct royal descendant to the throne, it is from the dukes that the next successor will be chosen. Such a selection is a political nightmare fraught with pitfalls and danger. In the end, it is only the jurisdiction of the wizard caste/guild the Green Wizards, whose loyalty is only to the throne that allows any decision to be made with anything short of all out war.  Very often, despite the Green Circle, there is at least a limited war when the monarchy changes family.

Rulership however is absolute, their is no voting for ones Duke. Loyalty is very highly prized and honour is very much about vicible acts of courage and chivalry. If the King says something is the law it is the law. His only balance is his very powerful Dukes who all control large armies in their own right. Typically, a strong king can rule Errantlund absolutely as he wishes but a weaker king who does not clearly have all the Dukes in hand must tred carefully as succession wars have been fought and entire royal families murdered in Errantlund's past.

Dukes rule with the same absolute authority as the king within their Dukedom and their Earls do likewise within their Earldoms. For the common man there is no right of appeal. A noble can use trial by combat or can appeal along the feudal line, going up to the Earl then Duke then king as long as he is powerful enough to be noted. Judgements though are made by individuals not juries or professional judges as in some other lands.

Feudal Lords carry the rights of judgement, interpretation of law, creation of lesser law, punishment, taxation and conscription. They need no one else.

## Military

The Military of Errantlund is based on a feudal system. The King calls upon Dukes to call on their Knights and the Knights call upon their peasants to form their foot soldiers. Most guards and the like are only really loyal to their local Knight or Earl most never having even seen their duke much less their king.

Should Errantlund go to war the King sends out the Lion’s Call which calls upon each Duke by honour and law to ride to him with as many men as he can muster. To refuse this call is to come in outright and open rebellion against the Maned King and the country of Errantlund. The Dukes then call upon their Earls and the Earls upon their local Lords and Knights. These then go through the towns and villages over which they have stewardship and assemble the foot soldiers of Errantlund.

So when the entire Lion Army rides it operates in this fashion

1. Lion King – directly leading the Lion Guard and overseer/commander in chief of all forces.
2. Warduke – a duke chosen to operate as on-field commander due to the inability of the present King to do so or because he wishes it so. Appointed by royal decree (This can be the Duke of Lionelle i.e. the King’s son).
3. Dukes - leading their own personal guard and their Earls.
4. Earls - under their dukes and with their own personal guard (Sometimes Knight Units) commanding their own lords and knights.
5. Lords and knights - with their retinues, commanding the foot soldiers or units of knights.

The Green Circle represent the magical might of any Errantlunder army and usually appear mounted often on magical steeds such as pegusii, griffons, hippogriffs, giant eagles, nightmares, centaurs etc.

## **History**

Time on Karandia and for simplicity on Tal is determined by the existence of the dominant human Empire or Auria. So years from before the Empire are annotated BE those after it or Post Empire are annotated PE. (eg Jomark came to power in 10BE means Jomark gained his power 10 years before the founding of the Empire).

1800-100BE – The Orc empire begins to fail and in its place the human nations begin to rise. The elven population is shrinking.

1800BE – All Errantlund was still part of the great forest of Quintox which at that time was part of the same forest as Karritan. Humans lived here at this time, but were very primitive.

1400BE – Elves share the secrets of magic with the humans.

1000BE – Changes in the weather, the orc wars and growing human civilisation have resulted in the partial deforestation of Errantlund. Towns begin to grow all over the country.

1000-100BE – Humans out populated elves and dwarves and turn on their former tutors driving them out of their lands and to the forests, underground and to the sea. Elves leave the human towns and cities of Errantlund. These events become known as the Wars of Betrayal by the elves and dwarves. Many elves still remain in Errantlund in outposts such as those remaining on Far Isle and in the remaining forests particularly the Peninsula Forest.

150-50BE – During this century the humans of Errantlund began to use horses in mimicry of the Alkan plainsmen.

141BE – The first King, the Duke of Lionelle takes the throne. He makes many laws and wields the united strength of Errantlund in a war of unification.

138BE – Having united Errantlund the first King drives out the last elven settlers any elves that remain are considered trespassers and outlaws.

90PE – The Mage’s Circle is founded. Precursor to the Green Circle. Each Dukedom has some wizards but now the wizards recognise a loyalty to each other as well as their duke.

478PE – Settlement War with Alkan. Errantlunders attempted to move past the Eagleclaw Mountains and into the plains. They are hunted and killed by the Alkar. The Errantlunders come back in force to avenge the deaths of the settlers. The Errantlund army retreats after there are massive losses to both sides. It is decided that settlements in Alkan are not worth it.

500PE – The wood elves have become insular not venturing as a body to leave their woods. They defend only and that with vicious and deadly force. the King of Errantlund ? forms the Lion Guard personally loyal to him as the standing army of Lionelle. Associated with this is the creation of the Royal Champions.

529PE – The Betrayal and murder of King Precipitating the Civil War.

534PE – After the Civil War, the Circle becomes the Green Circle. Now all wizards are loyal to the King, not to any individual Dukedom any more.

543PE – Toral Castle is completed in its restored form after sustaining sever damage in the ??? War. It becomes called the ‘Neverfall’.

611PE – Immigrants from Danaspree have built up a new town which they name Seaguard Keep in the Toral Dukedom. It becomes the second city of the Dukedom.

896PE – King ? Declares the church of Vax god of Vengeance to be the Royal Church and insists all become members and worshipers or be arrested, even killed.

896-901PE – The outlawing of all other churches and associated atrocities causes the War of Faith to be fought. The wizards refuse to fight and withdraw to the Circle’s Tower.

901PE – After the War of Faith, the new King is crowned by The Royal Magician and it is announced that from now on there will never again be a Royal Church.

994-996PE – The Dukedom of Burlliés attempts to become its own sovereign nation. Eventually it takes the Lion’s Call and the combined might of the rest of the country to bring them to order.

1269-1270PE – War of the Lady. The Lady Duchess of Felmire trespasses into the Karritan forest and bathes in a Nymph Pool sacred to the druids she is arrested by the Shadeborn. Errantlund demands the Lady’s return and is told she broke the law. They attempt to invade Karritan it is a mistake and they suffer horribly. She never returns.

1064-1580PE – A single family dominates Errantlund with direct successor after successor making the Dukal system weak as they can no longer be voted out. Unrest rises as the family’s grip is so strong they misuse their power without check.

1520-1522PE – The first invasion of the Dragon Armies doesn’t affect Errantlund much. Some knights chose to go quest for fame and glory but most Errantlunders never see a dragonite.

1580-1581PE – The Royal Magician calls the entire Green Circle into the Tower. They do not return and so the Duke of Illetia rises up and with three other Dukedoms including Thanalaé attacks the King. The Lion Guard are crushed at the battle of the Weeping Bridge. The whole Royal family wiped out to the last child and yet before the Duke of Illetia could be crowned all the other Dukes arrived. Two of the Dukes were brand new their predecessors killed in the war. The Duke of Formast was selected and Duke of Illetia was first to ask to kiss the Lion Ring.

1603PE – In response to Alkan wars with the walled folk of the south the King decides to create a special fortress at Eaglesfarr. Eagle's Gate is planned and constructed.

1605PE – With the assistance of Magic, Eagles Gate is finished and Great Eagles come to nest there. From this time certain Knights go every year to learn how to fly them.

1646PE – Skirmishes with the Alkan over the Ancestral axe-blade Cavernous Might. The Shift of Stones argue it should not have been taken, the Errantlunder Knight that it was fair spoils from a fair challenge. Only three Shifts ride to war but cannot break through Eagle’s Gate. A great battle is fought there. The Shifts retreat.

1672PE – A Burliés' plot is uncovered and the following uprising stopped by a small group of men and women from Formast.

1860PE – Some Errantlunders specifically the Tugklicker family are involved in the betrayal of the Fallen Elves. This is an attempt to destroy Karritan.

1898-1900PE – Second Dragon Army Invasion turned back by Stars of Destiny. The elves of Karritan are assaulted and Shadron Dan’r a half-elf causes them to rise up and fight with their old allies.

1924PE – Rise of the prophesied Dolf Dan’r, to be known as the ‘Avenger’. He rises up and takes war to the humans such as has never been seen. He has special magical abilities.