Kingdom of Wredal

The Kingdom of Wredal is a highly regimented, extremely militaristic Kingdom, with roots going back to the Wickneth Revolution that would be the final nail in the Theocracy's coffin. The Kingdom has strict gender and social roles that define the nation, with men typically expected to be warriors and leaders, and women to be homemakers and mothers. It also stands as the Torch Bearer for the Church of Wickneth, a branch of the Legionist Faith.

## Political Structure

The Kingdom of Wredal is governed similar to their neighbor and rival, the Empire of Frangen. The King serves as both the head of government and the head of state, with an appointed body of officials and the Imperial Diet making up 2 separate Legislative bodies.

The monarch is chosen by a hereditary system of male primogeniture, where the eldest son of the current monarch takes the role as heir apparent. Female monarchs aren't unknown, however they are exceedingly rare and often came about when no clear male heir is apparent. All monarchs descend from the Imperial Lineage of their revered Old Empire, which was said to be founded by the chosen of Saldonor. Many monarchs will also claim direct lineage from Kaiser Théoden X, the last Kaiser of the Old Empire, these claims are tenuous at best, but it is Imperial Hereditary tradition, so objections are far and few.

The ruling King is granted the privilege's to declare war and make peace, represent the Kingdom abroad, conclude treaties and alliances, and accredit and receive ambassadors. In theory, the Imperial Diet is required to declare war, formalize treaties or approve laws. In practice, the Imperial Diet serves as a ceremonial seal of approval on the actions of the King, and has rarely rejected a law, treaty or other legislation put forth by the monarch. The Imperial Diet and it's sister body, the Imperial Council, both more often serve as advisors to the Monarch, and in many cases members of the Imperial Council are given temporary grants of land, titles or responsibilities by the Monarch.

## Social Structure

The Social Structure of the Kingdom is largely divided along the lines of military and domestic service. Military service is dominated largely by males, and is tightly linked to positions of leadership, while domestic service is expected to be fulfilled by women. Outside of this there is the King and Royal Family, who loan out lands to the nobility, the nobility in turn loans out land to minor lords and knights, who lease parts of their lands to peasants and artisans.

Peasants are the poorest part of society, typically living on the bare minimum, while knights and other nobles are fairly wealthy. Peasant warriors are known to bring home spoils of war from campaign if they return, however these spoils vary wildly, and rarely contribute to the family's overall wealth in the long term. A small middle class also exists, made up of merchants and craftsmen who sell their wares on the market, however these to vary in their wealth. The richest of this middle class life lives of lower nobility, richer than many knights even, while many less wealthy members that make up the majority of the class simply have larger homes with more than 2 or 3 rooms, typically upwards of 10 rooms, and hire servants to tend to domestic responsibilities, such as cooking and tending to crops.

## Military Structure

Describe how the military functions, and is constructed.

## Political Identity

The Kingdom of Wredal maintains a revanchist, militarists and interventionist foreign policy. It views itself as the regional power in Southern Alrone, and tries to mediate wars and conflicts when they arise. Should a party reject negotiations, it is not uncommon for the threat of martial force to be utilized to try and force them.

The driving force behind the Kingdom's foreign policy is it's own ambitions, namely the restoration of the Grand Swareli Empire to a position of dominance in Alrone. It is also influenced by the Inquisitor Order of knights who take up residence in Wickneth, who serve as a centralized martial force under the command of the Lord Inquisitorius, one of the Church's 3 leaders. The Kingdom has been the main combatant against Adzamists in Anditovia, however no real force has been marshalled to combat the growing strength of Adzamism in the region, and the ever growing number of settlers.

The Kingdom sees itself as the bastion of Legionism against the threat of Adzamism, namely in the form of the Taiyō Shogunate. The Shogunate in some ways is similar to the Kingdom, however the 2 factions opposing goals, largely based on religion or geo-politics, lead them to clash constantly.

## Geography and Territory

The Kingdom is largely based in Greater Swaroland, the region once home to the Theocracy. Due to years of war, poor farming practices over the centuries and frequent droughts, the land has lost much of it's fertility, making large scale agriculture near impossible. The majority of the region's population lives in poverty, and is largely uncaring for the rest of Pallacia as a result. in sharp contrast is the southern most regions of the Kingdom, and where the capitol of Wickneth is based, Anditovia. As opposed to the infertile and poverty ridden lands of Greater Swaroland, Anditovia is lush and beautiful, infact having once been the trading capitol of Southern Alrone. The spread of Adzamism and growing conflict, both armed and peaceful, has lead to greater tension in the region, and slowly dwindling trade in the region.

## Relationships

This section addresses how the government and nation relate to others, in specific examples.

## Culture and Values

The culture values and traditions of the Kingdom can largely be dividend first on lines of class, then alone lines of gender. Everyone within the Kingdom is expected to work towards the restoring of the old Swareli Empire and the Kingdom's glory, mostly within the realm of warfare.

The Male Noble Class of the Kingdom are expected to be knights, leaders and creators. Once men reach the age of 16, they must pass the "Rite of Righteousness", this rite is an extensive series of challenges, including attempting to outsmart a village elder, and killing a deer alone with nothing more than a small knife, however other challenges stand in the way of completing the rite. Those who complete the Rite are invited to join the Orden des Löwen (Order of the Lion), an elite order of knights in service to the King of Wredal. These knights often serve as the face of the Kingdom, symbolizing the royal values of Loyalty, Martial Skill, Ruthless Cunning and Psychical Prowess. Akin to this, men of the lower classes are expected to farmers and, more importantly, warriors. Most men within the Kingdom focus on their own martial skill, with duals within taverns and bars being common place, especially for those few wealthy enough to afford metal swords, as tests of skill. These warriors pale in contrast to the Kingdom's knighted nobility, however they are not poor soldiers by any means. Loyalty, honesty and martial skill are the most highly regarded within these groups.

In sharp contrast to the warrior males, women of the Kingdom are expected to be home makers and mothers, especially within the poor power class. Women are expected to take care of children, cook meals, attend to the farm (Men are largely responsible for harvesting crops, rather than attending to them). Lucky women will instead open shops in markets to sell home made wares, and typically pay other women to do their domestic chores instead. Noble women typically have servants to care to their needs, and will focus on the overall health and well being of their noble family, rather than the exact needs of her own family. Women in the Kingdom rarely pursue political positions outside, especially ones of higher office or any real importance, the highest position the average woman will achieve is familial matriarch. This is due to a host of reasons, as while women are legally allowed to apply for and hold higher office the vast majority of them, even within the noble classes, lack any form of higher education, and many prefer to remain home and take care of their family, due to the ingrained social roles placed upon them, and a quiet stigma for women in leadership roles, thanks to their perceived positions in society.

### Looks and Apparel

The Kingdom's population has a light skin tone, literally paling in comparison with other ethnic groups such as the Azkah. Most of the population is fairly tall in statue, with larger and more muscular builds compared to their neighbors, which is generally attributed to the Kingdom's strong emphasis on physical prowess and simple strength, rather than the arts or literature. In addition to this, most of the population has lighter shades of eye color, with the most common being blue or green, and an overwhelming majority of the country possessing blond or light brown hair. Deviations from this uncommon, and while of the population can be seen with darker eyes or hair, it is far more likely and common for lighter hair colors and lighter eyes.

In clothing the populace of the Kingdom generally favors near total coverage of the body, in sharp contrast to nations like the Dolv Republic. Women generally wear dressed that stop around the mid cald or ankles, and anything shorter is generally seen as immoral. Men of lower class generally wear a long tunic which goes past the waist, covering trousers or a similar article of clothing, with a cloth belt around the waist. Men of status will sometimes include a type of cloak which is worn over the tunic and around the neck, typically favoring the right side of the body. The color of this cloak is also in of itself a sign of wealth and status, due to the rarity of some dyes such as purple, or the difficulty of acquiring others. The rarest and most expensive dyes are generally reserved for members of the royal family, and not worn by nobility, as it is seen as disrespectful.

## History

The Kingdom of Wredal traces it's history back to the Wickneth Revolution of 651 SA, where the city's clergy and nobility would join forces, throwing the Theocracy out of the city and it's surrounding regions, crowning the first monarch of an independent Wickneth. The next year, the armies of the Theocracy would rally again and lay siege to the city, however the city's leadership, at the head of an order of armored warriors that would go onto found the Inquisitors, would lead a charge into the besieging army's camp, routing the force and seizing their supplies, allowing the newly independent nation to survive the harsh winters that followed their victory. Soon after these 2 victories, the newly independent city would begin an extensive war of expansion into the territory of the now collapsing Theocracy, whose outnumbered and overstretched armies were unable to combat the civil wars, rebellions and invasions it was combatted with. This Grand Empire would spend the next several centuries in a nearly constant state of war and expansion, as it carved it's way into empire through warfare, politics and an ever shifting web of vassals and allies, amidst civil wars, inner conflict, countless rivals and internal unrest.

In the late years of the fourth era, it would finally achieve it's position of prominence in the form of the Grand Swareli Empire. Based in the city of Cantermoore, it would achieve a decades long golden era of prominence, and a leading faction against Adzamist influence. Yet this gold age would not last. As time passed, the Empire grew rich and powerful, but in that it became decedent, stagnant and ignorant. Pride, greed and ignorance would dominant the reign of Kaiser Théoden X, before he would be beheaded in court in the most famous assassination in the Kingdom's history. The faction behind this would never be confirmed, as the nation collapsed into infighting and warfare amongst itself, as they all vied for power. This period, named the Deluge by modern scholars, would see the Kingdom's capitol of Cantremoore destroyed, as the Kaiser's body rooted at the base of a once great throne. Thousands would die, as the former lands of the Empire turned to savagery and warfare in a vicious power struggle.

In the years following, a man from a minor branch of the Imperial family named Arathorn von Teothen would prove to be the one to unify what remained of the old Empire. Known to be honorable and chivalrous, as well as daring and decisive, he would lead his own armies, alongside the remnants of the Knightly Inquisitor Order to reform the remains of the broken Empire into the Kingdom of Wredal. He would pass away in 524 FA at the age of 72, passing his throne to the young Éomer von Teothen. Crowned at the tender age of 23, the young King was groomed and nurtured by his father to follow in his footsteps as his heir, and is known to be skilled in warfare, diplomacy and statecraft. The Kingdom as it stands is far more powerful than it was in the early years of King Arathorn, but it is far from the glory days of the Swareli Empire or the Theocracy it once sought to restore. The Kingdom stands with it's ambitious of glory and grandeur bared, and armies of warriors breed and brought up for war. It remains to be seen if this new Kingdom will rise to stand atop it's pedestal, or once more fall to fire and sword as it's ancestors had.