The Kinship of Cumar

The Kinship of Cumar lies on the southwest coast of Talamar. It is a temperate region with sunlight 245 days of the year, with winters being cool and wet and summers hot and humid. It boasts 375 cities, townships, and hamlets.
The only exception to this idyllic temoerature is in the far north. During the Fist Age two gods waged a terrific battle here. The result is that the region, known now as Rge Wastes, is locked into a freezing perpetual winter.

## History

Please see The History of Cumar for the Kinship's complete history.

## Races

There are Five primary races of Free People that dwell in the Kinship of Cumar. They are Men, the Udun, the Kalzov, the Urudun, and the Dundari. Please click the name of each race to see detailed information.

By the far the most prominent and powerful of the races are the Men. There are no 'standard' Cumarian Men, although outsiders of ten fall prey to the stereotype of tall, rough people known to work hard and to play hard. In fact, the Kinship's three Provinces--The Marches, Dunland, and Uriel--all produce a physically different breed of Man, and very often those Men that live in the heavily forested areas of The Marches and the Men whom live along the coast are forgotten entirely in the viewpoint of outsiders.

Northerners are a hearty folk whom earn their sustenance mostly through animal husbandry and cattle rearing. They tend to be tall, strong, and fair and are known to be vicious, determined fighters.

Woodmen are so named because they live in the dense forests of Uriel, providing lumber and other goods to the rest of their Kinship neighbors. They tend to be shorter and slimmer than other Cumarians and have a special and unique relationship with the Dundari.

Dunlanders make up the bulk of the Cumarians living in Dunland and conform most closely to the stereotype. They are the most numerous of Men, and their breeding with other types of Men produce a complex genealogy and coloring. Most Cumarians met outside of the Kinship are Dunlanders.

Southrons inhabit Uriel and make up most of the population there. They are the polar opposite in looks of the Northerners; Southrons are shorter and stockier, with a tendency toward darker complexions. The unique challenges provided by Uriel's ecology make the Southrons hearty, determined, and rigid.

Easterlings dwell almost exclusively along the Kinship's eastern border. They are a quiet and suspicious people, unwelcoming of outsiders. Because of their long racial history of worshiping dark gods and powers they are often accounted as evil men not to be trusted.

Fisherfolk inhabit the wild and temperate west coasts of the Kinship and the Orkney Islands, making their living through fishing. A fun-loving, relaxed people they smile often and laugh even more. They are adventurers and explorers, expert ship builders and their mastery of the ocean is what helped build the Kinship's reputation for it's massive navy.

The Udun ( D. "little men) largely inhabit the Trafalgar rain forest in The Marches. They are a mere three feet tall on average but are a cheerful, warm race that have exceptionally good relations with the Men and elves of Cumar. They are keen explorers known for their total immunity to fear and can be found in Mannish and Elvish cities alike.

The Kalzov (D. "Scaled Men") are a reclusive and secretive reptilian race that inhabit the Swamp of Nar in the Marches. Though they are wary of strangers they are an exceptionally honorable people and fierce fighters, and have good relations with the Men and Elves but get along best with their neighbors the Udun.

The Daridun (D. "People of the Light") are not what most people think of when they think elf: they are tall and fair, with dark hair and eyes. The Daridun dwell almost exclusively in the heavily forested Uriel Province, and are known for their astonishing skill with gemstones and jewelry. Because of the war between the Men and the Daridun in the Age of Exploration (see History), they do not welcome strangers and have not forgotten the wrongs done to them so long ago. Despite their sour feelings toward Men, they are a good and honest people.

The Urudun (D. "Black People") have a bad reputation with Men, as they are the ones hardest hit by the war and so badly effected they removed themselves from the surface and dwell in deep caverns in the mountains of Dunland. The false stories of these elves being worshippers of evil gods and black magic have stuck, and so these honestly good and just people are constantly faced with an undeserved prejudice.

## The Provinces and Government

The Kinship of Cumar is divided into three major Provinces. Each of these Provinces are governed by a Grand Moff. The Moff ensures that the laws of the kingdom are followed and law-breakers punished, taxes are collected and exports sent out on time, and deliver any information necessary to their populations from the Queen, Alicia Hammet. The Moffs are expected to ensure the welfare, well-being, and safety of their Province and the people whom live within it.

Each of the Moffs answer directly to the Queen. The Moffs are called to the White City annually to deliver important news regarding the Province and provide a report to how the Province is doing. Any situations regarding help that the Moffs can't handle on their own are put to the Queen as pleas for aid.

The very rigid laws handed down by Queen Amidala, Alicia's great-grandmother, ensure that the racial makeup of the three provinces are maintained. The Moff for the Marches is always an Udun, the Dunland Moff is always human, and the Uriel Moff if always Daridun.

**The Marches** comprise the northern area of the Kinship and covers a total area of  155,959 square miles. The current Moff is Perimi Meadowflower; although she is not a traditional Udun she has been adopted by that race and so is counted as one of them.

**Dunland** is the largest Province in the Kinship, the central Province covering nearly 268,597 square miles. The Province is also legendary for Ululoki Forest and the horrid fortress in its center, Dar-Nagoroth. Here the famous Battle of The Free People took place in the Second Age and apparently destroyed Adunaphel the Quiet and her legions. Lately, the shadows have begun to grow in Unuloki and reports have come that evil creatures have been seen inhabiting Dar-Nagoroth, causing the government to worry that Adunaphel has once again started taking form. The current Moff, Tuskar Turin, has set a watch on the Forest, just in case.

**Uriel** has been called the most beautiful Province, and with good reason. The Province is famous for it's mineral hot springs and mud baths which bring in amazing amounts of tourist coins annually. The province is heavily forested and mountainous, which allows it to provide lumber and mineral wealth, not to mention the breathtaking jewelry crafted by the Daridun. The current Moff, Lorfindel Galad, governs the province from the stunningly beautiful Daridun city of Amalost. Uriel is the smallest of the Provinces, covering only 1, 978 square miles.

## Economy

The standard coin of the Province is the bronze coin, stamped with the symbol of the Kinship, a rearing stallion. Because of the wealth of the Kinship, even the poorest people have access to money and use it to purchase goods. Gold and silver are produced in abundance by the mountains but are strictly reserved for the government and nobility.

The currency of the Kinship is measured in triangle shaped tin coins, square copper coins with a hole punched into the center, bronze coins, silver coins, and gold coins. 20 tin coins equal 1 copper coin, 20 copper coins equal a bronze coin, 100 bronze coins equal a silver coin, and 250 silver coins equals a gold coin.
Goods and Services are measured out largely in tin and copper, so a man owning 5 bronze coins would be considered well-off indeed. A typical adventurer's starting kit would look like this:

Bedroll - 1 tin

Backpack - 2 tin

1 torch - 1 tin

10 candles - 5 tin
30' coil of rope with grappling hook - 3 tin

Week of dried rations - 2 tin

two water skins - 2 tin

Waterproof 200 page record book and ink pen - 4 tin

TOTAL: 20 tin coins or 1 copper coin.

Trade and barter are active and welcomed, prices are never fixed and consumers are always welcome to haggle for better prices. Wealth is not measured entirely by the amount of coin in one's bank account but also by material possessions: large herds of horses or cattle, land ownership, and successful business also factor in to wealth. In the many free markets of White City, goods and services can be traded by the exchange of animals or slaves.

Slavery is common in the Province, but slavery here is usually by choice especially among the Udun; a person can choose to become a slave to a person or household as a way of paying off a debt, compensation for a favor, or love. 'House slaves' are slaves by choice and usually accorded great respect and treated kindly. True slavery is the providence of the Government and usually reserved as a punishment for crime. Government slaves are almost always convicted criminals put to work building and maintaining a town's landscaping and architecture.

Please continue on to Cumar, Continued for further information.