Borczeg (Realm)

**Borczeg**, also known as "The Northern Kingdoms", "The Northern Realm" or sometimes simply as "The North", is a large continent that lies north of the lands Harrahd to the south (past the Hinterlands and the Isthmus of Rus) and east of the River Kingdoms, which lie in the west. The Jade Empire and Kingdoms of Al-Qadim lie to the east, across the Veil and the Wayward Mountains.

Borczeg is inhabited mostly by humans known as Andals, or "Northlings" or "Northmen" by other realms. Aside from humans, there are Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Halflings, Orcs and many other creatures living here, though they are often treated as second-class citizens.

## Geographical Distinctions

**The Nine Kingdoms**

* **Temeria:** An industrially advanced nation with a powerful military; remnants of the Arthedain Empire.
* **Redania:** A prosperous nation with an advanced navy and strong army. Adopted many western customs.
* **Unther:** Once a powerful nation, they were weakened by several failed wars and their mines awoke an ancient evil that has slowly poisoned and corrupted the once great country.
* **Arendell:** Heavily forrested and wild. Inhabitants follow the Old Ways. Home to several Wood Elf tribes. Less developed but rich in Ironwood. Known to have the best hunters in the known world.
* **Lyria:** Hilly, forested and unnaturally cool all year. Known for breeding exceptional horses.
* **Rivia:** Hilly lowlands, criss-crossed by many rivers. Braeden's Bog can be found here.
* **Kovir:** Mountainous and rugged, it is home to many salt, iron, nickel and copper mines, among others. Known for their unique War Picks.
* **Poviss:** Mountainous, has some tundra. Many mines. Home to large prides of Gryphons.
* **The Veil:** The blasted and lifeless region where the Dragon Artax awoke ~1,300 years ago.

**Minor Kingdoms**

* **Brugge:** Known for its wine.
* **Hengfor's League:** Three small city-states that exist in the deserts surrounding The Veil.
* **Iron Isles:** A small chain of islands conquered and populated by the Saxons.
* **Scandivar:** The land of the Saxons.
* **Sodden:** A small, marshy kingdom known for producing vast quantities of Pitch.
* **Verden:** A small fuedal state that has diminished to a forty square mile area bordering the Hinterlands. Consider themselves the mortal enemies of Unther.

**Principalities & Regions**

* **Amell:** A lawless region; a valley populated by many Hill Tribe folk and Orc Clans.
* **Waterdeep:** A free port city and nearby land that is unaffiliated with any of the countries.
* **Kraghammer:** A Dwarven city, built within the Manakam Mountain Range. Home to the Northern Kingdoms' branch of the Iron Bank.
* **Dol Blathanna:** A free city populated by High Elves and Wood Elves.
* **Dol Amroth:** A free city near the edge of the Veil that is home to a sect of Elves who refer to themselves as "Sons of Ash".

## The Nine Kingdoms

### **Temeria**

Temeria is one of the Nine Kingdoms, and some would say the greatest. Indeed, it is one of the strongest Northern Kingdoms and played a key role in the War of the Dragon. A pleasant country with rolling hills, fertile lowlands and resource-rich mountains. Its growing industry has caused deforestation on a large scale.

It's capitol is White City of Spyra. One of the fiefdoms of Temeria is the dukedom of Ellander and the magical Isle of the Blessed, that houses a school for young female adepts of magic.

Temeria is ruled by King Adalbert IV of the Dain Dynasty. It's inhabitants are called Imperials, due to the country's connection to the old Arthedain Empire.

### **Redania**

   Redania is one of the Nine Kingdoms. It is a wealthy realm that profits from trade with the River Kingdoms to the west, and from a prosperous agriculture industry. For ages, Redania has fought wars with Arendell, its primary rival in the north. Redania possesses the best intelligence network in the North. The government of Redania is heavily influenced by Western culture, causing many other northerners to label them as traitors.

The capital of the kingdom is Tretogor. The renowned University of Oxenfurt, the largest university in the north, and one of the largest in the world, is located here. Novigrad, the second-largest port in the north, is in the southern region of the country.

Redania is ruled by King Vizimir III the Blessed. Its inhabitants are called Redanians.

### **Arendell**

    Arendell, which includes the Province of Yspaden, is the largest of the Northern Kingdoms (in terms of land area). Known for its cold and unforgiving climate, along with many thick, wild forests within its borders. The land is sparsely populated, but its people are known for being wild, rugged and even its young and women are capable of bearing arms to defend their homes.

For many years, Arendell was the butt of jokes among the other Kingdoms in the North. But those neighbors found to their dismay that Arendell was not the backwater they took it to be and had built itself into a nation to be reckoned with.

Arendell quarrels frequently with neighboring Redania, mostly over ownership of the Pontirim Vale, which once belonged to the Redanians. It also shares borders with Poviss, as well as the Sword Mountains, the Blue Mountains, the Fire Mountains and the Crown of the World Mountains.

Its main cities regions are its capitol of Ard Ironreach and the city of Ban Ard, famous for being home to the Guild of Free Huntsmen. The Lost Fortress of Kaer Lundgren, home to the fabeled Dragon Hunters of Old, lies somewhere in the Blue Mountains, and further south lies the land of the Wood Elves, with whom Arendell is on good terms.

Arendell is ruled by King Robert Ironheart. Its inhabitants are known as Arens.

### **Unther**

Unther was once a powerful province in the North during the time of the Old Empire, and even after the Reformation in the wake of the War of the Dragon, Unther remained very powerful for several centuries. Its might rivaled that of even Temeria.

Unther once had close ties to the small Barony of Brugge, until that region rebelled in a costly civil war. Unther tried on two separate occasions to reclaim the territory, only to lose both times. They have also failed a conquest of Temeria and another of Kovir. The Free City of Waterdeep and its surrounding locale was also once a part of Unther until they declared independence. Unther has since launched a staggering fifteen attempts to recapture the city, each one ending in defeat.

It has since been victim of many wars from neighboring Kovir and monsters that writhe to the surface after having been awakened deep beneath Unther's mines. A permanent Pantheon Temple was erected in Unther's capital of the City of Cintra, where Paladins are trained to combat the never-ending tide of evil that seeps into Unther.

Unther is ruled by King Elros II. Its inhabitants are called Unthric.

### **Lyria**

    The Kingdom of Lyria is a hilly, forested region surrounded by the Burning Mountains and the Whitepeak Mountains, and neighbors Rivia, its closest ally. The land, which is good for farming, is home to large communities of Fallohide halflings, who settle along the Brandywythe and Dain Rivers.

Lyria is an odd land of differing climates, due to close proximity to the Veil and a forgotten magical catastrophy from ages past. Temperatures around Lyria are typically colder than its neighbors and it is very dry, getting about half as much rainfall as neighboring Rivia in a good year. Clerical magic is often required for a good harvest, despite the rich soil (although the Halflings have somehow managed to farm the land quite well). It is also known for having fierce monsters that ravage entire communities, due the closeness of the Veil. Lyria is often at conflict with Hengfor's League.

The large praries of Lyria are perfect for breeding horses. Lyrian Swifthooves are a national symbol and praised around the world for being the finest human-bred horses in existence. These horses are incredibly intelligent, enough to understand human speech it is said, and are capable of surviving in most any climate.

Lyria is ruled by King Meve the Purple. The people of Lyria, known as Lyrric, are known for their peculiar accents.

### **Rivia**

    The Kingdom of Rivia is rugged lowlands strewn with boulders and numerous ruins, criss crossed by deep, swift moving rivers that come down from both the Mahakam Mountains and the Burning Mountains.

The southern portion of the kingdom is home to Braeden's Bog; a massive bog that is the site of the death of two black dragons during the War of the Dragons. Rivia has a strong trade culture due to its many rivers.

Rivia is close allies with Lyria, and also with the Dwarves and Gnomes found in the Mahakam to the west. Rivia is often involved in border disputes with Kovir, though war has never been formally declared, due to Kovir's unwillingness to fight both Rivia and Lyria.

Rivia's capital is Aerdirn City and its ruler is King Ysgith the Yellow. Its inhabitants are called Rivians.

### **Poviss**

The Kingdom of Poviss is one of the Nine Kingdoms, located in the Gulf of Praxeda. Its is also the largest exporter of mineral resources in the known world, with huge profits from trade. Because it is so mountainous, the region is rich in mines; they export glass, salt, iron ore, gold, silver, nickel, lead, tin, zinc, copper, chromium, titanium, tungsten and platinum.

Poviss famously maintains neutrality during any wars occuring throughout the North, though they seem to be on good terms with both Arendell and Temeria.

Despite being involved in a number of wars (and the victim of having been sacked by) Scanivar, they have an uneasy peace with them in modern times that involves paying Saxon pirates to keep them from raiding their trade ships or coastal towns. Its last major conflict with Scandivar was four years ago, which means a great deal of bad blood exists between the two people.

Poviss and its vassals are the northernmost of the Nine Kingdoms (though not the northernmost region in general). Poviss is known for hiring thousands of mercenaries to defend its people, giving it the nickname of the Vagrant Army.

It is ruled by King Tommen Tyssen of the House Tyssen. Its inhabitants are known as Povins.

### **Kovir**

    The Kingdom of Kovir is one of the Nine Kingdoms, surrounded by mountains on all sides. Kovir is known for being a very aggressive nation; to the north, the realm feuds with Temeria; to the east, Lyria; to the south, Unther. They believe a fierce warrior tradition is all that has kept their culture alive. They are a people who believe they are perpetually on the brink of destruction, so expanding into neighboring regions is necessary to them to survive as a culture; at least it is in their opinion.

Kovir, adjacent to the lawless region of Amell, was one of the last regions to be truly settled by the Andels. They are known for their cruelty to the Elves during this time of settling and conquest; hundreds of Elves were executed and slaughtered. To this day, Kovir are reputed as enemies to the Elves and men of Kovir famously refer to Elves as "Knife Ears". In contrast, its situation with the Dwarves is surprisingly good.

Kovir is an agricultural country full of ridges and hills. Unchanging, contintental climate makes the grounds  give good yields, especially in the west, in the area known as the Valley of Flowers, which form a real granary of the kingdom.

It also has a surprisingly well-developed industry; in upper Kovir and on the border with Mahakam are mining large amounts of minerals, mainly coal and less precious metals. In Gulet and Eysenlaan are smelters and forges. In Vengerberg (its capital city) and Aldersburg develop mainly dyeworks and manufacturers of wool and textiles. Venerberg also has many malts, breweries and distilleries.

Kovir's ruler is King Hansel. Its inhabitants are called Kovians.

### **The Veil**

The most mysterious of the Nine Kingdoms, the Veil is a haunted, blasted and barren land. In the days of the Ancient Empire, this region was fertile. Then the Dragon woke, causing a massive earthquake and volcanic eruption that the region never recovered from. Twisted, dark magic and a rumored connection to the Abyss only served to further corrupt the region.

The Veil has only existed as a nation for about 500 years, when the mysterious Council of Seven built the Black Citadel in the ruins of the crater where the Dragon first awoke. Several known regions are the Lava Flows, the Desert of Glass, the Obsidian Plains and the Rolling Hills. Ash is known to perpetually fall like snow and blow in huge drifts.

There is little life in the Veil. They do not trade with other nations. Its rulers are rumored to have sold their souls to devils and dark gods for power and indeed, they command powerful magic and unswerving authority.

## Minor Kingdoms

### **Mahakam (Enclave)**

Mahakaman Enclave is an autonomous region between the kingdoms of Temeria, Kovir, Lyria, Rivia and Sodden, inhabited by Dwarves, Gnomes and Orcs in the mountain range of the same name. It is the biggest known exporter of iron and steel to the Northern Kingdoms and the River Kingdoms. There are countless mines, foundries, forges, etc. located there. Mahakam iron is famous for its quality and is considered to be the best in the world. Aside from iron, Mahakam is famous for its weapons, forged using advanced Dwarven technology.

Mahakam has been owned by the Dwarves since the days of the Old Empire, after the Dwarves and the Arthedain fought the War of Two Mountains over the region. The territory is relatively safe from invasion despite its vast wealth, as any interruption or invasion would result in the dwarves stopping the supply shipments and flooding the mines.

The Iron Bank is located here. The de facto ruler of the Enclave is High Thane Thror the Hammerhand, son of Thrair, of Kraghammer.

### **Scandivar**

    Scandivar (Land of Iron, in Saxon) is a large region in the North, though it is not one of the Nine Kingdoms. It is ruled by men known as the Iron Kings.

Scandivar is home to a fierce, seafaring people who call themselves Saxons, or Ironborn. While some say that the region gets its name from the abundance of iron in the mountains throughout the region, the Saxons themselves claim it is instead named after their own unyielding nature. It is often said that every Saxon captain is a king aboard his own ship and every bandit leader and warlord refers to himself as a King of some kind; this has led to Scandivar earning the nickname "Land of Ten Thousand Kings".

The inhabitants of this cold, rugged, harsh land are known as Saxons. They are considered independent, fierce and sometimes cruel. They live in a harsh land and they hold no love for the peoples of the Nine Kingdoms and their soft, green ways. The Faith of the Pantheon and the religion of the Old Gods find small favor with the Saxons, as their allegiance is given to their native Drowned God. Many Saxons believe in adhering to the Old Way of reaving and pillaging and in paying the iron price.

The region is sparse and rocky with a thin, stony soil that makes it hard for its people to farm, often having to do without the animals that might make their job easier, such as oxen or horses. While their mines do not produce any ore that is shipped or traded to the men of the south, iron is abundant throughout Scandivar. Lead and tin are also obtained, but the work is dangerous. With so little wealth in Scandivar itself, it is not difficult to understand why the Saxons of old turned to raiding.

Scandivar is a fueding state that has no single High King. Its inhabitants are called Saxons or Nords.