Kingdom of Aqoris

Old Gods of Alba (contested majority in the Borderlands; minority in the rest of the Kingdom)

### Military

Royal Fleet
Individual military forces under the command of the Noble Houses

### Places of note

Domainlands · Southlands · Lakelands · The North · Borderlands ·

### Founded

0 AF, Barden's Crowning

The **Kingdom of Aqoris** is the name given to the realm that was founded by Barden I Boyce in 1 AF when he was crowned during the first year of his Foundation War, after the subjugation of the Southlands, going onto conquering and subjugating the other Kingdoms and Houses in the lands south of the lands of The Alba (The Borderlands were not conquered until c.100 years after the Kingdom's founding). It is ruled by the King of Aqoris from the Winter Keep in the capital city of Newcastle. The Boyce Dynasty has been the reigning dynasty since the Kingdom's founding.

The realm was fractured several times over it's 400 years of history, the most notable and the biggest event being The War of The Bears where House Boyce itself fractured into two factions; The Royalists under King Dannis I (nicknamed "The Cruel"), and The Rebels under Prince Kaegan Boyce. It was fought in 338 AF after several Lords and thousands of commonfolk were massacred by the tyrannical King forcing Prince Kaegan, his younger brother, to rise up to depose him. It is called The War of The Bears by singers because it saw men of House Boyce, commonly known as Bears, fighting each other. Prince Kaegan and his song Prince Byrron fought against King Dannis and Lord Commander Prince Cayle Boyce, who would defect at the end of the war.

The Realm is currently led by King Warren I Boyce who took over after his brother, King Harlow, disappeared in an expedition in the Aqoros Peninsula in 380 AF. Harlow disrupted a Golden Age of the Realm, started by King Kaegan III and continued by his son, Byrron II. Warren inherited a realm at turmoil and is forever trying to stabilise it, at the cost of his own health.

## History

*See also: Barden's Foundation Wars and Timeline*

When Barden Boyce launched his Foundation War from his Winter Keep in the Domainlands, he had to compete with three very powerful families who had established themselves as the rulers of independent Kingdoms in the wake of the Age of Fire and collapse of the ancient Aqorisi Kingdom as well as The Alba clans to the far-north (Borderlands were inhabited by the Alba). These Kingdoms were:

* Kingdom of the Hill, ruled by House Syder of Syderhill, Kings of the Hill

* Kingdom of Fields, ruled by House Highhand of Sunderly, Kings of Field and Grain

* Kingdom of the Lake, ruled by House Rocke of Ravenglass, Kings of the Lake

With the aid of local Lords, disgruntled and tired of the oppression of their lieges, Barden managed to conquer all three regions (the Borderlands would be conquered much later). House Rocke bent the knee and rose again as Wardens of the Lake, subject to the authority of the King of The North.

House Highhand and House Syder were both wiped out during the war so Barden granted Syderhill and The North to Sir Carl, founding House Carlisle and rising as Warden of The North. House Ross, the Administrators of Sunderly, were granted their liege's seat though the title of Warden of the South was passed to House Durham, a powerful Southlands who led the rebellion against the Highhands and allied with Barden.

Despite numerous civil wars and rebellions, the Boyce Dynasty has ruled for four centuries, nearly coming to an end with the War of The Bears, though the future of present Boyce rule is in question with the ailing health of King Warren I and the Realm is divided in confidence in his heir, Prince Ronan, threatening the Dynasty.

## Government

*See also: Lordship*

The Kingdom of The North is an absolute monarchy, ruled by the King of The North. The second most powerful position in the realm is the Adviser to The King, an appointed Lord who serves as the monarch's topmost advisor and, in his absence, holds court and may even sit on the Bear Throne. If the King is a minor and, thus, unfit to properly rule, the government falls in the hands of a Regent, who may be the Adviser, the Queen Dowager or another Lord selected for the task.

Aiding the King and the Adviser in the capital is the High Council, a chamber of Lords that advise the King and/or the Adviser in matters such as economy, intelligence or law. The permanent High Council positions are:

* The Lord Chancellor
* The Master of Laws
* The Lord Admiral
* The High Curator
* The Lord Commander of the Bronze Cloaks

The King may appoint other advisors to the council at his discretion, but they hold no official office (they operate "without portfolio").

### Administrative regions

Beneath the King of Aqoris, the Adviser to The King, and the High Council, but still enjoying a great degree of autonomy, are the rulers of each region. They are the Wardens of their respective regions and the paternal heads of the Great Houses as each region is ruled by a Great House.

Below the rulers of each constituent region lie their vassals: lords and landed knights, who rule in the name of their liege lords and are sworn to answer their summons when the need arises. These lords may have, in turn, their own lords and sworn knights ruling over portions of their own lands. The lowest in the social ladder are the commonfolk who make up the majority of the population.

The following table goes in descending order from north to south of Aqoris.

## Economy and currency

*See also: Currency*

Monetary transactions in the Kingdom use a form of minted coin currency known as the Gold Bear, and its various denominations, such as the Silver Gauntlet and Copper Stag.

The feudal society of the Kingdom has a primarily agrarian economy. Surplus food supports the populations of the six major cities and the various large towns. The five major cities are, in decreasing order of size: Newcastle, Sunderly, Stargarde, Hallowport and Ravenglass.

The Southlands is main breadbasket regions, which have such fertile and productive farmland that they not only meet their local needs but can export foodstuffs to the other regions. The largest goldmines in Aqoris are also located in the Southlands, and indeed, most of the precious metal mines in the Kingdom are concentrated there. This makes the Southlands exceptionally powerful.

Although agriculturally self-sufficient, the Borderlands has few exports and a smaller population, but its main contribution to the overall economy of the realm is considered to be security. The Borderlands is a vast geographical buffer that stands between the Kingdom of The North and raiding Alba clans which might try to pillage the rich southern lands from Alba. As a cold region, it also possesses animals with heavy furs which are not present in warmer regions to the south, and shepherds produce heavy wools.

The Kingdom of Aqoris rarely every trades directly with Eirus. The vast Expanse has deterred them from attempting long-term trade with Eirusi states such as The Free Cities, their only likely trading partner. Because slavery is illegal in the Kingdom of The North, however, and abhorred by every major religion in Aqoris, they do not take part in the international slave trade, bolstered by the Eirusian Empire.

## Military

The Kingdom does not possess a large standing military force, as do some of the Free Cities and the legendary Legions of the Eirusian Empire. Instead, each lord permanently maintains only a relatively small retinue of well-trained and well-equipped personal knights and warriors. In wartime they function on the principle of feudal levies, with each lord raising his own armies from the commoners who live on his lands. Sometimes they can provide these levies with reasonably standardized and good quality armor and weapons - though sometimes, they are little more than peasants wielding sharpened farming tools, clubs and staves, or a board with a nail in it. These are usually supported by archers, or even crossbowmen.

Each lord raises a military force from his vassals on behalf of his or her own superior lord. These "bannermen" march under the war banners of their overlord, combining their strength with his own. For example, House Carlisle draws soldiers from the lands immediately around Syderhill, but then adds to these knights and footsoldiers from the lands of House Lanser, who in turn have their own minor bannermen. This hierarchy extends up to the King on the Bear Throne. The regions of Aqoris vary considerably in population and wealth, dramatically affecting the number and quality of the soldiers that can be raised, for example the Southlands has the largest population overall and the highest quality of soldiers.

The King on the Bear Throne does appoint four "Wardens" who are in charge of each region and therefore command and coordinate regional armies when in times of crisis, when bannermen and levies are called up. The regional lords in that quarter of the realm are expected to put their armies at the overall command of the Warden in their quarter of the realm.

The Seven Kingdoms also employ a large number of naval forces. The three main fleets are the Royal Fleet (stationed in the east at Newcastle and Winter's Rock island), the Draker Fleet (at Hollowpoint in the east), and the Perle Fleet (in the southwest).