Cadmus

**The Kingdom of Cadmus,** also known as the **Kingdom of Keeps**, is the center of human Colvan culture. It is the largest member of the Three Duchies in both area and population.

## Commerce

### Exports

Ancient magic items, myzzolanic stone, wheatbeers

## Politics

### Allegiances

Member of The Three Duchies, close allies with Sonn Barakor

## History

### Population

Humans (dominant)
Dwarves, goliaths (minority)
Gnomes, halflings, half-elves (enclaves)
Dragonborn, kenku (groups)
Tieflings, tabaxi (individuals)

## Inhabitants

Natives of Cadmus are referred to as Cadmeians. The vast majority of common folk speak the Colvan dialect of Common. It is not uncommon for people to be at least partially fluent in the Sahelean dialect in the kingdom's major trading hub, Port Talmus, and Annarost.

Most forms of humanoid ancestries can be found in the kingdom, largely in part to the influence of the ancient world-spanning Imperium Myrallius, from which the Kingdom rose. When the Myrans conquered a region they would send part of its population to other regions of the Empire, while repatriating the area with people from elsewhere. This diaspora was intended a more mono-cultural empire by removing the cultural ties between people and regions. This process led to a dramatic genetic diversity in the modern human societies of the world. It is also responsible for the 'common' tongue spoken almost universally in human societies.

## Geography

The kingdom is bounded to the west by the Ablothen Ocean and bounded to the south by the Reghed Tundra and the Sea of Moving Ice. The Rupethian Mountains and the surrounding Liondrake Coast form the northern boundaries. The eastern reaches of Cadmus are its neighbors and allies, Pelorus and Tierstom. Central Cadmus is dominated by the Mayarsea, the vast crescent-moon lake at the center of the lowlands that comprise the Three Duchies.

The central regions on the coast of the Mayarsea are a mix of temperate and boreal forests, stony grasslands, and to the north of the sea, sylvan forests. The northern and coastal region are largely sylvan forest and foothills. In the southwestern margravate of Coldharbor, the land is predominantly boreal forest. The farthest southern reaches are a taiga with sparse pine forests, known as the Luskan Cape.

## Government

See: Feudalism in Cadmus

Cadmus is a monarchy with a court of landed nobles, each swearing fealty to the monarch.

The monarch acts as the head of state, leading the kingdom's armies and representing it in negotiations with other states. By tradition, the monarch is also the duke of Annarost. The crown generally passes by heredity, though at least one king wore the crown for a time after capturing the capital.

The court consists of the dukes and duchesses who rule over the four duchies of the kingdom excluding the capital, and the count of Colville. The function of the court is largely undefined. At times, the members act collectively as the government when the sovereign is at war or otherwise indisposed. Under the rule of King Cabiros, the members of the court act as a legislative body, issuing laws and directing the internal affairs of the kingdom. Otherwise, the members of the court have largely been left to manage their own duchies, while exerting indirect influence of the affairs of state.

## Trade

### Masonry expertise

Since its inception, Cadmus has been a kingdom of builders. And not just any builders, but the only builders in the current age to have mastered myzzolanic stone. This slate gray cementitious material (known also as "cerulean stone" because it glows in the presence of certain magic) is perhaps the strongest existing building material in the world, magic or otherwise. The techniques for mixing, treating, and forming cerulean stone are a closely guarded secret. Master cerulean stonemasons are highly sought after and form a large part of the kingdom's diplomatic leverage throughout Mond.

### Wheatbeers

While the stony grasslands and rugged, often uncultivable forests of Cadmus often make agriculture difficult, the kingdom's farmers manage strong harvests of barley and winterwheat. But a cold man cannot survive on bread alone - and often, libations are an easy way to stay warm during The Cold Embrace. There is a long tradition of farmers using their leftover (or nearly spoilt) harvests to brew wheatbeers. Almost every local village will have their own recipes and traditions related to brews, and some have caught on with the kingdom's trade partners. Harbormaster's Brew, the local wheatbeer from Port Talmus, is one of the kingdom's primary trade and cultural exports.

## Defenses

The Exalted Aegis - the royal guard

The Lapiderthan Order

## Notable Locations

* The duchy of Annarost
* The duchy of Port Talmus
* The duchy of Sombarr
* The margravate of Coldharbor
* The margravate of Silver Sonn

## References

1. ↑ See, the \_\_\_\_.
2. ↑ Often it glows azure blue, but the color of the glow closely imitates the effects of the detect magic spell.
3. ↑ See, the Lapiderthan Order.