Baltusraal

Baltusraal is the common name for the region within the northern Taefemach which has long served as the territorial seat of the quasi-sovereign chivalric martial order known as the Imperial Knights-Brethren of the Holy Beacon Oriflame (most commonly just called the Oriflame Knights or Oriflame Order). Today, Baltusraal is a part of the Helvandrian League and the Oriflame Knights are integrated into its political order. The full and proper name of their territory, they would insist, is the Free-Held Imperial Landgravate of the Holy Oriflame Order, but this is rarely used. If not simply called Baltusraal, the area is usually referred to as the Landgravate of Baltusraal or just the Landgravate.

As the full name of the order and their territory would suggest, the history of the Oriflame Knights stretches back to the era of the Asgali Empire, centuries before the rise of the Helvandrian League. Their ancient oaths once bound them directly to the service of the Asgali Emperor, and since the Asgali collapse, they have regarded themselves as obedient only to their own laws of martial virtue. Nevertheless, in order to avoid political marginalization and loss of revenues as the Helvandrian League solidified, they consented to the League charter and allowed Baltusraal to became a member state with certain unique characteristics. The grand master of the knighthood holds the rank of a League Elector, and he and his councils rule Baltusraal with the same rights, duties, and prerogatives as the other magnates of the League states.

The full formal name of Baltusraal, the "Free-Held Imperial Landgravate", is unique within the League and reflects the order's origins in the Asgali Empire. It is holdover from their old territorial rights within the imperial system: "Free-held" since their domain was granted to them irrevocably and was theirs to govern in perpetuity without interference or feudal obligations; "imperial" in the sense that their status and domain came directly from the emperor by his decree, and they answered only to him; and a "landgravate" in that the grand masters of the order were also given the title of landgrave in their capacity as governor of this domain (a title which they retain to this day). The name Baltusraal itself is derived from the name of the order's ancient fortress (Baltusgard) and an old Tuvai suffix, -raal or -araal (denoting the territory dominated or overlooked by a castle; a stronghold's immediate surroundings).

Geographically, Baltusraal is situated in the far northwestern part of the League, centered on the valley of the upper Waeth. Its northern and western boundaries run up against the steep slopes of the Adhemars and, to the west, the border of Kuzul-Kadrin. This make it highly defensible, with only a few routes by which an enemy force could realistically approach; an important consideration for a martial order like the Oriflame Knights. To the north of Baltusraal lie the lands of Toraja, although the border between them runs along the high crest of the mountains and is mostly impassable. Ceregar lies to the south, and to the west is Miarkos, whose ruling priestesses have long had tense relations with the knighthood.

The upper Waeth valley is home to most of Baltusraal's population and arable land. Despite the rugged highlands and soaring mountain peaks which surround it, the valley itself has fertile soil and high-quality pasturage. The semi-ruinous remains of Baltusgard and the formidable fortress of XXXXXX, the knighthood's current primary stronghold, are perched just a few miles apart on steep-sided crags on the valley's northern edge. Baltusraal's two noteworthy towns, XXXXX and XXXXXX, are likewise close to each other on the valley floor below, and both on the banks of the Waeth. XXXXX serves as the functional capital of Baltusraal and the locus of its day-to-day governance, although all recognize XXXXX as the true center of power, since it is the seat of the order's Grand Master and his councils.