Gaul

> Gaul creates wealth admirably; she distributes it badly. This leads inevitably to two extremes: monstrous opulence, monstrous misery. All the enjoyment to a few, all the privation to the rest, that is to say, to the people; privilege, exception, monopoly, feudality, springing from labor itself. A false and dangerous situation that founds public power upon private misery, which plants the grandeur of the state on the in the suffering of the individual. An grandeur ill constituted, in which all the material elements are combined, and into which no moral element enters.
> --Garaile Bihotz, *The People's Voice,* issue 15
>
>

Encompassing the north-central region of Old Avalon, Gaul is a human kingdom that takes immense pride in its wealth and cultural accomplishments - accomplishments it considered "untainted" by non-human outsiders. However, recent changes in its climate have pushed it nearly to the breaking point.

## History

In HE 506, King Gerhard of Breten was assassinated by Osbert of the Right Hand, sparking a bloody and years-long civil war between the backers of the usurper Osbert (later known as King Aelfweard) and those loyal to the slain King Gerhard. The loyalists believed that King Gerhard should be succeeded by his bastard son Tristan, who was born from a dalliance with an alewife before Gerhard had ascended to the throne, and whose existence had been an open secret amongst Gerhard's court. Unfortunately, the loyalists were unsuccessful; blocked by the elven clans from fleeing south, they were instead forced east, over the treacherous Dragon Spine mountains, in the year HE 512.

Already decimated by the usurper army, the loyalists were further ravaged by the winter mountain snows. Though barely older than a child, Prince Tristan proved a resilient and steady leader who kept hope alive for his followers. When the survivors finally escaped to the eastern foothills of the Dragon Spine in HE 513, finding rolling hills with abundant game, they gratefully settled there and crowned the bastard prince King Tristan I of Gaul, also known as Tristan the White, as his hair had prematurely grayed over the harrowing winter.

Not long afterwards, the people of Gaul came into contact with the elves who lived in the region. The survivors of the Winter of Red Snow, as the deadly trek across the Dragon Spine came to be known, blamed the elves who had refused passage south for their hardship, and harbored resentment towards all elvenkind. Thus, King Tristan I issued the Edict of Man, a royal order that declared only humans would be allowed in the kingdom of Gaul. While there have been some differences in interpretation and some minor changes to the Edict over the centuries, it remains a fundamental aspect of Gaulish ideology.

In HE 628, a diplomatic envoy from Airlann made contact with the Gaulish court and proposed forming an alliance; King Tristan IV was more open to non-human relations than his forefathers were - and, furthermore, a significant minority of Airlanni were humans similarly expelled from Breten - so he issued the Edict of Fraternity, declaring that Gaul would provide Airlann with aid in the face of Bretenese aggression, and Airlann would do the same.

Between HE 743 and 750, Gaul would experience its first major famine, caused by rapid population growth and a long drought. King Gaubert officially refused aid from the elf clans on the southern and eastern borders of the kingdom, but there are reports that many peasant families discreetly received assistance from their nonhuman neighbors.

In 1221 HE, one year after the fall of Ruedi creates a cataclysmic impact, the environmental fallout (combined with an influx of refugees from areas closer to the epicenter) leads to another famine and widespread civil unrest, culminating in an uprising called the Motley Revolt due to the large proportion of nonhuman refugees. The Motley Revolt lasts only a month before being violently quashed.

After hearing reports of High King Oberon's conquest of western Old Avalon, in HE 1870 King Leandre IV reverses most of the loosening in the past century of the Edict of Man and once again cracks down on elves in the kingdom. Though in recent decades elves had been allowed relative freedom, King Leandre IV declares that they are restricted to designated forests and cannot travel through the kingdom without a passport.

Another refugee crisis occurs in HE 1900, this time due to wood elves defecting from High King Oberon's empire. Due to the Edict of Man, the wood elves are denied passage through Gaul; tensions escalate until there is brief armed conflict as the outraged wood elves fight on behalf of the native elves as much as their own behalf. Eventually, however, a peace treaty is brokered and the wood elves continue east.

Throughout the next millennium (HE 2000-2900), Gaul enjoys relative peace and prosperity. It is able to trade freely with Airlann and Andalus, which are loath to do business with Oberon's empire more than absolutely necessary; it also develops closer trade relations with the dwarven city-states in the Dragon Spine.

Gaul's good fortunes end shortly after the dissolution of Oberon's empire. For the first few decades of the 3000s, the kingdom suffers not from drought but from too much rain; widespread flooding and unseasonably cool weather leads to famine, food rationing, and subsequently social unrest. King Elouan XIII attempts to divert the restless energies of the populace by fomenting war against Breten, which he perceives as weak after a millennium as a vassal state; however, the conflict with Breten never escalates beyond some border skirmishes and intrigue. A full on peasant revolt in HE 3020 attempts to storm the royal palace but is quickly crushed, and the surviving rebels take refuge in the forests of the elves.

In the decades since, this rebel force has proved a persistent thorn in the side of the kingdom, which has continued to suffer from severe winters and cool, wet summers. Under such political and economic pressure, the crown has continued to consolidate what little economic and military power remains, all in the service of protecting itself from the growing proletarian forces. Though there have been attempts at revolt since, none have been successful - yet.

## Politics

Gaul is an absolute monarchy and is ruled by the oldest human dynasty on the continent, with the current king, Elouan XIII, directly descended from King Tristan the White, who himself could trace his lineage (allegedly) to the first human king of Avalon. All citizens of Gaul must pay taxes directly to the king, who can then choose to redistribute the revenue (or not) as he wishes. Gaul is divided into twenty districts that are administered by Barons, who report directly back to the king and must spend at least three months of the year in the royal court.

Gaul's longest and closest alliance is with Airlann to the northwest; the two kingdoms have provided both economic and military support to each other multiple times. Gaul also has strong trade relations with the Confederacy of Andalus, and with the dwarven city-states in the Dragon Spine. Its relationship with Breten is strained; however, the two kingdoms have never engaged in open war.

The elf families that live in and near Gaul (whether they are ever considered "within" Gaul is a matter of some semantic debate) are treated with tolerance at best, outright hostility at worst. The Edict of Man has never been revoked, though its implementation has varied over the centuries. The elves, in response, didn't find warfare to be worth the effort; they have contented themselves with providing aid and succor to the various rebel forces that have harassed the crown.

## Economy

Nestled in the rain shadow of the Dragon Spine, Gaul has (or had) a relatively arid climate that is subject extreme changes in temperature - hot summers and cold winters. As such, its main agricultural products are crops that do well in dry conditions, such as maize, potatoes, tomatoes, and various kinds of beans. Additionally, cattle herds are widespread, and even relatively poor citizens can usually afford beef.

Gaul also benefits from rich mineral, gem, and ore deposits; coal, gold, silver, opal, sapphire, and carnelian, among others, are all mined along the western portion of the kingdom, though occasionally there will be mild conflict with nearby dwarven cities over who has rights to a particular lode. These precious minerals are sometimes exported in their raw state, but more often they are utilized by the many skilled members of Gaul's visual arts community. Gaul's gilded porcelain, fine jewelry, and gold-threaded tapestries are all highly coveted throughout Avalon, and artisans from all regions travel to Gaul to learn from its masters.

## Geography and Flora

The western portion of Gaul abuts the Dragon Spine mountains, with coniferous forests higher up giving way to mixed and deciduous forests at lower altitudes; these quickly give way to high plains and grasslands that roll eastward. Because the kingdom lies in the rain shadow of the mountains, its climate is generally dry, with hot summers (especially in the south) and cold winters (especially in the north). Gaul is bordered on the north by Khelek Ear, the northern sea; the coast is rocky and very treacherous in the winter. Three rivers - Nord (the northern fork), Roi (the central fork), and Sud (the southern fork) - run through from the highlands to join into the Tres Sang-de-Serpente River out to Khelek Ear. To the eastern edge there is a large lake called Eternis, which is fed by a spring from the Dragon Spine.

## Places in Gaul

* Arroyo
* Beleth
* Forche
* Gerhah
* Naufrag
* Oberbleak
* Osbert
* Pincercape
* Pont-du-Mer
* Retraite-des-Faux
* Tombe-du-Marchal
* Tour-de-Mer
* Trista - Capital City
	+ Trista Vocational School For the Adventuring Arts
* Twinhold