Kingdom of Lambert

**The Kingdom of Lambert** is a feudal kingdom with ancient ties to Clamund, being largely a kingdom carved from rebellion after the introduction of the Kingdom of Visimar in the early 2nd century. The Kingdom of Lambert has extensive history within Clamund, being one of the most influential kingdoms of exist outside of the Holy Empire of Visimar; and with little political influence from imperial agents. The kingdom has an extensive history of conflict with an assortment of threats which threatened to destabilize the kingdom including the Holy Empire, tribals from the Wildman plains and religious crusade.

The Kingdom has an extensive history of holding no grudge or annoyance against the dwarven and elven population of Clamund. Because of this, the kingdom has become a safe haven for those races as the dominant human population fought alongside elven and dwarven communities in the rebellion which founded their kingdom as battle brothers and sisters. Now, many elves and dwarves hold noble titles across the kingdom as vassals to the king, sometimes even ruling over a population of their own race if the population permits it. Although some human lords hold a grudge against this apparent loss in the general order of things, Lambert has surprisingly been politically stable aside from a few small scale rebellions led by discontent lords.

   The Kingdom of Lambert is considered the fairest and most just kingdom in the entirety of Clamund as they boast a solid and fair judicial system that is entrusted by minor lords and councils of commoners who decide the fate of an unruly citizen. With several codes of laws which prohibit the racial discrimination of elves and dwarves, the Lord Judge and the Commoner's Bench's time is usually spent dealing with prosecuting racism within the major towns and cities within the Kingdom. What makes the lands evermore fairer is the fact that lords and nobles themselves can be accused and tried by a Lord Judge, but only someone of noble status can accuse a noble, while a noble is allowed to accuse anyone they want with sufficient enough evidence. This judicial system helps undo rampant corruption across the land and helps the other minor races within the kingdom to peacefully thrive.

Being economically linked to the Holy Empire of Visimar through the Jaded Road, the kingdom of Lambert has a diverse and well-rounded economy as their plethora of resources both bought from abroad and produced locally have reached international customers as merchants travelling from Midheim buy products in Stoneport such as dwarven steel and wines to sell abroad to other continents.

With the abundance of trade coming from abroad as well as a steady flow of iron and steel from the north, the Kingdom of Lambert boasts about having one of the most advanced and effective army in Clamund. With centuries of fighting barbarians in their frontier barony as well as several wars with the Holy Empire of Visimar, the Kingdom has refined its style of battle to the point of outperforming any feudal kingdoms average levy. As recently as 1278, Lambert has widely adopted the use of "pike and shotte" warfare which has seriously diminished the use of traditional knightly warfare, especially throughout the 3rd Lambertian-Visimarian war where massed units of combined crossbowmen and musketeers pulverized a formation of noble knights from the Empire of Visimar and Clonran. Pikemen are extensively used as well to ward off cavalry charges and their use has been proven as early as the 9th century, but their extensive use had not been utilized by Lambert until 1250.

## Vassals

Being a kingdom, Lambert has vassalized several regions within its territory in order to regulate justice and disperse titles among trusted vassals. The Great Coronations in 344 divided the already large kingdom of Lambert into several duchies and baronies all with somewhat equal ground and territory depending on the population they rule over. The province of Memaldur and the Barony of Badgerglen were created later during the Great Paragon Trials when an influx of elven and dwarven people who were refugees of the horrid and savage crusader attacks across Clamund were in need of a new place to stay. After hearing of the terrors and loss of the dwarven cities that dot the Irongrate Mountain range, King Crake Hobbes (641-677) would allow the establishment of the provinces of Memaldur and Badgerglen to house the homeless elven and dwarven population to the satisfaction of the two races. After taking the ancient city of Mistfall in 664, Crake would spend the rest of his reign converting the land and roads of the ancient province to make it habitable once again.

* The Barony of North Star

The Barony of North Star is the northernmost province within the Kingdom of Lambert, it protects the rest of the kingdom from barbarian invasion and is the prepping ground for crusades into the Wildman Plains.

* The Duchy of Lanslet

The Duchy of Lanslet is the central province of the Kingdom of Lambert. It is the trading center of the kingdom and is the most abundantly rich.

* Memaldur Province

Memaldur Province is a dwarven dominated province that is the northwesternmost province in the kingdom. Most of the weapons and arms used by Lambertian soldiers is produced by the skilled smiths of Mistfall and Marburow using dwarven casted iron and steel ingots bought from the dwarven kingdoms.

* The Barony of Montrose

The Barony of Montrose is a small barony which rules over the northern side of the Irontear River up to the Memaldur village of Icewall. Montrose relies on the import and export of crab as most of the villages that dot the northern side of the Irontear fish for the river's abundant large crab population that pose an active threat to any careless fisherman. The crab mongers at Steeldenn exchange the rich foods in ice for needed supplies or items which benefit the barony.

* The Duchy of Shieldsbane

The Duchy of Shieldsbane is the martial duchy of Lambert's southern armies as most knights within Lambert's army's are landed vassals within this duchy. After the discovery of the materials necessary to produce black powder locally in 1286, Shieldsbane became the forefront of gunpowder technology within the Kingdom of Lambert. Most gunner regiments raised by Lambert are usually derived from the common folk of Shieldsbane.

* The Barony of Badgerglen

Badgerglen is the kingdom's most populous elven region with a majority of the commoners within its borders derived from half-elf status. Aside from owning a considerable part of the military in the southern region of the kingdom with several castles including the Hounds Keep and Castle Losmos, the kingdom produces truffles and furs that they trade with at the final stop on the Jaded Road in Porterdenn.

* The Bishopric of Darkhand

The Bishopric of Darkhand is the most religious barony of the entire kingdom. The cathedral built in Gramsburgh in honor of Saint Isabetta had attracted enough attention from the church in Midheim to allow the coronation of a bishop; who in all respects is a high-ranking foreigner within the paragon system. Darkhand is considered the arm of Garung as famously said by Arch-Confessor Dylan Vernier (710-752). Pilgrimages to the cathedral is what mainly drives the bishopric's economy considering how the baron of the province simply gave up his position for a private life shortly after the construction of the cathedral.

## Military

Although the kingdom of Lambert does not possess the largest army compared to the Holy Empire to the east, the military might of the kingdom should not be underestimated as they possess the most advanced technology seldom seen outside of Clamund with the use of firearms being widely adopted by royal regiments by 1275 who fight in large and drilled formations along with blocks of pikemen. The kingdom of Lambert has by far the most militaristic nobility across the land judging how it was a kingdom under constant barbarian threat with war lords pillaging the northern baronies every few years. Because of this, Lambert has adopted extremely effective tactics which at current times, have drastically changed how wars are fought.

Prior to the kingdom's infantry revolution, Lambert's historical military has always reflected the feudal nature of Clamund. Thus, Lambert for the most part of its history has widely relied on the use of mounted knights as well as a compliment of men-at-arms and levies who fight on foot. The armies of Lambert are usually led by mounted nobles who charge into battle similar to a knight while lesser infantry work together to bring down enemy knights for a personal kill. Unlike the wide range of nobles who make up a majority of the Holy Empire's cavalry wings, Lambert widely relies on the use of landed knights as well as Knightly Orders who take up residence mostly within the Duchy of Shieldsbane.

Mercenaries are a common sight within Lambertian armies seeing how wars are usually fought on two fronts as the Irontear river separates the kingdom, thus more men are required to fill in where the levies failed to muster. Most sell swords are usually hired en masse in order to gain as much men as possible, usually sending formations of mercenaries to either support the levy or to fight on their own flank. This conservative use of mercenaries make the Kingdom of Lambert a historically preferred customer of war unlike other kingdoms that place their mercenaries in immediate danger.

Humans, elves and dwarves are all expected to fight in battle. For the most part, unless if a regiment of a city's militia is used, they fight separately in battle. Dwarves are usually seen fighting alongside humans and elves and like the elves are given ranged weapons and reserve infantry status in battles. Elves usually fight in battle as light infantry, using javelins to harass enemy formations while being fleet footed enough to not get stuck in combat. Dwarves on the other hand are usually ranged user, preferring to use a crossbow over a hammer and shield.

### Age of Magic

Taking inspiration from their valiant fighting to break free from their wizard king oppressors, Lambertian warfare was largely dictated by masses of warband levied soldiers who are largely directed by the heroism and willpower of a single champion or commander. For the most part, fighting in the early era was largely dependent on who would break first as battle tactics usually involved smashing both formations into one another before enough are slain to cause a route. By 500, warfare had largely adopted the the use of mounted nobles who come to battle heavily armed and with lance and shield. The kingdom of Lambert had adopted the use of heavy cavalry around the same time that the Empire of Visimar did when wealthy nobles were able to outfit themselves and several trusted men with armoured horses and chainmail hauberks and helms.