The House of Caernavir
"From life comes light,"
Head of House: King Aethlar VI 'The Green', also known as The Green King.
House Specialty: The Caernavir have always fancied themselves as paragons of the middle path. Traditionally seen as caretakers of sensibility, they have used their position as one of the breadbaskets of the kingdom and a major exporter of both grain and fruit to leverage themselves into a position where their intervention and carefully constructed diplomatic web has averted dangerously volatile situations on a kingdom-wide but also on an imperial level.
Many a crisis has had the soothing input of a member of this family. Arbiters of peace, the main motivation of the Caernavir is to avert war at all costs. The reason for this is simple; in times of war, the breadbaskets of the empire become increasingly valuable targets. After all, if one side can cut off the supply of bread from the other, then the war is essentially finished. The ransacking, looting and rape involved in this sort of behaviour is something that the inhabitants of this pastoral kingdom feel is best avoided at all costs. Some see this as cowardice, the Caernavir see it as sensibility.
House Ancestral Artifact:
The Lute of the Verdant Wanderer
This instrument has been recorded as an artefact belonging to the Caernavir since time immemorial. A simple device at first sight, on closer inspection one will notice that the lute is still warm to the touch, and the wood which it is made from feels slightly moist and is unvarnished, with small veins of moss running through its somewhat soft body. All of this adds to the impression that the instrument is a living and breathing entity.
All members of the Caernavir family are taught to play the lute expertly, as this particular instrument, coupled with a particular set of notes only known to select members of the royal household, is rumoured to be capable of reversing the effects of a devastating drought, flood or other crop-ruining happenstance and allowing fresh shoots of grain to come from otherwise malnourished ground. As somewhat banal as this might seem compared to a flaming sword or a bracelet that summons a dragon, the lute has been absolutely instrumental three times in reversing the fortunes of the kingdom in times of uncertain weather.
Important Members:
King Aethlar VI 'The Green' (aged 23) - Nicknamed the 'The Green King' by an affectionate people for his interest in riding out in the pastures that surround his Royal Palace, Aethlar is everything one could hope for in a young king. He is handsome, charismatic, tall, athletic, and fundamentally uninterested in the necessities of his role. The people adore him, but there are concerned whispers amongst the nobility of the kingdom as to who really holds the reigns of power while the King cavorts around and organises sumptuous jousts and games for him and his other young friends. He has dazzling blue eyes and sandy hair.
Queen Eadrith of Red Roost (aged 16) - Quite why the King personally chose the exceptionally plain daughter of the Lord of Red Roost, the most northerly city of the kingdom, is a mystery to most of those 'in the know' in the kingdom. Placid, pious, timid and generally assumed to be uninteresting, Eadrith is pregnant with the first child of her husband. Is she quite as much of a wallflower as she seems?
Queen Hiltruda, the Queen-Mother (aged 48) - Hiltruda is assumed by many to be the real power behind the throne. Her husband Aethlar V was famously profligate and uninterested in the affairs of trade and diplomacy, but unlike his eldest son he was fundamentally less easy to control. It is rumoured that his mysterious death in a riding accident was organised at least in part by Hiltruda, whose son is more than happy to let his doting mother take on some of the most mundane aspects of government. Hiltruda is much more physically imposing than her meek daughter-in-law, and though age has begun to round and sag her figure, her icy gaze and raven black hair continue to inspire intimidation in all but the most foolhardy noble. She holds an enormously influential position at court.
Prince Lethlin di Caernavir (aged 20) - The second son Aethlar V and Hiltruda, Prince Lethlin is decidedly more governmental than his brother, and is somehow even further under her influence. Joked about as her 'chief henchman', Lethlin is highly educated and dangerously diplomatic, often acting as the chief trade envoy of his family when his brother is otherwise indisposed or when foreign dignitaries have trouble treating with a woman. He is swarthier and shorter than his elder brother, with a willowy figure and a slow, loping manner of speech.
Princess Alissera di Caernavir (aged 55) - The eldest sister of the deceased Aethlar V, Alissera was set for a profitable marriage with her father's most influential vassal the Count of Ygris, but she was struck down at age seventeen with the Red Pox. This left her with a curved spine and a pock-marked face, to the point where she was considered unmarriageable and left to reside at her brother's court. Never seen in public without a heavy black veil and attended by her sombre ladies-in-waiting, Alissera has gained something of a reputation amongst the poorest citizens of the nation as a mysterious and fearsome figure. Privately, she is perhaps the most educated member of the family, reading extensively on an enormous variety of subjects and writing a large amount of philosophical and religious works.
Princess Haldetrude di Caernavir (aged 18) - The third and youngest legitimate child of Aethlar V, Haldetrude is known to be closest to her sister-in-law Queen Eadrith. She is tall, with an elegant disposition, and is an accomplished musician and dancer. Considered the most eligible virgin in the kingdom, suggestions for her marriage are mooted constantly. Like Eadrith, she is not considered exceptionally political by the wider nobility.
Lord Gaewin di Faz-Caernavir 'the Blackheart' (aged 23) - Technically the eldest son of King Aethlar V, Gaewin is a bastard born between the King and Alysandra di Recksmanworth, an attendant to Queen Hiltruda. He is nicknamed 'the Blackheart' somewhat incongruously by his enemies, mainly because of his unsociable disposition. He is employed as the captain of the Royal Guard, and was ennobled in a rare act of amiability by his half-brother after his father's demise. He is known to be close to his aunt Alissera but estranged from the Queen-Mother and his other half-brother Prince Lethlin.
Lady Eadgifu di Faz-Caernavir (aged 20) - Sister to Lord Gaewin, second bastard child of King Aethlar V.
Princess Gerberga, Countess of Ygris (aged 49) - Second sister of King Aethlar V, married the Count of Ygris in the place of her sister.
Queen Eadrith of Red Roost (aged 16) - Quite why the King personally chose the exceptionally plain daughter of the Lord of Red Roost, the most northerly city of the kingdom, is a mystery to most of those 'in the know' in the kingdom. Placid, pious, timid and generally assumed to be uninteresting, Eadrith is pregnant with the first child of her husband. Is she quite as much of a wallflower as she seems?
Queen Hiltruda, the Queen-Mother (aged 48) - Hiltruda is assumed by many to be the real power behind the throne. Her husband Aethlar V was famously profligate and uninterested in the affairs of trade and diplomacy, but unlike his eldest son he was fundamentally less easy to control. It is rumoured that his mysterious death in a riding accident was organised at least in part by Hiltruda, whose son is more than happy to let his doting mother take on some of the most mundane aspects of government. Hiltruda is much more physically imposing than her meek daughter-in-law, and though age has begun to round and sag her figure, her icy gaze and raven black hair continue to inspire intimidation in all but the most foolhardy noble. She holds an enormously influential position at court.
Prince Lethlin di Caernavir (aged 20) - The second son Aethlar V and Hiltruda, Prince Lethlin is decidedly more governmental than his brother, and is somehow even further under her influence. Joked about as her 'chief henchman', Lethlin is highly educated and dangerously diplomatic, often acting as the chief trade envoy of his family when his brother is otherwise indisposed or when foreign dignitaries have trouble treating with a woman. He is swarthier and shorter than his elder brother, with a willowy figure and a slow, loping manner of speech.
Princess Alissera di Caernavir (aged 55) - The eldest sister of the deceased Aethlar V, Alissera was set for a profitable marriage with her father's most influential vassal the Count of Ygris, but she was struck down at age seventeen with the Red Pox. This left her with a curved spine and a pock-marked face, to the point where she was considered unmarriageable and left to reside at her brother's court. Never seen in public without a heavy black veil and attended by her sombre ladies-in-waiting, Alissera has gained something of a reputation amongst the poorest citizens of the nation as a mysterious and fearsome figure. Privately, she is perhaps the most educated member of the family, reading extensively on an enormous variety of subjects and writing a large amount of philosophical and religious works.
Princess Haldetrude di Caernavir (aged 18) - The third and youngest legitimate child of Aethlar V, Haldetrude is known to be closest to her sister-in-law Queen Eadrith. She is tall, with an elegant disposition, and is an accomplished musician and dancer. Considered the most eligible virgin in the kingdom, suggestions for her marriage are mooted constantly. Like Eadrith, she is not considered exceptionally political by the wider nobility.
Lord Gaewin di Faz-Caernavir 'the Blackheart' (aged 23) - Technically the eldest son of King Aethlar V, Gaewin is a bastard born between the King and Alysandra di Recksmanworth, an attendant to Queen Hiltruda. He is nicknamed 'the Blackheart' somewhat incongruously by his enemies, mainly because of his unsociable disposition. He is employed as the captain of the Royal Guard, and was ennobled in a rare act of amiability by his half-brother after his father's demise. He is known to be close to his aunt Alissera but estranged from the Queen-Mother and his other half-brother Prince Lethlin.
Lady Eadgifu di Faz-Caernavir (aged 20) - Sister to Lord Gaewin, second bastard child of King Aethlar V.
Princess Gerberga, Countess of Ygris (aged 49) - Second sister of King Aethlar V, married the Count of Ygris in the place of her sister.
Nation/Realms Name: Gwethydd
Race name: Gwethyn - humans.
Racial appearance: The Gwethyn are generally fair-skinned but tan easily under the sun. The peasants are small and stocky, with a disposition towards muscle due to their agricultural lifestyle. The most common eye colour by far is green, with some 75% of the population possessing green eyes. Next most common is brown, which is largely concentrated in the slightly warmer southerly regions of the kingdom. The nobles are generally quite tall, with heights for a man averaging out at around 5'10, and are renowned for their physical hardiness too - Gwethyn noble culture dictating that they must participate as much as possible in competitive jousts and testosterone fuelled bouts of physical strength. The fashion is for men to remain clean shaven and to wear their hair at a middling length, while women nearly always keep their hair long.
Racial traits: The Gwethyn are known for their general good-nature around Ethica, and are renowned for how well-fed their peasant folk seem to be and how upbeat most people encountered while passing through the kingdom are. Gwethyn are also known for their hospitality and generally high level of diplomatic skill, though some postulate that this may be a sign of either cowardice or duplicity. The nobility of the kingdom are renowned for their jousting skills, as well as their penchant for great romantic gestures - most nobles are accomplished dancers, singers and poets, leading to Gwethyn men being regarded as somewhat effeminate by those of the northern nations.
Capital: Harksmoor is the administrative and cultural capital of the Kingdom of Gwethyn, and is the major seat of royal power for the Caernavir dynasty. Strategically located near the centre of the kingdom, all major roads were purposefully designed by King Raethlar III 'The Bricklayer' to lead back to this city. Therefore it is a bustling metropolis by Gwethyn standards, with grain arriving and being sent out to various stations around the Empire constantly. It is also the centre of Gwethyn arts and scholarship, which are not insignificant, and contains Eldva University, which is the major training post for the Gwethyn priesthood and scholarly elite alike. Harksmoor is famed for its fine marble architecture; the best in the kingdom, designed primarily to entertain ambassadors, and its wide open green spaces and plazas, which incorporate orchards of citrus trees from which local people are free to take lemons and oranges as they see fit.
Capital Population: 41,000
Other Major Settlements: Red Roost (population: 19,000) - The Count of Red Roost is often held to be a powerful vassal in the kingdom, not due to the wealth of his lands (which are mainly forest and so not arable) but due to the situation of his capital in the far north of Gwethydd. Red Roost is located in the depths of the Heldamar Forest, which has led to a common joke in Harksmoor being that it actually doesn't exist. Nonetheless, as the most northerly city, Red Roost is generally the first stopping point for travellers from the more northerly parts of the Empire and has, in this vein, picked up a minor reputation for licentiousness and bawdy-houses.
Autrisia (population: 17,000) - The Count of Ygris holds an unremarkable capital in the far west of the nation. Consisting generally of wooden residences with Castle Austri-Heinder dominating the skyline with its tall black parapets, this town serves as the administrative and trading capital of perhaps the most fertile crescent of land in the entire kingdom, and so its population can balloon to over 30,000 after the harvest when the local peasants and small-holders gather to flog their wares to be sent back to Harksmoor or beyond.
Farlook Post (population: 24,000) - The second most populous town in Gwethydd is also its main port, situated in the east of the nation. It is something of a misnomer; it was established just over a century ago by King Aethlar IV and was originally a small post - a cursory expedition by the generally inward looking and insular Gwethyn, but quickly expanded as various foreigners gathered to trade luxury goods and spices into the kingdom. It is currently governed in tenure by a group of influential merchants called The Convocation, who keep a close check on international merchant behaviour and act as a sort of unofficial bank in all parts of the kingdom.
Population: 1,500,000 (of which c. 130,000 are urbanised).
Culture: The Kingdom has a reputation for excellence in scholarship and arts, most generally associated with Harksmoor and its university. Poetry and music as well as the composition of treatises on religion and philosophy are commonly produced in Gwethydd and distributed throughout the Empire.
Generally regarded as a somewhat patriarchal society, inheritance laws mean that the existence of Queen-Regnants and Ladies who rule suo jure is relatively rare; though the kingdom has a reputation for its wily women and dull-headed men. The deaths of several of its kings in questionable circumstances have led to long and prosperous regencies under a succession of Queens-Regent.
Fashion wise, the poor of Gwethyn favour sturdy leather or cloth to be worn in the fields and used for tilling, and generally reside in small cottages collected in hamlets or villages. Most farmers are directly tithed to a landowner who himself will probably answer, along with six or seven others, to a minor noble or 'Swaysman' who owns the land at the grace of a local Baron, who may himself do so either in his own right or under the vassalage of a Count, the highest level of nobility.
The wealthy members of Gwethyn society are unafraid to show off in terms of fashion, with elaborate hairstyles amongst the women being particularly popular. Unmarried women wear their hair down and brushed straight so that it collects around their waist, and usually only decorate it with thin golden bands or other less extravagant items. Married women are distinguished by wearing their hair up in tall and elaborate hairstyles, often fastened with diamond broach pins and signets of the house that they are married into. Apart from that, Gwethyn fashion is generally conservative, with the bearing of cleavage being generally seen as vulgar.
Type of Government: The King is advised by a Conclave of Elders, which consists of five councillors selected at his own will. Traditionally these would have comprised of the most senior members of the Gwethyn aristocracy, but over the years successive monarchs have moved this into a more appointment based system.
Aside from that, the King operates a relatively loose amount of control over his vassals. Centralisation is low and usually only necessitated by the unparalleled infrastructure provided from Harksmoor, and so the vassals rebel sparingly.
Influence and relations:
Military -
Standing army - none.
Full levies raised - 35,000 men.
Normal levies raised - 15,000 men.
Unit demographics: The Gwethyn army is largely based on mobility, and is largely comprised of skirmishers and archers. The nation is also famous for its slingers and spear-throwers, who have been known to hit a target at a hundred paces. Cavalry is also well accounted for, but is generally comprised of light cavalry that is used to harry and chase down fleeing foes or heavier, less mobile enemies. There is a noted lack of both heavy cavalry (i.e. knights, which are absent apart from the small privileged class who can afford heavy armour) and heavy infantry. It is also slow to muster, and takes valuable men away from agricultural work.
Landscape: The landscape of Gwethydd is temperate and generally quite flat. There are some forests to the north and some hills to the west, but apart from that the main crescent of its land is well sourced with a criss-cross of minor rivers and protection from the western hills so as to provide perfect conditions for the growing of most major grains and fruits.
Economy: Well off to a point, but enormously disproportionate. Some 90% of the Gwethyn population are serf peasants who live in tithe to the land.
Religion: There are rumours of a host of folk deities being venerated in the northern forests, and efforts (which some would call desperation) are made in the theological and philosophical capital in Harksmoor to bring these into line with more traditional imperial theology. There are also strange whisperings that members of the royal family, particularly the Queen-Mother and her sister-in-law, have made dangerous investigations into the mysteries surrounding Azueral.
History: Gwethydd was one of the first kingdoms to capitulate into the Empire, almost without a fight. It swore its allegiance under the reign of King Aethlar I 'The Prudent', who oversaw that it took its rightful place as one of the chief suppliers of the most basic commodity that any nation requires in order to increase its power. Before that, Gwethydd had been a loosely backward conglomeration of unaffiliated nobles, with only the area immediately surrounding Harksmoor being ruled as any sort of 'kingdom'. It was partly bluff to convince the first Empress that Aethlar held control over as much land as he claimed to, and it was only as a vassal that he was able to claim the vast majority of the province.
The Kingdom holds the distinction of being one of the only vassals to never have rebelled against the Empire and so has a reputation, depending on who you ask, of loyalty or of complete cowardice and spinelessness. Famous for mediating in disputes, the kings of Gwethydd have been an almost constant presence in correspondence with those who ruled Ethica, some of whom regarded the kingdom as a nuisance and others who saw its worth and kept it close.
Recently, King Aethlar V was killed in a riding accident and his profligate son Aethlar VI succeeded him. Rumours abound about whether the Queen-Mother or any other members of the royal family were involved, and the Kingdom must resolve its own shaky hold on power as well as offering its effervescent council to the Empire at large.
Strengths: Diplomacy, a major breadbasket, peace within the kingdom.
Weaknesses: Weak army, dangerous infighting within the royal family.
Export: Fruits, wines, grain, timber, learning.
Import: Silks, cotton, jewels, stone, iron.
Race name: Gwethyn - humans.
Racial appearance: The Gwethyn are generally fair-skinned but tan easily under the sun. The peasants are small and stocky, with a disposition towards muscle due to their agricultural lifestyle. The most common eye colour by far is green, with some 75% of the population possessing green eyes. Next most common is brown, which is largely concentrated in the slightly warmer southerly regions of the kingdom. The nobles are generally quite tall, with heights for a man averaging out at around 5'10, and are renowned for their physical hardiness too - Gwethyn noble culture dictating that they must participate as much as possible in competitive jousts and testosterone fuelled bouts of physical strength. The fashion is for men to remain clean shaven and to wear their hair at a middling length, while women nearly always keep their hair long.
Racial traits: The Gwethyn are known for their general good-nature around Ethica, and are renowned for how well-fed their peasant folk seem to be and how upbeat most people encountered while passing through the kingdom are. Gwethyn are also known for their hospitality and generally high level of diplomatic skill, though some postulate that this may be a sign of either cowardice or duplicity. The nobility of the kingdom are renowned for their jousting skills, as well as their penchant for great romantic gestures - most nobles are accomplished dancers, singers and poets, leading to Gwethyn men being regarded as somewhat effeminate by those of the northern nations.
Capital: Harksmoor is the administrative and cultural capital of the Kingdom of Gwethyn, and is the major seat of royal power for the Caernavir dynasty. Strategically located near the centre of the kingdom, all major roads were purposefully designed by King Raethlar III 'The Bricklayer' to lead back to this city. Therefore it is a bustling metropolis by Gwethyn standards, with grain arriving and being sent out to various stations around the Empire constantly. It is also the centre of Gwethyn arts and scholarship, which are not insignificant, and contains Eldva University, which is the major training post for the Gwethyn priesthood and scholarly elite alike. Harksmoor is famed for its fine marble architecture; the best in the kingdom, designed primarily to entertain ambassadors, and its wide open green spaces and plazas, which incorporate orchards of citrus trees from which local people are free to take lemons and oranges as they see fit.
Capital Population: 41,000
Other Major Settlements: Red Roost (population: 19,000) - The Count of Red Roost is often held to be a powerful vassal in the kingdom, not due to the wealth of his lands (which are mainly forest and so not arable) but due to the situation of his capital in the far north of Gwethydd. Red Roost is located in the depths of the Heldamar Forest, which has led to a common joke in Harksmoor being that it actually doesn't exist. Nonetheless, as the most northerly city, Red Roost is generally the first stopping point for travellers from the more northerly parts of the Empire and has, in this vein, picked up a minor reputation for licentiousness and bawdy-houses.
Autrisia (population: 17,000) - The Count of Ygris holds an unremarkable capital in the far west of the nation. Consisting generally of wooden residences with Castle Austri-Heinder dominating the skyline with its tall black parapets, this town serves as the administrative and trading capital of perhaps the most fertile crescent of land in the entire kingdom, and so its population can balloon to over 30,000 after the harvest when the local peasants and small-holders gather to flog their wares to be sent back to Harksmoor or beyond.
Farlook Post (population: 24,000) - The second most populous town in Gwethydd is also its main port, situated in the east of the nation. It is something of a misnomer; it was established just over a century ago by King Aethlar IV and was originally a small post - a cursory expedition by the generally inward looking and insular Gwethyn, but quickly expanded as various foreigners gathered to trade luxury goods and spices into the kingdom. It is currently governed in tenure by a group of influential merchants called The Convocation, who keep a close check on international merchant behaviour and act as a sort of unofficial bank in all parts of the kingdom.
Population: 1,500,000 (of which c. 130,000 are urbanised).
Culture: The Kingdom has a reputation for excellence in scholarship and arts, most generally associated with Harksmoor and its university. Poetry and music as well as the composition of treatises on religion and philosophy are commonly produced in Gwethydd and distributed throughout the Empire.
Generally regarded as a somewhat patriarchal society, inheritance laws mean that the existence of Queen-Regnants and Ladies who rule suo jure is relatively rare; though the kingdom has a reputation for its wily women and dull-headed men. The deaths of several of its kings in questionable circumstances have led to long and prosperous regencies under a succession of Queens-Regent.
Fashion wise, the poor of Gwethyn favour sturdy leather or cloth to be worn in the fields and used for tilling, and generally reside in small cottages collected in hamlets or villages. Most farmers are directly tithed to a landowner who himself will probably answer, along with six or seven others, to a minor noble or 'Swaysman' who owns the land at the grace of a local Baron, who may himself do so either in his own right or under the vassalage of a Count, the highest level of nobility.
The wealthy members of Gwethyn society are unafraid to show off in terms of fashion, with elaborate hairstyles amongst the women being particularly popular. Unmarried women wear their hair down and brushed straight so that it collects around their waist, and usually only decorate it with thin golden bands or other less extravagant items. Married women are distinguished by wearing their hair up in tall and elaborate hairstyles, often fastened with diamond broach pins and signets of the house that they are married into. Apart from that, Gwethyn fashion is generally conservative, with the bearing of cleavage being generally seen as vulgar.
Type of Government: The King is advised by a Conclave of Elders, which consists of five councillors selected at his own will. Traditionally these would have comprised of the most senior members of the Gwethyn aristocracy, but over the years successive monarchs have moved this into a more appointment based system.
Aside from that, the King operates a relatively loose amount of control over his vassals. Centralisation is low and usually only necessitated by the unparalleled infrastructure provided from Harksmoor, and so the vassals rebel sparingly.
Influence and relations:
The Heartlands - Tilrinics and Gwethyn are very similar culturally, both cultures are known for producing good orators and love the arts. The Imperial Family has traditionally kept good ties with a breadbasket of the Empire. There has even been a marriage alliance or two over the years. The Caernavir capitulated without a fight in the beginning of the Empire, only the second peoples to do so. To this day they make up a good number of the Imperial regiments since the common folk of both provinces get along so well.
Military -
Standing army - none.
Full levies raised - 35,000 men.
Normal levies raised - 15,000 men.
Unit demographics: The Gwethyn army is largely based on mobility, and is largely comprised of skirmishers and archers. The nation is also famous for its slingers and spear-throwers, who have been known to hit a target at a hundred paces. Cavalry is also well accounted for, but is generally comprised of light cavalry that is used to harry and chase down fleeing foes or heavier, less mobile enemies. There is a noted lack of both heavy cavalry (i.e. knights, which are absent apart from the small privileged class who can afford heavy armour) and heavy infantry. It is also slow to muster, and takes valuable men away from agricultural work.
Landscape: The landscape of Gwethydd is temperate and generally quite flat. There are some forests to the north and some hills to the west, but apart from that the main crescent of its land is well sourced with a criss-cross of minor rivers and protection from the western hills so as to provide perfect conditions for the growing of most major grains and fruits.
Economy: Well off to a point, but enormously disproportionate. Some 90% of the Gwethyn population are serf peasants who live in tithe to the land.
Religion: There are rumours of a host of folk deities being venerated in the northern forests, and efforts (which some would call desperation) are made in the theological and philosophical capital in Harksmoor to bring these into line with more traditional imperial theology. There are also strange whisperings that members of the royal family, particularly the Queen-Mother and her sister-in-law, have made dangerous investigations into the mysteries surrounding Azueral.
History: Gwethydd was one of the first kingdoms to capitulate into the Empire, almost without a fight. It swore its allegiance under the reign of King Aethlar I 'The Prudent', who oversaw that it took its rightful place as one of the chief suppliers of the most basic commodity that any nation requires in order to increase its power. Before that, Gwethydd had been a loosely backward conglomeration of unaffiliated nobles, with only the area immediately surrounding Harksmoor being ruled as any sort of 'kingdom'. It was partly bluff to convince the first Empress that Aethlar held control over as much land as he claimed to, and it was only as a vassal that he was able to claim the vast majority of the province.
The Kingdom holds the distinction of being one of the only vassals to never have rebelled against the Empire and so has a reputation, depending on who you ask, of loyalty or of complete cowardice and spinelessness. Famous for mediating in disputes, the kings of Gwethydd have been an almost constant presence in correspondence with those who ruled Ethica, some of whom regarded the kingdom as a nuisance and others who saw its worth and kept it close.
Recently, King Aethlar V was killed in a riding accident and his profligate son Aethlar VI succeeded him. Rumours abound about whether the Queen-Mother or any other members of the royal family were involved, and the Kingdom must resolve its own shaky hold on power as well as offering its effervescent council to the Empire at large.
Strengths: Diplomacy, a major breadbasket, peace within the kingdom.
Weaknesses: Weak army, dangerous infighting within the royal family.
Export: Fruits, wines, grain, timber, learning.
Import: Silks, cotton, jewels, stone, iron.
