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Kingdom of Vyddru

Location/Geography

Claim #6.

The Kingdom of Vyddru encompasses territory that features mostly grassy, rolling hills and mountains. Once thick with forest, centuries of logging for wood and agriculture development has left Vyddru's south bare. In the north, the grasslands give way to wooded highlands and low, mountainous plateaus. Its coastline is laden with strips of sandy dune pastures and rocky outcrops. 
The climate of most of the Kingdom's possessions is mild and wet. Its north-most territories are prone to heavy rainfall, with frequent but lighter showers closer to the shore. Rain is most frequent during the winter months. Snow in winter is not common at sea level, but occurs frequently at higher elevations. 

Important Territories WIP
Ynys Dantom

General Introduction

Vyddru is an old kingdom, situated within an ancient realm dominated by the Gwyllion. Long thought by humans abroad to be spirits, or fae, the Gwyllion are a formerly-reclusive race of lithe, bright-eyed humanoids. Over the past thousand years, Vyddru has gradually broken into the international community and expanded its sphere of influence in the east. Once a land divided into client states of the Ardonian Empire and tribal lands, Vyddru is now a sovereign nation in its own right. In recent years, the realm's conflict with the xenophobic, pro-human Order has come to a standstill and has continued to establish trade relations abroad.   

History

In antiquity, Vyddru was a vast, wild home to many tribes of the Gwyllion. Divided into clans and tribal identities, these factions coexisted through trade, though frequently warred over territory and possessions. They worshiped many gods, and followed the rituals and traditions as decreed by the druids. 

Their way of life took a dramatic change when the Ardonian Empire sent ships across the sea, and began to settle in traditional Gwyllion land. They first landed at Ynys Dantom, establishing imperial settlements and forming client states out of conquered lands. Initial contact did not bode well for either side, and soon the Ardonians began to mount incursions into the ancient mainland. 

Centuries of warfare saw the balance of power shift between the Empire's legions and their tribal warrior adversaries; though better equipped and orderly, the legionaries succumbed to the Gwyllion warriors in ambushes and raids, where they had the advantage of familiarity with the land. Some tribes fell under Imperial occupation, and there were indeed Gwyllion that served the foreigners in military capacity. The Ardonians brought Revelationism to Vyddru, resulting in the conversion of subjugated Gwyllion tribes.

In time, the Ardonian Empire was beginning to strain itself under the burden of war. With the fighting against Zhodul, Alexan's purge of the dragons, and his subsequent overthrowing by Gullo, the Empire gradually abandoned Vyddru, leaving behind their former subjects. As hostilities came to an end, with both cultures having had their share of defectors to either side, great cultural exchanges were the hallmark of this new peace. Gradually, Gwyllion society evolved to take on Ardonian influences, with a feudal system rooted in its old legacy of tribal communes. Imperial technological developments and academics were adopted by the Vyddreig, and the kingdoms that arose from antiquity engaged in trade. There remains an Ardonian-Gwyllion culture, and influences from Imperial rule are evident in society and government. 

Fast-forward several centuries of unification and infrastructural development, and Vyddru has reached its hand into the international sphere. It has established itself as a fast-growing nation with a strong maritime presence in the east. Its borders have expanded northward, resulting in warring upon contact with the southward-bound Order. The Kingdom's northward expanse was halted forty years ago, when the Order moved to invade the Kingdom of Iorica, a territory that was to be inherited by Duke Bryn of Helonshire, cousin to King Maldwyn IV. War broke out between the two powers, with the Kingdom's armies gaining an edge after a strong initial push. However, decades of fighting had left the northern countryside in ruin and taken its toll on Vyddru's treasury. Popular opinion in favor of the war was diminishing. A solid Order counteroffensive eventually pried Iorica from Vyddru's aspirations with the Battle of Dalion. 

The Order had laid siege to the city of Dalion, constructing an artillery park that outranged the Iorican guns. The fortification was built from wooden palisades, surrounded by a deep trench and dirt walls. The position of the guns allowed the inhabitants of the park to enfilade attackers, and was bedecked with several dozens of cannons. In a rash bid to relieve the siege and secure his fief, Duke Bryn attacked the park with his contingent of men. Seeing this, his allied battles advanced behind, but came under fire from the Order's guns. Fierce fighting broke out once the Vyddreig army reached the palisades, but the cannon had taken a heavy toll on the men, killing many at a time. As the men stumbled over the defenses and tried to breach the walls, the Order's famous Black Knights emerged from a thick wood on the left flank, previously hidden from view. The knights charged into the Vyddreig flank, routing the army from the field. Duke Bryn was killed during the battle, and his claim to Iorica was shattered with him. Over the course of the Vyddru's wars with the Order, both sides were becoming exhausted from fighting; eventually neither resumed their expanse. Both sides have agreed to peace, and they engage in trade.

In recent years... TBD

Government

Vyddru's society is grouped into three parts: the monarchy, the nobility and the peasantry. These three groups are represented respectively by the King, the House of Peers and the House of Regulars. The monarchy, consisting of the king and his direct family, is theoretically dependent on the nobility for funding and military service. In practice, however, Vyddru's monarchy is wealthy enough to support itself, thus negating much leverage the House of Peers has over it. The country's parliament has also been made benign through the creation of a vast private bureaucracy of civil servants, loyal solely to the king. As a result, the nobility is largely a symbolic institution, harking back to Vyddru's roots as a clan-centric web of tribes. 

A large percentage of the monarchy's wealth was sourced from disbanded Revelationist monasteries and venues, a result of the the administrative orders called the Dissolution of the Revelationists. The wealth of these monasteries was appropriated by the monarchy, and their personnel dismissed or reassigned, and assets disposed. The Dissolution came at a time when public favor in support of Revelationism was dying, being replaced by widespread neo-pagan movements that sought to resurrect the faith of old Vyddru. King Rhodri III took advantage of this, securing the wealth of the Revelationist church in Vyddru for himself, to fund his military and economic endeavors. 

Race, Culture & Society

The Gwyllion used to be the stuff of legend, long ago in the bronze age. Vyddru was still a wild, unexplored region then, and the Gwyllion were through by local human communities to be spirits of nature. Such mysticism is far from the truth, however, as they are flesh and blood, the same as any creature on two legs. They are not so different from humans in appearance, but the average of them are lithe, lean of build and gaunt-faced. While it would be easy to mistake them for humans at a distance, up close, their features are more hawkish, alien. They have fair skin and bright-colored eyes, usually blue or green. 

Economy & Industry

Vyddru's soil is sub-optimal for crops, yet swathes of forest have been cut over time to allow for agricultural development. Simple crops like barley, wheat, maize, cereals, oilseed rape and potatoes are grown in the south. It imports a substantial amount of exotic crop, some of which finds its way along Vyddru's trade routes to the Order. Vyddru is a country with plenty of wind and rain: windmills are common sights to see as farmers take advantage of air currents. The kingdom's real agricultural focus lies in the raising of livestock. Its vast fields of grass are perfect grazing grounds. While cattle has been a strong staple of wealth in the country's past, sheep and goats are more commonly herded today. Some foodstuff is also sourced from the sea. 

The land is rich in metal ore, namely iron, lead, zinc and silver. Gold is sometimes found in its northern mountains. As a result, it boasts a strong industrial infrastructure of smelting and metalworking. Though it does not have as pronounced a reverence as the Order, smithing is a lucrative art, and many quality metal goods come out of Vyddru. A large percentage of metals are exported overseas. Stone is often quarried in the north, where the terrain is mountainous and uneven. As most forests were logged long ago, most structures are built from stone, earth and thatch. 

Military Overview

Vyddru's armies have historically been built around infantry, owing to a lack of horses and flat terrain to capitalize on the advantages of cavalry. It does field mounted lances, but to a lesser extent than other powers – only about ten to fifteen percent of Vyddru's mounted men-at-arms are knights, and they are used to dismounting before battle. Less knights and nobles take to the field nowadays, as traditional feudal levies are replaced by full-time, paid mercenaries. The service of professional soldiers costs less to employ than knighted individuals, so it is more cost-effective simply not to hire knights. Low-born men are also much less prone than nobility to complain when prolonged, hard-going campaigns are underway. Men-at-arms (a blanket term for lances, both low-born and knighted) and archers roughly comprise the main fighting force of the Vyddreig armies, in ratios from 1:3 to as high as 1:6. 

Organization

In times of war, lords were once required to grant fiefs to their vassals for military service. Men are now contracted to fight instead – a “bastard feudalism” in which captains are beholden to a system of indentures. These contract captains to raise an agreed-upon number of soldiers in service to the king. Indentures also specify the time and place of muster, the rate of pay for the men, disciplinary conduct, and what share of plunder is allowed. Captains are traditionally paid half upon the signing of the contract, and half upon their arrival at muster, after a survey of the correct number of heads under his command. The duration and personnel count of these indentures is dependent on the campaign, and not all men may know the captain or lord he serves under. Usually, companies are contracted for six months at a time. A more permanent indenture may last a dozen, with quarterly pay.

Equipment

Lances, be they knighted or not, are equipped in similar fashion and have the same military function irregardless of social rank. Knights, however, can expect more pay as a result of their status than common men-at-arms. The lance is covered from head to toe in plate armor, forgoing the shield of the past century. Underneath, a padded akteon is worn for comfort and to absorb blows landed on the armor. The armored suit is heavily articulated, allowing for flexibility and ease of movement. Areas which may not be completely encased are protected by mail. The most popular helmets used by lances are the bascinet and kettle helm. The former tapers to a point at the top of the head to deflect blows, and may be worn with or without a visor. The kettle helm also tapers to the top of the head, or may be rounded, but has a sloped brim for deflection away from the face. Tabards, worn loosely over the armor, identify the arms of the wearer, though are seldom seen on unknighted lances.

Fighting from horseback, men-at-arms carry a couched lance with steel tip. As the principal weapon of the cavalry charge, it relies on momentum to provide damage from an impact with an enemy soldier. In the aftermath of a charge, when the cavalry has lost its momentum, lances are discarded – often broken – and swords drawn. When fighting dismounted, men-at-arms commonly carry pollaxe weapons. A  hammer and spiked head attached to wooden shaft allows for efficient armor-piercing ability, and can cause internal damage even without penetrating through. The sword of this century has developed into a weapon used principally for thrusting. The blade is long and tapers to a point, wielded to exploit the gaps in-between armored joints. 

The average pikeman in service to Vyddru dons blackened, munitions-grade plates on his breast and back, with a gorget to protect the throat and tassets over his thighs. He wears an open-faced helm on his crown; the best companies top theirs with a plume of green. He carries a pike with a tapered head about 4.5 meters long, paired with an arming sword. 
Although Vyddrieg infantry is organized into “pikeman companies,” not every man is a pikeman. There are some formations made up of halberdiers, who use their polearms to chop overhead  the rows of pikes. There are sword and buckler men, who maneuver through the pike shafts to incite chaos by slashing and stabbing up close. Also present are swordsmen who carry long Zweihänders, practiced in two-handed half-swording techniques.

Arquebusiers are armored much the same way, though generally wear less protection than their frontline counterparts. Vyddreig innovations, like attachable boxes that weatherproof the firing mechanism, have contributed to the success of black powder weaponry. Although Vyddru has taken measures to embrace black powder, it still focuses heavily on the longbow. The traditional longbow is nearly as tall as a man, with a powerful draw. Such weapons require a lifetime to master, but have proven their worth on the field, having stopped cavalry charges in their tracks and shattered the cohesion enemy formations.
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