Kingdom of Kern Wiki

The Kingdom of Kern : Notes on a fantasy RPG Kingdom.

Current Year: 4265 By the Old Calendar

HARAD TALATH
Harad Talath is the great "Southern Continent" of the known world. It is the primary milieu for the current Adventure Cycle, and the Kingdom of Kern is the primary realm.

Physical Area
The Kingdom of Kern covers an area of ~88 thousand square miles on the Northern Extreme of Harad Talath. Of this, ~25% (22 thousand sq. miles) is arable land, and 74% (65 thousand sq. miles) is wilderness.

Government
The Kingdom of Kern is a hereditary monarchy currently ruled by Halebran, fifth Duke of Coatsee, son of Strachys, son of Alerot, the same Alerot who ascended the throne when his cousin Roderick Bolgheri died without heir at the Battle of Milorn.

The King is bound to his subjects by the rule of law - all laws being published prior to enactment, and being adhered to by all. The King is the effective head of any military forces, and as such is expected to lead his own armies at time of war. There is no standing army as such, but all able-bodied residents of Kern are subject to impressment in the King's Army in times of emergency, with appropriate remuneration for time served. Such remuneration could be gold, land, spoils, or favors of the King or local authority.

The King administers the Kingdom through a series of subdivisions of territory. The basic subdivision is a County, which will have a Count appointed to rule over it, usually a noble family (relative of the King) or a knight or knight's family who has given great service to the King. Counts serve at the pleasure of the King, and are tasked with the day to day governing of affairs within their counties - the primary concerns being maintenance of the King's Peace and collection and administration of the King's Share.

Counties can be collected under a Duchy, administered by a Duke. Currently two such Duchies exist in the political scheme - Duchy Coatsee in the north encompasses 5 counties, and Duchy Hadar Ora in the south encompassing 3 counties.

Counties typically cover an area of ~890 square miles, or the area of a circle that a man could traverse in one day.

In addition to Counties and Duchies, there are numerous freeholds - smaller by far than counties. Knights are granted freeholds, which typically consist of less than 100 square miles, and are autonomous within counties and duchies. Such freeholds granted within a county are rare today, as Counts dislike the cost of revenue and the sharing of power, so new freeholds are usually granted on the frontiers of the Kingdom, where the grantees are expected to enforce the King's Peace and collect and administer the King's Share in lieu of a Count's authority. Active freeholds within established counties still exist, but are rare as they are hereditary grants, and should a knight fail to produce offspring, they are absorbed upon his death into any existing power structure, or simply abandoned.

Knights, Counts, and Dukes are all expected to provide and lead conscripts as needed by the King, and to provide such remuneration as may be required for such service.

Demographics
The Kingdom of Kern is populated primarily by humans, although the other races are not at all unknown to them. Harad Talath has large populations of Dwarves, Elves, Hobbits, and even unaffiliated human populations deep in the Southernmost climes. The bulk of the population of Kern resides in and around the capital city of Kernsee (literally, "seat of Kern"), while a variety of towns and villages dot the countryside, becoming more widely spread as one approaches the kingdom's frontiers.

The capital city of Kernsee has a population of 24 thousand people, and the southernmost city of Lathmoore is home to 12 thousand inhabitants. There are no other cities of note in the kingdom. There are 16 towns and an indeterminate number of small villages, isolated dwellings, etc.

Major Counties
The Governance of Cities and Towns is left to the Count in charge of the County where the population center is located. This can be direct administration by the Count, rule by an appointed Burgomaster, or election of a council by designated electors from the nobility and merchants. No towns currently operate on a widespread suffrage of all people - most require nobility or wealth in their electors.

Most villages are administered by an Alderman, who's job it is act as liaison between the local lord and the villagers. Mostly this consists of taking reports from the local villagers and making the lord aware of the going's on in the village and surrounding area. They are empowered to disburse budgets and collect taxes, although enforcement is typically left up to the County Marshal and his Deputies, who will act at an Alderman's direction. The Alderman is also the adjudicator in village disputes which may arise. Merchants and guilds require his blessing to operate within a village's boundaries, and he can notify the Marshal should any scofflaws attempt to avoid his authority.

County Kern


 * Kernsee : Population 25,000+

County Coatsee


 * Coatsee: Population ~3,700

County Hadar Ora


 * Lathmoore : Population 17,000+
 * Guelder: Population ~2,100

County Brohne


 * Olnwick: Population ~2,500

County Arkalay


 * Arkalay: Population ~2,700

County Hagedorn


 * Hagedorn : Population 10,000

County Breeshigg


 * Plainview : Population 4,500
 * Pel Urihorn : Population ~330

Royal Citadels


 * Pel Est : Population 12,000+
 * Pel Ves: Population 12,000+

Castles
The Kingdom of Kern has 70 active castles and 17 ruined. Of these, 60 castles and 14 ruined are in civilized lands, and 10 castles and 3 ruined are in the wilderness, along borders, etc.

The Guilds
To do extensive business in any of the major cities or towns of Kern is to deal with the Guilds. While these quasi-governing organizations do not affect the normal citizens' lives to any great degree, no major public work can be done without them. They have a habit of injecting themselves into large transactions, and woe betide the one who does not deal with them. Generally some minimum level of business will eventually attract their attention. If a merchant orders 100 nails, there would be no interest from any guild. If someone orders 10,000 nails, or contracts for some large order of equipment, or even wants to purchase an anvil or other parts for a forge, he or she is likely to attract their attention and be approached about "how things work around here." The guilds serve as quality control [they have their good name to think of] but also as something of a cartel as well. Most guilds operate honorably, either out of virtuous motives or in fear of attracting the attention of the local government. Occasionally, some forms of coercion may be relied upon, but as long as nobody is permanently maimed, local government authorities let the guilds sort out their own sphere's of economic influence.