Cosmogene: A deeper survey.
The Divisions of the Cosmogenean Union
The Union is divided into six parts, the Human Duchies of Sicarus with its capital in New Cosmogene, Ferre with its capital in Irem and Darush with its capital in Varchas, and the Dwarfish Kingdoms of Karaskand with its capital in Karash, Syrus with its capital in Khazid Belegar and Idris with its capital in Solnur.
The High Kingdom:
"High King of the Cosmogenean Union, Defender of the Holy Places, Keeper of the Forest of Viric, Binder of the Oaths"
The High Kingdom is currently vacant after the death of Heinrich Duke of Ferre, with what would usually be a fairly obvious choice of the oldest Human Duke being muddled by some political scheming due to the similar ages of the Dukes of Sicarus and Darush. By the traditional criteria the Duke of Darush Garrus being the eldest would take the crown but due to his wishes to use the power of the High King to go to war over his rather poor claims in the North many of the Electors are leaning towards the slightly younger Duke of Sicarus Gerhardt. Meeting at the tomb of Frederick Ironskull in Narseh, the Electors are willing to select the Duke of Darush if he foreswears his claims but will otherwise back Gerhardt.
Human Lands:
Sicarus:
"Gerhardt, Thirteenth of his name, Duke of Sicarus, Lord of the Orcish and Troll Marks, and New Cosmogene, Overlord and Grand Captain of the colony of Fredricksburg, Guarantor of the First Treaty and Wielder of the Blade of Old Cosmogene"
The Duchy of Sicarus is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Duchies. It was the only Duchy whose settlement predates the Cataclysm and its Duke is the heir of such heroes as the great Gerhardt Oakfist and it was here that Frederick Ironskull was born. Its climate is largely Mediterranean, is highly populous and is dominated by the river of Cosmogene. The people are largely descended from the peoples of Old Cosmogene with some admixture with a Campustribus Imperial expedition from before the Cataclysm. A century ago, not long after the last accord between Dwarf and Man was struck the colony of Fredericksburg was founded on the isles south of the forest of Viric to harvest lumber. Initially, the colony was profitable and prospered but when the new trees were planted they withered and died and the colony has barely eked out an existence since. The Duke of Sicarus' primary obligation is defending the approaches from Campestribus from any enemy, Orc, Troll or Man and his ceremonial obligations at the coronation of a new High King are to present the blade of Old Cosmogene, an ancient bronze sword from before the Cataclysm and to recite the human part of the oaths of the First Treaty.
Ferre:
"Arngrim, Sixth of his name, Duke of Ferre, Defender of the Holy city of Narseh, Sovereign of all the lands that once belonged to the Elf-King of Aelfelas, Lord of the Elfmark, Irem and the Isle of Carnelian, Guarantor of the Second Treaty and Trustee of the Crown of the Lord of the Burning Waters"
Ferre was the second of the Duchies to be settled and the first after the Cataclysm under the leadership of the holy lord Frederick Ironskull. The holiest city in the Frederician faith, Narseh is situated in the duchy and it is there that the tomb of the holy Ironskull lies with his tomb being the chamber where the election of the High King is held. His lands are the richest in all of Cosmogene and the river Irrigo is truly a rival for the older Cosmogene river to the south. The climate is tending towards temperate and the people are largely pure old Cosmogenean stock rather than the mix of the other regions. The defensive duty of Ferre is the most prestigious as he is entrusted with keeping the most hated enemy of the Union from striking, while he is entrusted with Crowning the Helm of Erngrim with the Crown of Frederick Ironskull at the coronation of a new High King and keeping the Human Oaths of the second treaty.
Darush:
"Garrus, Second of his name, Duke of Darush, Lord of the Valmark and Varchas, Prince of the Contested Lands, Guarantor of the Third Treaty, Custodian of the Mace of Gerhardt Oakfist"
The last of the Duchies founded, like Ferre by Frederick Ironskull's great migration after the Cataclysm. The Duke claims some lands to the north in Wali-Dah but the other lords see it as a joke like so much to do with the Duchy. The region is a cool temperate one and the populace have some mix of Wali-Dah. The Duke defends against the Wali-Dah which is seen as a minor front by most in the Union compared to the more important conflicts elsewhere. The Dukes are custodians of the Mace of Gerhardt Oakfist after some shabby dealings with the rather unattractive heiress of his line and present it to the High King at the coronation along with the human keeping of the oaths of the third treaty.
Dwarfish Lands:
Karaskand:
"Gudrun, Twenty-Second of his name, King of Karaskand, First of the Dwarf Lords, Keeper of the Bounty and the Wall of Iron, Giftlord of Steel, Oathkeeper of the First Treaty, Lord of the Hold of Karash and Steward of the Helm of Erngrim"
Karaskand, like Sicarus is the oldest and most prestigious of its kind, in this case oldest of the Dwarfish kingdoms founded a Millennium (or so the chronicles say) before the cataclysm. It was this Kingdom whose prince, Erngrim made the pact with the human forces under Gerhardt Oakfist. It is they who are to supply Steel weapons and armour to those who present Elf ears to them, however rare that may now be and they keep the bounty preserved in all its glory in a great cave under their obligations. The major foodstuff of the region, like all the Dwarf holds relies on Fungiculture to feed its people and its mines are largely situated on great lodes of iron which allows them to supply most of the region and beyond with their renowned wares of steel. The King of Karaskand has little defensive obligation beyond supplying weapons and troops to areas that are more pressured and occasionally leading expeditions to the north or against the Trolls. His part in the coronation of a High King is to place the Helm of Erngrim upon the head of the new High King and to recite the Dwarfish part of the oaths for the first treaty.
Syrus:
"Olfgrond, Fifth of his name, King of Syrus, Prince of Brewers, Oathkeeper of the Third Treaty, Lord of the Grand Canal and the Hold of Khazid Belegar, and Protector of the Great Horn"
Syrus was settled a century and a half before the Cataclysm making it the second oldest constituent of the Union. The settlement of Khazid Belegar was built at the end of a Canal which connected the Irrigo and Cosmogene rivers before the Cataclysm though the King of Syrus did not participate in the first treaty and so is under no obligation to accept any Elf-Bounty but to prevent a loss of face anyway. Far away from conflict, the Kings of Syrus are the greatest brewers of the region and their only obligations are to provide troops to other lords and to present the bejeweled horn of a great Sea-beast found deep in the mines of Khazid Belegar to the High King upon coronation and recites the oaths of the third treaty.
Idris:
"Alrik, Second of his name, King of Idris, Oathkeeper of the Second Treaty, Lord of Smoke Mountain, the Nordmark and the Hold of Solnur, Caretaker of the Banner of Isgrim Steelteeth"
Idris is the youngest of the Dwarf holds, being settled at the same time as the Duchy of Ferre after the Cataclysm by the venerable Isgrim Steelteeth who negotiated the Second treaty with Frederick Ironskull. The mines of Solnur are upon reefs of precious metal but are difficult to mine and are underutilised as a result. As Lord of the Nordmark the King of Idris defends against the rare threats from across the great mountains as well as keeping populations of wild beasts under control. He presents the Banner of his illustrious ancestor to the new High King and recites the oaths his ancestor wrote centuries ago.
The Divisions of the Cosmogenean Union
The Union is divided into six parts, the Human Duchies of Sicarus with its capital in New Cosmogene, Ferre with its capital in Irem and Darush with its capital in Varchas, and the Dwarfish Kingdoms of Karaskand with its capital in Karash, Syrus with its capital in Khazid Belegar and Idris with its capital in Solnur.
The High Kingdom:
"High King of the Cosmogenean Union, Defender of the Holy Places, Keeper of the Forest of Viric, Binder of the Oaths"
The High Kingdom is currently vacant after the death of Heinrich Duke of Ferre, with what would usually be a fairly obvious choice of the oldest Human Duke being muddled by some political scheming due to the similar ages of the Dukes of Sicarus and Darush. By the traditional criteria the Duke of Darush Garrus being the eldest would take the crown but due to his wishes to use the power of the High King to go to war over his rather poor claims in the North many of the Electors are leaning towards the slightly younger Duke of Sicarus Gerhardt. Meeting at the tomb of Frederick Ironskull in Narseh, the Electors are willing to select the Duke of Darush if he foreswears his claims but will otherwise back Gerhardt.
Human Lands:
Sicarus:
"Gerhardt, Thirteenth of his name, Duke of Sicarus, Lord of the Orcish and Troll Marks, and New Cosmogene, Overlord and Grand Captain of the colony of Fredricksburg, Guarantor of the First Treaty and Wielder of the Blade of Old Cosmogene"
The Duchy of Sicarus is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Duchies. It was the only Duchy whose settlement predates the Cataclysm and its Duke is the heir of such heroes as the great Gerhardt Oakfist and it was here that Frederick Ironskull was born. Its climate is largely Mediterranean, is highly populous and is dominated by the river of Cosmogene. The people are largely descended from the peoples of Old Cosmogene with some admixture with a Campustribus Imperial expedition from before the Cataclysm. A century ago, not long after the last accord between Dwarf and Man was struck the colony of Fredericksburg was founded on the isles south of the forest of Viric to harvest lumber. Initially, the colony was profitable and prospered but when the new trees were planted they withered and died and the colony has barely eked out an existence since. The Duke of Sicarus' primary obligation is defending the approaches from Campestribus from any enemy, Orc, Troll or Man and his ceremonial obligations at the coronation of a new High King are to present the blade of Old Cosmogene, an ancient bronze sword from before the Cataclysm and to recite the human part of the oaths of the First Treaty.
Ferre:
"Arngrim, Sixth of his name, Duke of Ferre, Defender of the Holy city of Narseh, Sovereign of all the lands that once belonged to the Elf-King of Aelfelas, Lord of the Elfmark, Irem and the Isle of Carnelian, Guarantor of the Second Treaty and Trustee of the Crown of the Lord of the Burning Waters"
Ferre was the second of the Duchies to be settled and the first after the Cataclysm under the leadership of the holy lord Frederick Ironskull. The holiest city in the Frederician faith, Narseh is situated in the duchy and it is there that the tomb of the holy Ironskull lies with his tomb being the chamber where the election of the High King is held. His lands are the richest in all of Cosmogene and the river Irrigo is truly a rival for the older Cosmogene river to the south. The climate is tending towards temperate and the people are largely pure old Cosmogenean stock rather than the mix of the other regions. The defensive duty of Ferre is the most prestigious as he is entrusted with keeping the most hated enemy of the Union from striking, while he is entrusted with Crowning the Helm of Erngrim with the Crown of Frederick Ironskull at the coronation of a new High King and keeping the Human Oaths of the second treaty.
Darush:
"Garrus, Second of his name, Duke of Darush, Lord of the Valmark and Varchas, Prince of the Contested Lands, Guarantor of the Third Treaty, Custodian of the Mace of Gerhardt Oakfist"
The last of the Duchies founded, like Ferre by Frederick Ironskull's great migration after the Cataclysm. The Duke claims some lands to the north in Wali-Dah but the other lords see it as a joke like so much to do with the Duchy. The region is a cool temperate one and the populace have some mix of Wali-Dah. The Duke defends against the Wali-Dah which is seen as a minor front by most in the Union compared to the more important conflicts elsewhere. The Dukes are custodians of the Mace of Gerhardt Oakfist after some shabby dealings with the rather unattractive heiress of his line and present it to the High King at the coronation along with the human keeping of the oaths of the third treaty.
Dwarfish Lands:
Karaskand:
"Gudrun, Twenty-Second of his name, King of Karaskand, First of the Dwarf Lords, Keeper of the Bounty and the Wall of Iron, Giftlord of Steel, Oathkeeper of the First Treaty, Lord of the Hold of Karash and Steward of the Helm of Erngrim"
Karaskand, like Sicarus is the oldest and most prestigious of its kind, in this case oldest of the Dwarfish kingdoms founded a Millennium (or so the chronicles say) before the cataclysm. It was this Kingdom whose prince, Erngrim made the pact with the human forces under Gerhardt Oakfist. It is they who are to supply Steel weapons and armour to those who present Elf ears to them, however rare that may now be and they keep the bounty preserved in all its glory in a great cave under their obligations. The major foodstuff of the region, like all the Dwarf holds relies on Fungiculture to feed its people and its mines are largely situated on great lodes of iron which allows them to supply most of the region and beyond with their renowned wares of steel. The King of Karaskand has little defensive obligation beyond supplying weapons and troops to areas that are more pressured and occasionally leading expeditions to the north or against the Trolls. His part in the coronation of a High King is to place the Helm of Erngrim upon the head of the new High King and to recite the Dwarfish part of the oaths for the first treaty.
Syrus:
"Olfgrond, Fifth of his name, King of Syrus, Prince of Brewers, Oathkeeper of the Third Treaty, Lord of the Grand Canal and the Hold of Khazid Belegar, and Protector of the Great Horn"
Syrus was settled a century and a half before the Cataclysm making it the second oldest constituent of the Union. The settlement of Khazid Belegar was built at the end of a Canal which connected the Irrigo and Cosmogene rivers before the Cataclysm though the King of Syrus did not participate in the first treaty and so is under no obligation to accept any Elf-Bounty but to prevent a loss of face anyway. Far away from conflict, the Kings of Syrus are the greatest brewers of the region and their only obligations are to provide troops to other lords and to present the bejeweled horn of a great Sea-beast found deep in the mines of Khazid Belegar to the High King upon coronation and recites the oaths of the third treaty.
Idris:
"Alrik, Second of his name, King of Idris, Oathkeeper of the Second Treaty, Lord of Smoke Mountain, the Nordmark and the Hold of Solnur, Caretaker of the Banner of Isgrim Steelteeth"
Idris is the youngest of the Dwarf holds, being settled at the same time as the Duchy of Ferre after the Cataclysm by the venerable Isgrim Steelteeth who negotiated the Second treaty with Frederick Ironskull. The mines of Solnur are upon reefs of precious metal but are difficult to mine and are underutilised as a result. As Lord of the Nordmark the King of Idris defends against the rare threats from across the great mountains as well as keeping populations of wild beasts under control. He presents the Banner of his illustrious ancestor to the new High King and recites the oaths his ancestor wrote centuries ago.
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