Ruler: His Most Warlike Majesty, King Gorm Bloodaxe, Lord of Wyngard (CE male human [Filani], Brb 13)
Government: Independent autocracy with hereditary rulership (in theory); king of the realm is the most charismatic leader of the largest barbarian tribe; his eldest son inherits the throne upon the king's death but any rival may seize the crown if he proves to be stonger or more charismatic; much authority is actually held by various tribal chieftains and shamans
Rule of Law: Chaotic Evil. Violent and generally unpredictable society with few written laws. Few organizations exist and those few that do are ruled by strength of arms. Leader-types only maintain power as long as they maintain a show of strength.
Capital: Valjala (pop. 8,400)
Major Towns: Krakensport (pop. 3,900), Stormhaven (pop. 4,300)
Population: 200,000- Human 90% (F), dwarf 5% (brown 80%, black 20%), orcs 3%, half-orc 1%, other 1%
Major Religions: Mordagh, Jocasta, Galdor, Shastra, Uino, Nauru, Suomi, Ulrik, Dwarf pantheon, Orc pantheon
Major Resources: Scare, some timber and ivory
Military: 10,000 (includes medium and heavy infantry, some light cavalry and a roughly 70 longboats)
Allies: Pohvala (sometimes)
Enemies: Filani Freeholds, Keralia, Jarandis, Brynthian Empire, Eileania
Coinage: Standard Common
Wyngard is a warlike and hostile land of barbarians and sea raiders. They are suspicious of arcane magic and have little need for law. The majority of the Filani population are chaotic neutral and chaotic evil and have a strong sense of individualism and self-determination. The king of the realm rules through shear might and force of arms alone rather than such intellectual ideals such as divine right. The king heads the strongest tribe of barbarians and the others tend to follow his lead though they are still free to live as they choose. Even the climate tends to be unpleasant with very short cool summers and long, cold winters with strong winds and heavy snowfall.
The lands of Wyngard are indeed a violent and warlike place. Children of the realm are not considered actual adults in the community until they pass a test of adulthood. The test generally involves hand-to-hand combat to the death of a ritual hunt with no weapons and little gear. It is no wonder that the folk of the region are a strong and hearty lot.
The barbarians of the land are expert explorers and sailors. They carve great longboats and sail the waters to raid defenseless communities along the coasts. Occasionally, the raiders will kidnap brides in addition to treasures. It is widely known that the current queen was the victim of one such raid from a humble fishing village along the eastern shores of the Filani Freeholds. Queen Brynhilde has no love for the King but tries to make the best of the situation since there seems to be little hope of ever escaping. She is indeed a legendary beauty.
Rumors: A strange Cult of the Kraken has been developing the in secret locations in the city of Stormwatch. The members of the cult worship a powerful kraken that maintains a lair far out in the sea known as the Maelstrom for its may whirlpools and water hazards. The cultists are said to possess usual spells and abilities that mimick attack forms of the kraken. The Queen of Pohvala has been trying to conquer this domain for many years in order to add the lands to her own. She sends out spies to Valjala on an almost regular basis to see what the king is up to.