Northern Golm

The Nations of Northern Golm

The Auchtland Nations 

In the far north, beyond the imposing Aulgrodd mountain chain, lie the lands collectively called "Auchtland." Attempting to put a single label upon them is misleading, however, as the many human peoples there are staunchly independant and rarely will more than one clan acknowledge the same leader. This rule is broken only in the land of Ansgef, where there is a elected High Chieftan and the political landscape is more stable than the norm.

The Dwarven Homelands

In the distant past, the First Ancestors of the dwarves awoke in deep caverns beneath the peaks of the Aulgrodd mountains. They carved the original hold of Braeburgh (often called Deephaven by the rest of the world), and over many generations spread out through the mountains. For a long time they stayed within the deep places of the world, only venturing to the surface when absolutely necessary. Thus they remained secret from the other races - save for the goblins, who also dwell in caverns and tunnels and are the dwarves' most ancient enemy.

Braeburgh is the oldest and largest (though no longer the most prosperous) of the dwarven holds and is the seat of the High King, though that throne has been vacant for hundreds of years. Each Great Hold is technically an independent realm of its own, ruled by a Thane and a council of elders. Some especially large and powerful holds manage to exert hegemony over their neighbors, but this is never formalized. Most Great Holds also establish a number of lesser holds to serve as mining towns, trade posts, and fill other specialized roles.

Kulmar and its Client Kingdoms

Until the fall of the Obanese Empire, Kulmar existed as a powerful kingdom swearing allegiance to the emperor. Now, it is possibly the most powerful single nation in Golm. Two neighboring kingdoms now bend the knee to the Kulmaran monarch, though said ruler has not yet taken to styling himself an emperor.

Daily life in Kulmar is heavily influenced by the Faith of the Father, which acknowledges, worships, and seeks to further the teachings of The One True God of all humankind. Through their energetic preaching, their church has spread into the Obansul, Liria, and parts of the Auchtland tribes - though the more it grows, the more other religions became wary and even downright hostile. Faith is of great importance in Kulmar and while not technically a theocracy, in practice the King must often contend with the Patriarch for political control.

The Obansul

The original provinces which formed the Obanese Empire were restored to independence when it fell.

Kholvendal

As the northernmost of the provinces, Kholvendal escaped much of the destruction from the war. It is now the most powerful of the Obansul, with a population bolstered by the many refugees it absorbed and whom never returned home after the elves departed. The many powerful nobles of the Obanese Senate, whose authority had long been reduced to ceremonial under the Emperor, revived their old practices and now rule Kholvendal in truth after the old custom of Oban.

Obandal

In direct contrast to Kholvendal stands Obandal, the original heartland of the Empire. The people of this province fought bitterly to turn aside the elvish armies, but were unsuccessful in the end - leaving the homeland shattered and depopulated. The elves utterly destroyed the capital city of Nerenth and now it stands as a vast ruin in the center of an abandoned region. In the east the province has begun to recover, but there the population are threatened by raids from the Valsarian peoples. Obandal is ruled over by its Archduke, but his ability to offer aid and protection to his people is still severely limited.

Vokrendal

Vokrendal received the second-worst treatment in the fall of the Empire, though it has recovered far faster than Obandal and has even managed to quietly annex some lands from its neighboring province. Various factions of the Senate also tried to flee to Vokrendal, but the Archduke cleverly applied propaganda and convinced the populace that the war (or at least, the fact that the Empire lost) was the fault of the senate. As a result, the authority of the Archducal throne is firm.

Iskendal

 Though Iskendal was the site of many of the early battles of the war, this was before it grew grim and bitter and thus the long-term effects were minor. Iskendal's nobles adopted a policy of appeasement towards the elves and their southern border is now peaceful, if tense. This did not endear them to the other provinces, though, and the nation has few political allies, leaving it in a precarious position.

Anzendal

Largely ignored by the elves on their march to destroy Nerenth, Anzendal came out of the war little the worse for wear. However, it was never the richest of the imperial provinces due to its landlocked status and somewhat poor soil. Only in Anzendal has the traditional Obanese power structure of Archduke and Senate remained intact, with neither one having managed to marginalize the other - yet.

The Valsarian Tribes

Another attempt by scholars to put a single name upon a varied people, the many tribes of the Valsarian plains and steppes are perhaps the most defiant of easy classification. They are constantly at war with their neighbors in all directions, raiding back and forth across extremely blurred "borders." Only the dwarves to their north escape this hostility, for none of the Valsarian peoples have the ability to effectively attack the heavily fortified dwarven holds. Thus, the dwarves often trade with the tribes, even allying with them against marauding hordes of goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs that often sweep out of the far east.