(This deals with the Kingdom of Valdrent as a whole, for more in-depth detail on the specific city, see Valdrent(City))
Valdrent is a monarchy established in the lands north of the Spine Range in the Age of Reclamation. Its capital of the same name is built upon the ruins of Carpath. The realm is notable as the only state to have truly expanded to encompass multiple cities since the fall of the Aergosian Empire. Even more impressively, it has managed this by diplomacy, rather than direct conquest.
History[]
Age of Cataclysm[]
- The seed of what would become Valdrent began durign the Age of Cataclysm. Displaced refugees settled in the ruins of Carpath, cleansed by the Dawn Legion and set to building their own existence there. When the "Daemon God" Xylnulifein brought his army north through the Underworld from Aergoth's ruin, these refugees gave shelter to the Dawn Legion, and aided in the battle when the Daemons emerged from the tunnels. This would secure them friendship and protection from the Dawn Knights, and mark the first of several alliances.
Age of Reclamation[]
- Branneth Valdrent I was the first prominent mayor of this community, when it began to establish itself as a city proper. Among other decisions of his reign, he chose to allow a new religion, the New Church of Humanity to establish a temple within his city. With a rapidly rising following, the New Church elevated Branneth along with them, soon establishing him as the first of a new monarchy. Although distrusted in the multi-racial Delwynvale, this kingdom of Valdrent was able to add Bilberry Hearth to it's fledgling state purely from the missionary efforts of the New Church.
- Although Valdrent still maintained an unsettled peace with Delwynvale, under the influence of the church it began building up its own army. The Dawn Knights would not support the aggresion towards the elves (Yveralisyr and Thualisyr alike) in the north, but were also bound by their earlier oath to defend Valdrent. This made it difficult for the elves to effectively counter-attack in force. Despite their efforts though, Valdrent's army could not match the ability of either elven people in their forests or mountains.
- Frustrated by its lack of success in the north, the Valdrent and New Church gaze turned south on Delwynvale and laid siege. The Dawn Legion, bound by friendship to both sides chose to place itself around the walls of Delwynvale, and the church's armies struck at them, soon forcing them back into the defense of Delwynvale, welcomed by those within. Enraged by this action, Dawn Commander Elias Valar commissioned a band of adventurers to infiltrate the New Church within Valdrent itself, and determine its purpose in these attacks.
- Aided in passing the Valdrent army by a defecting Valdrent commander, Jeral Tarn, who was sickened by the New Church's burning of halfling civilians from Delwynvale, the group passed to Valdrent itself, where they were captured, but freed by the Arbiter Liam Markos, who was himself on a mission to assassinate Branneth Valdrent, for his betrayal of the alliance with the Dawn Legion. Convinced by the group to join them in investigating the agenda of the prophet Lexan, leader of the New church, the expanded band broke into the great cathedral themselves. Finding assorted evidence of disturbing rituals, they would eventually confront Lexan himself, and Liam Markos died battered by spells while using his magical daggers to nail Lexan to the pillars of the collapsing bell tower, both men fallling dozens of stories and being crushed by stones. The group unveiled the New Church as a front for the Dark Source, and with Tarn rallying Valdrent's guard, went to confront the king as a battle broke out between Church and Valdrent forces in the city.
- When they arrived, they found Lexan seemingly unscathed with the King, who demanded the arrest of the group. When the guardsmen refused to the last man, Lexan transformed the king into a horrid creature using some sort of spell, and made an escape as the band defeated the beast. Soon thereafter, Jeral Tarn was proclaimed Warlord and Regent of Valdrent, and would nullify the war with Delwynvale with a new alliance, and banish the New Church from their lands.
- Valdrent would again see battle in the last days of the Revenant Crisis, as Thualisyr from Obsidian City, led by Thul'Masira herself, moved westward in a great effort to reclaim the Dark Source from being cast into Hallows Gate, in the Underworld below the kingdom. The armies met in the field, and suffered heavily on both sides, but using a Gear Gnome firearm from his comrade Rumina and ammunition forged from scales of the Earth Dragon Khazad, Jeral Tarn was able to manage a lucky strike and fell the Elder Dragon, routing the dark elven forces.
Age of Mortals[]
- Branneth Valdrent II is presently the reigning king of Valdrent, which has largely rebuilt from what damage it suffered in the dark elven attack. Jeral Tarn remains as Warlord, and in many ways, still exercises control if he wishes to. The New Church has been reduced to a few secretive cells, with temples to the New Gods beginning to spring up to take its place.
Government[]
- Valdrent is a monarchy, with a council elected by the city serving to advise the King. A Warlord is in charge of the military, and the present warlord, Jeral Tarn holds immense sway in the court, despite having resigned his place as Regent. The Dawn Legion provides it's own commander as far as its military status within the kingdom, and Bilberry Hearth's smaller population is also run by an elected mayor who holds a status above most council members, but below the King. Delwynvale holds a more independant state within the kingdom, having freedom over its own policies, and electing its own mayor, though it still contributes troops and taxes from its lands.
Resources[]
- With its control over three prominent centres, Valdrent is one of the richer kingdoms about. The semi-marshlands that make up the plain east of the city are fertile fields, as are those of Bilberry Hearth. Bilberry and Delwynvale both have logging industries in the Northern and Forsaken forests. The mountains cradling the city contain several mines, as well as a large quarry. Tariffs on traders from passing through Delwynvale, itself a choke point as far as safe land travel is concerned, also provide significant revenue.
Diplomacy[]
- Valdrent maintains relatively peaceful states with most of its neighbours. The Wilderlanders in Deepwood trade regularly, though maintain their refusal to join the monarchy. The Yveralisyr are more wary, after the attacks on their settlements by the New Church, but not overtly hostile. The residents of Ivory Vale are isolated enough to have avoided the New church, trading primarily through the Wilderlanders anyways. Obsidian City and the Thualisyr pose little threat, still recovering from the death of Thul'Masira. In farther ranging, Valdrent maintains ambassadors to the Khazadryn and Mordrakryn in the Forge Mountains, seeking to establish some safe trade route to the far land. Lastly, they maintain a mutual defense pact with Solsguard to help offset the potential threat of Laycin, with the Gear Gnomes' "Iron Dragon" providing rapid travel for VIPs and military forces through the tunnel once used by the Daemon Army between Solsguard and the Valdrent lowlands.