# **Brevoy - The Fractured Kingdom of the North** # ## **Basic Information** - **Name:** The Kingdom of Brevoy - **Type:** Feudal Kingdom (Technically United, but Divided by Civil Strife) - **Region:** Northern Avistan, bordering **Restov, Numeria, and the Stolen Lands** - **Scale & Population:** Large (approx. **800,000 people**), but **deeply divided** between noble houses. - **Primary Inhabitants:** - **Humans (Issians & Rostlanders)** – The dominant ethnic groups, at odds with each other. - **Dwarves & Elves** – Found mostly in **House Medvyed’s lands**. - **Halflings, Gnomes, Ratfolk, and Other Minorities** – Mostly merchants, wanderers, and political exiles. - **Climate & Terrain:** Cold winters, **rolling plains, forests, and tundra**, with **rivers and lakes** forming key trade routes. --- ## **Geography & Layout** - **Key Features & Landmarks:** - **New Stetven (Capital):** The political **heart of Brevoy**, ruled by **House Surtova** from the **Ruby Fortress**. - **The Lake of Mists and Veils:** The **largest body of water**, vital for trade and naval power. - **The Icerime Peaks:** A treacherous **mountain range**, home to **dwarven enclaves and frost-wreathed ruins**. - **The Numerian Borderlands:** A dangerous frontier filled with **strange alien metals and remnants of lost technology**. - **Notable Regions & Holdings:** - **[[Issia]] (Northern Brevoy)** – Cold, rugged lands **dominated by House Surtova** and their river fleet. - **[[Rostland]] (Southern Brevoy)** – Fertile plains and trade cities, home of the **Aldori Swordlords**. - **[[House Medvyed]]’s Domain:** A heavily forested, **druid-influenced land**, filled with superstitious commoners. - **[[House Orlovsky]]’s Lands:** A **mountain stronghold**, fiercely independent and opposed to House Surtova. - **Connections & Accessibility:** - **New Stetven acts as a trade hub**, connecting Brevoy to **Restov, Numeria, and the River Kingdoms**. - **Secret mountain passes and smuggling routes** allow noble houses to bypass Surtova’s control. - **Teleportation and ancient waypoints exist**, but their use is controlled by powerful houses. --- ## **Culture & Society** - **Local Governance:** - Ruled by **King-Regent Noleski Surtova**, but his rule is **tenuous at best**. - The kingdom is **split into feuding noble houses**, each controlling a portion of land. - **The Aldori Swordlords** of Restov operate **semi-independently**, resisting Surtova’s rule. - **Economy & Trade:** - **Issia thrives on naval trade**, piracy, and **merchant guilds** loyal to House Surtova. - **Rostland relies on agriculture, mercenaries, and Aldori-trained swordsmen-for-hire**. - **House Medvyed controls lumber, mining, and rare magical herbs**. - **House Lebeda is a powerful mercantile family**, controlling trade routes along the rivers. - **Religion & Beliefs:** - **Abadar (Wealth & Civilization)** is dominant among **merchants and nobility**. - **Gorum (War & Strength)** is revered by **warriors, mercenaries, and soldiers**. - **Pharasma (Fate & Death)** is followed in the **north**, particularly in **House Orlovsky’s lands**. - **Erastil (Community & Tradition)** is worshipped by **farmers and rural settlers**. - **Laws & Customs:** - **Feudal Nobility:** Brevoy operates under a strict **feudal hierarchy**, though tensions run high. - **Dueling is Common:** Particularly in **Restov and among House Orlovsky**, but House Surtova discourages it. - **Political Marriages Shape Power:** Houses **forge alliances through arranged marriages**, but betrayals are common. - **Mercenary Culture:** Many **young nobles** seek fame **as duelists or mercenary captains**. - **Languages Spoken:** - **Common, Taldane (Brevic Dialect), Draconic (used in treaties), Aldori Battle Cant (used by duelists).** --- ## **History & Lore** - **Origins & Founding:** - Brevoy was originally two separate kingdoms: **Rostland (the Aldori swordlords' domain) and Issia (Surtova’s northern rule)**. - **Choral the Conqueror**, a mysterious warlord, **united Brevoy by force centuries ago**, using **dragons** to subjugate Rostland. - His dynasty ruled for generations, but **vanished mysteriously a century ago**, leaving Brevoy **fractured**. - **Major Historical Events:** - **The Vanishing of House Rogarvia:** The royal bloodline **disappeared overnight**, allowing **House Surtova** to seize power. - **The Aldori Rebellion:** The Swordlords **resisted Surtova’s rule**, but were ultimately **forced into submission**. - **The Stolen Lands Charter:** Restov **granted charters** to **Rivermarch and other settlements** to expand its influence. - **Current Conflicts or Issues:** - **House Surtova's Rule is Weak:** Many noble houses **refuse to acknowledge King Noleski** as the true ruler. - **Restov's Growing Defiance:** The Swordlords are **waiting for an opportunity to rebel**. - **Rivermarch’s Fate:** Some nobles see **Rivermarch as a pawn**, while others view it as **a potential ally or threat**. - **House Medvyed and House Orlovsky resist Surtova’s control**, looking for an opportunity to strike. - **Rumors & Mysteries:** - **What Really Happened to House Rogarvia?** Some believe **they were wiped out by a supernatural force**. - **The Dragon's Bargain:** Choral the Conqueror was said to have **struck a deal with dragons**—but at what cost? - **House Surtova’s True Allegiances:** Some claim **Surtova secretly works with foreign powers** to maintain control. --- ## **Notable NPCs & Factions** - **Key Figures:** - **King-Regent [[Noleski Surtova (Deceased)]]:** A shrewd, manipulative ruler **holding onto power through force and diplomacy**. - **Lady [[Natala Surtova]]:** His sister, and the **true power behind the throne**, known for her ruthless cunning. - **Lord [[Poul Orlovsky]]:** Head of House Orlovsky, openly **resisting Surtova’s rule**. - **Dame [[Sarrona Lebeda]]:** A powerful **merchant-lady**, seeking to **strengthen her family’s trade dominance**. - **Factions or Power Groups:** - **[[House Surtova]] (Ruling House):** Controls **New Stetven**, seeking **total dominance over Brevoy**. - **[[House Orlovsky]]:** **Opposes Surtova**, holding Brevoy’s **eastern mountains as an independent stronghold**. - **[[House Medvyed]]:** A nature-revering, **druidic noble house**, known for resisting outside control. - **[[House Lebeda]]:** A merchant-noble house, **playing all sides** to maximize profit. - **The [[Aldori Swordlords]]:** The **exiled rulers of Rostland**, still wielding influence **through Restov**. - **Major Monsters or Threats:** - **Draconic Relics:** Some say **Choral’s dragons left behind ancient ruins and magical artifacts**. - **Numerian Warbands:** Strange **mutant raiders from Numeria** occasionally attack Brevic outposts. - **Foreign Influence:** **Cheliax, Mendev, and the River Kingdoms** all have spies in Brevoy. --- ## **Additional Notes** - **Vibe & Inspirations:** - **A land on the brink of civil war**—a mix of **Game of Thrones, medieval Russia, and Arthurian feudalism**. - **A kingdom built on old betrayals and unresolved conflicts**, where **duelists, nobles, and spies clash for dominance**. - **Adventure Hooks:** - **A Civil War is Coming:** Will **Rivermarch side with Surtova, the rebels, or forge its own destiny?** - **A Noble House Seeks Allies:** One of Brevoy’s noble houses might **approach Rivermarch for aid**. - **Secrets of Choral the Conqueror:** What **power did he use to unite Brevoy—and can it be found again?** ```toon version: 0.2 coord_space: type: normalized width: 1000 height: 1000 layers[6]: regions water mountains routes cities labels styles: region: fill: "#2e6ea3" fill_opacity: 0.12 stroke: "#2e6ea3" stroke_width: 2 water: fill: "#4aa3d6" fill_opacity: 0.35 stroke: "#1f6f99" stroke_width: 1 mountains: stroke: "#6e6e6e" stroke_width: 2 dash[2]: 6 4 city: icon: city-dot size: 10 color: "#111111" route: stroke: "#c2a15a" stroke_width: 3 label_major: font: Serif size: 18 color: "#111111" halo: "#ffffff" halo_width: 2 label_minor: font: Serif size: 14 color: "#222222" halo: "#ffffff" halo_width: 2 nodes[7]: id: brevoy name: Brevoy kind: region layer: regions parent_id: null geometry: type: polygon coords[0]: label: text: Brevoy layer: labels style: label_major anchor[2]: null null offset[2]: 0 0 z: 10 visibility: min_zoom: 0.8 max_zoom: 6 tags[3]: political kingdom northern_avistan id: brevoy_issia name: Issia kind: subregion layer: regions parent_id: brevoy geometry: type: polygon coords[0]: style: region label: text: Issia layer: labels style: label_minor anchor[2]: null null offset[2]: 0 0 z: 11 visibility: min_zoom: 1.2 max_zoom: 6 id: brevoy_rostland name: Rostland kind: subregion layer: regions parent_id: brevoy geometry: type: polygon coords[0]: style: region label: text: Rostland layer: labels style: label_minor anchor[2]: null null offset[2]: 0 0 z: 11 visibility: min_zoom: 1.2 max_zoom: 6 id: new_stetven name: New Stetven kind: city layer: cities parent_id: brevoy geometry: type: point pos[2]: null null style: city label: text: New Stetven layer: labels style: label_minor offset[2]: 8 -8 z: 100 visibility: min_zoom: 2 max_zoom: 10 interactions: on_click: type: open target: locations/new_stetven id: lake_mists_veils name: Lake of Mists and Veils kind: water layer: water parent_id: null geometry: type: polygon coords[0]: style: water label: text: Lake of Mists and Veils layer: labels style: label_minor anchor[2]: null null z: 5 visibility: min_zoom: 0.8 max_zoom: 10 id: icerime_peaks name: Icerime Peaks kind: mountain_range layer: mountains parent_id: null geometry: type: polyline coords[0]: style: mountains label: text: Icerime Peaks layer: labels style: label_minor z: 20 visibility: min_zoom: 1 max_zoom: 10 id: numerian_borderlands name: Numerian Borderlands kind: frontier layer: regions parent_id: null geometry: type: polygon coords[0]: style: region label: text: Numerian Borderlands layer: labels style: label_minor z: 8 visibility: min_zoom: 1 max_zoom: 10 connections[1]{id,name,kind,layer,geometry,style,z,visibility,meta}: trade_new_stetven_restov,"Trade Route: New Stetven ↔ Restov",road,routes,{'type': 'polyline', 'coords': []},route,50,{'min_zoom': 2, 'max_zoom': 10},{'from': 'new_stetven', 'to': 'restov'} ```