Historical Annex: The Holy Kingdom of Granheim.

I am Pontiff Arthur Greyskies. My mission is to write a brief history of the Holy Kingdom of Granheim. In the year 992 of the Potentate calendar, the Holy Kingdom of Granheim was established as a colony sponsored by conquerors who arrived in an expedition formed and led by the noble Dyrant Allianze, hailing from a noble house of the Theocracy of the Priors of Vale. Their landing on the sandy coast marked the beginning of a journey that settled further south in the bay of Bayport—a natural harbour of singular beauty.

From that strategic enclave, they launched incursions across the island, exterminating the natives and attracting new colonists to their campaign. The fertility of the island's southern land and its pleasant climate acted as magnets for settlers yearning for a new home far from the impending fall of the empire and the subsequent civil war plaguing the continents. It was during this period, in the year 1000, that Dyrant Allianze was elected first king of the Holy Kingdom of Granheim, sealing his pact with the Church of the Omnipotent Radiance and his foundational role in the Holy Kingdom.

The kingdom's population is exclusively human, governed by an absolute monarchy. With a little over a million inhabitants, only 10 per cent are the product of intermarriage, with the remainder being colonists and their descendants. Non-humans are prohibited on pain of execution. The native islanders were displaced from the borders, and only a few thousand of mixed descent survive, particularly in the countryside and northern fiefs. The realm comprises 5 central fiefs, 3 northern fiefs, 3 southern fiefs, 3 insular fiefs, 3 vassal states, and 1 special region.

NORTHERN FIEFS:

·       Fief of Holyfort: Fortified capital of Holyfort on the banks of the Holy River. Cold climate. Most of the realm lies within the mountainous Atrium zone and is mining territory. It borders the Mar-Mortem Domain to the north and the Forest Peoples to the east. To the west lies the Baldov Pentapolis, and to the south the Holy River and Easthorn fiefs.

·       Fief of Holy River: Capital is Sandhorn; its warm climate and clay soils are less attractive to colonists. It borders the Baldov Pentapolis to the north, the Fief of Holyfort to the east, the central fiefs to the south, and the Granheim Sea to the west.

·       Fief of Easthorn: Capital Easthorn. Temperate climate. Its proximity to the pagan kingdoms makes it less attractive to colonists. To the north it features walls bordering the Forest Peoples and the wasteland forest; to the east the Southern Ocean; to the south the central fiefs; to the north-east the other northern fiefs; and to the south-east the central fiefs.

CENTRAL FIEFS:

·       Fief of Sandy Coast: Capital Sandy Coast. Temperate climate and agricultural fief. The plateau begins here. It borders the northern fiefs to the north, Bayport to the south, the Granheim Sea to the west, and Munfortwall to the east.

·       Central Fief: Capital Munfortwall. Features a temperate climate and serves as the capital of the entire realm, housing grand palaces, administrative institutions, and heavy industry. The entire bureaucratic apparatus is located here, alongside green meadows on this plateau. It borders the northern fiefs to the north, the Fief of Sandy Coast to the west, the Fief of Bayport and Green Plains to the south, and the Holy Mount—where the Fief of Templaria is located—to the east.

·       Fief of Templaria: Capital of the same name. Cold climate, situated on the Holy Mount. Agriculture is practiced, but its forte is the training of military personnel, priors, and combat angels. It borders the northern fiefs to the north, the Fief of Green Plains to the south, the Fief of Easthorn to the east, and the capital to the west.

·       Fief of Green Plains: Capital of the same name, featuring a strong agro-industrial complex. The climate is a temperate plateau climate. It borders the capital and Templaria to the north, the Southern Ocean to the east, the southern fiefs to the south, and Bayport to the west.

·       Fief of Bayport: The second in importance. The capital is the most important port, featuring industry, food production, commerce, and acting as the gateway of the country. The climate is temperate, though occasionally warm in the capital and along the coast. As the plateau begins it turns temperate, though it can be cold in some mountains. It borders the southern fiefs to the south, the Fief of Sandy Coast to the north, and the kingdom's capital and Green Plains to the east.

SOUTHERN FIEFS:

·       Fief of Snow City: Capital of the same name, located on Frozen Bay. Cold climate. Primarily mining and fishing lands, with industrial capacity in the capital. To the west the waters of the Granheim Sea wash its coasts, to the north the central fiefs, to the east the Fief of Velmet, and to the south the Fief of Dyrant.

·       Fief of Velmet: Named in honour of the second king. Capital of the same name, cold climate. Possesses agriculture and a fishing zone. It borders the central fiefs to the north, the Southern Ocean to the east, the Fief of Dyrant to the south, and the Fief of Snow City to the west.

·       Fief of Dyrant: Named after the first king. Capital Dyrant on the bay of the same name. It is a frozen fief for most of the year. Mining and fishing are practiced. It forms the southern cone of the entire island of Granheim.

INSULAR FIEFS:

·       Fief of Sand Island: Comprises four islands—two off the southern coasts of the Baldov Pentapolis and two off Sandy Coast. Capital on Sand Island. Features a warm climate and fortresses to combat piracy. Located in the Granheim Sea.

·       Fief of Frozen Bay: Located opposite Snow City, bordered by Frozen Bay on one side and the Granheim Sea to the west. It also features fortresses to prevent piracy. Frozen Bay faces the Snow City and Dyrant Fiefs.

·       Fief of Iceland: The southernmost point of Granheim. Comprises four islands—three off the southern coasts of the Dyrant Fief and the main one further south. It features fishing settlements and a fortress to monitor and assist vessels navigating the Iceland Passage. Through here, ships round the south to pass from east to west or vice versa.

VASSAL STATES: States where indigenous populations still reside and who are not considered citizens of the realm. Kingdom citizens may travel and establish businesses and colonies, but natives may only enter the realm with royal permits. These are: the Island of Potentia, off the coast of the Kingdom of Ygenivia; the Mar-Mortem Domain, north of the Fief of Holyfort; and the Baldov Pentapolis to the north-west.

SPECIAL REGION: The region of the Wasteland Forests. Theoretically it belongs to the realm, but barring a few fortresses, its warm climate, the proximity of pagan kingdoms, and the massive presence of demons dissuade colonisers.