Arangoth

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Arangoth
The Kingdom of Arangoth
Woolly.jpg
Map of country or capitol
Country Information
Motto Sigovath Ne Gintelmil
(Death To Our Enemies)
Capital Drache
Language(s) Arangothek flaroth
Ethnic Groups Mixed
Religion Menxism
Government Monarchy
Current Ruler King Arlok ul-Dorn
Arlok ul-Dorn Gossath ul Arangoth
Population 250,000 (approx.)
Currency Bank Crown

The Kingdom of Arangoth (Arangair ul Arangoth) is a large sovereign state located in the The Midlands of the main continent, known also as Veth. The kingdom spans as far north Song Deep, east to the Dragonspine Mountains and Elgaria, as far west as Arania. It's southern coast includes Goat and Shell Island, ending at the Southland Penninsula and Assi tribal lands.

Arangoth has a long and colorful history. The Kingdom of Arangoth was first founded nearly five centuries before the present, but civil war half a century ago led to the collapse of the Old Kingdom and the flight of the royal family. Alysia "AngelSin" returned from exile in 465 and was proclaimed queen, but left the kingdom in 467. Prince Arlok ul-Dorn was proclaimed King in Northern Arangoth in 469, then later King of All Arangoth after the reconciliation of Arlok and the Regency Council.

The city of Drache has served as the kingdom's de facto captial since Queen Alysia's arrival to the city in 465.

History

Main Article: History of Arangoth

Arangothians are ethnically a mixture of the native Goxal and the invading Igmerind people who founded several sitharangel or grand duchies here a few hundred years ago. In the year 1, the sithire or grand duke of Northern Arangoth founded the city of Tagrana, which is considered to mark the founding of the Kingdom of Arangoth. Tagran, the first king, was originally considered only the first among equals. However, about the year 130, a conflict among the lesser sithirel led to the extinction of the major families, and the King became yet more powerful by virtue of his ability to appoint provincial leaders. Around 300, when Arangoth was embroiled in a war with the Assi, the Order of the Beady Eye offered its services to the monarchy, assured Arangothian victories there and elsewhere, and became increasingly powerful on the frontiers of the Kingdom.

King Aladar took as his second wife Rosebud, the daughter of an Eastern Arangothian witch. When her true nature was revealed, it became necessary for an impostor named Tsetsa to impersonate the Queen in public. Dissatisfied with this role, Tsetsa convinced the Khalar ambassador Helehkri that Arangoth was planning to invade its northern neighbor. This led to a bloody and needless war beginning in the year 384, a war which, however, Arangoth won handily. The Khalar surrendered and turned over to Arangoth their most prized possession, the Siren Stone, which caused a number of problems in and of itself.

King Dorn sent his three sons Arlok, Oryan, and Ware out into the far provinces so that they could learn at first hand how to govern. There the princes discovered that the Order of the Beady Eye had long been abusing their powerful position on the frontier. King Dorn vowed to oust the corrupt Order from power; the Order in turn gathered its forces to resist. About the same time, Prince Arlok and his fiancee Melinxa Swanneck turned hungry wolves on a group of girls of noble birth who were conspiring to murder an innocent peasant; this was the infamous Slaughter in the Maze. As a result, both the Order of the Beady Eye and a large part of the Arangothian nobility rose up and, in an attack upon Tagrana in the year 415, murdered King Dorn as his three sons fled from the destruction of the city. For the next fifty years there was no monarchy in Arangoth.

The Raven disappeared never to return, but his stead a Council of Nobles arose. From the North, Arolk returned to Southern Arangoth. After months of tension the nation was at peace once more under King Arlok ul-Dorn and the provincial government of the Regency Council. An Aslari-Ellurian war was settled only when armies from across the sea intervened.

Government and Politics

Arangoth was originally a confederacy of Grand Duchies before Tagran became the first king of Arangoth. Sithirel, or Dukes, have been the traditional rulers of the various Arangothian provinces for centuries. AngelSin and BlkDragon did not follow this tradition, preferring to rule directly from Castle Black. After their abdication, The Raven took over as Regent, though he too soon disappeared. A Regency Council rose to take on the mantle of government in the year 469, until it was disbanded late in the year 473. King Arlok has restored the traditional forms of government and appointed a new Sithire to govern the South on his behalf.

When Queen Alysia (called AngelSin) and her consort, King BlkDragon, established their new capital in Drache in the year 465, they ruled it directly from Castle Black for a small number of years. They governed more and more of Arangoth, as word of Dorn's Blood returning to Arangoth spread throughout the shattered kingdom and fiefs flocked to her banner. But the King and Queen never lost their humility, and familiarity with their people, best illustrated in their steadfast devotion to the King's Inn in ever-growing Drache. They were succeeded, after leaving for mysterious reasons, by their counsellor, the arch-mage known as The Raven. Though wise and powerful, the Regent was also reclusive and by all accounts spent most of his time in the towers of Castle Black. The time came when he inexplicably disappeared altogether, leaving the running of the country to its bureaucrats and local lords. It was later revealed that he was combatting unseen threats to Arangoth, though he has not explained the nature of the matters that keep him occupied even to the present day.

When Drache was faced with myriad disasters in the year 469, several prominent nobles rose up to fill the vacuum. Lady Lorla Daranek called together a Council to take the reigns of the Regency in Evening Star (December) of 469. They named an empty seat for The Raven, should he choose to return and began to tackle Drache’s problems. Their chosen symbol was a fatted goose and sheaf of wheat in an unbroken circle, for plenty and concord.

Simultaneously, Arlok ul-Dorn, the Prince of Old Arangoth, awakened from an enchanted sleep of fifty years in Outer Arangoth and returned home. After a series of misunderstandings and tests, he was declared King in Northern Arangoth, the northern Diet never having been keen on The Raven, a foreigner, and preferring the King to the Council. Soon it came to light that still-missing Queen Alysia had abdicated some years ago, and the Council negotiated Arlok's becoming King of all Arangoth in 470. The Council remained in provincial control of the southern provinces.

After a powerful controversy begat a political uprising in Drache, the Council was disbanded in 473 and one of its last members, Lord Marcion Aldenbar, named Lord Chancellor. He was also directed by His Majesty to find a new Sithire, or Duke, to rule the South, in a more traditional form of Arangothian government.

Arangothian Monarchy

The Kingdom of Arangoth is presently divided into five general regions, each governed by a Sithire or other body, with two capitals. The north has its capital at the restored city of Tagrana, where King Arlok and Queen Melinxa rule for most of the year. The rest of his time is spent in the southern capital, the city of Drache. The Kingdom of Arangoth is presently divided into two general regions. The north has its capital at the restored city of Tagrana, where King Arlok and Queen Melinxa rule for most of the year. The south has its capital in the city of Drache, which is governed by a Sithire.

From 465 until 469, all Arangoth was loosely ruled from Drache. King BlkDragon and Queen Alysia "AngelSin" made what was a small fishing hamlet into their national capital in 465. Yet the pair were only visible rulers for a year before entrusting the management of the kingdom to their Regent, The Raven. And even the Regent was rarely seen in Drache, or anywhere else in Arangoth. Castle Black became a mysterious place where only the castle staff lived. So Arangoth was essentially without a head of government for three years, and somehow its people and institutions survived relatively unscathed. A great many Arangothians are still loyal to BlkDragon and AngelSin, but this situation is slowly changing, now that their absence and tacit abdication of the crown are clear.

Northern Arangoth is governed from the rebuilt Royal Palace in Tagrana, where King Arlok and Queen Melinxa rule. Underneath the King and Queen, the most powerful figure is Palatine Perlim Larkspin, who is the seniormost member of the Northern Arangothian Estates. The Estates are a parliament-like body, representing mostly the noble and mercantile classes, that gathers once a year (mid-July) in Hornath-ul-Marfed to vote on various issues. In 466, the Estates voted to offer the crown to AngelSin and Blkdragon in Drache in return for a confirmation of their traditional rights and privileges. There was no response from Drache. In 469, with the return of Prince Arlok (a lost heir to the throne who had been in an enchanted sleep for 54 years), the Estates voted to declare him king instead. Shortly afterwards, Northern Arangothian armies restored order in a large part of Ruthmarna (which had been overrun by bandits).

While Northern Arangoth, Ruthmarna, and Eastern Arangoth all acknowledged Arlok as king, the provinces of Southern Arangoth, including Drache, did not do so. In First Seed (March) of 470, the elders of the Sresar Vale, upset by the lack of Valesmen on the Regency Council, gave their allegiance to Arlok in return for an agreement that granted them similar privileges to the Northern Estates. The following month, Sir Onestab, a close friend of BlkDragon and AngelSin testifies before the Council that AngelSin and Blkdragon had never intended to return and formally abdicated a few years ago. Though The Raven was named as King in this lost document, there is some question as to the appointment’s legal validity, especially with the appearance of a candidate of royal blood. Arlok and the Council entered into negotiations on reconciliation of the divided country.

In Frostfall (October) of 470, these negotiations brought about a reunification of the kingdom with Arlok as King of all of Arangoth. Arlok signed an agreement limiting his power with the Council, mirroring those with the Elders of Sresar Vale and the Northern Estates. The Council retained provincial level control over Transdariania and Arania and jurisdiction over maritime matters, and the south is allowed to keep its distinctive law code. Drache and Hornath ul-Marfed were named as co-capitals, between which Arlok must split his time. In First Seed of 471, Negotiations between elven Governor Topaz Silverbow and King Arlok ul-Dorn resulted in the proud Confederacy of Elvendeep becoming a crown province of Arangoth, guaranteed rights but ultimately under the authority of the Arangothian crown. This seemed to foment displeasure at Silverbow’s regime, as a second Civil War would soon follow. Observers suspected the decision might have been fear at the quick revival and deadly threat of their old foe, the orcish nation of Zul Kiras. Though Arlok has governed Elvendeep with an extremely light touch, granting it virtual autonomy, this arrangement is still far from popular in Elvendeep. Time will tell whether this arrangement will last, or provoke further civil unrest.

In Frostfall of 471, King Arlok and Queen Melinxa officially announced the birth of the new heir to the throne, Prince Emereth ul-Arlok, Grand Duke of Ruthmarna. The prince had actually been born the previous spring, but the Royal Family had employed an old Crown Policy for protection of susceptible infant heirs from magical attack. Illusionists and Royal agents had been utilized to hide the pregnancy and first several months of Emereth’s life for his safety. In Hearthfire (September) of 472, King Arlok announced that the restoration of Tagrana, begun two years previous, was nearing completion. Tagrana became the new co-capital of Arangoth with Drache, replacing Hornath ul-Marfed when the Royal Family officially took up residence in the rebuilt Royal Palace. Other landmarks in the city include a giant Grubball arena, new home to the grubball team Tagrana Memorial, which of necessity had been based out of Hornath-ul-Marfed for years. The Council funded a memorial garden there for Alysia and Blkdragon.

Government Officials

Southern Arangoth's current Sithire is Vorfon Marcion ul-Fenduth Tagran Aldenbar.

His Privy Council is as follows:
Lord Chancellor (Vorfon Gostnairod) - Julius ul-Arduin Malbraxa
Lord Treasurer (Vorfon Thropparponthod) - Branth ul-Alfrith Truxton
Lord Protector (Vorfon Apettire kei arna) - Marnuth Ul-Porre Elgabralk
Lord Admiral (Vorfon Appetire ul silthrogel) - Simpelta ul-Sankord Marnix
Prelate of Honour (Vorfon Talorod ul Fost) - Gerard Mintrod
Scholar Preeminent (Tespin Forod) - Quill Stygian

Military

Religion

Main Article: Menxism

The most common religion among native Arangothians recognizes two supreme dualistic powers, Menxvan and Menxruk. The Royal Church in Drache, with Father Kylus Dragonsbane at its head, is by contrast open to many faiths, though Father Kylus himself follows a deity known in Arangoth as Pallodain.

See also: The Templars of Menxvan, The Guardians of Menxruk

Society and Peoples

Arangoth has several distinctive cultural features, including a language, a native religion, a musical tradition, and a calendar to mark the years and holidays.

The Arangothian calendar closely mirrors that used in the "real world." The Arangothian year 470 = AD 2000, and indicates that 470 years have passed since the founding of the city of Tagrana (which marked the origin of the Kingdom of Arangoth). The months and days of the week have Arangothian names, and there are a number of Arangothian holidays.

The three major ritual events in a person's life are generally the brakerrat or rite-of-passage ceremony at age thirteen; the marriage ceremony; and the funerary rites. Each of these has a customary form in Arangoth: for example, the Arangothian wedding generally takes place at home, and the participants wear green. There are also number of popular song and dance genres in Arangoth, as well as music of the royal court. For the past seventy years or so, one of the most popular genres has been the leturek.

The most common religion among native Arangothians recognizes two supreme dualistic powers, Menxvan and Menxruk. The Royal Church in Drache, with Father Kylus Dragonsbane at its head, is by contrast open to many faiths, though Father Kylus himself follows a deity known in Arangoth as Pallodain. An extreme Menxvanic sect which has recently had some impact is the Cult of the Silver Flame, strongly opposed to magic-use.

Grubball is the national sport of Arangoth, with a professional league of 16 teams from around the country and from foreign lands.

Language

More info: Arangothian Language

The Arangothian language is the native language of the kingdom. It is an inflected language of the Goxo-Limbrian language family with some vocabulary borrowed from Igmerind in the distant past. There are some nonstandard dialects, such as those spoken in the Sresar Vale and in Outer Arangoth, but over the main expanse of the Arangothian kingdom the language is fairly consistent. Arangothian grammar is outlined in a nine-lesson course entitled Teach Yourself Arangothian. There is also an Arangothian-to-English dictionary, which is frequently updated as new words are added. The language has its own script, which you can download as truetype fonts.