Iron Valley

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 * "It's a good job there's two capital cities, otherwise it'd make life a lot harder working out whether I still have to go to court or not!"
 * - George Alambrich, on the third destruction of Ironkeep

Traits
The Iron Valley people are a strange group, being a mix of wild-men from the east, ice-dwellers from the north, and exiles from the south combined with no small amount of hardy hills-man. This has lead to the average Valleyman (or Ironfolk as they're sometimes referred to) being strong, tough, and hard working. It has also, however, lead to them being regarded as uncivil or barbaric by anybody south of the Iron Hills, and as being somewhat suspicious by their wild-men and ice-dweller counterparts.

Temperament
Sturdy in a fight and reliable as a farm-hand, the majority of Valleymen lead hard, laborious lives leading them to take pride in hard work and level headedness. They are stereotypically regarded as being suspicious of anything more literate than a troll, but this is not necessarily true: They understand the importance of literacy in some affairs, and thus undertake some basic literacy learning, albeit with no small amount of complaint.

Religion
Valleymen have little use for religion beyond as a means of catharsis or in times of great personal pain. As such, they have remained relatively ambivalent to the various religious sub-cultures that have developed across the kingdom. This has, in a way, provided the perfect conditions for cult-like groups to form without the risk of punishment, meaning that groups of most religions can be found with little effort in most of the larger towns and cities of the Iron Valley.

Nobility
There are twenty-seven noble houses in the Iron Valley, and they are currently all involved to some degree in a civil war. The main contenders are the great houses Erember and Bas-Tyria against the great houses Silverthorn and Witherby.

(A full account of the twenty-seven houses)

Laws
The laws within the Iron Valley are not so much law as general guidance. Certain concepts, such as murder, theft, slavery, arson and the like are certainly outlawed and will result in either death, torture, or prison time. Others, such as the use of the magic, are more subjective and vary on a case by case basis depending on where in the kingdom you are.

As the majority of the kingdom are within one step of Neutral Good, common sense may best be applied when considering what is legal and what is not.

Commerce
The Iron Valley export mostly to Sanpoint City, or to the Ice-Dwellers in the north. Previously they have also traded with the wild-men to the East and the Grand Imperium Arcarnum to the south, but political tensions have deteriorated these trading relations to the extent where they are no longer possible.

Main exports include: Food supplies, lumber, raw metals, worked metals.

Main imports include: Luxury items, furs, siege weaponry, technology

Origins
The Iron Valley is best imagined as an odd stretch of land which has fallen in and out of the hands of various groups over the past thousand years. For a good portion of the past millennium, it served as the northern frontier of the Rommulite Empire, but throughout the majority of that time served as the staging point for the majority of rebellions against the empire. It's capital, Ironkeep, has been destroyed no less than four times throughout it's history, standing testament to the persistent nature of valleymen.

Following the destruction of the Rommulite Empore in 697PR, Robert Lortliathe established the Iron Valley as an independent kingdom, making it the largest kingdom of that time, and was crowned king.

Timeline
23PR: First record of Ironkeep as a farming settlement following the period of ruination.

157PR: Rommulite council includes mages of the first order from the Iron Valley, indicating arcane bloodline potential.

315PR: First Ironvalley spellcaster to attain the second order.

405PR: First mention of the Shadow Order within Ironkeep records as a tome of known cults within the city.

425PR: Razor's Edge founded, extending the Rommulite control towards the central grasslands.

475PR: Skirmishes in the central grasslands are used as training exercises for young arcane knights for the first time.

512PR: Greymount and Wintervale constructed.

535PR: Cel Celedeff founded

595PR: Unvargoth Constructed

596PR: Unvargoth assaulted, resulting in the curse of Unvargoth, and Gundabar's highway.

601PR: War between the Rommulite Empire and elusive Shadow Order result in Ironkeep being briefly captured from beneath by the shadow order, only for it to be besieged and eventually destroyed by the besieging Rommulite mages.

608PR: Ironkeep mostly rebuilt.

697PR: Ironkeep destroyed in battle between Robert Lorliath and the Rommulite forces.

730PR: Ironkeep rebuilt.

740PR: Iron-Shield completed

1000PR: Ironkeep destroyed through explosions, by an unknown cult. King Various Ironborn perishes in the destruction, his brother ascends to the throne and Razors Edge is made the capital city.

1001PR: Argedian rediscovered.

1002PR: King Various Ironborne, his family, and a large number of the heads of houses are assassinated at a banquet in Razors Edge.

1002PR: Civil war break out as the greater houses Witherby and Silverthorn assume control of the kingdom without a majority of support. Opposition is lead by the Greater houses Erember and Bas-Tyria.

1002PR: Argedian is attacked, and many of the nobles and supporters of House Bas-Tyria are slain.

1002PR: Allied Witherby and Silverthorn forces are broken at the siege of Castle Bas-Tyria.

1002PR: Allied Witherby and Silverthorn forces defending and besieging fortifications along the Iron-Shield are broken and turned aside.

1002PR: Adowin Bas-Tyria is crowned king of the Iron Valley in Razors Edge, but the civil war rages on in the Western half of the kingdom.

Cities
IronKeep - Partially destroyed, approx: 4500

Summeness felneldyth - Elven woodland city, approx: 800

Razors Edge - Human capital, approx: 7000

Argedian - Human city, approx: 3000

Silver City - Human city, approx: 4500

Fortifications
Wintervale - Small outpost

Greywood Castle - Large fort

Twinbridge Fort - Large fortress

Fort Despin - Large fort

Claymound - Small fort

Castle Rockly - Small castle

Derrytop - Large fort

Caslte Bas-Tyria - Fortress, Ironshield

Low Ridge - Large fort, Ironshield

Merrigans Ridge - Small castle, Ironshield

Darrian Abbey - :Large Fort, Ironshield

Errember Castle - Large Castle, Ironshield

Hightop Crag - Small fort, Ironshield

Galderans Watch - Castle, Ironshield

Greymount - Large Castle, Ironshield

Oaken Hall - Large fort, Ironshield

Bendozan Hall - Small fort, Ironshield

Harrowhall - Small fort, Ironshield

Fort "Party" - Small fort, Ironshield

Fort Bayley - Small castle, Ironshield

Screeview Hall - Large fort, Ironshield

Razor Watch - Small fort, Ironshield

Notable Locations
The Old Forest: Contains ruined cities and a high concentration of wood elves.

Giants Mount: Rumoured to contain gnomish workshops and giant hunters.

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