Kingdom Among the Ruins

In ancient times, the lands now known as Golnir were conquered by the Fedreline Empire. Where such an empire came from, and why, is a matter that is lost to time - what is known is that they settled the lands well, and waged war against the Nuwapians of Quel'Ahma to the south, becoming a fierce rival of the lich-lords of the desert. However, centuries pass, and empires crumble. All things must come to pass. Eventually, spent by war and internal strife, the Fedreline Empire collapsed, leaving behind the ruins of its great halls across the lands they once ruled over.

In the years to come, what would emerge in the shadow of the bygone empire was the Kingdom of Golnir. The descendants of the Fedrelines moved into the ruins of their forefathers, taking crumbling stone and toppled pillars and using them to construct homes, walls, and cities. Soon, the regional chieftains and petty nobles squabbling among the ruins saw fit to elevate themselves. They wished to become worthy successors to whatever power could possibly be great enough as to leave its mark on the world so thoroughly. Many ambitious powers set their sights on such a position, but Golnir - already among the wealthiest and most powerful of the local city-states thanks to its control of a strategic harbor at its capital of Lygos, and the trade routes that entailed - was the one to unite the realm and bring its rivals to heel.

Golnir is a land of wealth and opulence. Thanks to its proximity with Quel'Ahma, it enjoys close trade with the southern land, and the palaces of its nobles are awash in incense and draped in silks. Its temples are splendorous in gold leaf, and wine flows freely in the taverns. However, for all the prosperity Golnir claims, it can only hope to be a pale shadow of the magnificence of the Fedrelines. Many of that empire's arcane secrets are lost to time, and even to this day their ruins dot the landscape. Some of Golnir's greatest cities sit at the center of ruins that far eclipse them in size, with more ruined buildings than ones currently in use.

Golnir prides itself on its hard-fought unity. It holds itself as a bastion of peace, having conquered its rivals and brought its people together under a single banner. The Golniri have not needed to fight a large-scale land war against another kingdom in generations. However, though Golnir may look stable from the outside, it is a hotbed of intrigue, backstabbing, and conspiracy within. Many of its dukes and counts exert considerable power, relics of the autonomy of the old city-states, and they plot against each other for control over their own little empires. Even within the courts, powerful families compete against one another for a claim to the throne - or, sometimes more importantly, the influence to sway the head of the household's word while staying behind the scenes safe from the assassin's blade. The nobility of Golnir is renowned for their cruelty and ruthlessness, and it is not uncommon - even accepted - for political rivals to be exiled, castrated, blinded, or any combination of the above, should their fortunes turn.

To outsiders, Golnir may seem a paradise, where gold is as plentiful as water. To those in the courts, the life of a noble can prove even more dangerous than that of the commoner. And even through the ages, there are still secrets to be revealed beneath yet-unturned stones...