The Nine Core Freeholds

The FREEHOLD ALLIANCE was negotiated between the Thanes of Iandir, Aredor and Omal. It is a mutual non aggression pact and trade agreement. They hope to expand membership and put and finally put an end to the what they see as an extension of the ongoing Banner War. So far Aorid, Durgen and Gharash have no interest in anything but independence, Celedon and Margelis don't seem to have given up on the idea of taking control of the entire Realm and Stegan had issues with how the open trade agreement was worded as it would take away most of the power of the Guilds.

As to the Freeholds themselves - 

Aeorid

Most of these lands have been free for most of Kaleth's history. Even when they flew the flag of another, their independence was acknowledged in some way.  In fact, during the Reign of the Volosh Queens the term "Freehold" was first used to describe the region which included half what is now Aeorid and the whole of the Wyldling Wood. 

Thane: Arren Gale is an Arethi (human) hunter and a renown marksman whose family has been crafting recurved longbows for six generations. He is rumored to have Wydling lineage and though he has never confirmed it he bears Wydling style tattoos on the backs of his hands. He is a fierce warrior and negotiator who has earned the trust of his people.

Assets: Aeorid archers are unparalleled as are the weapons they use. Much of the Freehold is covered by woodlands, providing natural defense against traditional military forces. The Freehold is largely self sufficient so while it engages in some trade it doesn't need to to thrive. Carefuly harvested wood is sold to neighboring Freeholds of Aredor, Margelis and Omal. Salted meat and leather is traded to Aredor and Margelis.

Liabilities: There are no resources for stone, iron or steel in these lands. Archery doesn't require them but armor and weapons must use what is on hand or must be traded for. As a result, heavy infantry is almost unheard of here. Defenses are limited to palisades. Stonework is used sparingly for buildings that must be resistant to fire such as blacksmiths and the kitchen areas of taverns. It simply isn't practical to import enough for use in walls.  

Status: Stable. Thriving. In many ways, Aeorid is nearly untouched by the ongoing struggles. If anything, becoming a Freehold made the region stronger. Under the Emrik Kings, the southern half of what is now Aeorid was unclaimed land and the north was governed by a Baron who made a tenuous attempt to maintain power but who fell to Gale during the Banner Wars. 

Aredor

This was the heart of Maroth under the Emrik Kings. When the last King fell and Maroth was divided, some of the fiercest battles of the Banner War were between the lords of what became Aredor and what became Margelis. At first both factions tried to maintain the Realm but under a new King. When the Knight Commander of the King's Armies split and founded what would become Celedon, it became obvious that moving forward as a unified land was impossible at least for the time being. 

Thane: Arch Duke Gavin Thrace was a political opponent of Baros Emrik whose machinations sped his downfall. He was a would be usurper who has only managed to hang onto a tenth of what he had hoped to rule. Thrace is a political creature and an egomaniac but he is good at what he does and while he doesn't have the love of his people, he has their support. His most inspired move was to position the Freehold as a Pantheist Bastion which set it apart from the indifference of Margelis which mirrored the lack of faith of the Emrik line and the decision of Celedon to serve Dain - the "God of Men". 

Assets: The region has gold mines that brought wealth to whoever controlled them. There are also quarries that were used to build many fortifications over the years. No Freehold has more, except the Dwarves of Durgen whose defenses are underground. 

Liabilities: Being centrally located and known home to wealth has made the Freehold a target. It is half the size it was during the Banner Wars and has had to surrender any hope of expansion to focus on protecting what remains. 

Status: Struggling. There have been near constant attacks for a decade. There is enough wealth to import whatever the Freehold needs but shipments don't always make it across the border. Because of the emphasis the Thane has placed on the Pantheon, many of the faithful have worked to direct the region's wealth toward larger and finer temples in hopes of pleasing the gods and earning their favor.

Celedon

The region once known as the "Outlands" of Maroth quickly fell to a half dozen would be warlords during the Banner Wars but when Knight Commander Jon Hale swept in with most of what had once been the King's Armies he was able to take control in a matter of days. Once control was established, he let it be known that he blamed the fall of House Emrik on their failure to recognize the authority of Dain, the God of Man. This controversial move led to a mass exodus of Nonhumans and Pantheists that was initially alarming but over time was more than made up for by the influx of humans hoping this new god would see them through to better days.  

Thane: Hale is a controversial figure. He is widely respected for his quality as a Knight and his skill as a commander. Neither has ever been questioned. His family comes originally from Cereborn, which is the origin of his belief in Dain. There are rumor that years fighting Uruk aggression awakened a prejudice in him that led to the "humans first" position he champions. To those who believe as he does, he is a hero. To those who care about him, his problematic turn is a tragedy. To most others he is a menace.

Assets: The Knight Commander took the largest and most powerful army in Kaleth with him. He has been gradually expanding Celedon's holdings. 

Liabilities: The region was the Outlands for a reason. The natural resources are sparse and it is a struggle to keep both the people ad the large armies fed. The Thane's coffers have bought a steady stream of food from Omal but his personal wealth has limits. There are concerns he is massing troops to attempt to annex Aredor. Getting through their fortifications would be very difficult but if anyone could do it, it would be Commander Hale. 

Status: The people who currently live in Celedon have chosen to be there and believe in their Thane. Life is hard but they get by on faith both in him and in Dain. It is a grim, stoic place some describe as joyless. 

Durgen

There has been a Dwarf Hold on this island for centuries. There is more about the Durgen Dwarves in the Peoples of Kaleth section. 

During the time of the Emrik Kings there was an alliance with Maroth and some human colonies existed along the Durgen coasts. During the Banner Wars, the dwarves pulled back into their Hold leaving the colonists to fend for themselves. They begged the Dwarf King to protect them. Fortunately, because this involved defending them from Uruk aggression they agreed. Since then several small dwarven communities have also been established above ground to aid in adding fortifications to the island.   

Thane: The Most Honored Defender of Hearth, Home and Tradition is Lord Thane Tulgar Duren, Dwarf King of Durgen, Sir of Torag, Nulgar and Bolm, Life Partner of Summa Lom Duri, Master of Great Hammer and Small Forge and author of the Lament of the Fourth Watch. Tulgar has led their people for 80 years and is expected to continue to do so for at least two human lifetimes. The Dwarves of Durgen are well satisfied with Tulgar and are content to serve.  

Assets: The twin islands of Durgen are home to many iron and silver mines. The approach is treacherous and the rocky terrain is very defensible especially since the dwarves started adding breaks, walls and guard towers. 

Liabilities: These lands are desolate. In the Dwarf Hold, a very carefully maintained ecosystem exists that involves mushrooms and other plants that can thrive underground along with beasts such as "meatworms" and "steakslugs" that the dwarven palate favors but are disgusting to other peoples. This has posed problems for the humans who live above ground who grow that they can, raise and consume mountain goats but who rely on imports from Omal.  

Status: The Dwarf Hold is as stable as it has always been. The survival of the above ground settlements are tenuous. There has been talk of an exodus of the nondwarves, probably to Omal, but that seems dangerous as well.  

Gharash

The Uruk only came to the Shatterbone Isles in Kaleth frokm Ghurat about 250 years ago. There is more about the Uruk in the Peoples of Kaleth section. 

Thane: Leadership of Gharash changes so often that it is impossible for outsiders to keep track of who the current "Battle Boss" is. It is usually a massive "Ogre" but has been a "Goblin" at least once. F To ease interaction with nonuruks these leaders have taken to wearing the "Mask of the Bloody Conquerer" a terrifying carved wooden mask that marks them as Thane. 

Assets: Numbers. Uruks of all kind reproduce far more quickly than other peoples, multiple births are common and young grow to what amounts to functional young adulthood in only three years. All of this makes for LOTS of Uruks. The islands they have taken as their home in Kaleth are also rich with plants to eat (especially peppers of all kinds) and beasts to hunt (and eat) which supports the ever growing Uruk population. 

Liabilities: If an Uruk Boss ever emerged powerful enough to truly unite their people and stay in power for several years the Uruks would be a terrifying threat but this only happens every few decades. Other times, they are so distracted by infighting that they don't extend far beyond their existing borders. 

Status: From the Uruk point of view - same as it ever was. Brutal, bloody and happy.

Iandir

The northern island of this Freehold, including what is now Miralor, was considered a paradise by the privileged of the Kingdom of Maroth (and others before) so it was home to expansive cities and lavish manors. The elves of Paralor helped them open an Academy Arcane to provide proper instruction to those gifted with magical potential. During the Banner War, the elves broke off to found Miralor but the Jade Wizard was able unite the islands known as the Sisters and a bit of easern coast which includes the principal ports used to reach them.

Thane: The Jade Wizard was the Headmaster at the Academy at one time and was a hermit for many years, closed off in their tower with their spells and studies. When they emerged after the fall of Baros Emrik they claimed that they had divined. that their intervention would prove pivotal to restoring peace to the land. Iandir's people respect their Thane but fear them and some are suspicious of secrets and mysteries.

Assets: The region has excellent resources and exceptional wealth. There are also more mages there than anywhere else in Kaleth including the Adepts of the Word, an order of Sorcerers who serve the Thane and are more than the equal of conventional mundane forces they have come up against.

Liabilities: Iandir is a prize any Warlord would live to claim. The mages make any attempt dangerous but many have tried. They also rely a little too much on magic for defense. The Adepts of the Word have been very affective but they can only be at one place at a time. 

Status: Complacent, comfortable and all that that implies. 

Margelis

This was the most populous region in Maroth. The first Emrik King also commissioned the construction of Castle Greathall here, which wasn't completed until his grandson's reign. When Baros lost control of the Kingdom his most loyal allies pulled back to these lands. During the Banner Wars he was found dead, having drunk poisoned wine. To this day no one knows who killed him but his advisors couldn't agree who would be his heir. 

The King's Children: He disowned his firstborn, a son named Felix, after the boy showed no interest on the realm or the throne and refused to be anything but an adventurer. His second born, a son named Otto, entered ehe military from a young age and proved to be brutal and cruel. He was given a Captain's post and a remittance letter promising annual casks of gold for which he was never to set foot in Greathall again. The third, Elisabeth (his only daughter) seemed ideally suited to noble life but she killed herself after a tragic love affair with poet from Celedon. 

Baros had many affairs and many other children. Of these he only recognized two. The first, and eldest, was a craftsman named Ellis. Capable and well liked but with no gift for politics or war. The second was a young woman known as Storm, a sellsword with a reputation for being one of the finest blades in the land. The only problem were the persistent rumors that she is Hellspawn which may have come from her mane of red hair and intensity in battle. She has never denied it, always playing it off as joke which clearly amuses her. 

When the realm was being carved up in the early days of the Banner War, Margelis was pitted directly against Aredor for control of the Realm. There was a time when that may have been possible but when Knight Commander Hale took what had been the King's army and used it to make himself Thane he sealed Kaleth's fate. It was an act of high treason that he may never have to answer for.

Thane: Ellis was named successor to Baros and became Ellis Emrik, Thane of Margelis. He has had a decade to become the leader his people need and by all reports he has made a creditable effort. He may not be the Thane the advisors who gave him the crown hoped he would be but his people love him.  

Assets: Margelis is large, populous and mostly self sufficient. Castle Greathall is a symbol of the Freehold's status as a bastion of the old kingdom. Despite Commander Hale's betrayal, Ellis still has a large army and many knights at his disposal.

Liabilities: Ellis Emrik's inexperience and many enemies. His brother Otto and sister Storm have both demanded that he step down and pass. the crown to them.  

Status: Embattled. 

Omal

As part of the Kingdom of Maroth, these lands were four smaller territories. During the Banner Wars, a minor magistrate everyone calls the Foreman convinced the various wannabe Warlords that they would fare better working together and that economic strength would prove more decisive than military might. He was proven right as Omal established itself as having the most stable production of grain and food of all kinds. In the chaos of the years since the fall of the Realm, bread is often more valuable than gold. 

Thane: Delia Everhardt spent her youth working for a local Baron tracking the goods flowing from the Hearthlander farms. She is Arethi (human) but was raised by Hearthlanders so knew their language and culture. It was the Heartlanders who playfully gave her the nickname Foreman. As Thane she is strong and competent. If she were more ambitious she could leverage Omal's economic strength to control more of Kaleth or even take a run at the crown but she has no interest.

Assets: Huge tracts of productive farmland. Exports everyone needs in abundance. 

Liabilities: Thane Everhardt may not be interested in expansion but there are others in her court that are. So far, her popularity has protected her but it may not do so forever. The Freehold also depends on everyone having a mutual need for the goods it provides to prevent aggression. Omal doesn't have an army, just guards and road wardens. That has also held up but should a sufficiently powerful foe decide to make a move against Omal they would have to rely on allies to defend it. 

Status: Healthy, stable, happy but potentially vulnerable. 

Stegan

This Freehold is what is left of what was once that trade hub of the Kingdom. Two years ago, the Thane for whom the Freehold was named was killed during a raid by a Warlord. The Guild Council chose to replace him with Darius, a Mercenary Captain who had seen them through the Banner War to succeed him.

Thane: As of Chapter One Darius has returned control of Stegan to the council that gave it to him in the first place. He returned to work as a mercenary commander completing the job of defeating the Uruk Warlord. The council replaced him with Thane Ulari, an influential merchant who is rumored to have ties to the Asp.

Assets: There are remnants of the Trade Guild relationships that once made Stegan strong but they are crumbling. 

Liabilities: Stegan may fall to Margelis or one of the independent Warlords unless something can be done quickly to stabilize the region. As of Chapter One chunks of Stegan were sold off by order of Thane Ulari to strengthen their coffers. As a result, Margelis, Iandir and Newvald now have dominion over land that was once part of Stegan.

Status: Desperate.