Capitol: Derilath (population: 37,000)
Population: 1,292,000 (89% Thaldain, 8% Amador, 3% other)
Demi-humans: 63,000 (75% dwarves, 12% halflings, 13% elves)
Humanoids: some
Government: Monarchy (currently ruled by the Norax Dynasty)
Current Leader: King Briand II
Coat of Arms: a white polar bear over a black field outlined in bright green
Exports: ice, furs, fish, iron, whale oil, coal, wool
Marundi is the largest Thaldain kingdom in the North, descended from the ancient days of the Ravinian Empire and the reign of the revered Alaghon Dynasty.
The kingdom's name is derived from the Ruendi Clan, who first settled the region in the early Third Age and founded the city of Derilath. The Clan named its newly-conquered territory, "Mar-Ruendi," which evolved over time into "Marundi."
Today, Marundi is a cold and desolate place; its inhabitant are scarred by wars and plagued with terror, abject poverty, and constant fear. As a result, most Marundians are like its climate; cold, harsh, and often unfriendly.
Today, the most troubling state of political affairs in Marundi is its hostile relations with the Sköda tribes who reside in the North. Since King Briand cannot hope to conquer his southern neighbors, he seems content to slaughter the weaker, barbarian tribes that dwell in the Northern Wastes.
As a result, the northern regions of the kingdom are quite hazardous, because of constant military raids. This long and bloody conflict has pushed the ailing kingdom deeper into decay and poverty.
More troubling still, are the close relations King Briand currently enjoys with the Dark Lord Sorimmar of Drakhara.
Borders
Marundi's northern and eastern borders are the jagged peaks of the Sable Mountains; its western borders are the frozen shores of the Myr Thalal. The Kingdoms' southern borders are the rugged Ironrock Mountains and the Borderwood.
Because of its often-bloody history with Ammarind; the regions along the southern border are dotted with many castles and strongholds. Both kingdoms have instigated frequent skirmishes and raids, threatening the uneasy peace which has existed for the last twenty years.
Politics
The current ruler of Marundi is King Briand II of the Norax Dynasty, a despot who is both feared and despised by his subjects.
Briand sits upon the Bearclaw Throne, within the Great Hall of Castle Obsidian, which is located on a great pillar of black rock, overlooking the capitol; Derilath.
Politically, Marundi is a monarchy, but local and administrative rule is sub-divided into 12 Duchies and 52 Baronies, all of whom are ruled by powerful Vassal Lords, chosen for their un-waveringly loyal to the crown.
Prominent Marundian noble families include: House Burgoyne, House Elroy, House Norax, House Rudd, House Thornwood, House Van Essen, House Voskov, and House Warwick.
Military
Marundi is a nation of great fortresses and fortified cities. It has to be, for the North has always been a hostile, unforgiving region of Corwyn. Constant threats of raids by the Sköda tribes, as well as terrible creatures roaming the frozen north have always been constant threats to the Marundian people.
As a result, Marundi has a powerful and well-trained military. For its protection, Marundi has a large standing army of 12,000 well-trained, heavily armed soldiers.
But in times of war, the Kingdom can muster well over 40,000 troops, due to large noble contingents. Because of its bloody history, Marundi has many strong fortifications including, Castle Obsidian, Icerock Keep, Kren’s Keep, Norgard Keep, and Winterhold Keep.
Climate
Most of Marundian territory is made up snow-covered hills, icy valleys, and bitterly cold, windswept plains.
The climate of Marundi is extremely harsh because of its far northern location, and the chilly winds off the mountains, gives the region a dampness that outsiders find distressing.
The harsh northern climate is what makes Thaldain folk so hardy.
Life & Society
Most of the peoples of Marundi struggle to survive the harsh climates of the North, the oppressive government, and the weak local economy.
Local income comes largely from the sales of furs and ice, and there is little profit in those markets
Food and goods are scarce, so most people go without. What little money the commoners receive is taxed heavily by the king in Derilath.
As a direct result of the harsh living conditions, every year, thousands of citizens migrate either to Ammarind, or the Khorlann Steppes in search of a better life.
The ones who stay are usually bitter and unfriendly to outsiders.
The Marundians also live in fear of the dark. The realm is infested by terrible creatures that roam the night, such as Ice Wraiths and Remorhaz.
This dangerous region does attract adventurers and young fools desiring to test their mettle against such foes. Few return to tell of their exploits.
Geography
Alaghon Mountains: (Mountains of Frost) large mountain range running northwest across Marundi until it intersects with the Sable Mountains.
Ironrock Mountains: small mountain range that forms the border between Ammarind and Marundi.
Sable Mountains: mountain range of dense black volcanic rock that stretches across the Northern Peninsula to the Myr Thalal.
Thalar Islands: small island chain in the Myr Thalal. Home to the dreaded Variags.
Important Sites
Bearclaw Throne: royal seat of Marundi, located within Castle Obsidian.
Castle Obsidian: the royal citadel of the kingdom of Marundi, located on a great pillar of black arctic rock, overlooking the city of Derilath.
Cragway: seldom used road that runs north from Derilath to the ruins of El-Gerath.
Derilath: (population: 24,000) capitol and largest city in Marundi, governed by Duke Gerard Norax.
Frozen Ford: site of a battle in 1230/6, between Marundi and the Sköda tribes of the Northern Wastes.
Icerock Keep: farthest northern military outpost in the kingdom.
Iceway: road that runs along Northern Peninsula, from Kren’s Crossing to the fortress of Sol-Kathad.
Forgotten King Inn: infamous tavern located in Kren’s Crossing.
Kren’s Crossing: (population: 6,000) important trading center in the southeastern region of the kingdom.
Kren’s Keep: small military outpost near Kren’s Crossing.
Krensway: road that runs west from the fortress of Kren’s Keep to Norethë.
Norethë: (population: 3,000) small northern seaport governed by Baron Durand Voskov.
Winterhold Keep: small outpost located near the small trading village of Norethë.
Local History
Marundi is a nation that is thousands of years old, with a long, and often, bloody history, that stretches back all the way to the early Fourth Age.
Origins
Long before the current kingdom of Marundi existed; its lands were part of an ancient kingdom called Thalar; the first united kingdom of the Thaldain people.
Thalar was founded by King Algerd Baranov; one of the famed Seven Champions of the West, and under the rulership of his family, the kingdom flourished for several centuries.
Sadly, Thalar was destroyed during the Storm of the North, and the region fell into chaos for over 500 years.
Formation of the Kingdom under the Alaghon Dynasty
For over 500 years this region remained in a state of complete anarchy. But that changed in the early Fifth Age, when the Ravinian Empire was founded.
In the year 83/5, Empress Ravinia chose Lord Kren Alaghon to bring order to the Northern Peninsula and establish a Imperial province there.
Kren was a Thaldain noble lord who had been a close ally of Ravinia during the Unification Wars. He was originally from Derilath and already had the support of the Ruendi clan.
For nearly twenty years. Kren waged a bloody campaign against his rival; Lord Vorland Drax, before he finally defeated him at the battle of Skåaven in the year 91/5.
In the year 98/5, Kren founded the kingdom of Marundi and formally joined the Ravinian Empire. The kingdom continued to be ruled by the Alaghon Dynasty for 523 years.
When the Ravinian collapsed following the Cataclysm, the Alaghon Dynasty was also destroyed.
The Arctic War
During the Ravinian Period, Marundi was devastated by a series of orc raids which occurred throughout the years 435-497/5. Later, in the years 521-524/5, Marundi fought in the disastrous Arctic War against the Zûl and Sorimmar’s orc legions.
The Haldane Dynasty
After the Cataclysm, Marundi came to be ruled by King Leovard of the Haldane Dynasty. Twenty-eight successive Haldane monarchs sat upon the throne.
Unlike the Alaghons, the Haldanes were corrupt and cruel, and the people of Marundi suffered greatly during its 683-year reign. The Haldane Dynasty finally ended in 674/6, when King Cerland II was slain in the Battle of Krell.
The Uzren Dynasty
After the War of Crows ended, King Leland of the Uzren Dynasty became the ruler of Marundi. The Uzren family ruled Marundi for 315 years and a total of sixteen monarchs sat upon the Bearclaw Throne. Uzren rule ended in the year 989/6, when King Morland II was slain during a failed attempt to capture the arctic fortress of Sol-Kathad.
The Norax Dynasty
In the year 989/6, King Berand of the Norax Dynasty assumed the Crown of Marundi. Berand's rise to the Bearclaw Throne was extremely suspicious . Eleven different monarchs from Norax family has ruled the kingdom over the last 258 years. The Norax family is petty, stubborn, and cruel, and their hold upon the North has brought misery and death to thousands.
Recent troubles with the Sköda tribes
With the end of the Uzren line, Marundi came to be ruled by the Norax Dynasty under King Berand. Marundi had been a second-class power ever since the Cataclysm, and had been plagued by poverty, decay, and corruption for many years.
This decline began to increase with the reign of the Norax kings, who ever lusted for more power and territory. Beginning in 1111/6, King Weyand ordered frequent raids into the Northern Wastes to wipe out settlements of the arctic people known as the Sköda.
The raids were successful and thousands of Sköda men and women were slaughtered, but the constant warfare brought only more misery and poverty to Marundians. Marundi’s sharpest decline began 80 years ago, when, in 1167/6, Briand’s great-grandfather; the Mad-King Cerland, began the disastrous War of Succession against Ammarind.
By 1169/6, Marundi was severely defeated and forced both to cede territory and to make huge monetary reparations. To quell the popular uprising against him that began after that defeat, Cerland started another, easier war.
In 1184/6, when the Sköda tribes refused to pay even higher taxes and levees, Cerland again invaded the Northern Wastes and declared war on the helpless Sköda tribes living there. Over the next four years, Cerland’s armies caused much slaughter and misery before their final victory in what became known as the War of the Bloody Snow.
In 1188/6, the war was finally ended by Cerland’s son, King Berand II. Cerland died of illness in 1187/6.
Relations between Marundi and the Sköda have been bitter ever since, and by 1188/6, the northern borders of Marundi began to be plagued with bloody border raids. In 1227/6, Briand’s father Morland had to quell the most powerful Sköda invasion yet, in what was called the Winter War.
Led by their war-chief Sicard, the Sköda invaded Marundi and actually besieged the city of Derilath for three months, but by 1229/6, Morland’s armies broke the siege and drove the barbarians north back over the border.
A few months later, King Morland’s army finally defeated the Sköda in 1230/6 at the Battle of the Frozen Ford, but both Morland and Sicard were slain in the battle. King Briand assumed the throne after his father’s death, but the victory was bitter and hollow.
With the Sköda tribes broken and Sicard slain, the Marundians dictated very harsh terms to the arctic folk. Even with a period of relative peace for the last 17 years, King Briand has still ordered frequent raids into the North to kill innocent Sköda folk to avenge the memory of his father. King Briand firmly believes that by keeping the barbarian tribes on their knees, there will never be another uprising.