Nation Building: The Free Kingdoms of Thule

FROM THE ASHES OF WAR RISES...

THE FREE KINGDOMS OF THULE:

FENBERRY, HAUSBERG,  PHILLIPDOM, THESSIA, 

THE LAKELANDS, AZURIA, & THE HULDERLANDS

Thule is the largest continent of Sublanarya and takes up the majority of the northern realm. Unlike the paradise of old Saesun, Thule has been in a constant state of political upheaval for thousands of years. Between invasions by all manner of monsters, colonization from across the sea, and the proclivity of the natives toward war created a constant landscape of change.

It is believed that the first human inhabitants of Thule have either been native to the land or migrated there by navigating a bridge of ice across the polar ice cap from an undiscovered native land (theories among academia vary wildly). The indisputable facts are that when the iaurdin first "discovered" old Thule, there were tribes of primitive humans from the hills of modern Albyon, hunting primitive halfings, to the frost-bitten coast along the Dead Sea where the battled great white walruses. During these primitive years, elves avoided much contact with them but there is evidence of dwarf tribes trading with early humans and, less nobly, using them for slave labor. This all changed when the Dark Age sent catastrophe after catastrophe into motion.

The Giants of the Hold enslaved the civilized races of Thule, the iaurdin colonizers and the native dwarves and hulderfolk, but treated humans as they had since time memorium: as targets for rock throwing contests, prey for wild hunts, and food for their giant hounds. With the giants more preoccupied with trying to build a small, burgeoning empire, humans were forced to migrate away from the east but avoided much of the conflict. It was during this time that the earliest villages and towns began to sprout up, some of which still stand today, though they have been razed and raised back up many times over the centuries. But, as the giants were overthrown and the humans of Thule's society began to thrive in their own iron age, a threat nearly wiped them off the map.

A witch-cult to the hag goddess Skoraxia led by her son the reborn god Kalibos led a horde of cruel and barbaric raiders that attacked settlements all throughout the land. The peoples of Thule were forced to fight off this new threat and forced it back into the lands to the east. As part of some final plan or perhaps in desperation, the witch cult transformed their horde into horrible and dangerous beastmen. The fecundity of this new race allowed its numbers to swell and when let loose across Thule razed every settlement across the continent. The old Hamutian Empire and the Zafarians were only able to stave off the beastmen by their command of the seas and control of impenetrable fortifications. Thule became an abattoir with the beast-men hunting men for food and sport and the witch-cult rounding up victims for mass sacrifices to their monstrous gods. Many Thule peoples in the western lands escaped by seeking amnesty in Saesun and elsewhere. It was only the arrival of the Holy Imperium that the tide turned. The results left the eastern land, called the Hold, unlivable but Kalibos and his horde were defeated. Humans of Thule returned to reclaim their ancestral lands and used their knowledge gained from abroad to create kingdoms of their own.

By the Age of Restoration, it was called "the Land of a Thousand Kingdoms" by scoffing elves. The territory map was a complex map of over-lapping lines, color-coding and shading that would leave any cartographer or historian either drooling or in tears at the task set before them. Between the many wars and complicated monarchical lines of succession, the land became embroiled in many civil wars between neighboring lords. And yet, when the elves conquered the western most lands of Thule, a push for unification changed the landscape to something far more stable than that of the Land of a Thousand Kingdoms. Today, there are seven kingdoms that make up the league of small nation states called the Free Kingdoms of Thule.

The Free Kingdoms of Thule are made up of seven nation states, from west to east, Fenberry, Hausberg, Phillipsdom, Thessia, the Lakelands, Azuria and the Hulderlands.

GEOGRAPHY

It is difficult to summarize the geography of the Free Kingdoms of Thule; after all, the distance between the border to Albion and the the Lakelander/dwarf city of Rothgard are over 3,000 km (2,000 miles) and it covers a wide gamut of mountain rangers, rivers, lakes, and range from near polar weather of Seal Harbor to the Mediterranean conditions of Savoy. It becomes even harder to describe as, while each kingdom has an arguably distinctive environment, there is a gradient from region to region.

Fenberry

Fenberry has a similar disposition to Albyon; rain is a constant theme in Fenberry, as it falls heavily throughout Leaf-Fall and First-Flower, before drying up into starkly pleasant summers and mild winters compared to the harsh snowfall of northern Albyon. Freden in the north is a kingdom built into a thick forest said to be home to many bandits and brigands. The southern reaches of Fenberry are geologically complex as it runs down hill from the flat north into the fens and finally the Knauff Mountains before running into the Zafarian Sea with the city of Echo Town built into the Echo Cliffs with a climate most agreeable.

Hausberg

Due to the abundance of arable land between the impressive mountain rangers, which provide an abundance of raw materials, Hausberg is the most populous region of Thule. To the east of Fenberry, Hausberg becomes increasingly mountainous but the healthy soil of this region provides a healthy amount of farmland that makes living in the shadow of these mountains attractive to many locals. Still, the winters in Hausberg can rather harsh near the mountains and many without the appropriate weatherproofing abandon their homes for Long-Night and live in temporary housing in towns and cities. Largest of these settlements if the capital of Hausberg is built along the Mann River and is home to a population that rivals the major cities of the Empire.

Phillipsdom

The Kobal mountains give way to the rolling hills, stony and hard, from years of geological activity in ancient Thule. With little arable land, those that own land hold a disproportionate amount of power compared to most kingdoms of Thule. The nobility of Phillipdom live comfortable in their castles and manors, while the serfs that serve them struggle to eke out a living on the land provided for them to use. This struggle for decent land have resulted in centuries of fighting between lords and ladies, though more often for sport and glory than for the purported need to "reclaim their rightful property" to save their starving serfs.

Thessia

The horse-lands of Thessia are home to rolling golden plains and hill that make up the Golden Steppes. The warm warrior winds roar between ruddy mountains and across deep pools and lakes that give way to the causeways to the east. Life is simpler in Thessia and there are few roads cut into the landscape. Those who control the horses, control Thessia.

The Lakelands

The name speaks volumes as the Lakelands are the home of the Lake-Peoples who build their villages on the shores of the great lakes. There are hundred thousand lakes in this region that are called the "Children of the Thule Seas", the inland water bodies that, long ago, were the homeland of the iaurdin and dwarves during the Age of Wonders. These regions have seen some recolonization in recent years but, as they border the The Hold, such attempts have been foiled by all manner of threat from beastmen to giants to ghosts.

Azuria

Very little of the mediterranean Azuria is above sea-level and the entire region, which is considered a highly unique wonder, is built upon this fact. Villages, towns and great castles are built on what islands they can find among the myriad of sandbars in this region. At low tide, traveling between these settlements on foot isn't as difficult if one can make their way between tide pools and sinking sands, but during high tide, only the "Stone Serpents", magically crafted walkways built with the help of the dwarves and their sorcerer monarchs long ago, is travel by foot possible. Even then, most locales resort to using small watercraft for such travel during high tide. The natural estuaries created by this unique environment provide the bounty of the sea and also create a natural barrier to invasion by sea or land as horse-driven caravans find this region all but untraversable and large ships inevitably become stuck in the sand.

Hulderlands

The region of the Hulderlands is home to the massive Star-Crossed mountains that have the highest peaks in all of Sublanarya. Everything is uphill or downhill in this evergreen territory carved by glaciers over the millenia. The wealth of these mountains provide plentiful resources but the land is hardly arable and few large settlements can be found in the mountainous region. Some long-nights are particularly harsh here and the cold comes much sooner. While this has made human habitation difficult, bjergfolk and dwarves have found this environment very agreeable and it has resisted invasion from giants and beastmen time and time again.

WILDLIFE & MONSTERS

Wildlife varies dramatically from biome to biome throughout the The Free Kingdoms; with Fenberry sharing similar wildlife to Saesun and Albyon, with less dramatic size than Saesun and increasingly more animals adapted to colder climate to the east. Each region does have animals that they are renown for:

In Fenberry, small red wolves chase down spotted deer amidst swarms of gorgeous porcelain butterflies. Across the Knauff mountains, great four-horn goats butt heads with each other in the cliffsides and, in the valleys below, farmers tend to great fat auroch cattle. Phillipdom has such a variety of small predatory birds hunting the rock-moles that poke their head up from their stone burroughs and Thessia, of course, is known for its herds of wild horned-horses and the many breeds each clan is known for cultivating and protecting from Thessian lions and drakes. The lakelands are home to all manner of water dwelling beast from kelpies to kuo-toa. Azuria is known for a variety of amphibious fish, beautfiul sea birds and tidal octopus that lie in wait for prey.

And the Hulderlands, so old and secluded, is known to hold all manner of strange aberrations beneath the vaults long left behind by dwarf and more alien inhabitants.

Dwarves are the oldest civilized natives to Thule with humans and bjergfolk colonizing before the Age of Wonders.

POPULATION DEMOGRAPHICS

Determining population spread across each region is tricky, especially when so thoroughly dominated by humans, but it is necessary to paint the scene. These are really rough estimates so forgive me if I adjust them in the future.

Fenberry: 90% human, 5% iardun and half-elf, 5% halfling

Hausberg: 90% human, 10% dwarf

Phillipdom: 95% human, 5% dwarf

Thessia: ~100% human

Azuria: 80% human, 20% other (dhole, dwarf, elf and other sailors)

Lakelands: 85% human, 15% dwarf

Hulderlands: 70% human, 15% dwarf, 10% hulderfolk,  5% bjergfolk,

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

The variety of political bodies in Thule is built upon the recent formation of the Free Kingdoms as a federation of fledgling nation states built from adjoining smaller kingdoms into more formidable regions to defend against invasion and conspiracy. Still, the reigning government bodies throughout Fenberry, Hausberg, Phillipdom and Azuria are built similarly:

Fenberry, Hausberg, Phillipdom and Azuria are all feudal monarchies with a single hereditary sovereign sitting on a throne, with powers limited by written law and accords set by the founding rulers of the state and in conjunction with those guidelines set at the Crown Courts.

Crown Courts are meetings between all the four monarchs and the heads of each other state. Other notable nobles, oligarchs, generals, and other important members of the political scene are invited as well at the discretion of a monarch or state head. Such meetings are held in times of great peril or, in lieu of such a need, every ten years in hall of an agreed neutral host. These meetings, as the meeting that formed the Free Kingdoms of Thule into a federation, are used to establish guidelines in their charter, to propose responses like war declarations or to force peace between two parties, or discuss the topics of the day. These courts are also used to put the powerful on trial for breaking rules set in the charter and to make important decisions about succession. After all, the game of thrones can get quite nasty.

While the hereditary nature of succession is said to be dictated by the old ways and the new, there is still much in the way of in-fighting and intrigue among rivals for the throne. Princes make war against each other, nobles are assassinated, and everyone who wishes for power must make sure they have the right friends and the right enemies as well.  A wrong move can result in an entire family losing their place as the heads of state to be replaced with their enemies. Those kings and queens who have the time are difficult to challenge, their word being dictated as law and only subject to the charter and the Crown Court, but there are plenty of noble lords who take it upon themselves to do as they see fit, resulting in small wars between rivals from time to time. In a stable system, which is possible, the king or queen is regarded with respect by their lessers, their counselors guide their countrymen, and they manage to maintain peace. But stability is difficult in a system with such inequality. The perils of court-life occupy the high nobility enough that they have little time for much work. They leave that to lesser nobles, oligarchs, and other lesser powers.

Lesser nobles, oligarchs, and other important folk are given the day-to-day duties of running a kingdom and its territories. They are given land rights and special privileges to collect taxes, enforce the law, and provide some basic services. The poor peasants have little recourse against their "betters" as rebellion is discouraged with threat of violent reprisal. A good lord is expected to uphold his loyalty to the crown and the people, protecting them from exterior threats and guiding them through troubled times, serving as the crown's extension. But too often do lords rule with fear and force, demanding harsh tribute, and are above the law. The hypocrisy of the feudal state is something used as a point of criticism by the empire that, while inarguably fascist, punishes corruption and protects citizens much better than in Thule.

The laws vary from state to state as do the relationships between nobility and commoners. In Hausberg, the common man is treated with as a "citizen" and encouraged to speak his grievances with local governing figures. Meanwhile, in Azuria they are notoriously lenient on their people and the monarch is often sailing alongside commoners and breaks bread with them. Even more exotic, the Azurian monarchy is made-up of a succession of sorceror kings. Fenberry and especially Phillipdom are less progressive, serfs at the mercy of their overseers, and nobles often go unpunished for their cruelty and abuse.

The government systems of the Thessia, the Lakelands, and the Hulderlands have no kings. Instead, chieftains and mayors rule over their local area, following their own local laws, and the rulers are elected by tribal or town vote, competition by combat or some other skill, or by lottery. Before a Crown Court is held, they often hold their own meeting of leaders who can spare the time, and elect a representative to serve as their head of state for that Crown Court. The Hulderlands usually send the eldest bjergfolk and a hulderfolk assistant. Rothgard and the dwarven holds are ruled by maternal bloodline monarchies and send their kings to Crown Courts as well. This style of government fits the secluded settlements that call these regions home.

The political relationship between Thule and the other states is tense: they are viewed as a disorganized rabble by most other powers, especially the iaurdin empire. At present, they are at peace with the other powers but conflict with the empire seems intimate. They are also concerned with the waning power of the Holy Imperium. They consider themselves political aligned with the Zafarians, even though the Zafarians are isolationists and do not seem terribly interested in intervening on behalf of the peoples of Thule who, in times past, attempting to invade and enslaved Zafarians. And, furthermore, while slavery is uncommon in Thule, it is not unheard of or illegal, and indentured servitude is a common practice impressed upon Hamutian refugees. The Hamutian empires have little interest in Thule save as a potential ally against the other powers.

As it stands, Thule is behind the political ball, struggling to become something greater than its parts after millennia of internal strife and defeat at the hands of foreign powers.

MILITARY

While the Hulderlands, the Lakelands, and Azuria rely on natural barriers and form defensive forces when needed, the other states of Thule are well-known for their brutal land engagements.When in need of forces to move against an enemy or threat, a noble lord calls upon his vassals for support in supplies and manpower. And, as most noble worth their gold have at least a small standing army and knights in their court, they combine their sources for campaigns against their foes. Warfare between these forces involves a variety of forms but there is considered proper etiquette before a battle.

Guerilla warfare is considered ignoble, after all, and trickery is firmly discouraged-- not that either idea really stops such practices but many lords would consider their honor stained by such desperate "villainy".

So, before a battle, the leaders of both forces usually meet and discuss terms. Rarely, a peace is brokered or at least some ground rules for the battle, but this is mostly for show. The two forces then come to blows, with horse-riding cavaliers, pikemen and archers joining the melee in a brutal meeting of metal and flesh. When a victor is clear, battle ceases and, depending on the victors, the survivors are spared or slain. The latter is considered ignoble as well. Therefore it is common for the survivors are taken prisoner, especially if they are noble, and used in negotiations.

These wars can go on for many years, often taking breaks for the men-at-arms (volunteers) to return to their fields or wait for better weather conditions.

Siege warfare has evolve greatly in Thule and, while their fortresses hardly compare to the mountain fortress of Jalatia, there are many impressive castles and settlements with legendary reputation. The brutality of such warfare involves catapulting the walls and beyond, pouring of burning oil on those attempting to climb walls, the use of extensive mote and drawbridge systems, and so much more that complicate matters into brutal wars of attrition.

The experience and grit of Thule soldiers has them in high demand as mercenaries and many mercenary bands can be found and hired from their ranks such as the Black Snakes.

Ultimately, the lack of modern naval forces and the division of forces of Thule make it difficult for them to contend with other powers but, centuries of bitter civil war have hardened their forces with experience that allows them to equal the better trained and equipped eldritch knights of the empire, on the ground, with surprising resistance... if there ever was another war between Thule and the iaurdin empire.

ECONOMY

The economy of Thule relies mostly on local trade between the states, with merchant bands transporting supplies and goods along the roadways, but an increase in positive relations have resulted in an increasingly complex road system to support the growing trade system. Most transactions are made between town merchants, traveling merchants, and noble merchants (who often get their goods from their serfs). The economic center of any area is the largest settlement with tradesmen with talent seeking to set-up shop in these burgeoning centers of commerce to ply their trade and participate in guilds. The guild systems of Thule are a new import but are quickly becoming competitive with other Sublanaryan guilds.

At present, most wealth is in the hands of nobility, merchants, land-owners and talented tradesmen, who all take advantage of commoners, but perhaps this will change in the future. At present, many peasants have barely enough to feed themselves and their families, and travel seems impossible as the dangers and expense are beyond them.

Opportunity is for those born of noble and wealthy houses.

CULTURE

The peoples of Thule are expected to behave according to their station. A person of lower birth is expected to care for their family and community, to obey the law and show fealty to their superiors, and to live by the tenants of their gods. A person of higher birth, a nobleman, is more concerned with their honor and standing in the court, maintaining their relationships with their betters, their rivals, their allies, and managing the masses. These differences dictate day-to-day living.

A male peasant is expected to obey their parents, then to lead and protect their family when they reach adulthood, to participate and serve their community as leaders, to pay their taxes and obey the law, and to obey the old and new traditions. A male peasant's wife is expected to obey her husband and care for his children, to take care of their elderly family members, and to ensure that her husband's lessers, such as field hands, have food, clothing and accommodations.

The peasantry live simply and within their means, rarely encouraging flights of fancy or adventure, and instead focusing on survival of their family and then the community.

A nobleman is less concerned with the community than the court. They good nobleman is expected to live chivalrously. This means to live a life courageous and honorable, to be just and courteous, and to be ready to sacrifice against evil. The truth, unfortunately, is that it is more important to be perceived as good nobleman than to live the life of a good nobleman. A nobleman lives and dies by their reputation of their family name, as well as themselves, and is preoccupied with earning the respect of their piers. The fragile pride of a noble is often their greatest weakness.

Noblewomen are expected to live by their own standards of goodly womanhood: to live a life both gentle and reasonable, to be kind and generous, to care for the poor, the weak, and the old. Unlady-like behavior is discouraged, such as the trade of gossip and, of course, to act in any way adulterous. Women who commit adultery are often far more penalized than their philandering husbands and a woman's reputation is tied to how she treats her husband.

This double standard of genders is something seen as extremely regressive by iaurdin standards and the treatment of women is something that the Jalatians are particularly critical of when talking about their neighbors to the north.

Religion & Traditions

There are three primary faiths in Thule, the old, the new and the foreign:

While most of the Old Gods have been subsumed by the New Gods, the oldest faith still remains in the form of druidism. The adherents to the ways of Mother Narya and Greenfather, Silvanis (who is also a diety in the pantheon of the New Gods), worship not some human dieties but instead the forces of nature. They sing their songs to the Winds North to South and East to West, they travel by the River and the Lake, they make their churches among the Green Trees, they bow before the Mountains and the Seas, and they see the animals as their brethren. The druids are the "priests" of this religion and ask people to protect nature, to respect the wild and to help them maintain the balance against the constructs of evil. Druidism is not as organized as the newer faiths and they have far fewer followers but most people that live outside of the towns and cities still follow some of the old ways.

 

The newer ways come in the form of the New Gods, the Divine Family, the core pantheon of Thule, that have evolved since the Age of Wonders to become the greatest religion not just in Thule but, in one form or another, most of Sublanarya. 

The New Gods, headed by Grimnir Blue-Cloak and his wife Kleeona, represent a more modern religion than that of the Old Gods. Before the Age of Wonders, when man is primitive, the Primordials and then the Titans demanded sacrifice, more resembling the giants and other monsters that ruled over ancient Thule, while the New Gods, who survived the downfall of those deities, have more humanity and their stories are those of a large family. They do not demand sacrifice but merely ask for respect, usually in the building of temples and worship on holy days, and obedience, to their commandments, from their faithful. It is from the tales of these gods, passed down by elder and priest, that the peoples of Thule get their moral lessons. Whether it be from the lesson of hospitality taught by the stories of Grimnir Blue-Cloak visiting homes in the guise of an old beggar and rewarding those that helped him or the stories of tragic punishment being inflicted against villains alike, there are hundreds of stories of these gods.

The pantheon includes the gods of other races, such as Moradin the father of the dwarves and even Correlon Iaur of the elves.

 

The newest faith, spreading from East to West, is Holy Oneism. The religion of the Holy Imperium follows the Fallen Father, the Blind and Mute Martyr, the Nameless God who created the universe, and humanity, who is lost or dead but will return one day to cleanse the world of evil and create a paradise for his servants. This import has become popular among peasants, especially those that see their "demihuman" neighbors as invading threats, but it has also seen support from nobility who's support has allowed the Imperial Missionaries to build churches and provide service to their subjects throughout Thule. There are even many saints already named in Thule.

These two faiths seem destined for conflict as the Testament of Oneism puts the blame for the absence of the Nameless God on the New Gods, especially Grimnir Blue-Cloak, who they say conspired with devil's to overthrow and confine their god until this day.

Despite the efforts of all three religions, and perhaps due to the historical inspiration throughout Thule, means that there are many strange cults that pay homage to the Old Gods, that make contracts with devils and summon demons to do their deeds, and that contact otherworldly horrors and alien nightmares as was done by the ancient peoples. These people worship in secret to hide from the efforts of do-gooders to put a stop to their plans.

Trial by Combat

Passed down from the ancients, there are two violent means of resolution between nobility that are still practiced in Thule:

Duels are the sport of hot-blooded young men, who take every insult as an opportunity to impress their piers and perhaps improve their station by disgracing or removing a rival from the pool, and are frequently encountered where-ever nobles tread. While some duels are planned ahead, with set rules and conditions for the contest, from the means of contest (whether of wit or blade) to the results (to forfeit or death), most are improvised and result in the victor choosing whether to spare or kill his foe. Some call these fights survival of the fittest, but the wise know it to be a cruel folly that can result in a chain of events ending in war.

Trial-by-combat is less common, seen as a barbaric tradition by many and a tool for the wealthy to cheat the legal system, as, if a noble dislikes the outcome of their trial for any crime, they may demand trial-by-combat. In doing so, they or a champion they choose, fights a champion chosen by the court's volunteers. It is believed the outcome is determined by the gods and, even if the victor is guilty, the gods have decided it is not his time. The risky nature of such a duel means that many courts refuse and most would only resort to it if the alternative was death.

Architecture

The architecture of Thule is far less impressive than beauty of Saesun's cities, instead more based on practical designs inherited by their ancestors and imported from abroad.

The architecture varies on climate and need from the warm loghousing found in the Hulderlands and Lakelands to the stilt-houses and house-boats of Rabrat to the thick stone walls of Phillipdom and the thatch of Fenberry and Thessia with the housing of Hausberg combining aspects of all these traditions resulting in a region with a variety of humble housing. Only those in towns and the wealthy can afford more.

While the wealthy landlords of villages own large and imposing manors and old castles, those in town and cities live in often crowded together townhouses with multiple floors that borrow architectural traditions from all over. The results are less grand but no less impressive, with the massive capital city of Hausberg being the model by which all other cities follow, with cobble and stone streets built for carriage and horse, basic plumbing and sewage systems often maintained by ratfolk, and districts for various needs from temple districts to market squares. All traffic flows from countryside to town to city as the merchants move goods and coin back and forth between these settlements.

In the outskirts of civilization, lawmen, knights and rangers build forts to keep an eye on the countryside for threats like giants, beastmen, undead, and foreign invasion. These forts can vary from the practical woodland fort built for temporary purpose to impressive stone forts that have stood for generations as symbols of security. Still, compared to the safety of Saesun, the threats to civilization in Thule have always been greater from near and afar, and the threat of dragon invasion has meant many advancements in defensive structure, particularly to make them durable against the breath and might of dragons.

Entertainment

The leisurely activities of the people in Thule are usually reserved for taverns, with bards taking up residence or travelling between them, and festivals, where locals perform pageants, plays and dancing. Often traveling actor troupes offer their services in exchange for small coin or, if lucky, at patronage of nobility.

Nobility throw their own festivals with competitions of craft, sport and combat. Nobility are usually favored, with better health and training, but this is the arena where many competitions are open to all that can afford to participate. Some are exclusively for noblemen like the joust, the main event of any festival, with crowds and competitors gathering from far and wide for the biggest tourneys. The elves consider it bloodsport but the people of Thule live for such excitment.

Lastly, of excitment, is romance. 

While many arrange the marriage of their daughters, this doesn't stop young men from courting women and a prominent lady of the court is expected to have many suitors. While the poor have no time for such fluffery, young nobles are very preoccupied with romance. Usually a young lady decides a contest for her suitors alongside her parent/s or guardians. That said while there are no written laws forcing the young to marry against their will, society pressures them to obey their parents, and can result in many marriages of obligation.

Food

The common food of Thule is notoriously... bland. Most of the poor cannot afford much more than simple greenery and fruit, like wild apples or berries, with their porridge and meat, the latter of which is usually something of luxury for some peoples. Most families have a few recipes for soup or stew, which they adapt with whatever they have available, and little else.

Despite this, there are some iconic foods beloved by locals and visitors such as the variety of pies, both with meat and fruit, a variety of cakes, and other treats. Each kingdom and each province have their own take on dishes as well. Some examples of iconic dishes from each kingdom are the potted cheese bread of Fenberry, the fried beef stew and thick stout of Hausberg, the jelly pudding of Phillipdom, horse jerky in Thessia,  fried squid in Azuria, the eel-on-a-stick dish of the Lakelands and pine-nut pie in the Hulderlands. Everywhere has something worth eating.

Hoo boy that was a lot of work but I hope the results are to your liking. I still intend to work on the Faiths of Sublanarya articles and I am trying to decide what to cover next: the Holy Imperium or Zafaria (Jalatia and Nadjabad) or the Hamuts. What do you guys think?