Kingdoms of Bryteland
The north western coast was settled soon after the Betrayal by people led by the Rornic king Bryta, who had sworn oaths to Voltan (Haltan) to find a new land for his people, and to dedicate a place to him if such a suitable land was found.
The place he found, on the northwest coast of the isle, became Bryteland.
The people of Bryteland are a mixture of Rornic and Tannish stock, and their language borrows heavily from both, though it is much more similar to modern day Tannish, than modern day Rornic.
Bryteland consists of (currently) five kingdoms. The relationship between them is generally cool at best, openly hostile at worst. Cross-border raiding is common, but then again intra-Kingdom raids are only slightly less so between rival nobles.
The Kingdom of Rorn considers them barbarians, and indeed, the Brytish are far more violent, with a somewhat simpler view of the world. They have an extensive law system however. Their poetry at least equals that of their southern neighbours, and reading and writing is reasonably common, thanks in part to the influence of the cult of Ashek.
The Kingdoms
The Kingdoms of Bryteland have always been flexible in the definition of their borders. However, over the past hundred years things have been stable enough for people to start referring to equate the kingdoms with the more permanent regional areas they co-exist with.
The mainland consists of Nethvollor, Sonodalr, Harholt, Bjorstathr and Vitrgifing. The three major islands which are considered part of Bryteland are considered Kingdoms in their own right, with these being Jarneyland, Oforley and Erding Island.
Erding Island is technically part of Sonodalr, however it has unofficially become independent, and King Edgar does not seem to be making any major moves to claim it back.
The Kings of Bryteland
Kingship, or indeeed, any form of nobility, is not hereditary in Bryteland. However, it is believed that capabilities and aptitude is inherited from one generation to another, so the son of a competent king will be viewed as having the potential to be a competent king themselves, unless there is evidence to the contrary. As such, at least over the short term, kingship tends to run in families.
The current kings and major nobles of Bryteland are from a small number of families. These are detailed below.
Egill the Red
Egill the Red was a bastard son of a prostitute who rose to prominence a hundred years ago. He became a famed warrior, and a jarl, and though he never became king, various of his descendents did.
Family of Egill
----Ketilve (f) ( b. 1156 d. 1221 )
----Ighul (m) ( b. 1211 )
----Tora Goldhair (f) ( b. 1213 )
----Skeggi (f) ( b. 1216 )
----Osric Edgarson (m) ( b. 1207 )
----Wulfstan Edgarson (m) ( b. 1220 )
----Nefbjorn (m)
----Bodny + (f) ( b. 1168 )
Recent History
A few hundred years ago Brytish traders to the southern coasts had brought back a new religion, the Cult of Ashek. At first the priests of the Mad God found few converts amongst the Brytish and travelled back down the coast to Merkia, where their teachings took hold. Eventually it came back northwards, and has now begun to work its way into the Brytish culture.
Today, all of Bryteland has heard of Ashek, and several of the Kings have a wizard or two who following the teachings of the cult. The Cult does not appear to be looking to convert the people, and they are happy to help anyone regardless of their faith.
However, the Cult does have an issue with the Animal Powers to the east, and it was originally the wishes of the Cult which started the wars against the beast walkers of Tanwall. Though Tanwall and Bryteland were always close, if not identical in culture, the eastern lands always had a higher predominance of the animal cults. The acceptance of Ashek in the west was what led to war between the two regions, and the two cultures now consider themselves seperate people.
