General Information
The Western Kingdoms occupy the west coast of Calidon between the mountains and the Evenwater Sea, which is a fertile region of grasslands, forests, rivers, and hills. They are all monarchies of one form or another, and all are relatively new. Like the Notar Republic, they rose in the power vacuum that followed the collapse of the Empire of Thargossa. Several smaller kingdoms rose and fell in this area over a period of several decades, conquering or being conquered by their neighbors, before the current, relatively stable arrangement was arrived at about 30 years ago.
The four kingdoms that remain have differences and similarities. One of the similarities is that they all envy and fear the Notar Republic; no one of them is a match for the Republic, and it is fortunate that their mutual suspicions keep them from allying against it. They also retain far more of the character of the old Empire than Notar does, which is not generally a good thing.
Andilon
Andilon is the largest of the western kingdoms. Its northern edge is bounded by the Kirkkunen River, which provides a stable border with the Kingdom of Hovag to the north. Its eastern border largely conforms to the Sisunen River, though in the northeast its influence is bounded by the hills surrounding the Valley of Gaunt, where no one goes. To the south is the Kingdom of Hovag, and the border there shifts occasionally. There is little love lost between two kingdoms.
The capitol is the city of Andos in the south-central part of the kingdom. Andilon derives much wealth from mines in the southern Kelibar Ombrusk, where it gets iron and gems. The plain around the Sisunan is also rich agricultural territory. There are several busy seaport cities (Naragost, Illaria, and Silvos), and its ships sail up and down the Evenwater Sea.
Powerful families in the kingdom still keep slaves, though the practice is not widespread. As in Harragard, women may not own property; they may carry weapons, though social convention frowns on this. Women are, in general, treated with chivalrous respect, as high and noble creatures who should be cosseted and protected.
Andilon was founded and has been ruled by the Andor family. Around 50 years ago they overran the coastal kingdom of Edrath, and since then the realm has been relatively stable. King Daorthar has recently disappeared, however, supplanted by his sinister new minister, Gaspar Tegman. Since Tegman's mysterious disappearance the realm has fallen into chaos. Daorthar's oldest son, Myrthos, was killed by unknown assassins. His youngest son, Prince Jorvand, has emerged as the new King, and despite his youth (he is only 15), things seem to be stabilizing. Jorvand seems to be brighter and more determined than his father, and is making efforts to retake territory seized by Harragard in the turmoil.
Harragard
Harragard lies between Andilon and Teralm. Its west and east borders are bounded by the Evenwater Sea and the Sisunan River. The southern portion of its eastern border is held in common with the Notar Republic, and both realms claim the Fangos Vale.
The kingdom was founded by Harra, a general in legions of the Empire of Thargossa. When the Empire collapsed in 723 FE he claimed a wide area of territory, and after about five years had defeated all those who disputed his claim. The current ruler is his grandson, Harra the Third, who is currently about 45 years of age.
Harra is a quarrelsome and warlike kingdom, and skirmishes are frequent with both Andilon and the Notar Republic. All of the rulers have been harsh and fierce, and eager to add to their realm. Teralm, to the south, would seem like a natural target, but they tried to invade about 25 years ago, and since then have carefully avoided provoking their much smaller neighbor. Military service is mandatory, and the kingdom is heavily involved in the slave trade. Another social convention, imposed by Harra the First and maintained since, is that the rights of women are strictly limited. They are not allowed to own property or to bear weapons. They are, in fact, little better than chattel.
The capitol is the city of Harra (formerly known as Kesyan). The country is mostly flat, and very fertile. Despite this the kingdom is constantly poor, largely because of the large military force they maintain. Since the population is already as heavily taxed as they can be without provoking open revolt, Harragard's navy is essentially a pirate fleet; flying no colors, its ships ply the Evenwater and Straits of Nornissa, seeking rich merchant vessels to plunder.
Hovag
This is the northernmost of the Western Kingdoms. It lies nearly at the north end of the Evenwater Sea. To the east its borders end roughly at the Kiloma Highlands. Its southern border with Andilon is defined by the Kirkkunen River, and to the north its influence stops at the Pale Escarpment.
The territory used to be a group of several small lordships and fiefdoms, who spent most of their time and energy fighting each other. Finally, about 25 years ago, Ungrew Steelfoot succeeded in conquering and unifying all of them. He named the resulting kingdom Hovag, the name of roughly the same territory it had as an Imperial province, and he has kept it unified since then. He is now nearly 70, but still hale.
Hovag maintains trade routes with lands to the north, and its merchant fleet sends the goods acquired down the Evenwater. The kingdom shows no interest in expanding its borders, and King Ungrew has banished the old practice of slavery. The capitol is the large and busy port city of Hovag, and the harbor there is flanked by the ancient Towers of Rain, so named because they are so tall they are said to tear passing clouds and produce rain.
Teralm
Teralm is the southernmost and smallest of the Western Kingdoms. It shares its eastern border, the Sisunen River with the Notar Republic; to the north lies the Kingdom of Harragard. It is a mysterious place, whose ruler and people seem to desire mostly to be left alone. They carry on relatively little trade and commerce with their neighbors. Much of the population is descended from some people that lived there long before the Empire, and they maintain many ancient customs and patterns of speech.
Following the collapse of Imperial power in 723 FE, the Imperial fortress of Grey Harbor was seized by a powerful wizard named Teralm, who then claimed all the lands within about a 40 mile radius of the city as his. When the first king of Harragard, Harra the First, had consolidated his power several years later his first act was to march on Teralm. Not only was he defeated by the sorcerous powers and creatures under Teralm's command, it was believed that Teralm could in fact have seized Harragard, had he wished. The next attempt by to conquer Teralm, by Harra the Second, came about 45 years later, and the result was even worse. Of an army of 10,000 soldiers, around 115 returned, and they could give no coherent account of what had happened. Since then Harragard has left Teralm strictly alone.
The current ruler is the second ruler, Teralm's granddaughter Queen Larphyria. She is not, as far as is known, a mage herself, though she certainly has several powerful magical devices bequeathed her by her grandfather. She seems to be an able ruler, and does not inspire the fear in her own subjects that Teralm did. She is reclusive, though, and few in the kingdom have seen her, though they say she walks among them in disguise at times.
The capitol remains at the city of Grey Harbor, a town of about 75,000 people. It is a strong fortress that was greatly expanded by Teralm, though it retains the graceful lines of its Imperial origin. The only other city of note is Vangsworth, about 20 miles downriver of Dindale. Almost the entire kingdom is given to pasture and field, lightly wooded with low, rolling hills. In the north are the Gordwroth Hills, which are known for the ruined pre-Empire city of Yelith. These hills are largely uninhabited, and many dark and strange tales are told of them.