Tilth — In Detail
The name, Tilth, comes from an ancient term meaning farm. When it was first settled by Rudkeric Barbarians over two millennia ago, its fertile valleys, and abundant forests had all of the raw materials needed to create a civilization. It still took a half-century for the Rudkeric peoples to settle and create permanent dwellings. The remnants of these people still roam The Wastes north of the Tilth plaguing civilized society and fighting with the humanoids for survival.
The descriptions of events in this Atlas are set to begin in the spring of C.Y. (Common Year) 761. More than seven centuries have past since Elgin Quellor — Elgin I — proclaimed himself king of the Tilth, and founded a ruling dynasty that is still in place. From his line, a relatively unbroken string of successors hve ruled the kingdom, many have ruling quite successfully. Today the Kingdom is largest in the western hemisphere and dominates the continent politically.
The current monarch, Edmund XII, rules from the capital city, Col Tilth. Edmund recently succeeded his father, Halfred II, when he was assassinated in 754 C.Y. Edmund has a son, Rupert, and a daughter, Vivica. The extended royal family includes two great uncles, Elgin and Grellus, and two male cousins from his mother's family.
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Recent History
Civil War (C.Y. 754 - 756)
Until recently the Tilth had enjoyed a period of relative peace and stability — some have also said stagnation. Halfred's reign was a dominant one, and under his watch, clashes between nobles and other types of civil unrest were kept to a minimum. However, he had his detractors.
Under his reign The Tilth lost territories. Rastgoth to the south and Ron Mahrl were allowed to declare independence, although they still remained as dependent on the kingdom for protection. Treaties that were signed long ago with demi-humans in the Silver Forest and the Iron Mountains were ratified, and Halfred mad it his mission to uphold them. Erosion of the once mighty Empire had begun, and many saw in Halfred a king who was unwilling — or unable — to stop it.
Enter Edrin, Prince of Southkeep — Halfred's younger brother — and Remulus, the Archduke of Muldive. The Archduke was a skilled politician and one of the most popular members of the Royal Council. Edrin, while less respected, still held a great deal of political clout, especially in the south. The two hatched a plot and assassinated Halfred before Edmund (Halfred's son and the Crown Prince) could reach majority. When a group of adventurers discovered the plot, Edrin and Remulus split the royal council, and plunged the country into civil war over the succession.
Grellus — Halfred's uncle, and then Prince-Bishop of Westkeep — and much of the council remained loyal to Edmund, as did most of the nobles in the west. The south was evenly divided, and the North was firmly behind the userpers. The council had the advantage when the garrison at Col Tilth also remained loyal, and the plot was stamped out. One final battle at Southkeep decided two years of civil war, and Edrin's forces were routed. Remulus fell in the battle at Southkeep. Edrin escaped, and was brought to justice by a group of adventurers. (See Characters)
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Invasion (C.Y. 757 -760)
In the spring of 757, while the country was repairing itself from a divisive civil struggle, a new threat arose from the south. Mirvians, bolstered by support from the lizard men of the rain forests of the southeastern section of the Mirvian continent and drow from the depth of the Underdark, invaded Svarus, Bormahrl and the southern portions of the Tilth.
The horde that marched north was raised by a collection of powerful Mirvia leaders that put aside the warring between nations that normally dominates the politics of Mirvia. Priests of the lizard god, Srath Sifa summoned a powerful Daemon to lead the campaign, which included about half of the nations of Mirvia. From the Forbidden City, the Daemon, Sakathka, rallied lizard men led by Yuan-ti priests; Drow from the Underdark; hordes of barbarians of the Mirvian nations led by the warrior, Hawk Double-Axe, and the wizard, Marikson Demonreeve; a tribe of evil cloud giants; and assorted non-human mercenaries.
The first attack, and the perhaps the most savage, was at Svarus. Since the Elven nation stood in his path, Sakathka sent his full horde at Svarus. The small Elven nation was no match for the multitude, and were easily routed. With the Elves subdued, Sakathka left the Drow in control of the forest to protect his supply lines while he slowly moved the bulk of his army north.
One by one, human settlements north of Svarus were gobbled up, with the Kingdom able to do little to aid. Edmund sent forces by sea to the coast near the Elves's forest, to try and keep the Drow from annihilating the Elven population. His efforts met with limited success. In the meantime, the communities south of the kingdom had no resources with which to defend themselves. Some, like the walled city of Arth, opened their gates and collaborated with the invaders. Some were reduced to guerrilla tactics to harass the might army. Others were reduced to ashes, their people enslaved and the town plundered. In the fall of 757, the invaders lay siege to the city of Bor Mahrl. Unable or unwilling to appeal to the Kingdom for help, Bor Mahrl lasted a month before succumbing to an outright attack from the invading forces.
With the campaign to take Bormahrl finished, Sakathka held the city for the winter, strengthening his hold on the human lands to the south. Using the resources he gained, his forces were able to last the winter. By spring these resources were exhausted, and the horde needed to conquer more territory, or withdraw. Having little success in the mountains around Stonefist's See (dwarven homelands), the horde turned to the southern portion of the Kingdom.
By this time, Edmund had secured his throne, quelled the dissension within the royal council, and was able to actively defend his borders. Sensing that the mountain city was a key, he laid siege to Bormahrl in the hopes of forcing the invaders out into the open. His tactics were poor, however, as he had to split his force to lay siege to the city. The southern siege was broken, and his forces routed by a fresh horde of Mirvians that had marched north to join Sakathka and the armies encamped in Bormahrl. With half his army on the run, Edmund was forced to retreat to Southkeep.
With fresh troops to commit, Sakathka's lizard men and his Mirvian allies attacked Southkeep, and took the city after a bloody conflict. Edmund, realizing that he might lose the city, kept the northern (Mountain) half of the siege intact at Bormahrl, which turned out to be a good strategy. Keeping the mountain gate closed protected the western part of the realm, and contained the invasion to the Duchy of Southkeep. In the cooler fall weather Sakathka's invasion began to stall. Although the city contained no real strategic value, Sakathka sacked and occupied Rastgoth that same year.
After losing Southkeep, but containing the invasion, Edmund was content to wait until the following spring to mount a counter attack. Winter proved harsh on the invaders, especially the non-human troops from warmer climes. In the spring of 759 Edmund launched an effective two-pronged counter attack. The first "prong" sent troops to the Elven Forests via the sea, to help the Elves retake Svarus, and cut contact with the Mirvian's homeland. The second "prong" attacked in full force in the cold early spring months of 759. Intelligence had told Edmund that Sakathka's lizard men were less effective in cold weather.
Counting on a long winter to keep the passes in the Iron Mountains closed, Edmund attacked Bormahrl with his Col Tilth Garrison reinforced by the troops that had maintained the siege on the Mountain Gate. As this attack was taking place, the elves counter attacked successfully and drove the Drow from their homelands. At the same time, a group of adventurers, including Qui Gulston (now warden of Southkeep), Sir Skovin Ardenite, and other adventurers journeyed to the Forbidden City, and destroyed the Daemon, Sakathka. Cut off, outnumbered, missing a key leader, and devastated by the weather, the Mirvian horde collapsed and fled.
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Annexation of Bor Mahrl (C.Y. 760)
Using the invasion and the resulting devastation, Edmund, backed for once by the full support of his council, annexed Bor Mahrl, ostensibly to restore order. The Mirvian invasion, and occupation that followed had divided the city. Some gained temporary favor by collaborating with occupying forces. Others, horrified at the thought of being ruled by cruel new masters, created bands of resistance.
With the withdrawal of the Mirvians and the lizard armies, armed former resistance fighters began vigilante style killings of collaborators. Prominent mine owners and businessmen appealed to the Kingdom of Tilth to restore order. The Army of Bor Mahrl, unable to adequately defend itself, was still not ready to lose its independence to the crown, and occupied the upper part of the city when Edmund's governor arrived.
Aided by forces of Dwarves from the western Iron Mountains, the Mayor of Bor Mahrl held the palace and the upper city for weeks. Since the upper city controlled the North gate, there was no end to the stalemate in sight. The first incursion of the Dragon Armies, and rumors of raids in the Valelands forced the dwarves to abandon their support of the Lord Mayor, who subsequently surrendered his city to the Edmund's forces.
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Invasion of the Dragon Armies (C.Y. 760 - present)
The Kingdom of the Tilth did not have time to enjoy a moment of peace and quiet. Even as his troops were camping below the city of Bor Mahrl, Edmund was forced to turn his attention to a new threat. Two new armies, rumored to be led by powerful wizards, led attacks in the Valelands, the valley west of the Iron Mountains. It is unclear where the armies came from. Rumors abound that they are from Semphar, or from lands west of the Dragon Mountains, or even another nation of Mirvia.
The army of the Red Dragon led an attack on the southern portion of the Vale, and has raided into the western Iron Mountains, around Kamst and Stone Fist's See. The army of the Blue Dragon occupies Wolve's run, the north Vale, and has made incursions into the Downs (northwestern Tilth).
The composition of the army is mixture of humans and humanoids, led almost exclusively by human officers. Fierce dragons, as well as giants, giant-kin and other horrible monsters serve the wizards, and strike fear into the hearts of adversaries. The monsters and humanoids were obviously recruited from the Broken Lands (West of the Dragon Mountains). What race or nationality the majority of the humans are is uncertain.
The Dragon armies seemed to have their attention firmly placed on the Valelands, and points west. Activities in the past two years have been limited, with periods of active raiding that seem to be a prelude to open war followed by long periods with no activity. Several raids the first winter caught defenders off guard, and Stone Fist's See almost fell to the Army of the Red Dragon. The Tilth has remained relatively untouched.
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Current Events
Current events are listed from the perspective of C.Y. 761, seven years after the assassination of King Halfred II.
Continued Presence of the Dragon Armies
So far, the main goal of the Dragon Armies seems to be the acquisition of resources. The Vale contains large quantities of farmable land, more than enough to sustain these new invaders indefinitely. Raids into the mines of the Iron Mountains have netted iron, silver, and copper. There are small timber stands in the Wolve's Run, and the Downs which have also been the target of raids.
While there have been no open attacks on territories that the Kingdom claims, several raiding parties have been repulsed, and hostilities in the border zones threaten to break out at any time. The goals of these new invaders seems to be unclear. Although fortifications around important cities have been thrown up, no permanent structures in the Vale have been detected, so it is unclear if the invaders mean to make it their home or not. Their aggressive attitude suggests that their campaign of conquest remains unfinished.
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Unrest in the South
The fall of the valelands, the change in leadership in Bor Mahrl, and the devastation of the Mirvian invasion has left the south portion of the Kingdom in a state of Chaos. While never technically part of the "kingdom" of Bor Mahrl, the lands to the south had sustained the city with trade. Bor Mahrl in turn protected the area, usually by hiring mercenaries. Edmund has discontinued that practice, extending his patrols as far south as he is able. And while they are in no immediate danger from invasion, the people of the region are uneasy about the perceived lack of care from Edmund's governor in Bor Mahrl. The hostilities in the Valelands do not help the situation.
Mercenary bands, once employed by Bor Mahrl on behalf of the area, are now forced to negotiate for employment directly the people of the south. Bands of mercenaries little better than thugs have begun to extort protection money from the populace. The more unscrupulous ones actually hire bands of brigands to create trouble so that they can ride in and save the town. Edmund's forces are too far extended to be of much use to communities more than two days journey from Southkeep or Bor Mahrl. It is rumored that The Kingdom and Svarus will join together to restore order.
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Society
Religion
The Tilth is the center of Western Religion (see Deities & Immortals), and is also the region that sees the widest tolerance and acceptance of other religious practices. Deities worshiped change from town to town, and also change with social standing. Many of the upper class and nobility worship the emperor and empress — Braxtus and Farfalla — as supreme to the Erynines, paying homage to the rest as the major festivals and situations dictate (The empress is also worshipped at harvest time, Dalshra, god of magic is venerated on Midsummer, etc.). Like most of Western religion, many of the significant religious events date to ancient Druidic holidays.
While the Erynine religion is the chief western practice, a climate of tolerance allows a number of other practice. Most common outside the Erynines are nature deities that may have once been a part of Druidic lore. The Gods of Fury have adherents on the Tilth, as well as several other nature deities. In regions where Farfalla is not worshiped at harvest festivals, Mantilla "The Earth-Mother," thought to be a hybrid elf/human deity, is venerated (elf lore, like western religions also borrows heavily from Druidic lore).
Mirvian culture has made an impact on the western culture, especially in the southern regions, but religious practices of the Mirvians have been discouraged since the founding of the current Tilthian dynasty. Outlawed from practice is the worship of Srath Sifa, the lizard god of the Forbidden City. Thought to be the downfall of the Mirvian culture, his cult has been a target for destruction even by present day Mirvians. Thought to be extinct, it surfaced recently in force (see Recent History). A similar pantheon is thought to have become dominant in Lower Mirvia as well.
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Politics
The Tilth is ruled by a hereditary monarch, who answers (in theory) to a Royal Council. The King is supreme in all matters of domestic and foreign policy, with one notable exception. The Council sets the taxes on the nobles, and is responsible for maintaining the exchequer (the treasury).
Regional power rests with the King's Barons. Each rules a portion of a county, and in theory reports to a Duke or Grand Duke (Archduke in the case of Muldive). Since the seat of each county is a large city, Edmund's Dukes tend to manage the affairs of the city. Each of the powerful Barons has a position at the court in Col Tilth, and are more loyal to Edmund than to the Dukes.
Under each Baron is a high sherrif, who rule shires, and have the power to enforce the King's law. Each county (there are six) is made up of 10-12 shires. A Baron typically has three or four sherrifs loyal to him.
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Economy
The Economy is undergoing a transformation, from a strictly agrarian economy to a balanced, modern economy, based more and more on money and goods. The period of relative peace preceding the civil war and the encroachment of the dragon armies has created a surplus of goods. This surplus has given rise, and new power to a growing middle class.
As a result, land is passing from nobles and the upper class to middle class tradesmen and merchants, as cities have begun to grow. Two generations ago, there was one city, Col Tilth, with a population of 50,000 or more. Now there are five — Muldive, Westkeep, Southkeep and Bormahrl — although Bormahrl was already that large when it was annexed.
Imports
With the growth and development of cities, one of the chief imports in the Tilth is lumber. Stone is also an important import, and many other raw materials, especially iron, copper and silver, are important as well. Comfort goods were a chief import, until recent troubles have slowed their flow.
Export
The Tilth exports agricultural products, chiefly cattle, cotton, and food grains. Worked goods and some finished products are also important exports, especially cloth from Col Tilth. With three major cities on the Shinning Sea, shipbuilding is an important trade, although most of the timber for the ships needs to be imported.
