Danton

The Medieval Kingdom of Danton
Motto: Sinaf tiré ta nûni.
Capital		Dantonakhan
Largest city		Markal
Ethnic groups (2015)		Gorgoran Terrangelian Anwarian Ristabanian Elven Dwarven
Demonym		Dantonian
Government		Monarchy
-	King	Durthan Lamínorson
Establishment
-	Foundation	23rd November 2013
Currency		Ghant

The Medieval Kingdom of Danton (also called the Eastern Kingdom, Danton, or The Realm of Kings) is a monarchy comprising six ethnically and geographically divided areas of land, one northeast colony and an oceanic island. The country is situated in the region of Dalrawduel, occupying essentially all of the fertile plains east of the Rohet River.

Danton is one of the most widespread and economically thriving nations in the region, and is also one of the most ethnically diverse, due mainly to the various populations of peoples that inhabited the land when the country was first founded. The geography and climate there is also largely diverse, including three mountain ranges, five major rivers, and one enormous lake. In the capital city of Dantonakhan, national pride and history are held in reverence, with every visitor being essentially required to know the native tongue.

The current Dantonian law system was formed primarily by the founder and first King of the realm, Uril Furecoson, in 655,841 X.N. It limits the powers of the king to a minor extent, and grants some political abilities to highest-ranking nobles, who reside in Dantonakhan close to the royal palace. King Menledur later added several other features to the document, promoting better care for the citizens and also better trade relations with neighboring countries. He was succeeded by King Ropan, and then King Gorgoth. Upon Gorgoth’s death, the throne was ascended by his son Lamínor, who was then followed by his son Durthan. King Durthan shall serve as King for the realm until his death or usurpation, whereupon any and all efforts will be made by his followers to restore him or else his heir.

Danton is a highly developed country for its time, and has the largest economy in the physical area of Dalrawduel. It is a world leader culturally, scientifically, economically and militarily. It is also ever seeking to expand its influence regionally and globally, and is a former member of the World Assembly.

Politically, the realm leads Dalrawduel in its regionally governmental affairs, being the official founder of the region and holding the ability to assume absolute power over it, as it has done. However, it formerly shared its power with two other officials, having granted them such authority through use of a regional constitution, The Medieval Compact of Dalrawduel.

Etymology

In 653,841 X.N., Uril Furecoson formally established the Kingdom of Dantón. Originally the nation was to be pronounced as such (dan-TONE), but the use of a new national language and regional accents caused it to gradually become pronounced as Danton (DAN-tun) instead. As a result, the spelling began to be continually altered to “Danton” in common writing, and that spelling soon worked its way up even to official documents and government articles.

Eventually, King Menledur called a small group of scholars together to help determine the official spelling and pronunciation of the name. The council ultimately determined that the pronunciation was to remain as it had become (DAN-tun), and that the spelling of it as “Danton” would likewise continue in common use; however, they retained the original spelling for ceremonial, legislative, and governmental documents. Therefore, it is now most widely known by its simplified name, although the primary version remains in use for certain purposes.

Geography

Danton occupies the entirety of the Fertile Plains of the far east. In the southwest, flat, fertile prairielands cover enormous areas of ground. To the northwest, rougher and less fertile plains expand outward to meet rivers, forests, lakes, mountains, marshes, and ocean on all sides. To the south central, grassland thins out in relation to mountains and forested areas. This land is cool and dry, with little to no farmland upon it.

The center of the country has variable climate tendencies, depending largely upon the time of year. It consists greatly of fields, being enclosed between the River Galanduel and the Belemon Mountains. The river is used for transport between parts of the realm more than any other within the nation. The mountains are also an important crossing point for those journeying between the north and south areas of the country.

Moving north, over the mountains, more grasslands expand for miles uninterrupted until encountering the far northern range of the Nome Mountains, and Lake Nezrah to the east. They are not used for farmland except near their edges and around cities, due largely to the extensive population of lions living upon them.

To the far east central of the country lies the greatest variety in terrain, including the greatest bulk of the Belemon Mountains, three estuaries, and the great marsh of Ûrka Damon. They border the coast of the Great Sea, which serves as an excellent means of transport from the northern part of Danton to the southern part.

Danton, with its large size and geographical variety, includes very favorable climate types. The northeast of the country is humid subtropical, and the southeast and south central are generally dry, with varying temperatures seldom growing very hot. To the northwest, climate remain relatively constant at moderate temperatures. To the southwest, moderate humidity is common and the temperatures rarely cool except in winter. In central Danton, temperatures vary extremely depending on the season, with very hot summers and very cold winters. On the island of Wenderkhan, tropical climate is constant, with great humidity and very high temperatures.

Danton's ecology is relatively diverse. With over five thousand known species of flora and over four thousand known species of fauna, the environment remains steady and continues to function at a constant rate. There are no endangered species, and hunting is regulated to prevent potential extinction of any species.

The island of Wenderkhan suffers from occasional small tsunamis on its eastern coast, which devastate habitats for many diverse species. However, no natural disasters have yet been known to reach the coast of the Dantonian mainland. Only one natural disaster has been known to strike the nation inland, namely a huge ferocious storm that occurred in the spring of 653,873 X.N. It destroyed three minor cities in south central Danton. It was simply called “the Great Storm”.

Ethnic Divisions

Danton is a single nation with no official inter-national boundaries between sections of it; however, there are seven different areas of it that are set apart by historical and cultural differences. They are given individual names in order to aid in locating specific locations with more accuracy. The first of these is that of Vistabon, which is located in northwest Danton. Its primary population race is Ristabanian. In the northeast is Nezrah, also populated mainly by the Ristabanian people. Then in central Danton is Avindar, which holds an even blend of Gorgoran and Terrangelian people. To the south central is Malikhan, the primary race of which is Anwarian. To the southeast is Ghantabon, which holds mainly Gorgoran and Terrangelian people. To the uttermost southwest lies Danthow, in the southwest, which holds nearly only Gorgoran people. The most recent addition to the kingdom is the territory of the former kingdoms of Upper and Lower Imetheldröm, which even now maintains the same root name. It is home to the vast majority of both the elvish and dwarvish populations of Danton.

History

Flight from Terrangeli

Danton was founded by Uril Furecoson, who was born and raised in the nation of Terrangeli. Upon the outbreak of the Terrangelian Civil War, he and eight companions fled eastward to escape the horrific conflict. Their aim was to establish a new realm which they would lead far more honorably than the government of Terrangeli. After journeying through Yobel and ejecting one of their number for his wicked intentions, they crossed the great plains of Danthow – at that time called Gorgora – and gained aid from the natives on their way northeast. They eventually came to a the end of the Green Mountains, which they crossed in order to continue their journey, but one of them perished in a gondoron attack.

When they finally arrived on the other side, they set off across the great fields of Avindar before them, during which time they first encountered horses. They then settled at the eastern end of the plains, near the Belemon Mountains, with which Uril became captivated. However, despite their searches, they could find very few natural resources, and soon began to lose hope of progress or even survival.

The Great Exploration

In order to enter the mountains in search of a good location to construct a city, Uril decided to set off alone on an expedition to search the land for neighboring civilizations from which they might gain aid. He did so the very next day, entering into the Belemon Mountains while his companions stayed behind. After fending off wolves and other mountainous dangers, he came across the civilization of Delsroth, home of the warlogs. There he was first questioned harshly, but was later accepted and granted items to help him along the next stage of his journey.

He then continued on southward, entering into Imetheldröm. There he was taken in warmly by the elves after being questioned by them, and lingered there for some time. Eventually, however, he departed their city of Endu-Mahli and traveled west to the Forest of Anwar, where he was saved from some sarows by the Gols. They took him in for a time and taught him of the lands thereabout. He then departed, accompanied by some of their number, and returned to his companions.

The Foundation of the Realm

Soon after their arrival, the Gols set to work helping the fellowship to construct a city. In addition, Uril recruited the aid of many Gorgorans. Eventually, they completed the city of Hortus, which became the first city of Uril’s realm. So great did it seem to the Gorgorans that they decided to remain there, and they became the first Dantonian citizens.

Uril next gained the help of the elves, who aided them in the construction of several other cities elsewhere in those lands. He then traveled to Danthow to recruit men of Gorgora as new citizens of Danton. Many of them agreed to this, and Danton’s population experienced a sudden growth. However, this displeased the tribal leaders there. One of them, Nokas, led all the remaining barbarians against the Dantonian settlements, but they were met in battle by the Dantonians themselves, who also gained the aid of the elves and warlogs. Ultimately, Uril held the victory, and all the enemy barbarians that still lived joined him as people of Danton.

The Dantonians then began construction on the great city of Dantonakhan, which was set in the Belemon Mountains. They were aided by the warlogs. During this project, Uril traveled to Imetheldröm to gain the trust and friendship of the dwarves, who later agreed to help build the great city in the north. This they did excellently, and after a time the establishment was completed with further help from the elves and Gols.

Uril then established the boundaries of the nation, which were confirmed by the Elvenking, Dwarvenking, and warlog chieftain. Danton became an official country in the year 653,841 X.N.

The Reign of King Menledur

After marrying an elven woman by the name of Beithelia, King Uril produced two sons, Menledur and Ropan. He then reigned over his people for a full fifty years before his death. It was not long after this that Beithelia passed away from grief as well, and their son Menledur then took the position as king. This being the first time that the realm had experienced a change in leadership, there were some that proposed a system of election similar to that being put into effect away west in Terrangeli. To this Menledur was opposed, however, and declared himself the rightful heir to the throne. The radicals of the nation led a rebellion, but it never even reached Dantonakhan; it was countered at once by the majority of the population, who were all in favor of Menledur leading them as king.

Menledur then began to expand Danton’s territory, taking some land to the southeast. The main annexation of land was that of Vistabon and Nezrah. An expedition was sent northward to explore the territory, and they soon encountered explorers from the land of Rista, north of Vistabon. These men were seeking a new area for their people to settle, being that their current home was slowly deteriorating into a desert. The Dantonians brought the Ristabanians back with them to Dantonakhan. The awed Ristabanians returned to their homeland shortly after, where they informed their leader of what they had seen. The entire Ristabanian nation soon moved south into Vistabon and Nezrah, from which their leader journeyed ahead to Dantonakhan. There, he made an agreement with King Menledur, in which he and all his people became citizens of Danton in return for being permitted to settle that land along with the current Dantonians.

The Council of Menledur

Six years after he inherited the throne, King Menledur sent out a band of envoys from Dantonakhan bearing a special request from him to all the leaders of the neighboring realms. It called for their presence at a special meeting that was to be held in his palace at Dantonakhan, where they would discuss matters of state, economy, military, and boundaries. Therefore, upon the set date, the council was held as planned and the group delved deep into discussion.

Present at the council, along with Menledur himself, were Sir Formina of Terrangeli, Sultan Gurahstafa of Raghad, Bishop Rofano of Yobel, Lord Gurbonc II of Mulof, High Priest Juralsab of Lorus, King Luindar of the elves, King Niád of the dwarves, and Chief Harahsnasl of Delsroth. Upon the matter of regional politics, the council determined that Mulof's government was too oppressive and dictatorial. Therefore, they ordered Gurbonc to cease his actions and turn to the undoing of the wrongs that he had committed, to which he reluctantly assented.

After this, the state of the economy was called into question. Though it was reasonably stable at that time, trade was increasing due to population growth, and all of the nations wished to have an equal share in the goods that were being transported. Upon determining this, they focused upon agreeing on a single one of their cities for trade to primarily commence at. They eventually settled upon Markal as the chosen port.

Next, the council turned to military matters. They formed a pact known as the Treaty of Dantonakhan, which essentially stated that no nation present at the council could assail another in war unless permitted to do so by the other council members at an additional conference in the future.

Lastly, the leaders discussed the affirmation of boundaries. They drew up a very explicit map of the concerned region and placed claims on certain areas that were currently debatable. As a result of this, Danton gained the island of Wenderkhan, which had formerly held only a small population of primitive natives. Also, the elves and dwarves finally affirmed the matter of their individual realms by dividing Imetheldröm in half - the north part and the south part, forming Upper and Lower Imetheldröm.

The Danton-Mulof War

Despite his promise at the Council of Menledur to cease the oppression of his people, Lord Gurbonc of Mulof made no move to carry out his word. After receiving reports of the sickening state of Mulofic society, Menledur secretly summoned the members of the original council - save Lord Gurbonc - to discuss the matter.

The group listened to the evidence presented by the spies and merchants, and then settled for initially sending over envoys to bear the command of the council: namely that Gurbonc must introduce reform at once or suffer the consequences. However, though this was done, the envoys did not return, and were at last presumed dead. After this, then with the consent of the council, Menledur retaliated by declaring an official war upon Mulof.

The two nations' troops first met in battle upon the Richín Savanna, where they engaged in a bloody conflict in which hundreds of men were slaughtered. When he was unable to hold back the Dantonian army, Gurbonc recalled his own to Mulof's core and shut off all the cities from outsiders. Yet Menledur eventually managed to find out Mulof's primary food and water supplies, which he attacked and seized, leaving the nation severely weakened. From there, the Dantonians proceeded directly to Dorláf, which they besieged for a full week.

At long last, after over half of the city's population had perished, Gurbonc finally surrendered. After holding another council with the other nations of the region, Menledur deposed Gurbonc and instituted a new ruler from among the remaining citizens, a man by the name of Horast. Mulof was transformed into a commonwealth, and a new flag, motto, and animal were instituted as well. After helping the realm to restore itself to decent strength, Danton retreated back to its own land and left the newly reformed nation of Mulof to fend for itself.

Assassination Attempt Upon Menledur

Nearly twenty years after the end of the war, King Menledur was fired at with arrows by two men. Both of the would-be-assassins missed, however, and upon being spotted both by Menledur and the guards, turned and fled. However, they were caught soon thereafter by another set of guards, along with two other men that had helped them enter the palace. When questioned, they let slip the information that they were acting under the orders of Menledur's younger brother Ropan. The guards made moves to arrest Ropan at once; however, Menledur, suspicious of the assassins' information, confronted Ropan himself, not believing that his brother would truly plan an assassination for him. After speaking with Ropan, who was shocked by what had occurred, Menledur concluded that the men were lying, and interrogated them once more.

Ultimately, he came to the conclusion that the men were working for someone outside of Danton. Unable to determine any other information, he ordered the guards to allow the men to escape, without letting the men realize that it was so. This was soon done, and the assassins fled the city at their first opportunity. However, unbeknownst to them, Menledur had dispatched a small group of soldiers to follow them discreetly, so as to determine where they were going and, therefore, whom they served.

After many days, the men journeyed far to the south, and eventually crossed the border of Mulof. There they arrived at a camp in the desert, where they met with the exiled former leaders of Mulof and their followers, led by Lord Gurbonc. Knowing that their own numbers were too small to stop the legion of Mulofians, the Dantonian soldiers returned swiftly to Dantonakhan, where they reported the news to Menledur. Ropan was cleared of all suspicion against him, and the leaders of Danton instead began to turn their concern towards the still-present threat of Gurbonc and his men. However, as the group still then seemed to pose little threat against the whole of their nation, Menledur decided to bide his time, and wait for provocation before making any moves against them.

Double Succession

As the years passed, Menledur gradually grew weak with age, though his mind remained as sharp as it had always been. However, despite showing no signs of illness, with each passing day he lost strength. So it was that his servants found him dead in his bed one morning, he having passed away in his sleep during the night. He was given an extravagant funeral, which ended with his burial alongside his father in the Sanctuary of Kings. As Menledur had no wife or children, he was succeeded by his younger brother Ropan. Being only a few years younger than Menledur and therefore also heavy with age, Ropan proved a very weak ruler. Unlike his brother’s, his mind had been affected by the passing years just as had his body, and he grew unstable under the pressure of ruling the vast kingdom. For a full year, the realm teetered on the brink of steep decline. However, Ropan was soon assassinated by followers of Lord Gurbonc of Mulof, who then escaped before the deed was discovered. After Ropan was laid to rest next to his father and brother, he was succeeded by his son Gorgoth. As King, Gorgoth was the new head of Menledur’s Council, and therefore presided over it. His first act was to eject the lesser members from the group, and to then proclaim himself the ruler over all the remaining leaders. Outraged at this decree, the rulers rejected his claim, and instantly withdrew from the council, thus dissolving it. Gorgoth then sent out a dispatch of Dantonian soldiers into Mulof to hunt down Lord Gurbonc and his followers, ordering them to destroy the entire assembly. This was done within a few weeks, with every one of the refugees being slain, save a few that escaped farther into the desert. Gurbonc himself was brought back to Dantonakhan and executed publicly.

Gorgoth’s Reign

After wiping out his known enemies in Mulof and then asserting great influence over the nation, he began a campaign of dominance, traveling throughout all of the lands that he possessed and stopping at each settlement to enforce new laws that limited his citizens’ freedom and granted him more control over them. Upon the island of Wenderkhan, he attempted to force the natives to convert to Anyartanity by force. In response, the tribe rebelled, waging a war against the Dantonians. The mistake was fatal for most of their number. Gorgoth departed the island, but returned a week later with a huge portion of Danton’s army, slaughtering the natives to no end until all of them were either dead or deep in hiding in the wilderness.

The act appalled many of the Dantonian nobles, who quickly began discussing reform in the royal line, but Gorgoth responded harshly, placing new restrictions upon them that rendered them utterly powerless in the fate of their country. He then instituted additional forms of what he termed “royal veneration”, which required a greater devotion and respect from his subjects. Eventually, it came to become an almost worshipful treatment of him, placing him as not only a higher power than any other Dantonian, but as a higher supposed righteousness.

It eventually became his objective to conquer both Upper and Lower Imetheldröm. Gathering his forces, he marched upon Endu-Mahli, with the intention of taking the city and claiming rule over it. Yet even as the settlement came within his sight, he discovered that the elves were engaged in a battle against a large assembly of warlogs, who it seemed had come from Delsroth with the intention of slaying as many elves as possible, the unsteady truce between elves and warlogs that Uril had established at last having crumbled. Upon seeing the battle before him, Gorgoth came up behind the warlogs, taking them by surprise and defeating them swiftly. The elves welcomed their allies, bringing them into Endu-Mahli with no lack of praise. Out of gratitude, King Luindar offered him a portion of Lower Imetheldröm’s land in thanks. Gorgoth eagerly accepted, marking the new borders upon their maps and proceeding to spend the next few weeks there. While he was still arranging the final matters with the elves, he encountered Luindar’s daughter, Yánoana, with whom he began to spend large amounts of time, and whose hand he eventually made the characteristically bold move of asking for in marriage. The princess was delighted, and, after she went at once to her father to ask his permission, Luindar submitted to her request.

The marriage occurred not long after that, there in Endu-Mahli. Yánoana thus became the queen of Danton, and upon departing for Dantonakhan a few weeks later, she brought with her the right to yet another large portion of Lower Imetheldröm’s land. Many elves who lived upon the territory wished to remain in their homes, so they became Dantonian citizens as a result. Gorgoth next journeyed to Upper Imetheldröm. During the time that his army had spent in Endu-Mahli, he had set out for a short time into those dwarven lands already. There, he had encountered yet another host of warlogs marching toward the elven city in the south, attempting to aid their fellows, whom they did not seem to have heard the fate of. Meeting Gorgoth, they treated him warmly, still thinking him their ally. They then moved onward, while Gorgoth moved further north. Yet the very next day, the Dantonian king paid a visit to the dwarves. Speaking with their king, Hûrag, he gave warning that the warlogs had come to seize their lands, and that they must stand up against them and fight. Trusting him, Hûrag instantly assembled his army, and set out to battle the forces of Delsroth, even as they made their way toward the elven lands.

The attack was sudden, and it seemed at first that the dwarves would have the advantage, but the warlogs’ anger and strength ultimately prevailed. Hûrag was slain, as were both of his sons and many of his other followers there. It was at that time that Gorgoth suddenly arrived, surrounding the warlogs and slaughtering them all mercilessly in a new wave of ferocity. The remaining dwarves, astonished and overcome with gratitude, accompanied Gorgoth back to their home, where they heaped great praise upon him. After another day with them, he returned to Endu-Mahli, where none of the elves seemed to have noted his absence.

Now, having left the elves once again with his new bride and new territory, he returned to the dwarves in Upper Imetheldröm. They welcomed him as warmly as before, admitting him into their closest councils. They had selected a new king, the former dwarven general Durthest. Gorgoth greeted the king cordially, but told the new ruler that he had important news from Endu-Mahli. The Elvenking, he said, had made plans to invade Upper Imetheldröm so as to increase his territory. Durthest was skeptical at first, but his companions assured him of Gorgoth’s trustworthiness, and at last, he heeded the Dantonian monarch’s advice, making ready his army and preparing to march north against the elves.

Durthest soon set out for Endu-Mahli, rallying his army for battle. After waiting until Durthest had been gone for a full day, Gorgoth then rode out with a few of his men in the dwarven army’s wake, returning the same evening with the news that he had discovered the signs of a conflict between the elves and dwarves, in which he said that Durthest had been slain. He then added that the noble dwarf had ordered that Gorgoth himself be made lord of Upper Imetheldröm in his place. The dwarven community, though shocked by this, nevertheless accepted what they believed to be the word of an honest king, and officially made Gorgoth their new king.

Gorgoth then announced that he would march north to avenge the death of the former Dwarvenking. This was met with immensely enthusiastic support from the dwarves, who supplied him with many various materials for the journey. The king set out the following day, rapidly making his way toward Endu-Mahli, preparing his forces for war all the while. When he reached the city, he found it to be immersed in the middle of a vicious battle, with elves and dwarves pitted against one another in a ferocious conflict. Both sides welcomed his arrival, each thinking him to be on their own side. Gorgoth entered the royal palace, where he encountered King Durthest and King Luindar, who were confronting one another.

Both the Elvenking and the Dwarvenking responded to Gorgoth’s arrival angrily. Luindar was enraged that the Dantonian monarch had incited the dwarves to attack them, while Durthest was horrified to discover – as he had heard from one of the attacking Dantonians just moments before – that Gorgoth had taken control of his realm. Yet even though they had both turned against Gorgoth, neither of the two rulers trusted each other any more than they trusted him. Luindar placed as much blame upon Durthest for the battle as Gorgoth, while Durthest half-suspected that Luindar had indeed been planning to invade Upper Imetheldröm, as Gorgoth had said.

Fueled by anger and distrust toward one another, the three kings launched into a long duel, battling one another there in the royal palace. After a time, Gorgoth slew Durthest with a single stroke, after which he knocked Luindar unconscious and proceeded to have him locked up. Meanwhile, in the battle outside, the combined forces of dwarves and men had overcome the elves, forcing them to surrender. Upon emerging from the palace to observe the victory, Gorgoth reported to the dwarves that Luindar had slain Durthest, and that the Dwarvenking had made Gorgoth his heir in his last moments. Taking him at his word, as had the other dwarves back in Upper Imetheldröm, the army accepted him in his new position, at last completely affirming his authority over the dwarves.

Gorgoth then set about the task of gaining full control of elven lands. Claiming all of their territory as his own due partially to his marriage to Yánoana and partially to his conquest of it through battle, he swore in all of the elves there as Dantonian citizens. Luindar was given a trial, during which Gorgoth allowed him to go free in return for his oath that he would accept the Dantonians’ rule over his lands and not lead an uprising against them. Over the next week, borders and governmental terms were officially affirmed.

Gorgoth’s Death and Succession

At age eighty-two, Gorgoth was found dead one morning within the palace garden at Dantonakhan, leaning upon his sword, which was propped upon the ground, the blade driven into his chest. Horrified, the servant who had discovered the body rushed to the guards to report the entry of an assassin, but was soon corrected. It seemed that the king had ended his own life, and not for a dishonorable reason. Realizing that he had aged as much as he would, and that death was rapidly approaching, he decided to die at his own hand, upon a sword, rather than falling prey to some disease or bodily failure. Nevertheless, he was given as grand of a funeral as his father, uncle, and grandfather, and was then buried alongside them within the Sanctuary of Kings.

After the period of mourning had passed, the matter arose of succession. There was some dispute over the issue among the nobles. By right, Gorgoth’s original queen, Yánoana, should take his place in the absence of a male heir. Yet nigh upon twenty-five years after his marriage to her, Gorgoth had been exposed as an adulterer. It appeared that he had produced a son with one of his concubines, a woman named Jirna. After the incident was revealed, the king had hastily declared his marriage to Luindar’s daughter to be invalid, and had then arranged a formal wedding between himself and Jirna, thus making her his new queen. However, as there was no official law stating that it was legal to divorce or annul a wife and then marry a new one, there was great dispute over who was to be the monarch’s successor.

After three full days of fierce debate, the nobles at last concluded that he would be succeeded by his son, Lamínor. The man was crowned shortly after, and began a new rule over his kingdom. Unlike his father, he was not in the least a belligerent man, except by necessity. Desiring to avoid war or conflict of any kind when at all possible, he was a somewhat quiet man, although he harbored a hidden intelligence gained from long periods of studying in the royal library at Dantonakhan as a boy. He soon proved himself to be a good ruler, stabilizing the governmental balance and people’s rights once more. In essence, he undid all that his father’s corrupted reign had brought about, save the conquests of neighboring lands, which he kept as they were.

The Reign of Lamínor

Leaving his father’s dark legacy behind him, Lamínor began introducing new governmental policies, each one aiding him in his destruction of political corruption. His first such act was to appoint a small group of nobles to serve as an advisory council. The council’s purpose was to aid the king in the development of politically significant decisions. They also held the ability to veto any political action the king chose to take if they agreed on it unanimously. Thus Lamínor eased the tensions that had come to exist between the royalty and nobility after Gorgoth’s rule. Though doing so seemed to weaken his own power, in truth it strengthened it, securing his purity in the eyes of his people and eliminating any opposition that might have otherwise arisen to his kingship.

His next action was to personally write up a code of law for the nation, abolishing the absolutist legalities that his father had put in place. The code granted a series of rights to Dantonian citizens that was uncommon for that time. In doing so, Lamínor assured that he gained the complete approval of his kingdom, and also established a firm unity across the expansive nation, even calming the constant restlessness and rebelliousness of the elves and dwarves.

The issue of religion was next brought to the monarch’s attention. It was made evident to him that there was a certain degree of theological disharmony throughout the realm, for not only had different groups of men come to interpret Anyartanity in different manners, but the elves and dwarves followed different religious sects altogether. Calling together his newly formed Council of Advisors, Lamínor spent three long days in discussion of the matter, with fierce debates arising throughout. Ultimately, a concluding decree was issued, in which the king established Eastern Anyartanity as the official religion of the realm. However, to avoid a rebellion in the elven and dwarven lands, he permitted those two races to retain their traditional practices if they so chose. He also forbade the persecution of those who were not of the Anyartain faith, making it clear that while the state religion would receive government support, it would not be forced upon anyone.

As his reign progressed, Lamínor continued to make more and more reforms, constantly making corrections in the governmental system to improve the country’s standing. For many years the realm lived on in relative peace, thriving as time went by. Lamínor continued to reign well even into his old age. At eighty-four, he was still sound in mind and body, despite being more fragile than he once was. Already he had lived longer than any of his predecessors, and no signs of his death had yet appeared.

In addition to being older than any former king, he was also far more popular. The Dantonian people held him in deep reverence, and all the more so due to his humble rejection of such respect. Through the many fantastic changes that he brought about, he proved himself to be perhaps the best king that the nation had yet had. As one wise noble remarked, “We can now see that the blood of Uril indeed does still flow within the veins of his successors.” Yet even Uril himself had received more criticism than did Lamínor. The national founder had been a very good man, yet he had had a streak of rashness in him, and also a determination that could sometimes be taken to too far of an extent. Lamínor, on the other hand, had no such disadvantageous quality, and ruled with a steady hand, never once failing to make the right decision when presented with a difficult issue. A true patriot, he had a greater sense of loyalty to his country than his father, grandfather, or even great-uncle had had. As his subjects aptly observed, he was not false in any aspect, being as fully true and devoted as he appeared.

Lamínor's Death and Succession

In Lamínor's eighty-seventh year, rumors from the southwest began to reach Dantonakhan, slowly spreading among the city’s inhabitants. The rumors spoke of a dark power that had appeared within the region of Malikhan, and that was slowly rising in strength. For several weeks, the rumors went unnoticed by the government; however, eventually, they came to be heard by the nobles, causing a fair deal of discussion. Some scoffed at the stories, while others cautioned that such tales might be true. When the matter finally caught the attention of Lamínor, he began to investigate the matter. After several days of searching for further details, he was met with much frustration, as he could come across no solid foundation for the rumors, nor any elaboration on the so-called dark power. However, not long after, an envoy from the Gols arrived to speak with him. After hearing what the druid had to say, the king found, much to his alarm, that the rumors were truer than many would have guessed.

The Gol reported that the dark power was located within Yjed, the small mountain in the center of Malikhan. The mountain, he said, had long been avoided, as those who approached it had felt an unknown wariness toward it; at any rate, it had been thought by most to be uninhabited. Recently, though, the sense of darkness there had begun to grow stronger. After discussing the matter thoroughly, the Gols had sent out a select few of their number to visit the mountain and report what they found there. Much to their shock and dismay, the group discovered that a clan of druids – much like themselves – dwelt within it. However, the clan was not bound by the same standards of morality as the Gols were. This group of druids practiced dark magic, using it to inflict harm and cause destruction. Though small, the clan was formidable. After the group returned to the rest of the Gols with their news, the matter was thoroughly discussed. In the end, it was concluded that this was the residence of the descendants of the small group of Gols who had left the forest of Anwar centuries before to practice darker forms of magic.

After looking into the matter more carefully, the Gols discovered that the situation was even worse than they had initially suspected. The clan – which was called the Skard – was led by a dark king, Kunali, who, in addition to being an incredibly powerful sorcerer, was also a formidable warrior. For several decades, it turned out, he had been secretly drawing in Dantonian men and corrupting them, gradually building a great army. His purpose was to rise up, when the time was right, and lead his forces against Danton, bringing an end to the kingdom and establishing a dark realm in its place, under his rule. Before the investigation was complete, however, one of the Gols had been caught by the Skard. Realizing at once that his plans had been found out, the king amassed his army, and revealed himself openly at last, leading his forces out of Yjed and beginning to wreak havoc, besieging cities and burning fields.

All this the Gol told Lamínor, urgently pleading for aid as he did so. Disturbed greatly by this news, the king immediately summoned the Council of Advisors, with whom he discussed the matter. The council soon reached a unanimous agreement, and prepared to go to war against Kunali, readying the full Dantonian army for battle. However, after speaking further with the Gol envoy, Lamínor became concerned, seeing plainly that the war could easily be futile when waged against such a deadly foe. After another day of deep thought, he sought out the royal smithy. Upon arriving, he instructed the smiths there to forge a sword greater than any other, one which could hope to rival the power of a magic user when properly wielded. Though thinking the task to be a somewhat overwhelming challenge, the smiths agreed, and over the next week, worked as hard as they were able to create the desired weapon. They tried a great number of things, yet at first, they were greatly unsuccessful.

At last, however, one of them formed something that would revolutionize the entire process. Seeking to form a metal alloy suitable for the blade, he bonded together two substances: Vistamonian steel, which was the strongest substance available for weapons; and Arethian gold, a product from the distant southlands acquired through trade, which was found to be an excellent conductor of magic and which massively strengthened the steel when bonded with it. The result was a new metal of magnificent quality, which all of the smiths were awed by. Taking the small portion of the metal that had been forged, they quickly went to work.

As the week reached its end, Lamínor was approached by the smiths. They brought him the finished sword, presenting it to him formally. Called Gantanaril, the weapon stood out from all the rest due largely to its distinctive gold blade. Although not adorned very heavily with jewels or other decorations, it was intricately made nonetheless. And there was more to it than met the eye. During the process of its making, the blade had been enchanted by a mage, who had woven spells into the metal as it was shaped. As a result, the sword was only able to be drawn from its sheath by a man, and it also held six magical properties: it was indestructible except by extraordinarily powerful magic; it granted its wielder limited powers of persuasion over others; it left an emblem burned into the hand of the wielder, which made it impossible for the sword to be removed from the wielder’s hand unless the wielder willed it to be otherwise; it formed a magical bond between its wielder and itself that kept the wielder from going mad; it magnified the feelings and character of the wielder; and it extended the wielder’s lifespan.

Lamínor took up the sword gladly, and found to his amazement that the magical properties proved quite potent, strengthening him and lessening the effects of his old age. At the same time, the assembling of the army was completed, and they were made ready to go out to battle. Leading them himself, Lamínor set out southward, heading for the fields of northern Malikhan where Kunali and his army were said to be currently located. After several days of travelling, the force came within sight of the city of Húríni, outside of which was camped the dark army. Kunali was awaiting them. Upon seeing them, he sent forth his forces at once. Thus, with no prior exchanges between the two sides, the battle was launched, there upon the fields of Malikhan.

The fighting was later reported to be the most brutal that anyone in all of that land had ever seen. Slaughtering their opponents ruthlessly, the dark army scourged the front lines of the Dantonians, causing instant panic among them. Had Lamínor not quickly rallied those further back and kept them calm, the battle might have already been lost. As it was, the remaining men quickly tightened their formation, forming a more formidable defense against the onslaught. From there, the battle became more even, but no less fierce. Bodies were strewn across the ground in minutes, and yet the sight of such things only increased the rage with which the men of both sides fought. The death toll was horrific. Observing the events from his place at the army’s rear, Lamínor was later said to have been choked with tears, lamenting the loss of so many noble soldiers.

The fighting lasted for hours upon end, with no apparent end in sight. At last, Lamínor made a decision. He knew then that there was only one way to bring a close to the battle without causing hundreds of more deaths. Saddling his steed, he rode around the armies’ sides, giving no notification of his action to his generals prior to doing so. Unnoticed by everyone, he skirted around the edge of the fighting, making for the back of the dark army. However, his son Durthan soon marked the absence of his father, and, finding where he had gone, quickly set off after him with a small dispatch of soldiers. Fearing that the king’s old age had put him into a state of madness that had caused him to act thus, the prince caught up with his Lamínor just as he reached the camp of the enemy.

There, overseeing the battle with malicious enjoyment, was Kunali himself. And it was Kunali that Lamínor sought. Only by defeating the sorcerer-king, he knew, could the battle be won. When the man saw Lamínor, he only laughed, for he had been waiting to face off against the king. For that was his purpose: though he did not mind destroying the Dantonian army first, he ultimately wished to destroy the king, for only then could he truly claim all of the great kingdom’s land. Even more delighted was he to find the prince in the old king’s wake, for he thought then to destroy the throne’s heir along with its current inhabitant.

Yet the dark sorcerer found the opposition more formidable at first than expected. Drawing forth Gantanaril, Lamínor fought him firmly, and though his horse was quickly slain, he suffered no injury. His son soon joined him, along with the soldiers, who slew the few guards that Kunali had nearby. Shocked by the ruler’s physical capability – for he had expected him to be weak and frail given his age – Kunali suffered two wounds before he realized that he would need to fight harder than he had initially thought he would have to. The following duel was surprisingly even. Even as Kunali thrust forth his hand to wield dark magic against Lamínor, the old king would parry the attack with Gantanaril, and then deliver one of his own. Yet in the end, the fight was unevenly matched. As Lamínor prepared to make another slash at his enemy with the golden blade, Kunali sent him flying backward with a blast of fire, casting him onto the ground several yards away in a smoking heap. The force of the impact broke his aged body, killing him instantly. After years of ruling benignly over his people, King Lamínor had at last met his end.

Seeing this as he lay wounded upon the ground nearby, Durthan fell into an intense rage. He had loved his father dearly, and now wanted nothing more than to avenge his death. Picking up the dead king’s sword, he launched himself at Kunali, who was caught off guard by the sudden attack. He parried the first swing, but before he could collect himself, the prince had brought the sword back up, severing the sorcerer’s hand and thus disarming him. Then, knocking Kunali to the ground, Durthan plunged the blade into his chest, ending his life.

For a moment, there was no reaction to the occurrence. Then, however, the outer line of Kunali’s soldiers saw their leader’s dead body. Crying out in terror at the loss of the sorcerer-king, they attempted to flee, inciting the rest of their number to do the same. In their panic, they quickly fell to the remainder of Danton’s army, and were all slain. The bodies – save Lamínor’s – were then piled up and burned. The fire was allowed to spread to much of the surrounding grassland, eliminating all traces of blood and death from the fields. After staying for a time to restore Húríni to its former state, Durthan made his way back to Dantonakhan, along with most of the army.

The battle against Kunali’s army had been such an overall swift occurrence that many doubted the validity of it. The entire event had taken place in a few short weeks, and the most significant part could be narrowed down to a single day. Nevertheless, the occurrence was given great historical recognition in later years, being deemed one of the greatest threats ever to face Danton. In its aftermath, the entire pattern of the land changed to an extent. The Skard, who were assaulted by the army at Yjed, pleaded innocent of their former king’s actions, claiming that they had not been a part of the scheme. Many were skeptical of their words, but Durthan ordered them to be left to themselves, acknowledging that it was true that none of them had been present in the battle except for Kunali himself.

Lamínor was given an extravagant funeral, the greatest ever held for any Dantonian king. After the period of mourning had passed, Durthan took the throne. A sensible king, much like his father in many ways, he quickly set to work restoring the devastated portion of the realm to its former condition. Though still young in the eyes of some, being that his father had not sired him until a somewhat old age, the thirty-four-year-old man was by no means inexperienced. His professionalism and efficiency were noted by many, though some were unsure how he would prove himself to be in the end. Having not yet ruled nearly long enough to do much with his new political power, he had yet to show what sort of ruler he would turn out to be. Nevertheless, his reign was not met with any opposition, and he continued to implement the same policies that Lamínor had instituted, causing him to receive an at least temporary approval from the nobles and other government members.

Government

The Medieval Kingdom of Danton is a monarchy in which the king is the official head of state, though he cannot wield absolute power. The government is regulated slightly by a small system of checks and balances, in which the highest-ranking nobility affirm that the king is not abusing his power or going outside of his own laws.

In the Dantonian “governmental feudalist” system, there are three main levels of government: the royalty, the nobility, and the city level. The royalty level consists simply of the king and his family, although the king is the only one of them that holds actual power. The nobility level is that of the highest-ranking nobles, who dwell near the royal palace and assemble when called to determine certain matters of state. The city level is granted to lords, who govern the affairs of their individual cities and hold powers similar to those of the king, save being on a much smaller level and lacking the ability to go against national law.

The king inherits the position from his father. In the event of ruler's death where the king has no sons, his wife may take the throne as queen. Should she be unable to take up the task, their oldest daughter may do so instead. In lack of a wife or children, a king is to be succeeded by his oldest brother, and if that becomes impossible, his oldest sister. Should no heir be apparent in any way, then the highest nobles should select one of their number to take up the crown.

The nobles also inherit their positions, using much the same system as the king. However, women have not yet been permitted to take up the position, so if there is a lack of a sufficient male heir, the king is to remove that house from the legislature and replace it with that of another noble not yet granted that rank.

The lords will often inherit their positions, yet should there be unrest among the citizens over the new holder of the title, they may hold a vote over whether or not to replace him. If the result is against him, the matter is brought to the king, who will select someone else for the position.

Foreign relations and military

Danton leads the greatest military in the physical portion of Dalrawduel, with over twenty million men currently in service. It uses some of the most carefully crafted armor known to man, and its main weapons consist of swords, spears, bows and arrows, and axes. Shields are also strongly incorporated.

The military is divided into two portions, the army and the navy. The army, by far the larger, has bases in various parts of Danton at random locations on land; the navy, efficient and superior to neighboring nations’ despite its size, holds only a few bases, primarily on the coast of the Great Sea; however, it also retains a few on the major rivers of Danton.

The head of the army and the navy is the king, who in time of great need will lead his men out to battle himself. Below him in the army is the Royal Commander (who is not in fact truly royal). Next down in the navy is the Royal Admiral (also not truly royal). From there, the army has generals, the naval equivalent of which is commodores, and below them are the ordinary soldiers (knights for the army and marines for the navy).

Danton formerly attempted to maintain peaceful relationships with all its neighbors, and indeed all other nations in the world as well. Apart from the battle that came before its official foundation, it has engaged in only one war thus far, namely that against Mulof. It is largely for the purpose of retaining peace that the Council of Menledur was called.

Military service is not compulsory except when there is a severe lack of men in the armed forces, or when an enormous threat arises from another nation or nations.

Because Danton is the founding nation of Dalrawduel, it dedicates its forces to the defense of the region as well as its own individual borders. The Dantonian military is the First Legion of the Dalrawduel Armed Forces.

Diplomatic Relations

Danton maintains good diplomatic relations with many countries, particularly with those within Dalrawduel and Western Dalrawduel. As the head of the region, it retains embassies with several other regions and with all the nations within them.

Economy

Being a medieval nation, Danton does not have any specific economy type as determined by more futuristic standards. However, personal shops, bazaars, and small businesses are common in most cities, as well as trading centers. The most famous port trading city is that of Markal.

There is a wide variety of natural resources in abundance, particularly gold and farm crops, but also other minerals, as well as large supplies of firm stone from the Belemon Mountains, used for building strong foundations. All in all, the realm possesses a well-developed infrastructure, high productivity, and overall good worker enthusiasm.

Danton is acclaimed to have far more exports than it does imports, although experts speculate that the number of exports and imports is roughly the same overall. Trade is open to merchants from all nations, especially those in Dalrawduel, and new developments are commonly welcomed. One of the most recent additions to the food supply of Danton is that of pretzels, a new development from a distant ally.

Transportation

Transportation in Danton is dominated by horses, which are native to Dantonian lands and serve as an excellent means of speed for travelers. There exists a minor system of roads upon which they are able to journey, which also serves for pedestrians. However, the system is not official, nor does it extend to every part of the kingdom; it generally appears only in the more populated areas.

Another extremely common way of travel is by boat, which uses the multiple rivers within the nation to ferry voyagers. For coast cities, the ships are also used to travel along the coast of the Great Sea.

Education

Dantonian education is not public, nor is it sponsored by the government. Teachers set up schools within their own homes, and there allow children to come during certain parts of the day to be educated. The highest-class citizens, such as the nobility and royalty, will often have a private tutor in their own home to teach their children there. However, large portions of the population receive little to no education, such as children of farmers who need no such knowledge to continue their current way of life.

Approximately 19% of Danton’s population is literate, with only 5% continuing their education to graduation level.

Health

The average life expectancy of a Dantonian citizen is 89 years, with only 3% of the population surviving beyond 100 years. The most common cause of child death is death at birth.

Common forms of death within the general population are old age at 50%, acts of God at 25%, natural accidents at 11%, other accidents at 8%, extreme stunts at 5%, and suicide at 1%.

The government often invites foreign doctors into the nation to aid in medical services. It does not currently have any sort of national healthcare system, including hospitals and the like, save one health center in Dantonakhan. Magic is also commonly used to treat wounds and illnesses, but only those to a major degree. The Gols are occasionally available for the treatment of such ailments, although they are not open to it on a regular basis.

Crime and law enforcement

Law enforcement is the responsibility of the city guards, who are appointed by the lord of a city. There are no federal agencies intended to address crime, although government officers who observe suspicious activity may occasionally report it directly to the lord or even the king.

Among most nations, Danton has very low levels of crime, thanks to the stunning accuracy of the guards in most cities. However, crime rates in Ghantabon have been known to exceed the average for the nation, causing tourism in that area to decline.

Capital punishment is permitted in Danton in the form of executions, but is reserved only for the greatest of crimes. Public execution is forbidden except in the most extreme cases, of which there have been none thus far.

Upon being placed under arrest, a criminal is brought before a group of seven men that preside in a special court within each city. This group is the city jury, and they determine the guilt or innocence of an arrestee, and in turn determine the sentence as well. Due to lack of detailed legislation upon the matter in most cities, the majority of juries resort to judging based upon common law.

Culture

The Medieval Kingdom of Danton is a multicultural nation, home to a small variety of ethnic groups, traditions and values. The most predominant of these is the Gorgoran culture, which consists of ancient customs and a love for hunting, as well as tendency toward nomadic life for some extremists. In addition to this is the Ristabanian culture, which centers on a civilized, if slightly rough, way of traditional living and basic lifestyles. There are also several other minority cultures as well, such as dwarvish, elvish, and Gol ways of living. Elvish and dwarvish cultures are increasing steadily as a result of the conquest of Imetheldröm by King Gorgoth. However, over all of these lies that of Terrangelian culture, which is slowly blending with all of the others to form a unique style for Danton that represents the nation.

The resulting Dantonian culture is considered to be among the most individualistic in the world. The “Hope of the East” (the idea that Danton serves as the great beacon of success and glory in the east) contributes largely to the slow but steady flow of immigrants from the west. Danton’s mainstream view generally encourages a society divided by classes, but lower classes are not afforded any less care and respect than higher ones, save in the case of royalty. Dantonians are noted to favor the concept of the adventurer, and also the refugee, both of which represent Uril’s quest from Terrangeli that led to the formation of Danton.

Languages

Avindarian is the official national language, having been formed specifically for Danton not long after its formation. It includes a blend of words and features primarily from Gorgoran, Terrangelian, and Elvish.

However, due to the varying ethnic backgrounds of Dantonian people, several other languages are currently still in common use as well. The most primary of these are Gorgoran and Ristabanian, although several others are spoken by racial minorities. However, the nation is slowly working towards forming Avindarian into a first language for all citizens.

Religion

There is no established religion for Danton. However, this is largely because of the lack of need for one. 99% of Dantonian citizens follow the religion of Anyartanity, and do so in a small and non-extravagant way. Because of its differences from the practices of Anyartanity in the west, the denomination that dominates most of Danton is called Eastern Anyartanity.

Initially, the Gorgorans followed a polytheistic religion. However, over the centuries, they encountered occasional stray travelers from the west who spoke of the glory and kindness of Anyarté. This caused the Gorgorans to eventually convert to Anyartanity, although they practiced a rough and barbaric form of it.

Upon becoming citizens of Danton, they became more civilized, and so did their religious practices. They took up the denomination of Eastern Anyartanity under the teachings of Uril and his companions, who had come out of following the corrupt Terrangelian Church and sought a more humble approach to Anyarté.

Family structure

In a typical Dantonian household, the father is the head of the family. The mother does have authority, but it is second to that of the father; however, she is not required to obey the father’s commands herself. Children come of age at fifteen, but often remain with their parents until age twenty.

Homosexuality is greatly frowned upon by 99% of the population, with efforts commonly being made to conceal the case in those afflicted with it. Homosexual marriage is not recognized by any organization, and those that attempt it are viewed as immoral and are therefore often avoided. However, there is generally a caring attitude toward homosexual people that accept their condition as a sinful one and attempt to reject it.

In a household, the heir may be different depending upon the will of the father; some parents grant the position to the oldest child, while others restrict the right to the oldest son alone, regardless of any daughters.

However, cultural situations differ from the majority in the instances of the elves and dwarves, who retain most aspects of their own individual culture despite being citizens of Danton.

THIS INFORMATION UPDATED AS OF 3/15/15