Kingdom of Aldemar

The Kingdom of Aldemar was a historic kingdom located on the Valkanrian continent. A civilisation based mainly around the River Rodulf, it held a sacrosanct agricultural economy and founded the feudal system as known today across Valkanren.

In 399, Alderic the Great was crowned by the Supreme Pontiff as King of Aldemar, uniting the scattered Aldeman "river tribes" under a single government. The result was the development of feudalism in Aldemar: a concept which spread across Valkanren to the petty kingdoms of Brythonia in very short time. With Alderic's death in 381 BU, the kingdom split at the seams, engulfed in civil war. After a lengthy conflict, the lords agreed to crown Alderic's son Alberon, King of Aldemar. However, the Lordship of Hetzburg declared independence, becoming a kingdom.

At first, Aldemar was governed by a magisterial elite known as the Hohuskung (which later developed into Huscing). The Huscing, as well as administering law and order, also selected a new king upon every king's death by a method of elections. This system was discarded in 7 BU by Harold II due to corruption in the Huscing. The kingdom was absorbed into the Kingdom of Valkanren during the Aldeman Interregnum. (See more in the Politics section)

Geography and economy
The Kingdom of Aldemar is principally situated around the River Rodulf. Before Alderic was crowned, several lordships (called tribes, though not of tribal levels of culture) held castles along this river, namely Ostertern, Marburg, Elmwig, Arten, Roamont, and Ermont. The kingdom soon came to encompass the south of the River Ardest as well as Hetzburg later.

The kingdom is well situated within a vale of mountains. To the south it is bordered by the Red Hills, separating them from Sassyar; and to the north, smaller mountains separate the land from Brythonia and Cyngvar. Before the secession of Hetzburg, the kingdom spanned to the Vale of Ashmore. Post-secession, a border was drawn in the Treaty of Ermont, dividing Aldemar and Hetzburg clearly along the River Vees. The treaty later came to be known as the Treaty of the New Leven.

Overall, Aldemar hosts a rich countryside made possible by ubiquitous access to water. This terrain has helped to mobilise their agrarian economy and allow their supply of wheat, barley, rye, oats, and other foodstuffs to more deserted areas like Cyngvar and Sassyar.

History and politics
The Kingdom of Aldemar was originally governed by the Huscing: a group of elite noblemen who would convene in the Hall of the Huscing, Ostertern. Typically comprising anywhere from ten to fifty nobles, they voted on laws, elected the king's successors, and advised the king in matters of state. Due to inherent and inexhaustible corruption, this system was discarded by Harold II in 7 BU, who favoured a more absolutist approach. The result was a severe distrust of the Aldeman monarchy and, eventually, Harold's deposition in 6 AU. The lords of Aldemar reformed the Huscing and swore fealty to Somnar the Great, whereby they were allowed to retain the traditions of the Huscing and would elect a Lord Steward of Aldemar.

The Kingdom of Aldemar has had a rich and vibrant history. The tribes of Aldemar squabbled for centuries before Alderic the Great was crowned by the Supreme Pontiff as their omnipotent sovereign. Upon Alderic's death, a succession crisis split the land as the laws of succession had not been determined in any law. This caused the Lordship of Hetzburg to split from Aldemar, and the Dornay family declared themselves Kings of Hetzburg. Eventually, Alderic's son Alberon was selected as king, and to halt future succession crises, he created the Huscing. Hetzburg was never reabsorbed into the Kingdom of Aldemar, however there were multiple wars for reunification, all of which ended in stalemate, as all Brythonian kingdoms supported Hetzburg's independence.

As Aldemar has always possessed an outstanding population and manpower, it has traditionally been very active in global politics. Until Harold II's deposition, they were a formidable world power which held a long-standing rivalry with Sassyar. In Valkanrian wars, Aldemar has typically sided with its traditional ally, the Kingdom of Swanhaven. Although they have at times supported Hetzburg, these alliances have often been temporary and mistrustful. In conclusion, the generic Aldeman sentiment is to better their own power at the expense of others, typically Sassyar (i.e., realism).