The Thraundlus Kingdom is a major scalago kingdom on the planet Derantu. Composing the south-central lands of the continent Berros, it’s a dry, barren, mountainous land with a long history of jealousy towards its scalago kingdom neighbor, the Salenth Kingdom.
Geography
A mostly barren steppe land, only the toughest plants, many small, can grow among the cracked ground. Much of the soil is blown away and exposed rock covers most of the landscape, but this has also revealed caves that dot the kingdom. Large caverns with mineral deposits supply the kingdom with most of its moderate wealth.
Some areas are marked by large craters of destruction, while to the north is a rough mountainous region. To the east and south is a desert, with the ocean also bordering the south. A lush forest grows to the west but the Salenth Kingdom lays claim to it, with the border ending where the land begins to become desolate. A river once flowed through the kingdom but it has since dried up.
History
According to the Thraundlus Kingdom history books, King Millard 1 ascended to the throne during a time of turmoil and brought stability to the country, but those in the kingdom who had been trying to rise in power tried to assassinate him and place his young sister on the throne whom they could control. He fled, and those loyal to him followed to form a new kingdom. The Salenth Kingdom tried to annex them, but they fought hard and remained in dependent.
The Salenth Kingdom has a slightly different version of events, of course.
This led to centuries of fighting between the two kingdoms, with the Thraundlus Kingdom believing it had a right to the Salenth Kingdom’s land. The kingdoms had ups and downs, fighting each other, sometimes making peace, but inevitably bitter suspicions led to them fighting again. Legends tell of infighting, outfighting, supposed magic, with sometimes one kingdom conquering the other only for the balance of power to shift back the other way.
On occasion outsiders become encroached in the kingdom, such as a period of bandits filling the kingdom, or when the thiipites of Keurn used a mechanical Kraken disguised as a deity-monster to conquer both kingdoms. In one period dringers from outside the country ruled with fustornis bodyguards, but a secret royal force loyal to the old kings overthrew them.
Other legends speak of turncoat mages, demons corrupting the royals and laying waste to the land, and even a messenger of Gourd coming down to live among the royals during the reign of one king, said to be the one to open the caverns of minerals that at the time turned around an economic depression.
The Thraundlus Kingdom was at a low point when a war among Derantu’s nations broke out, and as the Thraundlus Kingdom was healing from its own wounds signed peace treaties with most nations to stay out of the war. After this the kingdom worked to stand on the world stage to counter their old rivals. A cold war began between them as they tried to impress other nations, bleeding into the other planets as contact with Zhop and Mintop was first made.
The Thraundlus Kingdom was devastated when the Salenth Kingdom launched hundreds of missiles into the Thraundlus Kingdom, an act they claim to this day was an accident but the Thraundlus Kingdom blames them. (Though a silver lining was the missiles opened up deeper caverns with more jewels and riches that funded much of the reconstruction.)
As the three planets became interconnected the Thraundlus Kingdom extended a hand to Zhop and the two grew fairly close, though Zhop did not back them in an invasion of the Salenth Kingdom that ended in pathetic failure. When Zhop declared war on Derantu and Mintop, however, the Thraundlus Kingdom, along with the thiipites of Keurn, joined with Zhop to invade the Salenth Kingdom. When Zhop attacked the Thraundlus Kingdom due to expediency, they left the war and the other nations united against Zhop to win the war.
Since then the Thraundlus Kingdom has been quiet, battered, not quite destroyed but in a low position, rich from mineral deposits but forced to send all those riches abroad for many basic necessities. Some believe they are being punished for past transgressions; others believe they’re the underdog who will soon rise to the power they deserve.
Culture
A rough-and-tumble kingdom, the citizens are proud for making it on their own and often shun help. They’re proud of their toughness but often stark like the land. They are open to any scalagos from Zhop coming to live there, with the attitude being Zhop’s culture is similar to theirs. Much of the kingdom’s economy comes from rare minerals and gems mined in the many caverns of the kingdom. Much of the mines are owned by the monarch, watched over by military personnel.
The monarchy is ruled by the first-born child of the current king and queen, who operate the military, generals and other officials able to be removed at a moment’s notice. The people have very little power over the government, but most of the citizens are focused on surviving to pay it much heed. Due to this few are religious; while about half the citizenry follow the Archussip, many do not pay much attention to it.
The list of rulers is long and for various reasons incomplete. There’s no reason to go over them here, but as of Wandering Fortunes the current ruler is King Eintandus 4, unmarried with no current heir. He has ruled for 14 years, ever since his parents expired from an avalanche while visiting the mines.
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