The Old Kingdom of Oren

The Old Kingdom of Oren was the expansive kingdom of the Humans for many years in Aegis. The capital of Old Oren was Al'Khazar for most of its existence, which was the seat of the kingdom's ruling monarch. The kingdom was located to the north of the Cloud Temple of Aegis, and was the northernmost kingdom. Traveling to Oren and the capital from the Cloud Temple was facilitated by the King's Road, which helped connect Oren to the other kingdoms in Aegis. In the 1340's following the events of the Phoenix Revolution, Old Oren was split up into the Realm of Hanseti, Kingdom of Renatus and Salvus.

The Holy Oren Empire was often casually referred to as Oren, but the two nations were distinct entities. It is also common for all the Human lands and nations to be generally referred to as Oren. At present, the descendants of the old kingdom largely live in the **Imperium of Oren**.

Introduction

To the west of The Cloud Temple of Aegis lays the proud Kingdom of Men. Oren, the jewel of the west, stood proud on Landcleaver Mountain. Inhabited by the Men of Aegis, it was the newest of the cities. The formidable fortress and its walls guarded the humble city from atop the Mountain, perched on its highest point. The land of Men is green yet industrial, although they do not harbour a love for nature such as the Elves they still enjoy the company of trees and Tall Grass. They also harbour great farms and pastures. At the bottom of the mountain, the sturdy wooden houses of Oren protected its inhabitants. Inside these cosy abodes were crackling fires and warm beds, the last frontier before the wilderness in the west, its fabled for its warm taverns and secret societies. Open to all races of Aegis, it boasted of large marketplaces and busy roads. The Old Kingdom of Oren, the cultural center of Aegis and home of the ambitious Men.

Notable Figures of the Old Kingdom

King Enor Sheffield - Previous King Of Oren, abdicated during the Phoenix Rebellion. Edmund Sheffield - The former King of Oren, corrupted by the Undead. Ivrae Sheffield - Former Queen of Oren, murdered by her husband after his initiation to the Undead. Princess Rose Sheffield - Youngest daughter of Edmund. Princess Alice Sheffield - The oldest daughter of Edmund. Killed by an assassin after an Undead attack. Lady High Constable Atriana Tarus - Former Commander of the Oren Guards. Betrayed Oren to the Undead and became one herself. Saint Dan - Once a King of Oren, the sainted Dan roamed the kingdom he once helped to build into a mighty land. Lord High Chancellor Everard Hightower - Former head of the Privy council of Oren. Died of old age. Lord Brett Perea -Lord of Whisper Isles and son of former King Pampo Perea. Dawn Perea - Baker and owner of Dawn's Bakery, later Queen of Oren and Salvus. Pampo Perea - Former King killed by Undead. Rhonin Perea - Eldest son of Pampo and Dawn Perea. Gaius Marius - Briefly held the crown of Oren, later ruled of the Realm of Hanseti.

Previous rulers of Oren include Gaius Marius, King Enor Sheffield, King Edmund Sheffield, King Pampo Perea, King Dan, and the beloved King Horen whose memorial stood just inside the Al'Khazar city gates.

Geography

Oren was home to some of the most colourful landscape in Aegis. Nature and buildings dominated the King's Road leading to the nation. Away from the road there can be found many small flat lands filled with sand that people refer to as Gods evaporated tears. Al'Khazar was surrounded by mountains, small and high, which almost felt to grow each day. Al'Khazar itself was built around a mountain that was surrounded by water and beaches. North of Al'Khazar and separating the northern reaches of Oren from the south was the majestic forest of the Wildewyn Woods.

Cities and Places

Al'Khazar

A great and powerful city of Men and capital city for many years. Harborer of literature, keeper of intellectuals, guardian of men, Heaven on Aegis, the city of Al'Khazar was a mighty figure among the landscape of Aegis. Once a small settlement, then a huge city full of life. Al'Khazar was thought to be protected by it's unbreakable walls and proud guards. Many Undead assaults were unable to overthrow the guards, people and walls.

However, the Undead managed to overthrow the whole city in 1337, facilitating their gain of control of the whole northern section of Aegis. Al'Khazar fell to the Undead when they tainted the whole city, raising a portal in it that spread a poisonous miasma, killing anyone who entered.

The city contained;

- The Market District. - The Cathedral and Housing Districts. - A sprawling sewer system, including a behind closed doors district, which however nefarious it might seem, helped the capital in its own secretive way. Unfortunately in its later years this area fell into disrepair and was largely abandoned. - The mighty Keep of the King or Queen. - Many acres of farm and agricultural land. - Guarded highways to many other settlements and important landmarks such as Talun, Lunavara and Cloud Temple. - The Oren Guard, who faithfully provided security to the nation from their base in the city.

Whisper Isles

One of the first Human settlements outside of the capital city, a previous King of Oren ordered one lord of his court to go south and provide a new community from which Fish and glass could be collected to help support the growing kingdom. For years it was a picturesque community on the shores of the massive Whisper Lake. The Whisper Isles struggled to provide goods and shelter to travelers on the King's Road and to combat the criminal efforts of Bandits in the surrounding wilds. Under the ownership of the once prince, Brett Perea it had flourished into a beautiful waterside city.

Whisper Isles was traded to the Orcs of Krugmar in exchange for the town of Kramoroe that sat on the King's Road. After Kramoroe was destroyed Galahar was built on the site.

Dunwood

Dunwood was a quaint town of Halflings. Though it's location was not a secret, it was "conveniently out of the way." It was the site of Dunfest. During the Phoenix Revolution it seceded from Oren.

Aemon and Daemon

These twin towers stood for generations at the southern border of the Kingdom of Oren, providing a view over the King's Road and the wilds beyond. The shifting borders of the nomadic Orcs occasionally pass into the region of Aemon and Daemon with tension and even combat not uncommon in their history. There were rumors spreading through the land, saying that there is an Ancient Dungeon inside the mountains. Mighty Wizards have sealed the Dungeon with a magical spell.

Winterfell

Winterfell was established as a northern border to defend Oren and Al'Khazar against the Undead threat. It existed for many years as a military outpost where criminals were sent to serve punishments. The city was then under the rule of Lord Pampo Perea and Lady Dawn Perea for many years, under who it flourished. It was the last northern settlement to fall to the Undead in 1340 as part of their attack on the north.

"May our Sovereign live long and may his rule be blessed by the God."

Galahar

Built on the ruins of Kramoroe, Galahar was established as a feudal town on the King's Road. For a number of years it expanded and grew as more people were attracted to it. Following the fall of Al'Khazar and then the north it received a large number of refugees and was made the new capital of Oren. Mighty walls and new defensive structures were built to prevent a similar attack that felled the rest of Oren.

History

Oren… the northernmost kingdom in all of Aegis. Home to the descendants of Horen, the Humans, it flourished and prospered for many years. From the southern capital of Al'Khazar, where the ruling King held power in the Keep, to the military outpost of Winterfell, where the Undead were kept at bay, it was a large and diverse kingdom.

But the Undead threat always loomed large over the land of Men. The Undead were always most active in the snowy northern reaches of the realm, and it was from there that they launched their increasingly greater attacks upon Aegis. Cities in the north rose and fell, ravaged by Undead or buried in blizzards. Many of the greatest battles against the servants of Iblees were fought in the north. For a time, the Undead power weakened, and the north grew into a more stable and peaceful part of Oren. But it was not to remain, as the strength of the Undead returned, and they again renewed their attacks.

King Pampo Perea was killed by Undead in Al'Khazar, the city he helped build, the place where the people went to him for security. His replacement, his Seneschal Edmund Sheffield, also tried to counter the Undead, having considerable success at times. But it was his corruption and turning to the Nether that was one of the greatest victories of the Undead. Under King Enor Sheffield, the Undead only continued to attack, with increasing ferocity. In 1337, the city of Al'Khazar was taken by the Undead, King Sheffield was kidnapped to the Nether and the city was left in uninhabitable ruins. The Humans scattered throughout the lands, taking refuge in the northern cities and among other races. In 1340, the northern settlements of New Alstion, Crimson Vale, Celestine and finally Winterfell all fell to the Undead, giving them a free hand in the north. The kingdom of Men was reduced to the town of Galahar, a shell of their former greatness and power. Frustrated with what they perceived to be a lack of action against Undead by King Enor Sheffield, the Phoenix Revolution rose to overthrow the King. Oren was in chaos as the Revolution resulted in divisions among Humans, espionage and fighting and King Enor leaving the throne and giving the crown to Gaius Marius. Eze'kiel Tarus, the leader of the Revolution, and Marius agreed to split the remaining lands of Oren, creating the Realm of Hanseti and Kingdom of Renatus in the process. A few years later Enor Sheffield and Dawn Perea declared the island of Salvus a nation in its own right, and Oren was well and truly ended.

Army of the Old Kingdom

Oren had one of the largest armies in Aegis, commanded by Lord High Constable Felix Farnsworth. Many of the city guards of Al'Khazar were assigned to protecting travelers on the King's Road where banditry is common. In previous conflicts, the Oren Guard helped to fight the Undead in Snowy Fields and Alstion, as well as patrolling the southern areas of Oren down to Whisper Isles.

Also, notably, a contingent of Oren Guards fought at the Battle for Sanhar, which resulted in a victory.

Architecture

The architecture in the Kingdom of Oren was heavily influenced by the materials available to settlers of each city.

In Al'Khazar, most homes were built with an oak support structure and stonework first floor, while additional floors consist of timber framework and white plaster nogging. This was primarily because the city on the mountain had an abundance of stone and massive trees, and the clay in the area, when combined with sheep's wool for cohesion, was a particularly pure white.

In the human colony of Whisper Isles, stone was much harder to come by but the local population adapted to utilize sand adobe for the buildings. Pine and cypress lumber were prized in Whisper Isles because of their resistance to moisture in a very humid environment.

In the cold northern outpost of Winterfell, stone and timber were used to provide shelter from the wind and snow. Clay in this area was hard to come by and prized as a way to seal seams and keep out drafts.

Throughout the kingdom, glass was used sparingly as the rudimentary fire kilns necessary to heat glass and pane it into windows require much time and are a dangerous craft. Although there are a few skilled artisans whose glass is prized, even the masters cannot make clear glass thick enough to support large windows that can be safely installed. Over time, techniques for creating glass were better developed and it became more used throughout Oren.