The Northernmost Duchy of the kingdom of Iradar is Horwald. Horwald stretches from the Fleissen River in the south, to the North Sea, or Fyldenen Draak in the ancient Vÿkstra tongue.

Horwald is dominated by three major settlements, by the far the largest being Greywater Deep, or Ar-Hiskogt in the ancient tongue. Greywater Deep is the oldest permanent settlement on the Northern Shores of Aridisia, and is the largest port on that coast. As a result, is the second largest port in all of Iradar. Greywater Deep is divided into 9 wards, each protected by a Wardsman. Each Wardsman commands a small police force of 5-10 men depending on the size of their ward and the relative need for security. Like most large cities, Greywater Deep has its share of crime, particularly in the winter months when food becomes more scarce.

Unlike other cities in Iradar, Greywater Deep has retained a good deal of its Vÿkstra heritage in its many place names and landmarks. The people tend to be dark haired, like the Aridisian people in other parts of Iradar. But despite this mixing of the races, the people of Greywater Deep have piercing blue eyes, like the Vÿkstra of old. Greywater Deep is the seat of the Duke of Horwald. The Gendry family has help the position since 2433, some 900 years with only brief interruptions during times of upheaval and stewardship.

Greywater deep is located at the mouth of the river Sÿrghut, that flows south from the city to meet with the river Fleissen about 420 miles to the south. The west bank of the Sÿrghut river looms high over the lower eastern bank. The rocky riverbanks rise some 75 feet above the eastern banks, marking the line where the elevation falls sharply past the river into wide grasslands. This interesting topography was noticed by the earliest settlers in the area, and a Vÿkstra stockade of wood and earth was built high on the rocky west side. Today, the stockade has been replaced by a Keep built by the Gendrys between 2820 and 2901. Greywater Keep sits at the highest point, its tall, strong walls seemingly defying the strong storms that rage from the North Sea so often. To the North, the walls of the keep meet the sheer rocky face without so much as a foot-ledge facing the sea, forming an unbroken wall of nearly 100 feet. Though definitely not the strongest of fortresses, Greywater Keep’s high position make it one of the most defensible.

The second largest settlement in Horwald is Highbridge, which is actually a misnomer of sorts, since there is no bridge over the river Sÿrghut there. It is, however, located at the narrowest, calmest point of the river and it was once the planned site for a great bridge to be built for east-west traffic over the river. The town of Highbridge is small, not more than 3000 people all told, but it is the site of the only ferry on the Sÿrghut, making it a fairly wealthy town. Should a traveler moving east-west or vice-versa wish to cross the river in Horwald, he wold have to cross at Highbridge, or continue north to the great bridgeworks in Greywater Deep. The only other place to cross is at Flierry’s Crossing in Midieux many mile to the south. The Lord of Highbridge is the family Herrollin, who have held the title since 2880.

The only other settlement of any note is at North Tower. Sometime around 2200, to defend against raiders from across the North Sea, the king of Iradar commissioned the building of a stronghold to protect the open northern coasts from attack. Years of decay led to its crumbling, but it was rebuilt and strengthened in 2409. Now, a town of 1500 or more huddles close to the windblown keep. Traditionally, the king appoints the lord of the tower, but in the last two centuries, the Gendrys have taken that responsibility upon themselves. The current ruling family at North Tower is the Gerrillet family, who are closely related to the Gendrys through marriage.

Horwald’s topography can easily be divided into three regions. The northwest is rocky, high elevation, and is marked by jagged hills that make overland travel all but foolish. There are few settlements of more than a few families in the region. The northeast, past the river Sÿrghut, is mostly open, rolling grasslands. While the gentle hills are covered with tall grass, farming is made difficult by the strong sea-winds and the poor soil. Most towns in the area are small, with sheep-herding the primary means of income. The south, past highbridge, is heavily wooded with tall, ancient pine forests. This is the most secluded section of Horwald, and perhaps all of Iradar. Deep in the forests are small villages who have never lost the thick northern accents of the Vÿkstra people, though they speak Aridisian. They have many words and phrases taken straight from the ancient tongue. It is sometimes hard for southerners to understand these people at all. They live as their ancestors did, logging the forests and herding their sheep and cattle while farming the lands they clear. They are suspicious of outsiders, and much more inclined to violence than most. They revere their ancestors as heroes, and place death in battle above all honors.

The politics of Horwald are somewhat less defined than elsewhere in Iradar. Though the Gendrys have adopted many of the mechanisms of government from the Aridisians, they have clung stubbornly to the old ways also.

The head of the Gendry Family is Duke of Horwald. Within the Duchy are seven Earls, each who are to administer a different Earldom. In each Earldom are countless thanes,, minor nobles who report to the earls. These thanes are scarcely more than peasants, save that they may have a larger home or a suit of nicer clothes than their peasants. They are not beyond reproach, and are not necessarily of noble blood either. Upon the death of a Thane, his sworn lord takes back the possession before naming a new Thane. More times than not, it will be the heir, but it is never a certainty. A Shire is a group of 10 or more Thanes (their holdings, to be more precise) all under the same lord, such as an Earl. It is presided over by a Shire-Reeve, who is chosen from amongst the thanes of the Shire by his peers.

The Thane owns a small tract of land, usually no larger than twice the size of the largest of the peasants’ plots under him. This plot is worked by the Thane, and each peasant who is required to work there five days per month, then for two weeks during plainting and harvest. This land grows both food stores for the village, and profit for the Thane.

The thane is required to give 40 days each year in military service to his lord along with the fighting men of his house. Anything past that, he is to be reimbursed based on a prior agreement. This makes it difficult for the Lord of Horwald to raise large armies for major campaigns. It is both a blessing and a curse to the king. A Blessing because he need fear no concerted revolt from his northern vassal, a curse because the men of Horwald are considered individually to be great fighters, and this system does not allow for them to serve during long royal campaigns without significant expense.

The Earls form the council of the Duke, and are charged nominally with naming his successor after his death. By order of the king, however, that successor must be the heir to the Gendry line, so the duty has become almost entirely symbolic. Still, they advise him on matter of importance such as taxes and tariffs, since the Dukes are allowed to charge what they wish, so long as they meet the demands of the King first.

The Earls meet one yearly, and again as needed when summoned by the Duke. The meeting of Earls is referred to as the Gamut, a term taken from the Vÿkstra for "Conversation."

Once each month, the Thanes are required to hold their own shire-gamut, in which they meet to allow peasants to air any complaints against the Thanes, the Earls, or other Peasants. The Thanes must collectively sit in judgement for these cases, and hand out penalties accordingly. Only the Shire-Reeve can order the death of another man. Since there are no prisons (prisons being costly for such small, humble towns) except the Cells in Greywater Keep, there are no slaves, since forcing a slave to stay in service requires the threat of imprisonment should they run away.

This strange mixture of old and new is peculiar, to be sure, but it has woked for over 900 years, and the pragmatic, practical folk of the Dukedom see no need to change what isn’t broken.

There is little doubt to the individual skills of the soldiers in Horwald. Professional, trained soldiers are known as Carls. They serve the richer Thanes and Earls directly, and are known for wielding deadly two-bladed axes in battle. They follow no code of Chivalry, as do the knights of the south, but are as honorable as the people of Horwald. The Thanes and Carls make up the bulk of the fighting force of Horwald.

When Horwald itself is threatened, the Fyrd is summoned. The Fyrd is a Vÿkstra term that refers to the mustering of the common folk into a defensive army. The Fyrd generally supports the Carls, since they are untrained, and poorly equipped. Both the Carls and the Fyrd know their roles, the Carls try to protect the Fyrd, the Fyrd fills in when the Carls’ line is broken and there are no Thanes to fill the gap.

Warfare in large groups, however, is poorly organized in the North. They fight better as individuals, as the Vÿkstra raiders had done from their longships so long ago. There are few archers in Horwald, since the art is jealously guarded by the upper nobility. Deer are considered the property of the landowners, so anyone with the skill of archery is immediately assumed to be a poacher.

There are also few horses in the North. To be more precise, the only horses in the North are purchased from far away in the south, or the small breed of ponies used as transport by nobles. In either case, the horses are so expensive to keep in a land not blessed with prime grazing pastures, that it wold be unthinkable for a noble to ride his personal horse into battle. The Duke, and perhaps the Earls, would be among the very few to own a true warhorse bred in the south.

The third class of nobility is the clergy. They priests of Horwald worship various deities as recognized by the Duke or the King. They build large monasteries and churches across the continent. They are often the largest landowners in the Dukedom, and often have many Thanes sworn to them. He Bishop of Froncet is Lord of the town of Froncet, sits on the Gamut, and is as powerful as any of the Earls, for instance.

It must always be considered what level each noble has achieved to understand their status. One Thane may hold his land directly in the name of a powerful Earl or even the king, while another may hold his of another Thane. A Reeve might hold his title and land in the name of another, more powerful Thane, in which case his position is lesser than on of a simple Thane who holds his land directly for the king. It is a complicated system, but one that has lasted centuries.