The Yeomanry

The Districts:

Kendall

History

The history of the Yeomanry is long but uncomplicated. Like much of the Sheldomar Valley the this area was inhabited by Suel pioneers long before the Twin Cataclysms. They dwelt here outside of the reach of the Imperium and the rule of its noble houses. Finding the land already inhabited by the Flan peoples they settled here in relative peace with them causing much crossing of bloodlines. Shortly after the Twin Cataclysms, the destruction of the Suel Imperium, and the Suel diaspora a displaced wizard by the name of Asberdies claimed the entirety of the Yeomanry as his state. He did this with relative ease since most of the land was populated by small unconnected villages inhabited by farmers and simple craftsmen. There were only small local governments and no formal military established at the time. Asberdies was a tyrant who made himself right at home here.After a period of unchecked ruthlessness by the wizard, the farmers began to learn skills that allowed them to defend themselves from Asberdies' "tax collectors" and began to fight back. It was the realization of the vastness of opposition to the wizard if all of the villages unified that led the leaders of each community to bring their peoples together to storm the tyrant's fortress. Asberdies' forces were quickly overwhelmed and he was displaced from his rule escaping the attack never to be seen or heard from again.

Never again would the people of The Yeomanry be oppressed so easily again. With their new found strength and ability along with a collective sense of accomplishment all of the formerly separate villages joined to become a single democratic republic governed by an elected Freeholder and a Council of Grosspokesmen each member hailing from one of the thirty-six districts of the nation. The Yeomanry is one of the few democracies in the Flanaess.

At the time that Keoland was growing in power, The Yeomanry began to extend its reach. Being the only true neighbor, the Freeholder of The Yeomanry naturally courted friendly relations with the King and Council in Niole Dra. He was well received and this amiable relationship continued for four centuries with each nation extending aid in the form of supplies and military support when needed. It was during the reign of Keoland's King Tavish II, the Wealsun Proclamation, and the ensuing imperialistic expansion that The Yeomanry turned their backs to the Keoish rulers and bolstered their own borders in preparation to defend their own freedom.

Most recently a collective of merchant consortiums called The Guild established a system of rules and trade regulations upon the roads between districts to better protect, maximize, and organize trade in the nation. Through wise leadership and fair practice the Guild Council found their methods wildly successful and trade flourished throughout the Yeomanry, even to the outer and wilder districts which were normally overlooked. Like all great ideas that generate a lot of cash, The Guild began to both overestimate its value to the country and finagle ways to make even more money. The former attitude caused them to inculcate themselves into the Council of Grosspokesmen to gain more administrative control by rationalizing the importance of trade in governmental matters. Blind to the influence of wealth, their greed allowed them to justify less than wholesome activities and lesser wholesome relationships with certain groups, such as the Niole Dra chapter of Nerull's faithful.

With Guild agents everywhere as eyes and muscle to maintain The Guild's influence, The Guild had an effective and dangerous network set to remove the democratic Council without the public at large even noticing. When a borderland landholder by the name of Macsen Wledig of Kendall Keep noticed his trade being strangled with virtually no attempts by The Guild to prevent this, he began to take action. Through the investigative action of the as yet unnamed MBC a conspiracy was discovered designed to close the territory to civilian occupation. At the same time a personal friend of Wledig's went to Loftwick to take an urgent plea directly to The Guild Council and was executed unjudiciously without jurisdiction on some vague charge of treason. In true Yeoman fashion Wledig took a group of his best soldiers and his wizard to the The Guild Hall in Loftwick and slaughtered every guildsman they could find, and then went to the democratic council with proof to justify their actions. Immediately, word was sent out and all Guild influence was ripped out in each district. Many guildsmen were tried and found innocent of all evil intent as they were merely maintaining trade across the nation and had no knowledge of the Guild Council's greater machinations. Most Councilmen died in their attempts to escape.

Culture

The culture of the Yeomanry is more based on the circumstances of the people than any kind of overreaching tradition. When the Suel first crossed the mountains into the Sheldomar Valley, the wasn't uninhabited. They found an active bronze age Flannish culture that welcomed them in settling the land. When you look at the typical Yeoman you see the product of the conjoined races for a thousand years. But that just describes how they look. There is almost no vestige of Suel or Flan heritage left in the Yeomanry. What is found instead is farmer and highlander/mountaineer cultures with a severe bent toward the warrior class for reasons described above in their history.

In the center of the nation are the great fields and farmlands. Most of the population of the Yeomanry, which isn't large, can be found in its heart tilling the fields to grow grain and a multitude of vegetables. The seasons here are mild. It can get very hot or very cold but usually it doesn't so the growing season tends to be much longer. So for most in this country their day starts early, as would any medieval farmer, and their day ends just before sundown when they return home to their families to eat and rest. Generally speaking, it is not a place of freebooters and adventurers and even in the capital of Loftwick it's hard to find trouble (it's a small city) because it is a place of business where nobody has time for foolishness. Freebooting and foolishness is found in abundance in the mountain districts.

In the mountain districts of the Yeomanry there are two thing to do: mine and fight. Miners here are not family men. They spend their days in the dark digging out silver and mid grade gems and their nights drinking around campfires amongst kegs of ale and their fellow workers, humans and dwarves mostly. The constant threat of attack by goblins, orcs, ogres, trolls, and giants makes the mountain districts much more likely to engender high adventure. This is where the soldiers of the Yeomanry go to defend their nation because it is here that the real enemies of the Yeomen reside. Together the human and dwarven contingents repel raids and rout out lairs of these peoples who have existed as constant nuisances to the lowlanders since before the days when the Suel first arrived.

It is in the mountains that young Yeomen who enlist in the defense forces undergo a rite of passage that nearly every Yeoman regards as duty to one's own countrymen and women. To leave one's life on the farm behind, to learn the use of a weapon and wear armor like they saw their father and/or mother had in their closet, to go to a place so different where even the friends they have drink much ale and smoke skunk blossom until their "eyes grow petals", to do it as well, to encounter foes so immense they think them unstoppable, to defeat them, to carry a friend from the field of battle and bury them, to have left fear behind but still not be able to stop crying, to invite the old veterans to your farm (though you know you will never see them again) as you bid them farewell, to return home and put your weapons and armor in the closet. Those who do not join the fight in the mountains are not shunned or ridiculed, but it is such a statement of willing sacrifice, though, that service is required to become a representative of a district or to vote in any elections. It is not uncommon for men and women to find a warrior's life suits them best and for them to make a career out of fighting ogres and giants in the mountains, but let's just say there will be no shortage able farmers in the lowlands.

Some sages will say that this period of youth for the Yeoman is the identifying factor in making them culturally who they are, which is profoundly different from any other national identity. These people have learned not to back down from big threats. They learned to fight by fighting giants. And often they win. If you ask them they would tell you that it is because they have heart; because they fight for the freedom they cherish. Invading giants don't have that kind of heart. Yeomen will defend valiantly their piece of cheese or loaf of bread, not because it's theirs, in fact you can depend on them to share it, but because nobody should be allowed to take it by force without a fight. If they see an opportunity they will even defend their neighbors cheese as well. Of course they stood up to imperialistic Keoland and said, "This has gone far enough." when all other nearby nations were bowing and scraping before the Throne of the Lion. And those many who return to a humble farmer's life live quiet but strong lives. Woe to the orcish bandits who raid a Yeoman village, but also woe to the traveler who steps upon another's toe and seems not to care. Some sages fret over how the noblest in heart are the simplest by nature. "If only they had the strength of Keoland to lead the world." Other sages disagree. "The strength of Keoland pales by comparison. The Yeomanry is best exactly how it is."

What flies in the face of almost every other nation across the Flanaess is the indomitable collective spirit of these people to bring the freedom they possess to everyone in the world. It's not the same way as how the Palish enforce a strict dogma upon others in that Yeomen believe all should have the chance to be what they choose regardless of any other factors. This is why they smirk and snort at the idea that Greyhawk is a free city, because Greyhawk is really only free for the people who have the power to do as they choose and all others are trodden down. This is not the Yeoman way. Toward this end, the Freeholder of the Yeomanry with full support of the Council and the people has made a proclamation to the Hold of the Sea Princes that unless the Princes halt their practice of keeping slaves the two nations will be at odds. This doesn't bring open warfare when the peoples encounter each other, but it has diminished trade, severed diplomacy, and resulted in gasps of awe and disdain that such a rustic nation is being so idealistically bold before the global community. Some have concluded that negative responses are reactions of threat or jealousy. The Sea Princes on the whole don't seem to care.

Flora, Fauna, and Geography

I imagine that the Yeomanry looks a lot like Oklahoma in the plains and Tennessee, Kentucky, or West Virginia near the mountains. I've only passed through Oklahoma of any of these places, but I think it's a good speculation. It's not as dry as near the rockies in the western U.S. at an equivalent parallel because it's so close to the inner sea even though it's on the east side of the Crystalmists. I would say the Hool is a good indicator of the general moisture in the area.

There are many deciduous varieties of trees and small forests are not uncommon. Near such accumulations of trees, berry bushes grow and feed the denizens. In areas not tilled, the prairie supports tall dry grasses and weeds and tall hearty wildflowers. Wheat and corn are the primary crops here, but in the south there are some cotton farmers. Every farmer also has a small vegetable garden to add to their table and surplus goes to market.

The slight population of the Yeomanry allows for much free land. Herds of wild horses, asses, and antelopes are not uncommon. Deer also live here fruitfully. These wild herbivores must be thinned by the presence of wolves and several kinds of large predatory cats, and ankhegs wait beneath the soil of known grazing lands. Other large animals that live here are black and grizzly bears, though they generally dwell in the scarce forested areas, and wild boars who reside in the forests and tall grasses. Vermin of all kinds scamper through the tall grass and are preyed upon by falcons, hawks, and snakes. The air is usually filled with the hum of wasps and honey bees. Closer to the mountains we find larger and stranger creatures and many more reptiles, which have adapted to hunting humanoids.