Castellar Regnum can refer to both one of the faces of Crux as well as a certain region within it, consisting of seven kingdoms. The Regnum part is more often omitted for the former than the latter.
The Face
Geography
Castellar Regnum is the western face of Crux based on Galaz's local cardinal points and it meets with Galaz on its North, Esindum in its East, Demulit in its South and the Cruxian Sea in its West.
The landscape mostly consists of a huge desert and vast valleys, the latter sometimes interrupted by tall mountains or large lakes and forests.
Important locations and lands include:
- The Seven Kingdoms of Castellar Regnum
- Alfan
- The Deadly Desert (Leggerion)
Important Figures
The Green Dragon
Of the Twelve Primordial Dragons, six are said to have made their home on Crux. Castellar's Dragon is the Green one, master of poison.
Figroth Felanor
Figroth Felanor, legendary hero of the Figorani was born in Leggerion and was mostly active in it.
The Seven Kingdoms
Castellar Regnum is also known as Castle Kingdom, Burgreich and the Forest Lands (Thruinndaliae).
Legends
According to the legends, a valiant King was once said to unite the entire face of Castellar under his name after years of strife in the Forest Lands. Under him, Castellar prospered, but in the end his death also grew near and he had to decide how his lands would be handled after he'd passed away. In his life, he had become a friend of the Figorani and thus he gave Leggerion to those who had come to live under his dominion already. Alfan was given to the Elves, his wise counsellors, who walked upon few lands in these days. But the King had seven sons also and so he offered them the richest, most prosperous lands, inside the Ring of the Woods, to divide in equal. And thus the Seven Kingdoms were born and would last for thousands of years yet.
Another legend, much more ancient than the first, speaks the story of a bloody war between the Elves and a great Darkness. In the end, the Elves managed to seal their Enemy, trapping him in a vast land by raising a ring of magical forests all around it. The rich and beautiful land would forever be lost to them, but they could finally be rid of the Darkness.
But the Younger Race would come one day and, despite the Eldests' warnings, enter the forbidden kingdom. Sweet were the waters, plenty was the food. And the earth was filled to the deeps with riches. But the Dark Lord still sat on his throne in wait. They did not resist the temptation he offered. And under his influence the Men of the Forest Lands would be cursed forever: no generation would come to live without the memory of war.
Geography
Most of the Seven Kingdoms are named after their main harvest of minerals or other pillar of their economy.
Aururegnum
The Kingdom of Gold.
Argenturegnum
The Kingdom of Silver.
Aesregnum
The Kingdom of Bronze.
Ferruregnum
The Kingdom of Iron. Also known as Ferrum Regnum
Gemmaregnum
The Kingdom of Jewels.
Nigerregnum
The Black Kingdom, named after the black stone its mines are abundant with.
Viridi Regnum
The Green Kingdom, named for its agricultural prowess probably.
History
Before the coming of King Baldrich the Great, for a long time the people of the Thruinndaliae lived a tribal lifestyle and warred with each other or what lands they could get to. The tribes were primarily of Keltan, although from a different branch than that of Galaz, and Kerdanic origin.
The long years of the Forest Lands' prehistory and tribal lifestyle would come to an end, however, when the Mossian Empire made its march from Galaz unto Castellar and conquered a large part of the region c. 1100-950 BF. They had already spread widely in Galaz, originating in Ancient Northern Batheia, taking over all of Galabrim and then proceeding further to Castellar. However, it is said that at that time a great Darkness was awakened and came over Galaz. The Great Mossian Empire was broken apart and if any of it remained in its home lands, the people stranded in Castellar could not know. Thus, the Castellar Mossians were isolated from the main land and became independent, ruling the Castellar peoples for many years and continuing to fight the ones who defied them still. But decline caught up with them in the end and their grandeur came to ruin by 600 BF, to be lost and only remembered in tale and song.
However, the Mossians' influence had been great and many attempted to imitate it and becomes Kings of the Land. Many kingdoms were founded and fell, went to war with each other and went through much strife. The old ways of the "barbaric" tribes or the "civilised" Mossians were both abandoned or changed and the Castellars came to build castles and train knights and entered the medieval age they would never fully come out of, although it was much different then than it is of recent days.
For almost a thousand years, the cycle of war and peace continued until eventually the King of Legends that would achieve what so many had dreamed of would come. Unlike the legends say, however, most historians believe that is is more likely that King Baldrich conquered all of the Forest Lands during the 4th century AF and exerted influence over the rest of Castellar, but did not ever unite it all. For the Elves always lived in the land of Alfan as much Men can recall and the Old and rooted do not pay tribute to the Young and ephemeral. And the Figorani were most likely given the land of Leggerion for it was then largely empty and far from his reach and it'd be hard and unprofitable to control. As for Castellar Regnum itself, it is believed it was broken apart by the King's heirs in the conflicts that followed after his death. Seven Kingdoms were formed and they would forever remember the rivalries of those first years or the hatred that was born from them in the following years, for war would remain a perpetual constant in the lands among the Forests.
Language
Castellar Regnum is roughly divided into two national groups, one mostly inhabiting the North, the other the South. The Northerners speak the Gillic language that originates from the Keltan tribes after a heavy influence the Mossians had on it, though, and indeed it's closer to Mossian now than the language other descendants of the Keltans speak.
The Southerners speak more predominantly Kerdanic dialects, referred to as the Kauthic language.
However, in both South and North, the ancient Mossian language is still revered and used for many official and formal purposes, including that of religious matters, although indeed only the very learnt know how to write it and none speak it, like it was spoken once for the language has long been dead.
Important Figures
- King Baldrich the Great
- Wiz Ardon
- Mardolf the Orange
- Geidrich the Azure
- Azira the Pink
- Mirian the White
Other Characters
- Garvus
- Agnise
- Magical Heroic Dragon