The Kingdom of Rodenia

Rodenia is one of two human kingdoms in the world of Xesteria. It is officially known as the the Imperial Republic of Rodenia. Imperial rule began hundreds of years ago after the ruling Mannister dynasty was overthrown by the corrupt military during an extended period of weakness for the family. Rodenia then became ruled over by its military, with the highest ranking military official taking the title of Emperor and ruling the kingdom with an iron fist. The current ruler of Rodenia is Emperor Albeleo Belmont, a lifelong soldier with a cold heart and calculating mind, he has always been heavily disconnected from the plight of the commonfolk and only looks to make lives easier for nobility. 

Under Albeleo's rule, Rodenian commoners lost many of their basic liberties and saw widespread reduction in freedoms and salaries. Commoners now make less than half of what they used to make under previous rulers, and martial law is in effect between the hours of 12:00 AM and 5:00 AM in order to eliminate criminal activities at night. The only exempt commoners are farmers and labourers, as they are required to be awake and working often before the sun rises. Locations such as inns have their doors locked during the curfew hours.

Emperor Albeleo Belmont

Rodenia, strictly speaking, isn't a vast kingdom. It is the smaller of the two human kingdoms, and is larger only than the dwarven kingdom of Aldarihm (only by surface area, the dwarves predominantly dwell within cave networks and strongholds built inside of and underneath mountains). Rodenia is relatively narrow compared to other kingdoms, as it is sandwiched between the Free Lands of Artalia to the east and the Decrid Expanse to the west. 

Southern Rodenia borders the Serpentine Bay and is slightly tropical in nature. Central Rodenia is home to many rolling moors, farmlands, and dense forests. Northern Rodenia ranges from subarctic to arctic. The northernmost reaches of the kingdom are frigid and generally considered inhospitable.

Rodenia is also a highly militaristic kingdom. The kingdom is known for its elite shocktroopers, the Rodenian Guard, highly trained fighters specializing in genocidal tactics. It is these soldiers that have kept Rodenia from ever being encroached upon by the neighboring kingdom of Artalia. 

In the city of Zenobia, and often in the throne room itself, the Imperial Guard can be found. Even more fearsome than the Rodenian Guard, the Imperial Guard consists of only six highly skilled warriors who are rumoured to be the most deadly fighters in the entirety of Rodenia. They have sworn off their individuality, rendering their true identities entirely unknown, in exchanged for being paid a king's ransom to protect the Emperor in addition to being completely exempt from operating within the law. The members of the Imperial Guard are considered so formidable that Rodenia's top military soldiers cannot even hope to match them.

A member of the Imperial Guard

In Rodenia's towns, guards are free to hassle citizens of Rodenia's towns without repercussion. The law is enforced strictly in Rodenia, with multi-year sentences being common for petty crimes. Commonfolk of Rodenia are generally considered oppressed and unhappy.

Rodenia has many settlements, including numerous hamlets on and off the main roads, but the central towns include...

Ashweald: The final stop in the kingdom's central region before reaching the temperate south. Ashweald rests deep within the ash forest that surrounds it. The Ashweald Forest was once inhabited by elves long ago and was enchanted to ward off trespassers, so reaching the town of Ashweald can be difficult.

Kirkstead: A major agricultural town in the kingdom's central region. Kirkstead is an expansive town, though farmland makes up over 80% of the town's total allotted space. Due to the abundance of produce, the core town itself sees lots of trade and has attracted plenty of additional businesses to set up shop to take advantage of the town being well known as a trading hub.

Meksicburg: A port town in the Serpentine Bay. Meksicburg is Rodenia's main trading port, and is thus a busy hub town for merchants and traders. The town is a diamond in the rough in that the town itself is nestled in the midst of a beautiful rainforest while the surrounding terrain is mostly comprised of bogs and thickets.

Sojourn: Northernmost town in all of Rodenia. It is nestled in the kingdom's cold arctic. Getting to and from Sojourn is often considered a treacherous journey without ample supplies and protection from the elements.

Vasselben: A midway stopping point between the northern town of Sojourn and the central locations of Kirkstead and Zenobia. Vasselben is situated on the cold plains of the rocky northcentral region of Rodenia. It is a flourishing town that takes advantage of ample wildlife to hunt in nearby forests and plentiful fish running through the cold northern rivers.

Zenobia: The capital city of Rodenia. It is surrounded by colossal walls, and the inner city's districts are divided into rings within the wall. The closer one gets to the center, the higher the way of life is in each successive ring until finally reaching the castle in the middle.