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The Kingdom of Briel
Once the largest Human kingdom, the Kingdom of Briel has been divided into two as the result of a contention for the throne between King Brandon II and his elder sister, Dora. The young king of Briel faces tremendous pressure to reclaim the land that his sister has seized. His continued failure to so might result in one of his dukes moving against him.

Despite it's division, the Kingdom remains a strong military power, despite what the elder races might wish to believe. It has a full standing, professional army with a regiment of knights that gained experience during Briel's last civil war. It can also call upon barbarian troops from its highlands region. These fierce warriors are lead by a tribal chief that swears alliengence to the crown of Briel.

The Kingdom of Briel is the fortress city of Regent. It has been the site of several major battles by contenders of the throne. There are four Dukes left in the Kingdom of Briel; these are the Dukes of Mortensholm, Talamar, Wilhelm, and Jaden. Four other Dukes have sworn alligence to Queen Dora.

The Kingdom of Naja
The Sea Elven Kingdom trades heavily with its human neighbors. The Kingdom takes no stand on political grounds and as a neutral party that is too powerful to succumb to threats has done well for itself by shipping cargo between the Kingdom of Briel and Queen Dora's Realm, and to a lesser extent the Kingdom of Nocturne.

Naja's exact military capabilities are unknown. It has a few warships of frightening size and power, but most believe that these simply exist as a visible deterrent. The real source of Naja's power is believed to lie under the sea. Rumors abound of a Sea Elven Marine force that rides powerful serpents to move into position quickly. They are said to be able to strike any ship or coastal town without warning.

Naga is the only visible city of the Sea Elven kingdom.

Queen Dora's Realm
With the future of these lands very much in doubt, no one refers to the territory controlled by Dora as a kingdom for there is no clear line of succession from her and whether the self declared Queen can hold onto power is very much in doubt. Rebelling against the tradition held by the Kingdom of Briel that the eldest son shall inherit the throne, Queen Dora has shown herself to have a talent for politics. From her throne in Meridian she holds the loyalty of the Dukes of Evansborough, Dardan, Cimmeria, and Luther. Although the Knights of Briel remain faithful to the crown, Queen Dora has retained many of her younger brothers frontline generals.

Despite the uncertainty, the economy of Queen Dora's realm is strong, stronger than even the Kingdom of Briel. All manner of goods travel through this land; crops, quarry stone, iron ore, even artifacts and weapons made by the elder races.

Queen Dora faces pressure however from always having to be ready to stop an invasion by her brother, King Brandon II. Many of the goblinoid tribes have also tested her resolve from the Wastelands of Tir. She cannot hope to actually hold the outborder towns any more than these tribes can, but she is sure to always have scouts and spies in Torment and Gaza. And recently there have been some disputes of trouble with the Kingdom of Minvera with regard to mineral rights in the mountain range near Evansborough.

Queen Dora's army is less disciplined and professional than that of Briel's. But Dora's army is just as experienced in combat, perhaps more so considering the brutality of the orc tribes that many of her soldiers have fought off. Their armor and equipment is a mix of everything from rotting padded cloth up to the finest dwarven plate mail.

The Kingdom of Nocturne
This kingdom has many names associated with it. It is also known as the Kingdom of Night, the Kingdom of Darkness, and the Kingdom of Death. Long ago it was once part of the Kingdom of Briel, but a powerful group of mages rebelled and seized control of this southern kingdom. A few aeon passed and a war for control broke out between the controlling wizards. A group of necromancers won. They named their land the Kingdom of Night and have ruled it ever since.

Although not considered an ally to anyone, the Kingdom of Nocturne has not made itself an enemy of anyone either. Many of the best Human necromancers go to receive their training in Nocturne. It conducts some limited trading with other kingdoms and has a port at Neph that is open to all. Few outsiders venture into the kingdom however. This is a land that is thick with the undead. They act as servents, laborers, and protectors of the Kingdom's many necromancers. It is said that large groups of undead who have slipped out of their master's control roam the countryside, killing anyone who crosses their path.

Nocturne's armies are by their very nature horrible and terrifying to behold. This kingdom faces few outside threats.

Hobbit Hollow
Hobbit Hollow is a peaceful place of soft rolling hills covered in flowing green grass. Into this hills, hobbits dig their burrows and fill them with cozy chairs and rugs and very large kitchens. It has been twenty aeon since a band of goblins attacked this place and were wiped out entirely. Since that time the Kingdom of Minvera has pledged that no tribe of goblinoids would ever reach that far north again and have easily kept their promise.

Hobbit Hollow has a single elected official who is referred to as Mayor, even though he oversees all of Hobbit Hollow's many communities. His duties mostly deal with greeting dignitaries from other Kingdoms, taking the first bite at special feasts, and making sure no one gets too tipsy during the butterfly festival when a hundred thousand Red Conner butterflys rise up in a flurry of mating. Most community tasks are taken care of by the communities themselves. It is considered the utmost honor to give a hand with patching roofs and roads or constructing a sewer system so well that not the slightest bit of odor ever interferes with the fragrance of the local Everberry trees.

Every community has a local militia that practices every weekend with the exception of the butterfly festival. These militia groups generally turn into large gatherings of discussion, merriment, and dancing. Occassionally there is some marching to a snappy tune.

Life in Hobbit Hollow is peaceful, calming, and generally uneventful. Warriors from other kingdoms have been know to have nervous breakdowns. The boredom is too much for most races to handle. It's even too much for some hobbits to handle and these hobbits, much to the horror of their family, hoist a few belongings into a sturdy knapsack and head out for a life of adventuring.

Kingdom of Minvera
The Dwarven Kingdom of Minvera is probably the most powerful land power on Aldorn. It rules a large swarth of rocky territory that is rich in iron ore and precious minerals such as gold and silver.

The Dwarven society of Minvera is based upon the greatly extended families unit known as a clan. The clan that a Dwarf is born into largely determines his fate. Any clan member that has ever failed, earned a point of dishonor, or shown cowardice is remembered by rival clans and used to justify a social pecking order that borders on cruelty. It takes almost epic acts of bravery and skill to overcome a clan's past shame.

All young Dwarves must fight at least one battle at Crucible, a border outpost that marks the beginning of the Wastelands of Tir. There they must prove themselves in battle against orcs and the most vicious of goblins. Those Dwarves that fight well bring glory and honor to their clan. Those that do poorly or show cowardice are disgraced for all time. These disgraced Dwarves often become troll slayers seeking to overcome their disgrace in a battle of impossible odds.

The Kingdom of Minvera is also home to the majority of the Gnome race. Although the Gnomes are greatly outnumbered by the Dwarves, their technological innovation greatly adds to the kingdom's power. Gnomes are granted a seat at the Dwarven council and are not subject to the politics of the clans. Nor are they required to prove themselves at Crucible, although a few occasionally do anyway. No Gnome however will ever be in line for the throne.

The army of Minvera is a mighty force of massed infantry and war machines. Suberb armor, weapons, catapults, and cannon more than make up for its lack of calvary forces.

Wastelands of Tir

The elder races were by all accounts around long before the appearence of Orcs and goblins. But for much of that time, the elder races were few in number while the numbers of the Orcs and Goblins grew rapidly. It was only in the last 5oo aeon that the elder races began to push out their boundaries, driving the goblinoid tribes out. With the emergence of the Human kingdoms as viable powers, the goblinoid tribes were pushed into the unclaimed territories known as Tir. Many Ogres, Trolls, and any other creatures that had a detrimental affect on civilization and could be driven out also ended up in Tir.

The Wastelands of Tir are not really wastelands as one might imagine a desolate, scorched land. Much of Tir is quite scenic with wild grasslands, rolling hills, and a scattering of trees and wild life. Tir is referred to as the Wastelands because it is territory that has no sovereign government. Who or what rules territory in Tir changes on a daily basis.

Kingdom of Lorelei
Wood Elves rule the forests of Lorelei. This kingdom is secretive and mysterious. It's subjects care little for visitors and rarely venture far from home. Humans, in fact, are not allowed to enter the forest of Lorelei without an elder race providing escort. Orcs and Goblins are attacked on sight.

Lorelei's armies rarely venture far from home. They have on occassion worked with the Kingdom of Minvera when the goblinoid tribes begin to overstep their boundaries. Lorelei forces rely heavily on the bow. Their archers are capabale of decimating their enemies before sword are ever swung. They also make use of light calvary forces that can move quickly through the woods as well as acrobatic warriors known as wardancers. The armies of Lorelei will also always have wizards and druids along for magical support.

Kingdom of Avalon
The Kingdom of Avalon is the home of the Sky Elves. There are rumors that it is filled with cities that sit atop majestic mountain tops with towers that rise up and glitter in the sun. But only the Sky Elves know for sure, for there is no known occurance of any other race ever visiting their city. Their lands are cut off from the rest of Aldorn by steep mountain ranges that only the best of Dwarves could hope to climb. There have been those that have tried and none have ever returned.

Sky Elves are well known throughout Aldorn, however. They travel extensively to other kingdoms and places seeking to learn as much as they can about the world without offering any knowledge about themselves.

The true capabilities of Avalon are unknown. The Sky Knights of Avalon cause concern for the other races. These Elven warriors ride giant warhawks and are capable of swooping down on a battlefield at great speed. The Sky Elven Dragon Knights cause great alarm. These Sky Elves ride dragons. The shadow casts by one of these beasts has been known to darken a city's streets at mid-day. It is unclear if it is the Elven Dragon Knight that is in control or if it is the dragon that is in command. There are many rumors surronding exactly who or what commands the Kingdom of Avalon.

Etaria
Etaria doesn't exist. At least not any more. It is believed to have once been a kingdom that was spread throughout the globe. Many believe that a civil war consumed this kingdom and now there are no members of this ancient race left. The ruins of Etarian cities have been discovered but the locations of these is always made a closely guarded secret. Such places are said to be dangerous although they can yield artifacts of great power.