BETTELLYN (Kingdom of)
Location: Southeastern rim of the floating continent of Alphatia, south of Foresthome, east of Vertiloch and Alphas'ar and north of Randel and Theranderol. HW
Area: 172,595 sq. mi. (447,020 sq. km.).
Population: 330,000, including Citadel (pop. 30,000). [Population figures are tentative, pending census. Ed.]
Languages: Alphatian (Randellyn dialect).
Coinage: Alphatian Standard: crown (gp), mirror (sp), judge (cp). Bettellyn also mints gold citadels worth 10 gp each.
Taxes: 15% income tax on all those of favoured supplicant status or higher. Labour performed by supplicants is considered taxable income for whomever that labour is provided.
Government Type: Monarchy, member of the Alphatian Empire.
Industries: Agriculture (especially grain), cattle, sheep.
Important Figures: Llynara (Queen).
Flora and Fauna: Herd animals of all types abound here, from the common cow, to catoblepas, rhinoceros, and llamas. Earth elementals, gargoyles, and various living statues are not uncommon throughout the countryside. Lately stranger creatures have been entering the land from the ruins of Sundsvall.
Further Reading: Dawn of the Emperor boxed set, previous almanacs.
Description by Xanshahu of Rimpos.
The Land
Bettellyn is a fertile land of gently rolling hills and lush plains. It is bordered on the south by the Grey Mountains, and to the east [the Hollow World's east corresponds to the outer world's west. Ed.] by the Vertiloch Stretch. The western towns, from Uffacos to Leweo, all sit atop the great cliff, while the capital of Citadel straddles the Llyn River. Uffacos is the most northern city of Bettellyn, and rests along the border of Foresthome. It is constantly bathed in mists coming from the Llyn River as it crashes over the edge of the continent.
Citadel is the heart and soul of our kingdom. It is the greatest testament of the devotion of the Bettellyn, or of any people anywhere, that can be seen in this world. A towering fortress the size of a mountain, Citadel is both practical and fantastic. The lower levels are a fortress, the likes of which could never be reproduced on this world. The outer heights are decorated by coloured glass and lush gardens, and gigantic vases which collect water from rainfall and send vast cascades crashing through the inner levels.
The People
Bettellyn is of course one of the most illustrious kingdoms in the empire. Many foreign mages find our manner of rule to be strange, and I have even heard some say that it is distasteful, but those not of Bettellyn know not the true will of the Immortals. In Bettellyn, things are as they should be. The aristocrats spend their time in the most admirable and righteous of pursuits; shouldering the responsibilities of rulership, magical studies, and most importantly, deciding the will of the Immortals themselves.
In this fair land there is no need for one man to shackle another with chains. All of the Bettellyn, from the lowliest supplicant [supplicant is the term used in Bettellyn to denote anyone who is not an aristocrat. Some Bettellyn also use the term favoured supplicant to distinguish commoners from slaves, and most favoured supplicant to denote those that would be considered gentry elsewhere in the empire. Ed.] to the queen herself strive to improve their nation, their lot in life, and their own minds. In doing so they bring greater glory to themselves, as well as those that they serve. Such as it is, supplicants are given great latitude in managing their daily lives. They may choose where to live, whom to love, and whom to serve. Those who make wise choices may prosper, but woe to those who chose not to serve the viprics, for that path especially, leads to ruinous destruction.
Like any of the kingdoms in Alphatia, Bettellyn is a nation of magic. Many wizards, most of them members of one of the factions of the Followers of Earth, tend to gather together in the major cities. Bettellyn, such as myself, who have received clerical training tend to our flocks across the countryside. The more powerful viprics build great cathedrals and monuments to which supplicants flock by the hundreds and thousands. Supplicants praise and worship these clerics, and in return their benefactors provide them safety.
Viprics spend most of their time wresting the secrets of the Immortals from this land. To be worshipped is to be powerful. We understand this, just as the Immortals do. Most clerics serve their patron Immortals, but we of Bettellyn have a deeper understanding of these beings. We understand that those who wield power in this world may come to wield power in the next, and so we act in concert with these exalted beings. We are Their partners... Their equals.
Competition for supplicants is fierce among the upper class, and those who cannot command the power of the Immortals on this plane are sent to search for it on the next. Because of this competition, the face of Bettellyn is constantly undergoing change. Many cathedrals fall into disrepair once their masters have lost their flocks, and these husks can be seen across the kingdom.
Recent History
Don't Miss
Citadel is of course the most renowned monument of Bettellyn, but there are many others. Megtheria Dom, just south and west of Isoin, rivals all other cathedrals in sheer magnitude and beauty. The patroness there, though demanding much of her supplicants, is also generous to reward her loyal worshippers. The vast grounds of the College of Rock in Sabetta seem to stretch as far as the eye can see, and some rumour that the courtyard there is connected to the Plane of Earth.
Do Miss
The Kingdom of Bettellyn is not without its hazards. Many great cathedrals have been abandoned
and allowed to deteriorate over time.
Some are now home to various monsters, such as gargoyles. I would strongly suggest avoiding such
places. It also might be a good idea to
steer clear of northwestern Bettellyn near Lonval and Weitara where viprics
Cerdanyl and Injarryn are currently having a dispute. The battle to claim supplicants in the area is very intense at
the moment and unwary travellers could very well be caught up in a messy
situation.