CHEVALLE (Kingdom of)
Location: Continent of Brun, forests on the west side of the Endworld Line. WB
Area: 29,300 sq. mi. (75,885 sq. km.).
Population: Approximately 10,000 forest folk (centaurs, pixies, dryads, etc.).
Languages: Fairy, Centaur, others.
Coinage: Barter; money from the Heartlands may be used.
Taxes: No normal taxation per se; druids and forest creatures tend the forest and perform similar tasks in service to nature and the centaur king, who also serves as official protector of the forest.
Government type: Loose clan federation, ruled by a clan council led by the centaur clan king.
Industries: Woodcutting, hunting.
Important Figures: Dessai (Centaur King).
Flora and Fauna: Apart form the intelligent sylvan creatures, wolves, bears, foxes, many species of bird (among which are eagles, hawks and owls), and other forest-dwelling creatures are easily encountered in the forests of Chevalle.
Further Reading: None.
Description by Giulio diSergio-Orsini.
The Land
The centaurs and satyrs of Chevalle live in the forests that grow in the shadow of the massive mountains of the Endworld Line. Their society is rather chaotic, and they have been a problem to the Confederacy of Klagorst, from which they have separated (and subsequently rejoined) several times, the last being last year, subsequently to the war. Many factions exist among the centaurs, although the different groups have never fought a civil war, and many small groups are present at the clan council, thus creating much confusion in the administration of the land.
The centaurs are fierce enemies of Vrancea, as they accused that nation of kidnapping forest creatures for Nhorg's experiments. This may change now that the duke has been exiled.
The People
Apart from the centaurs and satyrs, who live together, the forests of Chevalle are home to a great number of sylvan creatures: chevalls (who often travel to Brasov and Klagorst), werebears, pixies, nixies, human rangers, druids, and similar friendly elves and humans, and nearly all representatives of the fairy folk. A small human community of woodcutters is located towards the south, near the Brasovian border. They have a representative on the clan council.
Recent History
The fairy folk have been living in the area at least for a millennium. The exact date of their arrival here is uncertain, because the history of the centaurs and the other sylvan creatures is an oral one, and reports were not written before rangers and druids came from Brasov and Klagorst. The history of the centaurs has always been troublesome. They warred for a long time among themselves before the Visneskayans arrived, after which conflicts soon emerged, especially along the northern borders with Klagorst, but there were also several territorial disputes with Brasov concerning woodcutting. In the following centuries, Chevalle's relationships with the surrounding nations were fluid, and several bloody wars took place between it and Klagorst and Brasov, until in AC 902 they joined the Confederation of Klagorst. After this, Chevalle fought at the side of Stygia and Valeryistadt against the other Klagorst nations. In the 10th century, Chevalle left the confederation twice, and then rejoined it, on the basis of conflicts with the human nations. Then they left a third time in AC 1005, in the last war fought in Klagorst, which they won with the help of Brasov and Stygia.
After a disastrous start of the war against Vrancea last year, Chevalle voted against remaining in the confederation and left, refusing to have anything to do with the war, and accusing the other members of the confederation to having left them without support in the conflict. Most humans and elves are however tired by the sylvan creatures' attitude of leaving the confederacy every time a problems shows up, and this may cause problems in the immediate future.
Don't Miss
The Stone of Years is a sacred place within
the Chevalle Forest. It is an area of
barren land, roughly 100 square meters, totally devoid of vegetation, like a
dot of rocky desert in the middle of the forest. A Chevallian legend says that the day a lost clan of elves comes
from the south, the Stone of Years will sprout life once again, and from there,
forests will grow all over the west and overrun all the surrounding lands, and
the forest folk will rule all they survey.
I have wondered whether the Belfadil elves could be this lost clan, but
I must confess they don't seem aware of this, or they pretend so, if they are.