KANTRIUM (Duchy of)
Location: Southeastern corner of the continent of Brun, east of Retebius, west of Tel Akbir, south of Halathius. OW
Area: 1,680 sq. mi. (4,350 sq. km.).
Population: 100,000 including the city of Kantridae (pop. 15,000).
Languages: Thyatian (Thyatian dialect), Elvish (Vyalia dialect).
Coinage: Thyatian Standard: emperor (pp), lucin (gp), asterius (sp), denarius (cp).
Taxes: 25% income tax collected quarterly on the aristocracy, nobility, and wealthy; 20% income tax collected quarterly on everyone else (Va. 1, Ya. 1, Fy. 3, and Ei. 1). Thyatians abroad must still pay their taxes. Expensive and magical items are also taxed 25% of their worth. 10% imperial commercia sales tax on all goods except food, clothing, and fixed assets; levied on imports, rebated on exports. Tax on slave owning equal to 50% of the slave's value annually. Property tax levied based on quality of land, roughly 6% of its value annually.
Government Type: Dominion, member of the Thyatian Empire.
Industries: Agriculture, animals (especially goats, sheep), crafts, fishing, trade, wool.
Important Figures: Leonidas Ruggiero (Duke, human, male, F15).
Flora and Fauna: Mulberry trees (for sericulture), grape vines, olive trees, peach, pear, orange, and cherry fruit trees in cultivated orchards. Herds of cattle, sheep, horses, goats, swine, and mules. Bees kept for honey. Bears, boars, centaurs, lycanthropes, mountain lions, foxes, dryads, wolves, unicorns and goblinoids can be found in the wilds of the empire.
Further Reading: Dawn of the Emperors boxed set, DDA1 Arena of Thyatis, DDA2 Legions of Thyatis, previous almanacs.
Description by Vivianna Romanones.
This fertile duchy is the home to farmers and fishermen living along the shores of the Gulf of Kantrium.
The Land
This is a small duchy at the northern end of the gulf of the same name. It is very hilly in the north and west, with a fertile fringe of agricultural land around the shores of the gulf. Kantrium used to be a frontier duchy long ago, before Tel Akbir was absorbed into Thyatis. At that time the town of Kantrium, located in the centre of the duchy, was an important city and crossroads: home to a large garrison and frequented by merchants conducting trade across the border. Today Kantrium is a small, sleepy town of fishermen.
Bloody battles took place in Kantrium during the Wrath War. Thyatian forces managed to defeat and throw back the main Alphatian army at the outskirts of the town, but the Alphatians had sent a force through the hills to the north, which threatened to outflank the imperial army as Alphatia brought up fresh troops. The imperial army was thus forced to withdraw across the Kantridae River, where they made another stand.
Once again the Alphatians were beaten on the first day of battle when they tried to force their way across the river. But since they outnumbered the imperial army they were able to send several divisions to cross the Kantridae further upriver the next day, and bring up more troops to their main army. The Alphatian commander then formed his main force into a large square to force their way across, while his northern force, already on the Thyatian-held side of the river, attacked the imperial army's flank. These divisions were cut to pieces, and the Alphatian forces attempting to ford the river took horrible casualties as well, but managed to achieve a foothold on the western bank by the afternoon. The imperial army then withdrew towards Retebius in good order (the Alphatians units were exhausted and too disorganised after the day's battles to pursue at once), where further battles took place.
The People
The folk of Kantrium are of Thyatian stock. The vast majority of them live in the coastal strip of land along the shores of the Gulf of Kantrium, where they are primarily farmers and fishermen. The hill people are largely herdsmen and vine-tenders, raising sheep and growing olives, dates, and grapes.
The
Duke of Kantrium made the mistake of joining the rebel faction. Kantrium, sandwiched between dominions that
remained loyal to Eusebius, was isolated from the other rebel areas. As a result small forces detached to secure
it by the dukes of Tel Akbir and Retebius quickly overwhelmed it. The city of Kantridae has grown some during
the rebuilding, but remains only half the size it was during its heyday.