Kingdom of Brance

The Holy Kingdom of Brance is a protected by a large standing army comprised of Knights, Wizards, and Priests. After the invention of the airship Mallaston began dropping large amounts of salt on Brance farmlands causing a widespread famine. While the noble families of Brance remain wealthy and live extravagantly the majority of its subjects are uneducated peasants forced to live in the slums. Unlike Mallaston there is no middle class and the only hope for moving up in station is to possess the skills to join the army. A large coliseum was built to entertain the masses and they often display public executions of deserters and heretics.

The story of Brance begins with the father of the first monarch of Brance, Reginald Bran. He was a tough old warrior who had counseled the lords of Espladar for many years. He was recently widowed when he volunteered to lead an expedition to form a new colony. When asked who he would take with him he did not hesitate to ask that his most trusted friend Fredrick Mallast be permitted to join them. They set out together with their many children and a few other clans on a journey that would take them several years. As they left Espladar they encountered a beautiful wood elf and Reginald was quick to make her his second wife. Mallast thought perhaps Reginald had been too quick to profess his love. He accused the new Bran matriarch of casting a love spell on Reginald. From that point on the tension between the clans only built. When some of Fredrick’s people proved too weak for the journey Bran left them behind. They continued on until they reached a large hill overlooking a great expanse of untouched farmland.

They built a small fortress there at Parfalls and Reginald had several more children with his new wife. These were not as hearty as his older children but like their mother they would grow to be highly skilled in magic. They began to farm the land and after a few years they were able to start sending goods back to their homeland in Espladar. The colony expanded as their population grew and they moved north to begin constructing a large castle city which would become a more permanent home. When Mallast declared his colony independent of Espladar and therefore not responsible for paying the heavy taxes the people of Brance were outraged. Parfalls became a strategic military outpost and two additions were made to the city. Plaedarth Academy where knights and military leaders would be trained in combat and strategy and Gilrose Library of the Arcane which would later become a school for the magically gifted. When word came of the fall of Espladar Reginald Bran II was quickly named the King of Brance.

Over the years Brance grew exponentially but they continued to have minor skirmishes with their southern neighbor who now referred to themselves as the Dominion of Mallaston. The people feared their war machines above all else and were convinced they must have consorted with demons to gain such power. Tensions continued to build until one day the city of Brance was attacked by two metal giants. The prototype automatons were taller than houses and easily broke through the main gate and the inner wall. It seemed nothing would be able to stop their wild rampaging until a single priest appeared. Blessed with holy power from the divine realms he halted the automatons in their tracks. The priest was made an advisor to the King and insisted that if the people of Brance did not believe they would not be granted the power to defeat Mallaston. The King remains the ruler of the Kingdom but he is held accountable by the High Priest who now wields the true power. While the Kingdom of Brance is still considered a monarchy it has essentially become a theocracy.

The Holy Kingdom of Brance is ruled by its King or Queen. The Monarchy traditionally has three advisers; High Priest, Grand Magister, and General. However, in recent history the High Priest has ascended in importance.

Knights of Brance often wear heavy steel armor and carry traditional swords and shields while other soldiers prefer archery. The mages of Brance are skilled in many types of magic and will sometimes enchant weapons and armor for the Knights.