Stonegate | Tyrrapedia: Encyclopedia of Tyrra

The Kingdom of Stonegate is a kingdom originally founded by settlers into the region of Dylleria in 525ER; it now spans the regions of Dylleria and Emuria.

History

The early settlers encountered a large Dwarven presence, as well as the territory of the Erlunn and Alipostos Elves, and a number of local barbarian tribes and began to build alliances with them all.

Construction of Stonegate Keep, a massive castle and capitol, began in 532 ER lead by Sir Garic Lorne, leader of one of the larger expeditions. Construction would not be complete until 569 ER because of damage to the keep during war with goblins, orcs, ogres ? and minotaurs ? during the Goblin Wars of the 530's and 540's. In 560ER , in the aftermath of the last Goblin War, the relatively new human Kingdom of Stonegate signed a treaty of alliance with the Dwarves.

Throughout the 550's and 560's a number of settlements were founded that were nominally loyal to Stonegate but were practically independent. At the same time, several "free cities" also emerged which were openly independent of any outside control. By the late 500's, Dylleria was a loose confederation of city-states independent of outside control, with the Kingdom of Stonegate exercising loose control of part of the territory. By 594 the union of the Dwarven and Human kingdoms became so close that they agreed to use the same currency, where Stonegate agrees to use the coins minted by the dwarves.

In 598 ER a large mixed army of orcs and other monstrous creatures, known as the Dark Horde, invaded Dylleria from parts unknown. Sacking and raiding much of Dylleria, only Stonegate with it's Dwarven allies has the military might to stand against the Dark Horde. Dylleria rallied behind Stonegate to repel the menace. By 600 ER the Horde has been greatly weakened and reduced to isolated pockets of resistance, while most of the various unaligned and independent cities of Dylleria pledged their loyalty to Stonegate. In 601 the last pockets of Horde resistance were finally crushed.

In 601 ER, after the collapse of the Emurian Empire and the repulsion of the Dark Horde, the Kingdom of Stonegate was expanded greatly and reorganized. The whole of Emuria and Dylleria was claimed as Stonegate territory, with Emuria and Dylleria being "Principalities" within Stonegate.

This reorganization was not without controversy, as the Free Cities of Vargus, Corinth and Ironholm in Emuria (which maintain active neutrality) were claimed as Stonegate territory (although this claim was not actively enforced). Also, the Dragon Isles were claimed as Stonegate territory, to the objection of the rulers of the Dragon Isles. In both the Free Cities and Dragon Isles, no military effort was made to assume control of the territories, but the lands did appear on official maps of Stonegate as Stonegate lands.

Organization

Stonegate is ruled by King Balladan Lorne and his royal family, and aided by his King's House. The King's House are five nobles appointed to administer the diplomatic, military, domestic, foreign and economic affairs of the Kingdom.

Stonegate is divided into two large principalities: Emuria ? and Dylleria ?, the two major territories of the region (each roughly the size of an Evendarrian Duchy). Each Principality is further divided into Counties (roughly the size of an Evendarrian Barony), and within those Counties are some Baronies (local jurisdictions created for ruling major cities).