Erganth
Situated between Thorast and Lyrazante, to the north of Dominus, lies the (predominantly human) kingdom of Erganth.
Geography
Erganth is a 'C'-shaped country consisting of three main islands with a scattering of smaller islands off the northwest coast. The largest of the three main islands is called "Avalon". The other two are Albion and Caladonis.
The predominant climate of the country is wet, however it is not as cold as one would expect of a country so far north. The country is also noted for its lush forests that cover about two-thirds of the island of Albion.
Erganth is a fertile, temperate land in the south but the north is colder and more mountainous. The major feature of Erganth though is the ever changing weather. In fact, most Erganthans (as the people are known) are thought to only have one topic of conversation: the weather.
Demographics
Erranth is primarily a human kingdom, with over 75% of the population being Erganthan humans. Erganthans are the same height and build as Merebians but are of fair skin and commonly have fair or red hair. The next most populace race are Elves who make up about 10% of the population. Next are Dwarves (about 8%) and Gnomes (4%). Tieflings and Ymirkin account for the remaining 3%.
Economy
Erganth’s main exports are timber, nickel and wheat. Its main imports are gold, iron, steel and bronze. Although Erganth has the latter three in abundance it is more difficult to mine without stripping large amounts of land of its primary exports and so it's actually cheaper to import.
Erganth uses the standard Imperial currency the addition of the Erganthan shunt, a nickel based coin that is worth two unari. The shunt is minted in Erganth, just west of Almanae, but no other Imperial coins are otherwise minted in the kingdom.
Notable Places
The main city in Erganth is Almanae and is dominated by the fortifications built there by the late King Tristran. However the royal family reside some 20km to the south in the castle at Caer Callidyth.
Notable People
Other than the previously mentioned King Tristan the main people currently (as of 343 IC) in Erganth are:
Politics
Erganth is a fairly self-governing nation for a member of the Empire. It gains this autonomy in exchange for the warfare skills of its people. Erganth has a good navy, cavalry and the finest archers in the Empire, all of which are freely available to the Imperial Army. The forces of Erganth have, in the past, been decisive in more than one war fought by the Empire although recent rulers (such as King Tristran) have been more reticent to commit significant numbers of men to Imperial battles.
Erganth is home to the 20th, 32nd, 41st, 45th, 55th, 63rd Legions, totalling around 30,000 spread around over a dozen forts.
As the 2nd nation to join the Merebian Empire (after Thorast), Erganth enjoys good relations with other nations within the Empire. Politically seen as mostly quite neutral to most events it has a reputation as a fair arbiter in disputes. Traditionally, its Senators vote to support the Emperor and in the few times that they do not the Emperor is usually well-advised to listen to their concerns.
Flora and Fauna
The nation of Erganth has a range of fairly typical plants and wildlife as befitting a wet, temperate climate. Avalon and Albion share one lifeform not found anywhere else in the Empire – Unicorns. Erganth is sometimes known as the Unicorn Kingdom (or UK for short). So strongly identified with Erganth is this animal that the Erganthan flag depicts the head of a Unicorn (facing to the left) on a field of green.
Erganth is a naturally mystical land where the boundary between Oberon and the Fae-realms (known as "the Green Veil") is the weakest. Many of its people find that they have a natural affinity for arcane magic, probably are an effect of this. Erganth is also the kingdom with the largest number of resident Pixies, which may explain why so many Erganthans are eager to visit other lands.
