Keoland
The Great Kingdom
Borrowing names again, this time from Greyhawk, today's post looks back into the history of my northern kingdoms known as The Shield Lands: Furyondy, Jemmerdy, Valon, Olokand, Ulek, and Vanch. Over 500 years ago these were part of Keoland, a mighty kingdom with a history going back another 300 years or more.
Keoland is sometimes called The Great Kingdom, but this only during the reign of the Hestolian Dynasty, the last great family to rule the united Kingdom. King Hestol I expanded the kingdom south into Toonol and Wenelia. Hestol II pushed into Vanch, and south through the Forest of Rist, starting construction of the Great South Road. That work was completed by Hestol III who expanded further south and established Imther and the Great East Road to Torrel. Hestol IV consolidated the southern domains. In his long reign Castle Blue and Lossang were established as colonies on the north shore of Lake Van. He expanded eastwards, extending the Great East Road to the Pavis oasis, turning a squalid village into a thriving city controlling the caravan route to Turan.
The greatest extent of the Keoish kingdom was not reached until the reign of Hestol V. Ascending the throne at a young age, he expanded Keoland southwards, not stopping until Keoish armies had reached the southern seas. He expanded the Great South Road and established the stronghold of Dol Amroth at the edge of the Evervast Sea. He ruled long and the kingdom prospered, and it was under his rule that Keoland was first styled "The Great Kingdom". There were further wars, of course, against Dara Happa and Turan, and the Tharkian tribes to the west, but the borders were not expanded any further.
The end of the kingdom came after Hestol V had been on the throne for over forty years. According to the legends he came under the spell of a witch who ensorcelled the king and caused him to embark on a mad crusade against the sorcerous realm of Pan Tang. Taking ship with a large fleet the King sailed into the Unknown East and neither he nor any of his army were ever seen or heard from again.
After a period of years, and several expeditions had been sent, and failed to return, the High Steward whom the king had left in his place declared that he would continue to rule "as the king had wished, in His name". The High Steward passed on his duties to his son, and so the tradition continued for three generations which each subsequent steward taking more powers and behaving more and more like a king himself.
At this point factions began to develop. Nobles and subject tribes rebelled, and within ten short years the entire southern part of the kingdom was lost. The Stewards were disposed and the Keoish kingdom ceased to exist. The southern cities lingered for a time but were all eventually sacked. Pavis survives, in a much lessened form. The Great Forest of Rist reclaimed what was rightfully its own, and the Great South Road became little more than a track known as the Old South Road. Imther carried on as an independent kingdom and the two enclaves of Khauran and Khoraja still survive, but have no contact with the Shield Lands. The colonies on the shore of Lake Van fell into disrepair and were overrun by the forest tribes.
After generations of conflict the borders of the present day Shield Lands were more-or-less established as shown on the Lohwand campaign map. Dol Amroth has grown into a independent fortress island, the domain of the Order of the Swan. The Margravate of Jemmerdy was established to protect the southern border of Furyondy and is now a semi-independent entity.
