Kramm

Capital: Rodemich
Population: Humans
Government: Militarism
Trade: Coal, livestock, grains

Life and Society

Kramm is a land of law and order ruled by its military. Life here isn’t much different than in other nations. Farmers grow crops, blacksmiths pound steel, and everyone pays taxes. However, unlike other nations, the taxes paid are used to benefit the people. Individual panels within the military’s structure are responsible for managing different aspects of the nation. There are panels for shipping and trade, diplomacy, defense, justice, and many others. Each panel is made up of four officers who serve ten-year terms. Positions on the panels hold a certain level of prestige, and while panel members are well compensated for their service, serving in Kramm’s military is not the path to wealth or riches. The men and women that serve their nation do so out of love of their land and its people.

Some complain that the militaristic structure is too rigid and inflexible, but since its founding in 147 FC, Kramm has flourished. Others enjoy the order, protection, and safety provided by the military, and while the laws may be strictly enforced, Kramm is considered one of the safest nations in Haldane.

Major Geographical Features

The western border of Kramm makes its way from the southeastern tip of the Mastwood to the head of the east fork of the Arsin River and finally down the river down to North Bay. The exact location of Kramm’s eastern border is, to this day, still disputed with the nation of Voorheis. The lands that lie between are rich and fertile, dotted with forests, small streams, and rolling grasslands.

Important Sites

A nation rich in resources and opportunity, Kramm has seen substantial growth in the last three centuries. Towns and villages are common in the region, and while orcs and other savage humanoids still threaten the wilder areas, the people are content.

Dahlgren (Large City, 12936): The city of Dahlgren lies along the Tepid Straits in northern Kramm. It is the primary port for ships carrying goods to the northwestern nations of Haldane. In addition, it is the largest fishing port in Kramm, with the warm waters of the nearby straits attracting fish year-round.

Gerlaw (Small City, 6104): This small city is built atop a large hill that overlooks miles of ponds and small lakes. The view from Gerlaw was once quite different, with prairie and scattered copses of ash trees dotting the landscape. That all changed when, in 845 FC, deposits of coal were discovered a short distance below the region’s topsoil. In a mere twenty years, Gerlaw grew from a strip-mining village into a small city.

The land around Gerlaw is still producing coal, but the older, abandoned mines have filled with water. Water willows now surround the small lakes, creating a habitable setting and drawing back the previously displaced wildlife.

Rodemich (Large City, 22529): Kramm’s capital city lacks the extravagance common in the capitals of most other nations. Instead of marbled statues and columns, all of the structures constructed and used by the military are made of simple stone. In addition, no ornamental gardens or towering spires are present. The squat gray buildings are utilitarian and simplistic in design.

Along with being the nation’s capital, Rodemich is also a port city, handling shipping to and from other nations that touch Druce Lake.

Witt (Small City, 4178): Located on the Drake River, the city of Witt provides a gateway to the nation of Pleak. Here a massive stone bridge, erected by the nation of Kramm, spans nearly one-quarter of a mile across the Drake, providing Pleak and Kramm with an overland trade route.

Regional History

Kramm was founded in 147 FC by settlers from the Sovereignty of Epworth. Three decades earlier, the settlers, unhappy with the taxes being charged by the king, departed Epworth. Near the mouth of North Bay, they crossed the Arsin River into unclaimed lands. Here they built the small town of Rodemich on the shores of Druce Lake. Like other idealistic settlers, the founders of Rodemich soon discovered that to maintain a safe and lawful town, they needed money. The settlers vowed to only tax for what was needed and to use the taxes to better their town and its residents. The Rodemich military was born, and nearly a decade later, Kramm became a nation.

Over the following centuries, Kramm grew. However, unlike many nations, its ruling philosophy did not change. In 258 FC, the eastward expansion of Kramm’s lands ended when the newly born nation of Voorheis laid claim to several villages claimed by Kramm. Attempts to resolve the dispute degraded into a small war. The fighting lasted only three months, ending with the abandonment of the claimed villages by their residents, who had fled the disputed region and crossed the Tepid Straits.

With the villages empty, Voorheis, outmatched by Kramm’s military might, relinquished their claim on the contested lands. To this day, the borderlands between Kramm and Voorheis remain ill-defined, but both nations have learned to live together in relative peace.