Ruler: His Glorious Majesty, King Philbert the Fair (N male human [Aldari], Ftr 11)
Government: Independent feudal monarchy with hereditary rulership; in truth, king only has true control over the Royal Demesne of Chevreuil with the various nobles controlling their own territories; kingdom divided into thirteen semi-autonomous duchies.
Notable Figures: Basile, duc du Montaigné (NE male human, Ftr 10), Gerbert, duc du Lyonnaise (LN male human, Wiz 12), Laurant the Wise (LN male human, Wiz 15), Madeleine, La Reine de Pelinore (NG female human, Ftr 4/Ari 4), Morgwen, la Fée Châtelaine (LN female human, Clr 9/Wiz 11), Roland, duc d'Auvergne (LE male human, Rog 13)
Rule of Law: Lawful Neutral. Regimented society but with neutral tendencies. Country tends to operate in the international theater on a covert basis. Most of the population is neither good nor evil but also not terribly reliable.
Capital: Chevreuil (pop. 51,400)
Major Towns: Aliene (pop. 16,900), Chateaunoire (pop. 24,100), Les Herons (pop. 18,500), Lisonie (pop. 29,700)
Population: 300,000- Human 79% (AFjz), halfling 10% (fleetfoot 60%, greenthumb 40%), elf 5% (coast 50%, wood 50%), dwarf 3% (brown 80%, barter 20%), half-elf 1%, half-orc 1%, other 1%
Major Religions:Seralise, Halfling pantheon, Elf pantheon, Dwarf pantheon
Major Resources: Gold, silver, textiles, foodstuffs, timber, gems
Military: 11,000 (includes primarily heavy cavalry augmented with a token force of peasant conscripts and a navy of 9 warships)
Allies: Dunland
Enemies: Galorand, Eileania, Bediwyr, Keralia (sometimes)
Coinage: Platinum tower, gold crown, silver banner, copper common
Pelinore is a kingdom with a weak monarchy and a powerful, yet corrupt, nobility. The king controls only the small portion of land around the capital city known as the Royal Demesne, or the 'Ile de Pelinore.' Most of the fiefs are semi-autonomous at the least and are controlled by the various dukes of the realm. With a weak central authority, crime is sometimes a problem, particularly as one moves farther from the capital city.
The country itself enjoys fair weather almost year round with fertile soil conducive to agriculture. The land itself is dominated by two major forests, the Malinbois in the northwest and the Sylvaire in the southeast. The central region of Pelinore is more rocky than the coast and includes the mountain range known as the Massif.
The Pelinorese are a very suspicious and superstitious folk and distrustful as a rule of strangers to their land. The majority of the citizenry make up the peasant-serf population. The remainder of the folk form what is known as the Three Estates- the Nobility, the Clergy and the Gentry. All are technically under the authority of the king but in truth laws vary widely from duchy to duchy.
The Official Religion of Pelinore is Seralian, dedicated to Seralise, the Lady of Light and goddess of victory and strategy. The Seralian church is quite powerful within the kingdom and the faith is sanctioned by the government. Other faiths are mildly tolerated but outright persecution is certainly not unheard of. Much of their legends center around a mystical relic known as 'la Calice d'Argent' ("the Silver Chalice") said to be a sacred drinking vessel passed on to the founder of the Kingdom from the goddess Seralise herself. According to these same myths, the Silver Chalice resides in 'La Saint-Chapelle' ("the Holy Chapel") which appears and disappears at irregular intervals and never appears in the same place twice.
The nobility of Pelinore have had a history of corruption and mismanagement. High taxes, religious conflicts and a recent plague have taken their toll on the populace at large. The king is truly worried that his country is ripe for invasion and wishes to use political deception to keep his enemies from uncovering his weaknesses. The island Kingdom of Galorand has long been a rival to the Pelinore crown.
The Eastern territories along the coastline have historically been more civilized than the Western provinces. Government influence in the west is low and sometimes non-existant.
Rumors: The Dreadwood (Malinbois) has always been a problem to the folk living along its edge and it seems that goblins have become increasing bold in their raids on small rural communities in the west. The wealthy and politically ambitious Duke of Auvergne has been trying to arrange a political marriage between his daughter and the heir to the Pelinorese throne. This would certainly increase his family's influence on the country as a whole.