Historical Record #
The history of Aldenwych started with a great escape. The first Humans to settle here were a tough, determined people. They were sick of the strict and unfair society they’d left behind. Their leader, a visionary named Gronndal Stonebeard, led his followers out, looking for a place where a person could rise up through nothing but their own sweat and effort. They crossed a whole, dangerous continent before they finally stopped in a country of thick woods and rolling hills.
Those first days were a brutal struggle. But under Stonebeard’s leadership, they managed to set up small, self-sufficient villages and a loose collection of settlements. This was a time of rugged freedom where only the strongest and smartest leaders earned the trust of their communities and rose to power.
As the population grew and those settlements started to sprawl out, that casual way of governing just fell apart. Fights between villages over good land and precious resources became too common. The chieftains, seeing that internal war was about to destroy everything they’d built, decided to unite under one family. The most powerful chieftain, Dalsrik Ironhand, was crowned the first monarch of Dalsrik, a name that meant “Valley Kingdom” in their old tongue.
This monarchy brought a time of real peace and order. They created a single set of laws and put together an organized army. For centuries, the kings of Dalsrik ruled with a firm but fair hand, pushing their borders and building big stone forts and the first real cities.
Over time, the Ironhand bloodline got lazy and comfortable. The monarchy stopped being about serving the people and became a nasty game of internal power. A group of wealthy, influential noble families—the ones who had gotten rich from trade and owning vast lands—grew tired of the king’s poor rule. They pooled their money and their soldiers and overthrew the last Ironhand king in a swift, almost silent takeover known as the Silent Shift.
These families became the first of the great noble houses, and they formed Adelwick, a country ruled by the Council of Nine Spires, a group made up of the elite families. This was an age of dark political games, careful planning, and huge, flashy shows of wealth. The new name, Adelwick, meaning “Noble Village,” spoke to the new power structure. The common folk, though, ended up with less control than ever, their whole lives tied to whatever the powerful houses decided on a given day.
But this time of rule by the rich ended in absolute disaster. A deep economic collapse, caused by several years of terrible harvests, led to a massive famine. The Council of Nine Spires, too busy trying to protect their own money, failed to do anything meaningful. Countless citizens died, and even more fled the country, creating a sudden rush out that left critical jobs empty and the entire infrastructure crumbling. This basically ripped Adelwick’s social order to shreds.
Right in the middle of all that chaos, a new kind of government was born. A mix of military commanders, smart scholars, and a few noble families who still had a conscience banded together and tossed out the corrupt rich people. They founded a new nation called Aldaric, where a single monarch would still reign but alongside a council of people elected by the citizens. The monarch was no longer all-powerful; they were just a figurehead, a symbol of national unity, with the real power resting in the people’s council. The name Aldaric, meaning “Old Kingdom,” was a way to remember their deep past while looking forward to a fresh start.
To handle the immediate crisis, this new government created a special unit called The Auria. Their job was to take quick, strong action to bring back order. They started a program of mandatory assessments for everyone to identify and fill the most vital, famine-related jobs. The program worked, and life slowly, painfully, got back to normal.
Riding high on that success, The Auria began to secretly work on getting more power. They expanded the mandatory assessment system to cover every single job in the country. They argued it was the only way to guarantee the long-term stability of society. This system became a core part of Aldaric culture. Now, every child at the age of thirteen takes these assessments and receives their Decree of Designation, which locks in their entire career path for life. Trying to go against this decree is met with harsh punishment, from being totally cut off from society to being thrown in jail.
The Auria went from being a temporary fix to a permanent, deeply secret ruling body that oversees everything. They quietly replaced the elected council, leaving the monarch as nothing more than a ceremonial showpiece. Their actual power comes from their total control over the workforce and, therefore, the whole population. The Auria keeps this power by using the assessment system to place their own families and favored friends into high positions. They also secretly use a powerful herb called Astramentis. When brewed into a tea, it drastically sharpens a person’s mind. The tea is grown in the hidden Noesis Grove, and access is guarded fiercely by The Auria. This gives their administrators a hidden edge, letting them manipulate the assessment results to ensure they stay on top. The secrecy around these methods is everything, because if the public found out about this corruption, it would surely lead to a huge uprising or a civil war.
The nation’s current name, Aldenwych, is a clue to The Auria’s quiet power grab. As they slowly took authority away from the Aldaric council and the monarch, they started to gently change the nation’s identity. The Auria saw “Aldaric” as being too tied to the will of the people and the idea of a republic. To signal their silent takeover, they pushed for the use of “Aldenwych.” This new name subtly refers back to a dark piece of the past: “Adelwick.” It serves as a quiet reminder of the rich oligarchy’s lasting influence, even after their supposed fall. The Auria maintains a fragile peace, but beneath the surface of their controlled society, whispers of dissent are growing, and the secret of Astramentis hangs like a shadow over Aldenwych’s future.
Present Day Details #
Founded: 3211 AR
Capitol City: Pewenford
Citizen Population:
Government Type: Small Council
Leadership: The Auria which is circumventing the authority of Aldenwych monarch name and Aldenwych elected council name
Language/Name influences: Old English, Germanic, Latin
