Valdemar (nation)

This article is for the nation. For other uses, see Valdemar (disambiguation).

Valdemar is a kingdom in the world of Velgarth, and the central nation in most of the written works. In area it is "roughly the size of one of the bigger Canadian provinces." Its current monarch is Queen Selenay.

Founding

Valdemar began centuries ago when a minor Baron named Valdemar fled his native land in the East to escape the tyranny of the Emperor. He packed up all his family and servants and peoples in the dead of winter and traveled west for many months, until they could not travel any further. When they reached the spot that is now Haven, they built a castle and settled down.

Before long, surrounding peoples began to see how good Valdemar was and would come to him for protection. In this way, his territory expanded until his people decided he should no longer be a baron, but a king. Thus they crowned King Valdemar and named his kingdom after him. When King Valdemar began to get old, he started worrying about his kingdom's future. He knew that he was a good king, and he was pretty sure his son and grandson would be good kings too. But he wanted to ensure that all of Valdemar's kings would be good rulers. So he went into the Sacred Grove in what is now Companion's Field, and prayed to all the gods he could think of for a way to ensure this. (Being an accomplished mage, there may have been spellcasting involved as well.) Out of nowhere, the first Companions appeared. Ardatha Chose King Valdemar, Steladar Chose Prince Restil, and Kyrith Chose King Valdemar's Herald, Beltran, who became the first King's Own. By the time King Valdemar died, more than twenty people had been Chosen.

Laws of Valdemar

All the laws of Valdemar are based on one principle: There is no one true way. As such, Valdemar has become a safe haven for anyone who is persecuted for his beliefs or actions. The Monarch works in tandem with the Council to establish national policy. The laws of Valdemar are announced, dispensed, and upheld by the Heralds.

Rulers of Valdemar

The Monarch and the Heir must be Chosen by Companions. This insures that the Monarch is always someone who will put the interests of Valdemar first. When no one in the direct line of succession has been Chosen, a Herald from one of the cadet branches of the royal family is selected to take the throne.

A list of Valdemar's monarchs is available.

History of Valdemar

Most of Valdemar's history is written in three fields, Annexations, Wars, and the succession of Kings and Queens. Kings and Queens having been covered under Rulers of Valdemar above.

This section will by necessity be incomplete, but should give a rough overview of the expansion of Valdemar.

Annexations

Valdemar is bordered by wilderness on the north and west. While the Northern tribes occupy regions farther north and the Tayledras Vales are scattered throughout the Pelagirs to the west, there has always been room for Valdemar to expand in these directions. The Tayledras, in particular, purposely move farther west periodically, leaving the land for others to settle. Evidence of their prior residence still exist in some parts of Valdemar, e.g. the Linnean Heartstone and the Bastion.

• Arvale Annexation
• Lineas-Baires Annexation
• Lake District Annexation

Wars

While Valdemar is generally at peace with the majority of its neighbors, there are some longstanding problem areas. The biggest of these is Karse. The two nations were at war off and on for centuries. Only the founding of the Alliance by Valdemar's Queen Selenay and Karse's Son of the Sun Solaris ended the conflicts for good. Another continual problem area is the raids by the Northern tribes.

• Randale's Karse Border War
• Theran & Fyllis' Karse Border War
• Tedrel Wars
• Selenay's Hardorn Border War

Music

• I Found a Land
• Valdemar (song)