Kingdom of Eldor
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WELCOME to the Kingdom of Eldor! Our storied realm has something for everyone: crystal clear lakes, snow-capped mountains, fertile cropland, world renowned saddle horses, expert craftsmen, and talented Magicians.
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GOVERNMENT: The Kingdom of Eldor is a Constitutional Monarchy. Important government officials include:
KING: His Royal Majesty, Orban the Second. Long live the King! HRM Orban II is one of the most enlightened monarchs in Rados, having reduced the number of public hangings by 75% compared to his predecessor!
ROYAL MAGICIAN: Lord Kasalar is the King’s personal magician.
ROYAL SCRIBE: David L. Harten (that's me).
CAPITAL CITY: Eldorado
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Eldorean.
OTHER MAJOR LANGUAGES: Elvish and Dwarvish.
RACIAL COMPOSITION: Men (85%), Elves (10%), Dwarves (5%).
FLAG: Pictured at top of this home page.
Three vertical tricolors going from left to right:
Blue (azure), gold, and red.
In the center, inside the gold stripe, is a green cedar tree. Inside each of the outer two stripes is a gold, hexagram (six-pointed star), the symbol of Eldor's Magicians.
NATIONAL MOTTO: “In Gold We Trust.”
NATIONAL MASCOT: Blue dragon.
PRINCIPAL EXPORTS: Wool, wheat, diamonds, leather goods, horses, carriages, swords, etc.
PRINCIPAL IMPORTS: Oranges, bananas, rice, silk, etc.
LAW ENFORCEMENT: The Royal Bureau of Investigation (RBI), with its renowned Magician Detectives, keeps organized crime to a minimum throughout the Kingdom.
Local law enforcement is the responsiblity of sheriffs and their deputies.
SPY AGENCY: The Eldorean Intelligence Agency (EIA). Skilled EIA spies are helping Eldor defeat the Maraknese invaders! Current clandestine operations you can read about in Magic Teacher's Son include Operation Bird Dog and Operation Groundhog.
EIA Director of Magical Operations: codename "Dragon"
Youngest spy: codename "Mouse"
Oldest spy: also codename "Mouse" (you'll have to read the novel Magic Teacher's Son to understand why!)
MILITARY: The five main branches of the Eldorean Army are Infantry, Archery, Cavalry, Engineers, and the Magic Corps.
The Magic Corps is made up of Army Magicians, who are all commissioned officers, although they are almost never given command responsibilities. Army Magicians can be Magic Officers (at the platoon, company, battalion, or brigade level), Executive Officers, or staff officers, but do not command a unit unless the commanding officer dies leaving them the senior ranking officer.
Cavalry branch is the most elite unit of the Eldorean Army, where the bravest, boldest, fiercest, and most highly trained warriors make up the fastest and most effective fighting force known on the world of Rados. Cavalry troopers ride hard, fight hard, and play hard. Their dashing exploits make them a favorite with the ladies. Cavalry troopers and their horses rarely wear armor, as it hurts their mobility, slowing them down. Instead, the Magic Corps provides these elite warriors and their valiant steeds with shield spells as needed.
Infantry is the largest branch of the Eldorean Army, highly trained in the use of swords, halberds, maces, axes, pikes, spears, morning stars, and other implements of destruction. They even have some training in bowcraft, so they don't always need Archery support, although the accuracy of Infantry bowmen is nowhere near as good as Archery Branch. Infantry soldiers may not be the brightest men in the battle, but they're the second bravest (after the Cavalry), and you sure don't want to come up against them in a fight!
The Archery Corps is made up of highly skilled bowmen, trained in longbows, crossbows, ballistae, trebuchets, and catapults. Men who enlist (or are commissioned) in the Archery Corps are generally considered the most intelligent soldiers, although certainly not the bravest. Archery units usually stay above or behind the Infantry and shoot arrows or bolts from a distance, leaving the Infantry to do all the close in, dirty, and dangerous hand-to-hand combat, and that's the way the Archery Corps likes it. They "stand behind the Infantry 100%," but they never stand in front of the Infantry!
The Corps of Engineers builds and maintains the bulwarks, ramparts, city walls, moats, and other defensive works. They also build and repair siege engines, battering rams, catapults, trebuchets, and other heavy weapons. Engineers are talented and smart, but most of them prefer to stay "in the rear, with the gear." In a pinch, or during a siege, Engineers can defend themselves competently with a short sword or bow.
HIGHER EDUCATION: The Royal Academy of Magic in Eldorado is famous not only in Eldor, but throughout Rados, for turning out some of the finest Enchanters and Magicians in the land. Most Magicians, however, do not go to the Royal Academy of Magic, but rather study magic for four years as a child (ages 11 to 14), then spend three years as an apprentice.
The Eldorean Military Academy and Eldorean Naval Academy train commissioned officers for the Eldorean Army and Eldorean Navy, respectively.
RANKS OF MAGIC STUDENTS:
Year 1: Novice
Year 2: Initiate
Year 3: Charmer
Year 4: Conjurer
After graduation: Enchanter, which is the rank they hold during their apprenticeship.
After successful apprenticeship: Magician
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TRAVEL WARNING: Yes, it's true that we're under invasion from Marakna right now, but don't worry, our brave soldiers and Magicians will soon repel the savage invaders and their evil Sorcerers. We will prevail! In the meantime, tourists are advised to keep a sword or a bow handy, and don't bring along any children too young to wield their own sword.
GETTING AROUND IN ELDOR: When speed is of the essence, purchase a teleport spell from any of Eldor’s fine Magicians! For those on a budget, the most popular carriages for rental are the surrey (the favorite in towns and cities), rockaway (favored for country use), and clarence (also widely used for hackney carriages, or cabs).
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IMMIGRATION: Anyone interested in becoming a citizen of Rados should contact the Royal Scribe at the email below. For a small bribe, he will ensure your citizenship request is processed and approved (he has connections in the Bureau of Immigration).
CURRENT NEEDS: Because Eldor is currently under invasion by Marakna, anyone with skills in swordsmanship, archery, healing, or the magical arts is encouraged to immigrate to Eldor, to help us repel the invading Maraknese hordes. Magicians are always welcome, and during the current crisis, HRM King Orban will even grant amnesty to Sorcerers (practitioners of black magic), provided they swear an oath of loyalty to the Crown.
MORE INFORMATION: Further details about Eldor will be added as the Royal Scribe has time. The Royal Scribe is currently writing a young adult epic fantasy trilogy about the Kingdom of Eldor and its struggle against the Maraknese invaders. Magic Teacher's Son, the first novel in the Magicians' Gold Trilogy, is finished, but not yet published, so you'll just have to be patient and wait.
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