Kingship of Grimmwater

==="Keep yer' head down and till the Mistress' damned fields. That was your grandpap's way, and his grandpap's before his, and his grandpap's before his. And don't you mind that they all had the same Mistress."=== The Kingship of Grimmwater is a diminutive nation of humans scattered across the Seckendorff Marsh. Living under a basic feudal system, each settlement is comprised of indentured villagers paying tribute to the local Lady Witch.

Geography
Existing within the inhospitable expanse of the marshes, the people of Grimmwater have done what they can to grow hardy crops amongst the pools.

Mining communities cling to the foothills of the shuddering evil peaks of the far north, and a few groups hunt the indigineous creatures for meat and hides.

Only a few large towns inhabit the Kingship, including the capitol, Drakfond.

History
In order to have some protection from the vicious Sullen, who lurk the dark places of the world, humans of the region banded together for protection and shelter. Nearly all settlements larger than a hamlet include a wooden or stone keep, well lit to prevent any spawning.

The short life expectancy of humans in Grimmwater has resulted in a technological standstill, with villages never really advancing beyond a basic smithy and crop rotational methods. For this reason, most of the nations history is variations on tales of heroic knights defeating gruesome monsters, or peasants revolting against their dark overlords. As one one expect in the realm of the Bitter Bitch (Grimmwater slur for Octavia), these individuals invariably come to a sudden end, due to the sadistic powers of the Witches.

Government
Grimmwater is ruled by an ancient line of the Ferghast family, with their court seated in Drakfond. Their dominion is made difficult by one of the most poorly maintained road systems on Lume, and as such, rulership is more of a formality than anything else. It is legend that an ancient Ferghast managed to actually defeat a Witch in combat, and Drakfond was built on the site, as a haven for humans. Their bloodline are famously rugged, more bear than man, certainly giving credence to the old tale.

Out in the countryside, villages give tribute to a local Witch, anywhere from 10-40% of their yearly crop. She may use this for her own purposes, or occaisonaly it is simply burned as a display of dominance. In return for this tithe, the Witch allows the peasants to live in the lands surrounding her tower, and the populace are protected from dollmaking or other acts of cruelty. In addition, many varieties of swamp creature and monster will avoid land claimed by a Witch, allowing farmers some safety for livestock and more widespread fields. On the rare cases a particularly bold denizen enters a Witch's domain, she will usually defend her territory, aiming to create another interesting doll in the process.

Knights of Grimmwater
A dedicated cadre of armoured warriors, the Knights of Grimmwater, also known as the Lantern Knights, are sworn protectors of the innocent and travellers of the Seckendorff region.

Grim individuals, most were once knights of the Kingship, but for whatever reason, they have turned their back on traditional life, and now turn to Octavia for a new purpose. With their own lives now considered forfeit, they choose to stand for the meek who still have something to hold onto.

With the blessing of Octavia, the Knights fight against Sullen, bandits, swamp denizens, youkai and on more than one occasion, have died attempting to bring justice to a more vicious Lady Witch.