Lands of Brandobia

The fractured nations of Brandobia are little more than three would-be empires that share a common history. Well over a millennium ago, the original settlers who formed the kingdom crossed the land bridge from what is now Svimohzia, migrated north through the lands now occupied by Kalamar and crossed westward over the Legasa Peaks. They were a hardy, honorable people who welcomed by and bonded with the elves and halflings who occupied those lands west of the mountains.

Taught magic by the elves and farming by the haflings, the Brandobians flourished into a cohesive and fruitful empire. So powerful did the kingdom become that in 522 Y.K. they stopped the Kalamaran horde dead at the Legasa Peaks, making their final courageous stand at the famous battle of Coniper Gap.

The Brandobian rulership eventually became corrupted by their absolute power and turned on their demihuman allies, claiming to have taught magic to the elves and farming to the halflings. Pure-blooded Brandobian humans soon claimed all positions of power in the kingdom and the demihumans were driven out and persecuted.

"Blessed" by the elven king to have fruitful loins, the Brandobian king bore triplet sons who quarreled over rights to the throne after their father’s death. The kingdom didn’t survive the dispute and instead fractured into three sovereign nations: Condol, Eldor and Mendarn.

Cosdol Today

Veseln Endremin was the least influential of the triplet sons who divided the Brandobian kingdom and was given the wilder lands to the north. Skilled elven and half-elven wizards fled from the xenophobic central kingdom into Veseln’s territory. Today, Cosdol is still a little wild, especially in its northernmost holdings where one can often find humanoid populations in the frontier towns.

Because Cosdol is a little on the wild side, it has a strong streak of the racial and religious tolerance often found in the frontier. Unfortunately, that tolerance is accompanied by a sporadic lawlessness. Cosolen, the Cosdolen capital, boasts some of the most powerful magic schools and guilds in the land.

Eldor Today

Of the original triplets, Clond Endremin had the strongest following of commoners and claimed the central lands of what is now Eldor. Born from xenophobia and arrogance, the Eldoran kingdom had developed into an agoraphobic monarchy that distrusts all outsiders. There are virtually no non-humans living in the kingdom. Interracial marriages are punishable by exile or death. Unwanted half-breed children wander city streets to beg, steal or starve. Visitors to the land are closely monitored at all times.

Relentless terraforming has left Eldor nearly bereft of natural resources and the kingdom survives on the aggressive taxation of its many colonies. The nation is also unofficially at war with the elves of Lendelwood as both people vie for control of the forest’s resources.

Mendarn Today

Of the three original splinter kingdoms of Brandobia, Mendarn has possibly fared the best. As with Eldor, interracial marriages are frowned upon but beyond that, demihumans are encouraged to dwell within and prosper in the kingdom’s borders. That streak of tolerance combined with Mendarn’s lush natural resources make it a rich nation with a content populace.

Mendarn engages in some limited trade with its northern neighbor, Eldor, but the Eldorans tend to dismiss Mendarns as racially impure. To the southeast is Mendarn’s most volatile neighbor: Pel Brolenon. Engaged in a years-long conflict with the theocracy dedicated to the evil god Velmn, the Overlord, Mendarn actively searches for ways to thwart its enemy. Only the natural barriers of the Yan Elenon Mountains, Pel Brolenon’s rocky coast and the windy Straits of Svimohzia keep this conflict from escalating into a full-scale war.

The Theocracy of Pel Brolenon Today Perhaps the saddest story of Brandobia’s history is the tale of Pel Brolenon. When Brandobia splintered, open-minded humans and their halfling, elvish and half-elvish companions fled to the lush valley of the Eldrose Forest and formed a communistic utopia. After about a decade, a scouting party unwittingly broke a magical seal on an ancient temple hidden deep in the woodlands. Velmn, the Overlord, the evil god of slavery and oppression was released and he quickly subjugated the peaceful Brolenese.

Today, Pel Brolenon is a theocracy which controls one of the most active and thriving slave markets in all of Tellene. Sturdy natural borders and a ruthless government keep this small nation intact and thriving.

The Brandobian People

The stereotypical Brandobians have brown hair, brown eyes and fair skin. Today, their hair ranges from sandy blonde to nearly black, and their skin is fair to medium in tone. They tend to be shorter and slighter than the other human races.

Modern Brandobian Alphabet

The modern Brandobian alphabet consists of the following letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, L, LD, LN, M, N, ND, O, P, R, S, T, U, V, VL, VR, W, Y and Z. The language favors consonant combinations, giving it a nasal sound.

* See The Kingdoms of Kalamar campaign setting sourcebook for a detailed history and additional information on the language and people.