Kingdom of Nine Kings

In the years after the Sandwalkers invaded from the east, Nerath found itself hard pressed to keep a full grasp on the outer reaches of the Empire. Having already lost the Greenlands, the prospects of holding the High Plains became more and more unlikely. Realizing this, Emperor Tazman withdrew all garrisons and left the High Plains to their own devices.

This power vacuum set into motion a turbulent time when every noble who stayed tried to keep their power, every would be noble tried to claim some power, and most of the common folk merely tried to stay alive. Despite their oppressiveness, the Empire of Nerath did provide some stability.

Soon enough though, many of the less powerful would-be kings were defeated, leaving only a handful of powers. Duke Reginald held Usgard and some of the western most lands. Lady Welk Firehair was in control of Perris and the eastern most lands. Sir Abelferd the Just ruled over the lands around Lake Selkie. Dex the Walker watched over Sterling Forest. Fallcrest was the capital for the brothers Ollivas and Frenn. Count Xavier Charrals had few troops but many resources as he held the northern end of the Quarath Mountains. Harold Orc-hewer and Bastard Nick held enough power that sages include them, but they were never very strong contenders to take anything.

An eventual treaty established the Kingdom of Nine Kings, which each of the nine signers agreeing to hold what they had and expand only outwards, into lands beyond those considered the High Plains. If one of the kingdoms attacked another, the remaining seven would be honor bound to help the defendant. This held true for nearly 300 years until Resnick the Bold, a rebel lord out of Sterling Forest overthrew his king and built the Kingdom of the Iron Sword.