| Capital: | New Khaledon |
| Population: | 4,100,000 (90% human, 10% other) |
| Exports: | Timbre, wine, horses |
| Languages: | Common, Draconic |
| Official Colour(s): | Sanguine(blood red), Argent(silver) |
| Official Motto: | “Long live the majesty of the Last Dragon Knight’s Throne!” |
Many centuries ago, this region was best known for being the haunt of dragons, until Khale Tertillion (LG male human, paladin 7/dragon knight 7) the last of the famous Dragon Knights of the Dorian Empire, slew the great red dragon Khoron and rid the land of their menace. Shortly thereafter the Dragon Knight founded his own kingdom here, naming it after his vanquished foe.
Industries
Khoronos spans forests and mountains, and as such, has healthy timbre and mining industries. One of its more renowned exports is its fine bred horses, which are the envy of cavalry riders everywhere.
Life and Society
A country with a storied past, the people of Khoronos take pride in their history. The central plains are known for their skilled horse riders. The feudal vassals who have sworn allegiance to the King hold significant power over the areas surrounding their keeps and manors. The peasantry are looked after by the King’s vassals, and life varies from manor to manor, with some vassal lords being rather enlightened and compassionate, while others are harsh and cruel.
Government and Politics
In more recent history, this powerful kingdom was once ruled by the wise King Marcos Tertillion (LG male human, aristocrat 4/paladin 10), who led the country through most of the Lavender Crusades. Nearing the end of the Crusades, King Marcos died suddenly under mysterious circumstances, and his brother the current King Orland Tertillion (LE male human, aristocrat 6/sorcerer 8) ascended the throne. A far less scrupulous man, King Orland has taken control of the Churches in his realm, and made a questionable alliance with Granditore, the country’s former foe during the Crusades.
Princess Aylia Tertillion (NG female human, cleric 2) is the rightful heir to the throne, but after her father died while she was only seven, her uncle Orland took the throne in her place. Although it was supposedly only a temporary situation, the new King made up some sort of treason supposedly committed and had the Princess exiled, and she now lives somewhere in secret, for fear of the King’s assassins. Rumour has it that she sought refuge in the Sanctuary of Lavender.
Granditore has, apparently at the request of King Orland, sent a garrison of Imperial troops, ostensibly to provide military assistance to Khoronos. It is rumoured however that negotiations are underway to make Khoronos a protectorate of the empire.
Power Groups
The elite of the Khoronos army are the Royal Dragoons, who are skilled knights in service of the Dragon Knight’s Crown. They attempt to emulate the Dragon Knights of the fallen Dorian Empire, and ride not horse, but drake. They differ from the Dragon Knights of old in that they ride young chromatic dragons that are reared from birth to serve as mount and servitor to the Dragoons, whereas the mostly elven Dragon Knights bred their metallic dragon mounts as companions and equals. Thus, Khoronos boasts a powerful aerial combat force, despite largely ignoring the advances of modern airship technology.
Apparently, some of the Old Guard, the former King’s loyal knights refused to swear loyalty to the new King and were thus dishonoured. Although no longer knights, they now conspire to depose the usurper and return the princess to power. Though it is doubtful the princess has any real control over these dissident knights, who it is rumoured, now call themselves the Twilight Guard. Several acts of sabotage and assassination have been attributed to this group.
Possibly the most famous the Twilight Guard’s ex-knights is Vander Marconis (CG male human, fighter 5/rogue 2/holy liberator 5), also known as the Shadow Dragoon, who once fought in the Lavender Crusades alongside the old king. An ex-paladin, Sir Marconis in a famous public display, refused to recognize the new king after he ascended the throne, and barely escaped the wrath of King Orland’s New Royale Guards. One of his more famous intrigues was when he supposedly snuck into New Kaledon disguised as a merchant and attempted to assassinate the Imperial ambassador.
Religion
At one time, the Last Dragon Knight and his Dragoons worshiped The Great Dragon (LG). As the dragons disappeared, so too did the religions that they propagated, and today the people of Khoronos serve a mishmash of deities.
A common complaint these days is that the Church in Khoronos charges unfair prices for the simplest of healings, and these are not without merit. King Orland uses the Church as a rather profitable means of funding evermore extravagant ventures.
Major Settlements / Important Sites
New Khaledon: This royal capital was constructed after the Lavender Crusades, during which the first capital of Khaledon was razed to the ground by a Zhakhustran army. Enclosed within enormous castle walls, the city is considered a stronghold of the King’s authority, which tends to be weaker in the border provinces.
Adventuring In Khoronos
The nation of Khoronos was once ruled by an honourable king. Not anymore. Internal strife over his replacement’s less than stellar regime is bound to overflow sometime soon. Also, Dragons! Even though they are a rare sight in the world of Calbion, Khoronos is one of the few places where they may still be found, serving the kingdom of the knight who slay their master.