Kirkdom

"All roads lead to Kirkdom." - An Oghma follower from Salt Gohlin.



At a Glance
For generations the kingdom of Kirkdom stood as the largest human colony on the mortal plane. While it my have been younger than its neighbouring predecessor of Neverwinter, which found protection in magic, Kirkdom was defended by an army of staunch knights and monarch rulers— the kings of which maintained power through hereditary psionic powers. These kings were the clan of the Kirks.

History
If the stories of their ancestry are to be believed, the Kirk lineage can be traced back to the fabled warrior Al-Aric Unberkirk, a soldier of great renown who purged the human-lands of beasts and large trolls. Al-Aric was as competent a warrior as he was a lover, and by his shieldmaiden-bride Borja, celebrated the birth of a new son — Sigmund Unberkirk. Travelling the southern cape of the known realm, Al-Aric raised Sigmund to be every bit the competent warrior he was. They sparred, hunted, and over time developed a reputation for their mightiness, drawing attendants from across the land.

One summer’s day, Al-Aric and the grown Sigmund were hunting stag when tragedy would befall the pair. Legends tell that the cursed arch-stag Chatos, a beast driven mad by tainted magics, saw the two men passing through the forest and hungry for blood leapt from the trees and brought his horns down upon Al-Aric with a wild ferocity. The men fought the beast, but were overpowered by its bestial might. As Chatos’ horns pierced Al-Aric’s heart, the doomed father looked to his son and in an unexplained surge of energy, a lifetime of memories, skills, and thoughts raced from Al-Aric’s mind and into Sigmund’s. At the exact moment of his father’s expiration, Sigmund had become burdened with his psionic potential. A hereditary gift that would be handed down with the passing of the father to his eldest son. Emblazoned, Sigmund confronted Chatos and flayed the beast with but a thought, avenging his father and establishing himself the lord of those woods. It was then, exhausted from the battle and outpouring of psionic powers, that Sigmund took eight steps and fell into a deep sleep.

Comatose, Sigmund’s mind raced. The visions and memories that filled his mind were almost too much, but as he rested and learned to calm his thoughts he eventually found peace. A balance of his own mind, and that of his forefather. Imbued with a sense of empathy for his fellow man, Sigmund vowed to build a great hall in his father’s memory that would guard humanity against the beasts of the world. And he would be their king. Focused, Sigmund awoke and there he found an assembly of lords, ladies, paupers, craftsmen, and soldiers, as if drawn by his psychic call, asking who this strange man was in the wilderness. It was on that same spot that Lord Kirk rose, and began his empire.

Age of Adventure
By the time of the Second Necrotic War, Lord Adrian Kirk had risen to power, the latest inheritor of the Kirkdom psionic potential. During his rule he brought about sweeping and prosperous changes to the nation. Seeing the lives ruined by greed and hatred, Lord Kirk dwelled on how, even with the memories of his forebears, he had no solution. No resolution for conflict… Except one. On a similar summer’s day, Lord Kirk did something no Kirk had ever done — he shared his psionic gift. ”Blessing” the people of Kirkdom by transferring a fragment of his psionic ability, citizens arrived in droves to receive a piece of his power. The cost, he argued, was that their mental privacy would be linked to his. With this act, guaranteed protection within Kirkdom's walls could be assured.

With their eyes turned to an emerald green, an uncanny calm came over those who underwent Kirk’s ritual and it wasn’t long before all dissent, crime, and violence in Kirkdom became eradicated. Everyone was truly working in harmony, connected by a empathic link, and some of the most renowned knights (Constantin Villers, Nicholas Saint, Gwyneth Camden) served under Lord Kirk’s power, lauding him as the saviour of humankind. The mental-link of the kingdom was not without its opposition. Neighbouring activists and citizens who had been driven underground called for Kirk’s demise, claiming that he had brainwashed their friends and families. Any who were blessed by Kirk exhibited a relaxed demeanour, begging to ask whether they had truly found peace or if it had been forced upon them.

Government:
The Kingdom of Kirkdom was ruled nominally by a Kirk monarch, however, a structured hierarchy of ministries emerged to carry out their will through administration, culture, and defence departments. As the kingdom grew, its disparate and widespread nature were held in check by the centralized government of Kirkdom's capitol and under Lord Kirk’s telepathic link the citizens of Kirkdom were only further harmonized in their intents.

The Kingdom of Kirkdom is ruled nominally by Lord Adrian Kirk through his psionic will. However, a structured hierarchy of ministries carry out Lord Kirk's will regarding administration, culture, and defense. As the Kingdom has grown, its disparate and widespread nature has been held in check by the centralized government of Kirkdom's capitol, while telepathically the citizens of Kirkdom feel the everpresent influence of the Lord Kirk's psychic omnipotence.

Religion
The Kingdom of Kirkdom's central religion was the Church of the Eye which worshipped Lord Kirk. Founded by Delphina Censal following her "blessing" of telepathy by Lord Kirk, followers of the religion were gifted with a small degree of telepathic and/or telekinetic power in exchange for their privacy of thoughts. The tenants of the Church of the Eye were as follows: (1) Celebrate the God-King's reign in your words, crafts, and honour (2) Do not conspire with feykin or other wildlings against your fellow man (3) Pay tribute to the God-King and only He. Worship of other entities or idols are forbidden.

The leadership of the Church of the Eye would eventually turn over to an unassuming but enigmatic young girl chosen by Lord Kirk himself. At the age of 14, Elvanna Aquillon Haberston was the youngest leader of the Kirkdom ministries and a powerful psion with wisdom beyond her years. Through her near-omniscient powers, Elvanna oversaw the Adepts Inquisito and Office Clergio.