Northern Alliance

The Northern Alliance is the faction led by King Ariel Gorlak of the North.

Overview
The Northern Alliance is a collective group of approximately twenty lords and ladies of the North. These lords and ladies, led by their King, Ariel Gorlak, maintain peace north of the great divide in the continent.

History
The Northern Alliance was founded by King Tyven in 388 CE. Tyven and a group of lords known as the Noble Eight took a blood oath to defend the group of towns and villages they each called home. By aiding each other, they promised to keep a state of peace and order in the North. To achieve this, they combined their military forces into one force of ten thousand men and called them Protectors of the North.

In 404 CE, King Tyven died without a son to inherit the throne. Thus, the Noble Eight convened to choose a new king. Nearly every man voted for himself with the exception of Lord Harmon Scott, who voted in favor of Lord Calton Gorlak. In 405 CE, Lord Calton Gorlak was crowned King of the Northern Alliance, beginning the dynasty of Gorlak kings which would last over four hundred years.

In 637 CE, the dynasty was broken temporarily by an uprising in the west of the Northern Alliance. A small fishermans' village known as Westport was the beginning place of the uprising. Lord Eric Morthan, later High Lord Eric Morthan, began the uprising as a response to King James Gorlak's unfair taxation of the western fishermen. Gorlak, in response to the uprising, sent four hundred soldiers to end the rebellion by any means necessary. Unfortunately, Morthan was well equipped and easily slaughtered the soldiers. Upon hearing of such horrible news, Gorlak sent eight thousand Protectors to kill the rebels and capture Morthan. This event came to be known as the Westport Slaughter. Morthan, having escaped, started a second rebellion soon after his defeat at Westport. This time, he started a massive riot in the center of Spire which left hundreds dead, including the king. Morthan, who was not of royal blood, claimed the highest title he could upon claiming the throne and ousting the Gorlak family - High Lord.

In 675 CE, the Gorlaks, who had fled south to Southern Hold, returned. Looking upon the new Northern Alliance, which Morthan had industrialized and made into a ruthless regime, the Gorlaks organized a small army of two thousand mercenaries to march on the City of Spire in the middle of the night. Taking Morthan and his royal guard by surprise, the assault on the keep was short. By the end the first day of battle, King Kygen Gorlak was seated on the throne and the Gorlaks were back in power.

Structure
Society in the Northern Alliance follows a strict code of societal expectations. These expectations are enforced to the fullest by the Code of the North.

Royalty
The Royals rarely leave Spire Keep to mingle with the commoners. They are at the top of society, commanding respect from all. Anyone who opposes the royal family is likely to find themselves exiled from the kingdom.

The High Noblity
Those who are direct heirs of the original eight lords of the Northern Alliance are considered to be "higher lords" when compared to other lords. Any person who is directly related to one of the original eight and still bears the surname of an original lord of the Northern Alliance is thought to be a higher lord.

The Nobility
The Nobility consists of all who pledge fealty to the king. Any person who holds a position in the royal court is required to bend a knee to the king and pledge fealty. Those who do are rewarded with the title of Lord. Lords command respect from all lesser citizens in the Northern Alliance.

The Commoners
Commoners are the "normal people" of the Northern Alliance, making up approximately 85% of the kingdom. Commoners often serve as masters and apprentices of their trades and will likely never rise to the rank of Lord. Commoners can elevate their status through completion of glorious and honorable tasks as assigned by the King and posted on the Board of Tasks.