In the North, the mountain tribesmen began raiding the heartlands of Pendor. Emboldened by their success and the lack of response from the Knights of the Realm, they struck even deeper and soon this led to the siege to Rane.
The Earl of Rane sought help from the nobles of the land, but the schemes of the powerful found reasons not to come to his aid. Many Northern Lords, banded together and formed a small army that marched to defend the city from the onslaught of the northern Mystmountain warriors...
The battle was bloody and fierce, and in the end, the siege was lifted, and the barbarian tribesmen and their shaman leaders, routed back to their mountain homes. The Northern Lords, who fought so valiantly that day, decided to establish a knighthood order, the Order of the Dragon, comprised of the valiant warriors who defended the city.
News of this new order was not well received by other knighthood orders or by the nobility to the South. They demanded that the Order of the Dragon be disbanded which in the minds of the proud warriors of the North, was an unforgivable insult to their valor. The scorn of other established knighthood and the lack of support to rout the invaders from Rane prompted the Northern Lords to break ties with the southern lords and declared themselves an independent Kingdom: The Kingdom of Ravenstern.
Nowadays, the Kingdom of Ravenstern sits on the southern slopes of the impassible Cloudmist Mountains. They are a hearty, proud peoples having adapted to the harsh Northern climate. The ruler of Ravenstern is King Gregory IV, the great grandson of King Gregory I, who led the final charge that drove the shaman of the northern barbarians back into their homes in the Cloudmist Mountains. Every since that battle, Ravenstern has been tested by constant raids and sorties from these bloodthirsty clansmen.
The Lords of Ravenstern are fearsome warriors, yet they are quite proud and very individualistic. There is a strong underlying culture of competition among these peoples that makes them outstanding individual warriors, though in groups they tend to be undisciplined. The Knights of the Order of the Dragon, the cream of the Ravenstern nobility, are to be feared in combat. Like most of the other Knighthood Orders in the realm, these Knights do not swear allegiance to any noble, but rather travel with the Lords of the realm when it suits them.
The Claimant to the kingdom is King Gregory's sister, Madame Ursula, a valiant Knight of the Falcon that was named by her father a lawful heir. However, Gregory persuaded the kingdom that a woman cannot rule the North Kingdom and took the throne.
Overview
Ravenstern has earned the reputation of having the strongest archers of the five main kingdoms, though another faction certainly has a case with the units utilizing the Hornbow and the Ghazi Arrows from the D'Shar. Even though the Ravenstern Rangers are much better trained, the new weaponry that these D'Shar marksmen received is better than the Long Composite Bows of the Ravenstern soldiers. That said, Ravenstern's archers are easier to train and are far more widely seen than the elite D'Shar foot archers, and without question are the faction's greatest strength. The fact that Iceguard Rangers and Silvermist Rangers also have a tendency to appear on the battlefield for the kingdom means that their enemies often simply get shafted before getting to the bowmen.
Ravenstern infantry is both deadly and tanky, performing well on the battlefield. Ravenstern Kierguards cannot match Fierdsvain Huscarls man for man, they are more durable than D'Shar Ghazi Dervishes and have better melee equipment than Empire Legionnaires. They are also easy to train, can hold the line effectively with their shields, and possess axes capable of shattering enemy shields. Backing up the Kierguards with raw damage are the Highlanders - noble heavy infantry worth their price and time to train.
On the other hand, Ravenstern is more mid-tier in cavalry. Their commoner cavalry specificially is best saved for light duty, as they possess bad horses and poor equipment, and are no match for heavier horsemen. That said, Ravenstern Knights are good, superior to both Empire Knights and Fierdsvain Hersirs, specially thanks to their heavy armor, long lances that allow deadly charges, and then also performing well with their swords. They can't match Sarleon Knights, but they can do well regardless. Ravenstern Mounted Rangers are also very good at what they do, spraying arrows about the battlefield, though they should try to avoid a melee engagement. Paired together, Ravenstern's Knights and Mounted Rangers can't quite match the team-up of the heaviest D'Shar cavalry and horse archers, but can hold their own for a suprising amount of time. Ravenstern Squires are also decent medium cavalry, but are more useful if held back and enabled to be promoted to better units. Ravenstern's cavalry does get support from the Order of the Raven Spear and Order of the Dragon, both of which are guaranteed to spawn in Ravenstern. Should the Order of the Falcon spawn as well, this only helps.
Knighthood Orders
The order of the Dragon is the Kingdom of Ravenstern's main order, being established for sure in Rane and with a 30% chance to be as well in the kingdom's capital, Ravenstern. Other orders established in this kingdoms are the Order of the Silvermist Rangers (30% chance in Senderfall), the Order of the Raven Spear (always in Poinsbruk) and the Order of the Falcon (50% chance in Falcondark Castle).
The order of the Dragon is the factional order of the Kingdom of Ravenstern, meaning that a Knight of the Dragon is added occasionally to every lord belonging to this culture. Duke Alexis has Knights of the Dragon as his household troop, and Count Arnoldus has Dragon Drakes.
Reinforcements
These are the recruiting patrons all lords and walled fiefs attached to the Ravenstern culture will follow (ordered by tier):
Commoners
- 1-2 Ravenstern Recruit
- 1-2 Ravenstern Militia
- 1-2 Ravenstern Trained Militia
- 2-5 Ravenstern Skirmisher
- 4-8 Ravenstern Footman
- 3-6 Ravenstern Archer
- 3-6 Ravenstern Man-at-Arms
- 2-5 Ravenstern Warden
- 2-5 Ravenstern Kierguard
- 2-5 Ravenstern Horseman
- 2-4 Ravenstern Ranger
- 2-4 Ravenstern Mounted Ranger
Nobles
- 2-3 Ravenstern Nobleman (was 1-2 before 3.9)
- 1-4 Ravenstern Squire-at-Arms (was 1-3 before 3.9)
- 2-5 Ravenstern Knight (was 2-4 before 3.9)
- 2-5 Ravenstern Highlander
- 0-1 Knight of the Dragon
Troop trees
| Commoners | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier | Name | ||||
| 1st | Ravenstern Recruit | ||||
| 2nd | Ravenstern Militia | ||||
| 3rd | Ravenstern Trained Militia | Ravenstern Skirmisher | |||
| 4th | Ravenstern Footman | Ravenstern Archer | |||
| 5th | Ravenstern Man-at-Arms | Ravenstern Horseman | Ravenstern Warden | ||
| 6th | Ravenstern Kierguard | Ravenstern Ranger | Ravenstern Mounted Ranger | ||
|
You may also see Iceguard Ranger in Duke Aldemar's army. They are Ravenstern's special troop.
| |||||
| Nobles | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier | Name | |||
| 1st | Ravenstern Nobleman | |||
| 2nd | Ravenstern Squire-at-Arms | |||
| 3rd | Ravenstern Knight | Ravenstern Highlander | ||
|
Ravenstern Knights may upgrade further to Knights of the Dragon and Knight of the Raven Spear if you meet the special requirements. | ||||
Lords
The Kingdom of Ravenstern has 20 lords, these being:
- Duke Aldemar
- Duke Adarian
- Duke Alexis
- Count Carolus
- Count Otto
- Count Stephan
- Count Ivanus
- Count Arnoldus
- Count Draco
- Count Bogdan
- Count Raban
- Lord Odovacar
- Lord Marmun
- Lord Gustov
- Lord Hengist
- Lord Chonrad
- Lord Burgundus
- Lord Faramund
- Lord Garebold
Note: the ones in bold are notable lords, meaning they will have fixed higher values every game, some of these will even have Household troops.
Cities
There are 4 cities within this kingdom, these being:
- Ravenstern (capital)
- Rane
- Senderfall
- Poinsbruk
Castles
9 Castles protect this kingdom, these being:
- Taloncrag Castle
- Evasolde Castle
- Dagon Castle
- Castle Fenbray
- Castle Anden
- Silveredge Keep
- Stoutheart Castle
- Falcondark Castle (50% chance of having Order of the Falcon)
- Mysthorn Castle
Lore
To the north, the Kingdom of Ravenstern sits on the southern slopes of the impassable Cloudmist Mountains. They are a hearty and proud people well adapted to the harsh northern climate. The people of Ravenstern were once members of the great Kingdom of Pendor, and once that fell, continued to serve under the crown of Sarleon. However, in 199 the Mystmountain clans united and launched a massive invasion, leading to the siege of Rane. The earl of Rane sent pleas for help to the Lords of the nation; however, the southern Lords refused to answer the call to arms. The northern lords banded together and came to the aid of Rane, breaking the famous siege and decisively routing the Mystmountains.
Following the siege of Rane, the Order of the Dragon was formed in honor of the bravery of the warriors of Rane and as a nod to the Dragon rumored to have come to the defense of the city through the hero, Cliff McManus. Those who fought with distinction in the war were offered a place in the Order. The Southern Lords, angered at this, quickly moved to have the Order disbanded, as it was not in the Validus Charta. The Lords of Ravenstern considered this a grave insult to the bravery and sacrifice of their esteemed warriors and seceded from the Kingdom of Sarleon. Thus, the Kingdom of Ravenstern was born. The Knights of the Order of the Dragon, the absolute elite of the Ravenstern Nobles, are one of the most fearsome units to engage on the field of battle. Unlike most of the other Knighthood Orders in the realm, these Knights do not swear allegiance to a certain noble but accompany the Lords of Ravenstern if it aids their Order's cause. Upon the coronation of a new King, the Grandmaster of the Order gives the King a great blade: Dragon's Tooth, in lieu of an oath of loyalty. This ceremony acknowledges the continuing support of the Order of the Dragon to the Kingdom of Ravenstern.
Ever since that battle, Ravenstern has been tested by constant raids and sorties from these bloodthirsty clansmen. The Lords of Ravenstern are fearsome warriors, yet they are quite proud, stubborn and individual. There is a strong underlying culture of competition among these people that makes them outstanding warriors though they sometimes lack the discipline needed for military order and drill. The ruler of Ravenstern is King Gregory IV, the great grandson of King Gregory I, who led the final charge that drove the shaman of the northern barbarians back to their hide in the Cloudmist Mountains. Ravenstern cling to the memories of this great campaign and it is from this which their famous resolve and great martial ability stems.
Commentary on Ravenstern
"Like a dragon defends its lair, the soldiers of Ravenstern defend her against all those who would deny our independence." -King Gregory IV of Ravenstern
"I’ve heard it said that a dragon defends Ravenstern. I bet it is just a dragonfly." -Archer of Sarleon
"I have a grudging respect for the men of Ravenstern; they stand as a bastion before the barbarian hordes, and we all know too well that burden." -Fierdsvain Veteran Warrior
"Ravenstern men are hairy. Ravenstern women are hairy. Ravenstern men wear skirts. Ravenstern women wear skirts. Both live in the icy north; I therefore conclude that the population of Ravenstern is just a bunch of girls." -D'Shar Lord
"The real reason that the people of Ravenstern took to the northern mountains was that it is about as far from the Empire as one can get in Pendor, plus the fact that we don’t much like the cold." -Empire Legionnaire
"The Mystmountain host will march again soon, but this time there will be no saviors of Rane." -Mystmountain Warrior
"As I was traveling through the icy mountains of Pendor, I met an elf. She was shy and always had a tear on her eye and she said: I cry because I'm sad. I'm sad because the snow reminds me of my friend; he also likes to cry, and from his final moments he smiled at me and gave me all these gems. He said that these gems are part of him. The gems were like snow: crystal blue and clear as could be; gentle and white like the snow, like my friend." -Old Man of Al-Aziz