BETTELLYN (Kingdom of)
Location: Southeast rim of the floating continent of Alphatia, south of Foresthome, east of Vertiloch and Alphas'ar and north of Randel and Theranderol. HW
Area: 172,595 sq. mi. (447,020 sq. km.).
Population: 330,000, including Citadel (pop. 30,000). [Population figures are tentative, pending census. Ed.]
Languages: Alphatian (Randellyn dialect).
Coinage: Alphatian Standard: crown (gp), mirror (sp), judge (cp). Bettellyn also mints gold citadels worth 10 gp each.
Taxes: 15% income tax on everyone of servant status or higher. Slaves are counted as the property of the owner and the product of their labour is taxed as income for the owner.
Government Type: Monarchy, member of the Alphatian Empire.
Industries: Agriculture (especially grain), cattle, sheep.
Important Figures: Llynara (Queen, human, female, M17).
Flora and Fauna: See Alphatia.
Further Reading: Dawn of the Emperor boxed set, previous almanacs.
Description by Zweibelterm.
Bettellyn is a pleasant if somewhat rustic nation of rich tilled fields and fine pasturage. Unlike most Alphatian kingdoms', Bettellyn's rulers have allowed its people to build and grow without restraint, and thus the landscape is littered with crude settlements and filled with much more than its fair share of slack-jawed, slope-headed yokels. It has more such settlements of such persons than most other Alphatian nations, though not quite as many as can be found among non-Alphatian nations, and things are kept from getting out of hand as the aristocrats do keep the common trash in reverence and obedience of proper authority.
But one should not forget that there is variety even in Bettellyn. This kingdom of cretins has built within its borders one of the finest examples of Alphatian architecture to be found undamaged on the continent. The massive capital city of Citadel looms over the countryside at the bend of the Llyn River, attracting tourists from all around. This visible symbol of Alphatian power awes the masses and even many aristocrats, as the entire city consists of one huge structure, the size of a mountain. It is said by some that on a clear day Citadel can be seen from Randel, some three hundred miles away. Perhaps due to the curvature of the continent these days this is possible, and if so it is a true indication of the mammoth size of Citadel. Some of the lower levels, the decayed older levels upon which new and glorious construction has been allowed to cover, have become an unexplored labyrinth, while other older areas have become a warren for the untutored masses. The more exalted reaches are home to those who can appreciate the view from the top, while the very pinnacle is, naturally, the royal city of the queen. Some of the older levels have been affected by cityquake damage, and these have been shorn up with rock fills and additional support beams.
Don't Miss
As
I mentioned, Citadel is a towering monument to behold. Within its massive structure one can find
all the usual institutions found in any fair city. Obviously the areas facing out into the world, where light can
penetrate, are at a premium, the inner areas are shrouded in darkness or lit by
magic alone. The better establishments
have balconies giving one a panoramic view of the lands around.