Capital & Settlements
- Ovodon (Capital): A large city on the northeastern peninsula, dominated by a towering castle dubbed the ‘Gilded Cradle,’ where the Goldhelm royal family resides. Not friendly to outsiders.
- Ibeson: Scientific capital of Criozevan. Hosts many public and private labs. Built above and around the massive crater created by the Equinox of Power (795 ACC) — the three-way battle of the Masters that ended the Great War. The Goldhelm government constructed their most sensitive underground research laboratories in the caverns beneath the crater.
Geography & Environment
Lightly hilly terrain with thin, sparse forests. Surrounded by ocean on most sides. A heavily fortified river divides the kingdom: Ovodon to the north, Ibeson to the south. It flows into the river that forms the border with the Warring Darkmane Realm, which farther south runs between Darkmane lands on both banks. Since the Fort Gildmark Slaughter, huge Goldhelm forts have lined the kingdom’s side of that border. Isolated from the rest of the continent by natural water barriers and controlled crossings.
Government & Politics
Monarchy with a council of advisors from each sector: Scientific, Military, Maritime, Merchants Guild, Northern Criozevan Diplomat, and Southern Criozevan Diplomat. Currently ruled by King Aldric. Ideology: Technocratic Isolationism.
Military
- Brutes: Heavy frontline fighters — holo-tech war axes, multi-layered holo-armor, holo-shields.
- Archers: Ranged units — holo-tech bows and arrows, light holo-armor.
- Swordsmen: Standard infantry — holo-tech swords and armor.
- Spearmen: Anti-cavalry and defensive — holo-tech spears and shields.
- Medics: Healers using holotech-based support systems.
Attack style mirrors Roman army formations. Uses natural water barriers and tech for defense.
Magic & Technology
Magic is completely banned inside the kingdom. Use is punishable by public execution. Holotech is used in place of magic for everyday life, warfare, and industry.
Economy & Trade
Autarky (self-sufficiency) is the national economic goal. All trade is restricted except with the Republic of Frada. Exports scientific findings and research exclusively to Frada. Infrastructure: Hover-rails, stone roads, and bridge networks.
Culture & Society
Highly elitist. Citizens are obsessed with rising through the social hierarchy. Deeply isolationist — outsiders are viewed as lesser beings. Holidays include Holo-tech Day (celebrating the invention of holotech) and Founding Day (commemorating the establishment of the kingdom in Ovodon).
Key Organizations
- Department of Holometric Advancement — scientific arm of the government.
- The Auric Vanguard — Goldhelm’s military force.
- Goldhelm Maritime Trade and Defense Corps (MTDC) — controls rivers and seas, regulates trade.
- Imperial Merchants Guild — government-run guild for regulated trade inside Goldhelm and Frada.
Notable History
The Great War (795–800 ACC): A civil war fought between the North and South of the kingdom. Also known as the Golden War. The southern territories revolted demanding political autonomy. The North was backed by the Republic of Frada. The war ended with the Equinox of Power — the three-way battle of the Masters that left an enormous crater in the Ibeson region. Ibeson was later built above it.
The Fort Gildmark Slaughter (919–923 ACC): King Aurilde pursued a policy of expansion and secretly built Fort Gildmark on the northern coast of the Darkmane forest. In 923 ACC, Darkmane Elves killed all 900 people inside, 300 soldiers and 600 settlers. Goldhelm expansion ended with the slaughter, and the kingdom built its borders up to what they are today, with huge forts along the border river facing the Darkmane Realm.
The True Founding: The anti-magic ban and the development of holotech are publicly attributed to Goldhelm cultural superiority and the rejection of primitive practices. The actual reason — that the founding royal family carried the Devourer ability and designed the entire kingdom to prevent harm to magic users in their proximity — is sealed in the oldest section of the Gilded Cradle archive. The archive door bears an inscription in old Solaran that has never been correctly translated by modern scholars: “We left so that you would live.” See: The Goldhelm Exodus (History).