Nil-ith Horn

The League of Nil-ith-Horn is a league of merchant associations within the cities surrounding the Bay of Nil-ith-Horn. The League was founded in the tenth century by an alliance between the cities of Grunevald, Korvald and Kirkisvald.

Trade in these lands is a dangerous and risky business and the only way for merchants to protect themselves is by traveling together. This banding together of merchants on the road has led to their alliances at home as well. In the case of the Nil-ith-Horn League the impetus for its formation was trade along the Kildarian “grain road” and in the vast slave markets of the Vangens and Gautrians.

Grunevaldian Heavy Infantry

The trade between the merchant associations of Grunevald, the only human city in the League, and the Valensian Empire (the dominant human empire) provide sea routes to all Imperial cities and the Kingdom of Gunthria. While each city has its own merchant association (merchants’ guild) the alliance forms a loose Diet, or parliament, to govern inter-city trade and common policies. In most respects the policy of the merchants is protectionist and aimed at producing a Grunevaldian monopoly in the slave markets they supply.

Grunevaldian Heavy Cavalry

The Nil-ith-Horn Diet meets only infrequently and is filled with divisive politics based on differences in regional priorities. It is more frequent that the regional assemblies, known as ‘Thirds’, meet. There is a Grunevald ‘Third’ based on the internal and sea trades, a Korvald ‘Third’ based on slaves bought out of Kednvald, and a Kirkisvald ‘Third’ based on the slave trade from Gautria and the Great Northern mountains. The predominant city in all dealings is Grunevald, which holds a central position as the only human port on the Nil-ith-Horn. The orc cities often complain that the merchants from Grunevald are given advantages over their own merchants.

Orc Troops from Kirkisvald and Korvald

Grunevald is an imperial city which owes its allegiance to the Valensian Emperor alone. This in itself gives Grunevald an advantage over the orc cities of Kirkisvald and Korvald. The access it has to the rich overseas markets throughout Imperial Valensia guarantees its predominant position in the alliance. All legal trade to the Empire and Gunthria, either coming or going, passes through the port of Grunevald. The cargoes in the port of Grunevald consist mainly of Gautrian and Great Northern Orc slaves and Kildarian grain. These cargoes make quick fortunes, and have been a steady trade, hence the League holds a monopoly on a great deal of Imperial slave markets.

Grunevaldian ship being searched in the Valensian port of Adenbur