The Anatum Kingdom is a kingdom that rules the entirety of Gotmouth.The population is majority griffon, however, it has a sizable deer and pony population which lives in the forests. The Anatum Kingdom is known for developing high quality firearms and metalworks that have proliferated themselves far in the East System. As a member of Esperanto, it houses a few armada military bases and conducts trade with the rest of The Union.
However, the Anatum Kingdom's relations with Esperanto is somewhat strained, as they refuse to sign The Peacekeeper Edict, a reform which would allow Esperanto to conscript their knights in "times of desperate need". In turn, Esperanto's military presence is limited and primarily focused on protecting trade in the area. Furthermore, the Anatum kingdom cannot call Esperanto into a war.
The Anatum Kingdom was founded after Lanner Anatum's conquest in 644. Previously the land had been divided by tribes and petty kingdoms. The largest kingdom was the Eagle Hoard, which controlled Lake Fjellvannet in the Throughlands.
The Eagle Hoard apparently came from boats from a distant land, and terrorized the peoples of Gotmouth. Lanner Anatum united several petty kingdoms and tribes, and overthrew the Eagle Hoard. He then proceeded to conquer the rest of Gotmouth. Many believed that he was chosen by a diety, Whitetalon, to lead all peoples. His rule, generally, was seen as fair and just.
Previously, Esperanto had little contact with Gotmouth outside of the occasional druids and explorers visiting the land. When Lanner rose to power, Esperanto immediately gained interest and quickly established diplomatic relations. By 660, the Anatum Kingdom had become a member state of Esperanto, cautiously joining in a limited capacity to access of Esperanto's luxury trade markets and economic investments. Additionally, The Anatum Kingdom sought to capitalize on the newfound oil deposits discovered in the eastern part of Lake Fjellvannet, which proved to be a major source of wealth and prosperity for the kingdom.
The Anatum Kingdom had a long history of tense relations with the Wren peoples inside the Kingdom, another griffon culture, due to several cultural and religious grudges. However, for the most part, things remained relatively stable. However, all that changed when a devastating blight plague swept through the land, leaving widespread poverty and suffering in its wake. In this dire situation, an independence movement known as Grey Dawn emerged from within the Duchy of Wren, and quickly spread across the entire kingdom. The movement, which had been gaining momentum for some time, came to a head when they successfully overthrew the Duke of Wren, a long-time member of the Anatum royal court, and replaced him with his far more extreme son. The war is ongoing. The Esperanto is only offering limited help to the Anatum Kingdom during its civil war. This was because the Anatum Kingdom refused to sign the "Peacekeepers Edict Reform", a potential reform for memberstates. The contract would have allowed Esperanto to conscript the kingdom's knights in "times of great need" in exchange for a greater military presence and more assistance during wars. Without this agreement in place, Esperanto is hesitant to fully commit its own resources and troops to the conflict. They offer some aid in the form of humanitarian assistance and diplomatic support.
Many Gotmouth griffons choose to dig homes in the hills or mountains, and have a high affinity for forging.
Family and honor are core values in Gotmouth culture. Duties are to kept, cowards are to be ridiculed, and insults to a griffon's lineage are to be responded with by force. Elders are highly venerated as some believe that one's age in life is determined by Whitetalon, therefore, those who live the longest are her "chosen" The religion of Whitetalon stipulates that one must never turn down an opportunity of greatness. Honor is a core value, and cowardice, suicide, or encouraging despair is seen as anathema.
Adherents believe that the quality and status of ones next life is determined by white talon. Some griffons believe that to be born a griffon is the best life possible, with a rebirth into a fey creature being punishment for cowardice.
Gothmouth's woodworking and sculpting is renowed. Anatum made horns are considered to be top quality instruments. Skytackle is a sport played commonly in the Anatum Kingdom, originating centuries ago during the lands tribal days. It involves two teams of flyers attempting to score points by throwing a ball in a 5 foot wide goal about 30 feet in the air. Full contact tackling and, frequently, fighting, is common and encouraged. So much so that most teams have rules on the proper procedure for fighting during play.
Gotmouth food culture revolves around fish and fishing. Fish Schnitzels, stews, and filets are common. Catfish is regarded to be a delicacy, while cod is seen as a peasant fish. Wheat foods like porridge, gruel, bread, and pancakes is also considered to be peasant food, but salted or sweetened pretzels prove to be popular even with nobles. Wheat and cave mushrooms are the primary crops of Gotmouth, with potatoes, dill, peas, onions, and blackberries other common ingredients. Potato dumplings are a common desert, beloved by children, and frequently eaten by adults along with a hot beverage Coffee has become exceedingly popular in the Kingdom, but is entirely imported from other member states of Esperanto.
House Anatum rules the fertile region around Sud Nord and Fortress Anatum. It holds the seat to the throne of the entire kingdom. On top of possessing the most fertile farmland in Gotmouth, House Anatum's mountain holdings have massive deposits of iron and gold.
The second largest family of the Anatum kingdom, House Wren's holdings are centered around the fortress city of Fjord in the northwest Throughlands. Despite being in the snowiest region of Gotmouth, its economy is considered to be strong, possessing iron and silver deposits of its own and a vast underground network of mushroom farms and hot springs.
House Rook holds the lands around Everberg and the southwest through lands. It has the largest pony and hippogriff population.
House Thrush holds a large portion of the eastern Throughlands.
House Lark holds the island of Overwood. It's a smaller family, known for its past as a fierce warrior tribe. The Knights of Lark are also known for being the most fiercely loyal to the Anatums.
House Verdin controls most of the island of Outvalley. Outvalley is a rockey desert, however, it possesses rich salt deposits. These salt deposits are extremely useful for residents of the Throughlands, who use salt to melt snow.