The Tarnheld Kingdoms are an alliance of petty kingdoms around a High King whose seat is the Kingdom of Golith. Currently the power of the High King is waxing and may become great enough to enforce vassalage upon the petty kings. The high numbers of fighting men and ready militia reflect the tensions between the High King and, most particularly, the King of Renthull. If nothing else does the cost of maintaining these fighting forces may precipitate violence.

Population: With the exception noted below the nobility are all High Men, with the masses being about 20% high men, 25% mixed men, and 40% normal men with the remaining 15% being of various non-human races - mostly dwarfs and elves)

Golith is the name of the Kingdom, capital city, and the ruling family. Golith City is the only settlement in Tarnheld truly worthy of the name, and then only barely. It is a busy port dealing with the majority of trade goods produced in, and imported into, the Tarnheld. The kingdom has fairly poor soil but raises the finest horses and cattle. Golith Mounts and Cheeses are equally famous. With the addition of the Duchies of Durrin and Byron the kingdom also is a large producer of various metals, herbs, and woodcrafts. The Golith are long lived, often exceeding 400 years barring unnatural death.

The Duchy of Durrin is only 60 years old and held directly from the High King. The Duchy was bestowed on Roekur Durrin for his faithful service unto the crown. The establishment of the Duchy of Durrin was over the objection of the majority of the nobility and nearly destroyed the rule of the High King. Durrin's status as a dwarf was a minor problem but was what the nobles rallied behind. They could hardly admit that the creation of the Duchy would cause a decrease in their power as it increased the power of the High King. In the end their reliance on Durrin's status as a "common dwarf" worked in the High King's favor when an envoy from the dwarven king of Kurrelledhel Holm attested to Durrin's kinship with the dwarven king. In the end only the Kings of Gryphon's Beak and Byron openly revolted. The High King, aided by a dwarven force and Jurri mercenaries, quickly crushed the offending kings. The power, authority, and certainly the wealth, of the High King benefited greatly from the whole series of events. Durrin remains the Duke of the Duchy, ruling from Blue Mountain Holm. The town is commonly called "Durrin's Deep" by even the High King and is largely underground. Contact with the Orcs of the Empire of the Burning Night has been almost non-existent, but it is from Durrin's Deep that the rumors of the Orcs fighting a great evil from deep underearth come to worry the High King.

Sixty years ago the king of Byron revolted against the High King over the creation of the Duchy of Durrin. After the King's defeat at the hands of the High King, Byron itself became a duchy under the High King. The Duchy was placed under the stewardship of Elearon Or Yoranth, an elf of the woods who had long held a position as an advisor to the court and a Knight of the Realm. Elearon had remained studiously neutral throughout his time at the court. His neutrality made the demotion of the Kingdom to the status of a Duchy barely acceptable to the nobility (and see Gryphon's Beak below for more information on how the nobles were persuaded). As an added benefit Elearon's status as an elf neutralized any ill will the elves of the forest might feel at the elevation of the dwarf Durrin to the position of a Duke. The High King was also well aware of the prohibition against an elf assuming any position as a ruler. A good number of the nobility was disappointed to realize their plans to have Elearon push for Byron's return to an independent kingdom were doomed.

Gryphon's Beak is a mining and woodland town adjacent to the Duchy of Durrin. The ruling family of this kingdom was ousted 60 years ago after their revolt over the creation of the Duchy of Durrin. The High King shrewdly allowed the nobles to elect a replacement for the King of Gryphon's Beak while he appointed another Duke to rule the former Kingdom of Byron as a Duchy under the High King. This mollified the nobility enough to prevent outright warfare and with glee the nobles raised Sir Terral Farrador, a rabid enemy of the High King. King Farrador and his son nearly ruined the kingdom in their anger toward the High King and were no small thorn in the High King's side. The turn around came with the High Kings successful maneuvering which saw the third son of Sir Farrador's grandson, fostered to Duke Durrin himself. The deaths of his two older brothers saw Aoin's ascension to the throne on Gryphon's Beak. In the last seven years Aoin has turned the Kingdom around through a close relationship with Duke Durrin and a renewed friendship with the elves of the woods. [Note: the Farrador are Mixed men. The nobility desired a shorter lived family believing that they could control the Farrador and so eliminate some of the High King's power. This idea was from the King of Renthull and mention of it is a sure way to invoke his rage.]

Possessing the largest acreage of all the kingdoms Renthull also has the most arable land and is the breadbasket of Tarnheld. King Renthull is also the principal threat to the High King. Eammon Renthull has never made any secret of the fact that he believes the Renthull should have the High King's seat. The sole of propriety in front of the High King or his agents, when they are not around he pours his poison into every ear he can find. As he has gotten older, and with Golith success after success, he is getting closer and closer to open revolt and to the Devils of the Nine Hells with the consequences. Fear of the Golith calvary has kept him in check so far, but it is well known that his oldest son, who has spent many years as a mercenary working in the Empire of the Seven Golden Seals, is even more militaristic than his father is.

A long established but small kingdom the King fears losing his autonomy but does not want to be squashed between Golith and Renthull and is desperately trying to stay neutral. The only thing Half Hill is known for is their excellent wool and their defensive works. Lying in the center of Tarnheld half hill was a frequent site of battles between the various lords during the foundation of the Kingdoms. Over the centuries the people erected countless strong houses, keeps, and walls, to complement the marshes and bogs found throughout their land. While they would surely lose a standing fight, for lack of numbers, their hit and run tactics, using the advantages of the hill country, have devastated armies ten times the size of the Half Hill militia. The nobility of Half Hill are well connected with their land and their people. As a result the populace is firmly behind any action the king may take. Everyone is well aware of the poor position they are in. Usually a happy people the traveler would find them currently quiet and introspective. Half Hill produces adequate foodstuffs for the population and some small amount of iron. The majority of the citizens of Half Hill are High Men (65%) with the rest nearly all Mixed Men.