Mhoried is preoccupied with the danger of the Gorgon. As such it does not have the luxury to pursue the Iron Throne or conduct a policy of expansion, in the style of its neighbor, Ghoere. Neither can Mhoried survive without the active active support of its people. As such, the regent of Mhoried, called by the ancient Andu title of the Mhor, must avoid any style of rule that costs him this support. The current Mhor, Daeric Mhoried, rules with a light touch, wielding the powers of the state only against those who would truly harm his people.

Mhoried is something of a frontier realm, even still. The Five Peaks and Markazor are frequent invaders, and keep the people from becoming too complacent. Mhoried's highlands are home to some of the toughest people in Anuire, and might easily be considered part of the Northern Marches.

Balteruine is a rainy province prone to goblin raids and strange occurrences blamed on the sidhe that are found just over the river Mesil in the Sielwode. The province regularly receives immigrants from the rest of Mhoried and Anuire, but the frequent low level goblin raids just as often leave these hamlets and villages abandoned and the province remains only lightly populated.

Located along the banks of the Maesil River, Bevaldruor is one of Mhoried?s most central provinces and home to the capital city of Shieldhaven. Unlike the windswept plains of Balteruine, towering trees and hidden glens cover this land. By far the most populated province in Mhoried, hamlets and towns lie tucked beneath the ancient canopy.
Shieldhaven: The ancestral home of Mhoried family, the great fortress town of Shieldhaven lies in the province Bevaldruor (Andu for Shieldhaven), surrounded by the largest forest in the Heartlands. For a dozen centuries the Mhors have held court on this rocky bluff rising a hundred feet or more. Thick outer ramparts, built to withstand bombardment by even the heaviest of trebuchets ring the bluff, compromised by a single gatehouse partitioned into an outer courtyard and an inner gate as strong as the first. The inner buildings of the castle are light and airy, decorated with intricate carvings and proud banners. Its central location in the kingdom allows the Guardians to reach a problem anywhere in the domain with all possible haste. Shieldhaven?s strategic importance also makes it a prime target for would be invaders seeking to wrestle Mhoried from the Mhor?s grasp. However, before they can assail Shieldhaven?s stone walls, they first have to breach the countless miles of ancient forests surrounding the city. The Guardians know this forest like their own homes, and many would be enemy has been dispatched in these woods.
Order of the Knights Guardian: Renowned throughout Anuire, the Knight Guardian have served Mhoried since its founding. Unquestionably some of the finest warriors in all of Anuire, the Guardians of Mhoried have committed themselves wholly to the defense of Mhoried. Since the time of Mhora Fhiliera, tradition dictates that Mhoried?s heirs give seven years service to the Order, bereft of title and subject to the same discipline and training any aspirant would face.

West of Bevaldruor lies Byrnnor, home to golden wheat fields and grassy plains. Farmsteads blanket the land like a patchwork quilt, stretching from Bevaldruor to the banks of the Stonebyrn River. Scattered communities dot the countryside as well as the river?s banks. Several of these small towns serve as trade ports but the majority of river trade is routed through the port city of Riumache in Tenarien. The town of Pike?s End serves as a cross road between the Old Stoneway which stretches the length of Mhoried and the Byrnnor Pike, leading towards Shieldhaven.
The Count of Byrnnor is Baesil Ceried who also serves as the Lord Marshal of Mhoried.

Cwlldon is, with Tenarion, Mhoried breadbasket. Innumerable tiny villages and hamlets dot the province growing food to feed the realm. Few towns of any size are found in Cwlldon, and it is noted for its sleepy peaceable inhabitants by Mhorian standards, the natives are however proud of the support they give 'those on the frontier' and are amongst the most loyal folk of the Mhora.

Dhalsiel is one of the frontier provinces, lacking the hills of Marloer's Gap its people have often faced the brunt of the Gorgon's wrath. Dhalsiel is home to several fortified towns, but has relatively few villages - without numbers or defenses few villages could survive in the harsh environment. Sheep and goats are kept in large quantities, particularly around the monasteries and military keeps of the land, and many drovers drive cattle or horses to the province for summer grazing.
Cuille Dhalsiel is the Count of Dhalsiel. The young count succeeded his father two years ago, and as one of the richest nobles in the land, is also a very eligible bachelor. Some say he has his eye on Ilwyn Mhoried, daughter of the Mhor.

Maesilar is a prosperous province that imports foodstuffs for lumber, ore, furs and wool from northern Mhoried, cuts, smelts, tans and spins them, and sends them down the Maesil river to Endier and even the far off City of Anuire. Maesilar has suffered relatively little from raids by goblins or even the Gorgon's rivings, but has recently been the subject of raids from Ghoere.

Marloer's Gap is a hilly frontier province home mainly to miners and garrison troops. Goats and sheep are common and easily outnumber the human inhabitants, leading to a number of risque jokes across Mhoried about the locals.

Tenarien is the southernmost province of Mhoried, it suffers from frequent flooding in some parts, and holds part of the Riverport marsh, but is in the main habitable and comparatively warm. Tenarion holds only one town of any size, Ruimache, which when the transient population of riverfolk is taken into account can at times swell to be nearly city-size.

Torien's Watch is a heavily forested province that acts as the gateway to the north - all trade that wishes to travel to Cariele, dhoesone or the Rjurik lands must pas through Torien's Watch. The foresters of Torien's Gap are charged with ensuring that Mhoried will always have wood for its bows, and are notriously harsh to those who fell wood, or hunt in the land without licence. Disputes with merchants from Cariele are legion, but the guilds of Cariele are anxious not to offend the Mhor and so the conflicts rarely grow too serious. The hills of Torien's watch are rumored to hold great mineral wealth, but the Mhor has never approved substantive explorations, some say that an ancient oath sworn to seal peace with the sidhe explains this reticence, but none know the truth of the matter save the Mhor, and they will not speak of it.

Unlike the lowlands of Mhoried, Winoene maintains a wild and untouched beauty. The green fields of Byrnnor give way to rocky foothills whose sheer sides stream water from patches of snow high on their barren crowns. Home to the rugged highlanders, these farmers and herders coax life from the rocky soil and fish the numerous lakes and streams that feed the Stonebyrn River.
Lying along the banks of Lake Winoene is the old Caer Winoene, sacked and burned more than four hundred years ago by goblins out of the Five Peaks seeking to capitalize on the chaos that surrounded the fall of the Roele line. Here House Winoene met its end as the goblins razed much of the countryside. Lord Hastaes Winoene holds the County now, and has worked hard to restore much of Winoene?s glory but it still remains the shadow of its former self.

The official history of the state of Mhoried starts with Endira Mhoried, a female ruler who received her appointment from the second Emperor of Anuire. The Mhora were however one of the tribes of the Andu who emigrated from Aduria long ago, the Mhora were amongst the last to leave Aduria, when the doughty hill folk arrived in Anuire they found that much of the choicest coast land and river valleys had already been claimed. Undaunted they struck deep into the land, 'walking until they found good honest hills and the bones of the earth' in the words of bards. The Mhor of the Mhora then claimed the empty hills and the land between the upper reaches of the Maesil and Stonebryn rivers and driving the native goblins into the desolate mountains to the north-east.
When the War of the Shadow began these goblins raided Mhoried heavily, but found the Mhor ready. Clan after raiding clan of goblins was slaughtered until the goblins learned to avoid the lands of the Mhor in favor of softer targets. When the Sidhe joined the war however the Mhora were less able to defend themselves, sidhe magics drove trained soldiers to rage at illusions and priests mad allowing the gheallie sidhe to ride across Mhoried freely. When the seers and priests of the Mhora received visions of the great army of beast-men that Azrai was leading from Aduria to conquer Anuire many would have expect the Mhora to defend themselves against the sidhe and leave the wider battle to the southern lords, a deep sense of duty to the Andu as a whole, long nurtured anger over the flight from Aduria, and foresighted recognition that Azrai would be unstoppable if he could bring his main army north instead led the Mhor to strip the land of defenders and march nearly all south to fight at Mount Deismaar.
When Roele began unifying the realms of Anuire under his rule he recognized the sacrifice of the Mhora by recognising the Mhor as a Duke and granting him all the land between the two rivers, sending troops to help the Mhor in claiming his new lands. Mhoried was thereafter part of the empire, often called the Shield-land for its position on the borders and constant vigilance against the goblins, sidhe, Brecht and Rjurik. While Mhoried occasionally played the game of thrones during the decline of the empire and after its fall, in general it avoided such distractions and focused on defending itself from the growing power of the Gorgon.

Mhoried is a hereditary nobility. The Duke of Mhoried is traditionally called the Mhor, counts of the realm tend to be known as Marquis. The politics of MHoried tend to be somewhat rough and ready by the standards of the rest of Anuire, the people are proud of their independence and ancient rights and the Mhors seem equally proud of their people's loyalty and defiant attitude. Few places in Anuire are so welcoming to those of low birth who prove themselves - in Mhoried should a commoner prove themselves a great hero or otherwise benefit the land then so long as they seem to have Mhorien spirit the people of Mhoried will welcome them and grant them such titles and land as are appropriate.

• Erin Graysong, minstrel to the Mhor
  
• Bannier Shooting Star, court diviner to the Mhor.
  
• Moerele Lannaman guilder of the Maesil Shippers
  
• Regien, court wizard and mage of Mhoried.
  
• Shaene Mhoried, brother of the Mhor.
  
• Owain Deubarth, Druid of Mhoried
  

Domain Table: Mhoried

Province	Law	Temple	Guild	Source
Balteruine (2/3)	Mh (1)	MOC (2)	ML (2)	Rg (3)
Bevaldruor (6/3)	Mh (4)	HA (3)	ML (5)	Rg (3)
		MOC (3)	GTh (1)
			Mh (0)
Byrnnor (4/1)	Mh (3)	HA (2)	ML (3)	Rg (1)
		OA (2)	GTh (1)
			Mh (0)
Cwlldon (3/2)	Mh (3)	HA (2)	GH (2)	SM (2)
	GT (0)	MOC (0)	ML (0)	Rg (0)
Dhalsiel (2/3)	Mh (2)	OA (2)	ML (2)	Rg (3)
Maesilar (3/2)	GT (3)	MOC (3)	ML (3)	Rg (2)
	Mh (0)	HA (0)	Mh (0)
Marloer?s Gap (2/3)	Mh (1)	HA (1)	ML (2)	Rg (2)
		OA (0)
Tenarien (3/2)	Mh (3)	OA (3)	GTh (3)	SM (2)
	GT (0)	HA (0)	ML (0)	Rg (0)
Torien?s Watch (3/6)	Mh (2)	OA (3)	GTh (3)	Rg (6)
Winoene (3/2)	Mh (3)	HA (3)	GTh (3)	Rg (2)
			ML (0)
Abbreviations: Mh=Daeric Mhoried (Mhoried); GH=Ghorien Hiriele (Highland/Overland Traders); GT=Gavin Tael (Ghoere); GTh=Gaelin Thuried (Upper Anuire Traders); HA=Haelyn's Aegis (Antia Maricoere); ML=Moerele Lannaman (Maesil Shippers); MOC=Militant Order of Cuiraécen (Fhylie the Sword); OA=Oaken Grove of Aeric (Gunther Brandt); Rg=Regien; SW=Sword Mage.