Cantillia’s Bounty

Ruler: Branaderg Crungmaw

The shining fleet is the second most mobile member of the Lord-doms. And is also the only one comprised entirely of Gnomes. Gnomish farming platforms; portable tracks of land held on the backs of gorge lizards and driven across Ianis are hardly new concepts. The Shining Fleet is one of the larger portable co-operatives however and its variety of crops and ability to adapt to changing weather and market conditions means that The Shining Fleet is influential in the fresh food market. It therefore holds a great amount of power in Cantillia.

The Shining Fleet has no concrete origins, rather it built its strength over time, swallowing smaller Gnomish platforms and adding their strength to theirs. The Shining Fleet spends most of its time in the south-eastern region region, though it has splinter groups of platforms that make the occasional round trips north. A platforms arrival outside a town is always cause for celebration and a reason to spend as the platforms grow far more variety than any simple field can. Some cities in fact, like Fernshire, rely on the fleet to supplement their actual farms and so the platforms arrival is a particular cause for celebration.

The Shining Fleet is not ruled by any person per-se. Rather, the heads of the larger platforms families come together every so often to discuss the season ahead. After a large amount of yelling, threats and occasionally friendly amounts of violence, the season is planned. However, the Gnomes of the Shining Fleet understand the human kingdoms need for a figurehead and so have thrust the unwelcome task on Branaderg Crungmaw in recent years, the position rotating every so often. Usually when the current representative can take no more.

Branaderg regards his position with distaste. Not the Lord-doms or even the other Lords, but just position. The Gnomeish way is to thrash out a plan freely and air grievances, not dance around each other. And so Branaderg Crungmaw has a reputation as something of a hot-head. That said, there is a shrewd mind under that mop of fiery red hair and Branaderg has negotiated more than one deal that benefited the fleet.

In recent years the fleets presence has not been felt as keenly and there are whispers, hushed whispers, but whispers none the less, that the a few of the platforms are running fallow. Such rumours mainly fall on deaf ears, because if the gnomes can’t grow food, who can?

Art by Jon Pintar
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