Ontrymians have a more fraught and isolated history than Beobrimians and Scholtites. After the fall of the first kingdom, the ancestors of modern-day Ontrymians fled west, towards the mountains. There, resources were more scarce than in the bountiful valleys of Ealdagen. The Ontrymian people had to be cunning with their resources, a reputation that persists to this day and is seen by their emblem of the fox. However, they have always had access to rare ores and minerals through the mountain range, which do not exist in the rest of Ealdagen. It is even said that they found ancient mines used by the first kingdom for sourcing materials for their magical practices. The original kingdom of Ontryme spanned the west bank of the Rooted River, from the Ruins of Breasham in the north until Oraton, the second largest city of the kingdom.

Once the kingdom of Ontryme was built, they were quick to establish trade relations with goblins who also dwell in the Barakdek mountain range and beyond. This trade relationship created a unique culture of artificing within Ontryme. Although the prejudice against the arcane was still present after the fall of the first kingdom and the subsequent witch hunt, several Ontrymians hold that artificing is not magic; it’s science.

Ontrymians have a cultural norm to wear masks, mostly made of metal. The style varies based on occasion and profession. This started off as a political norm to not be manipulated and betrayed by facial expressions, but over time was adopted by many professions. Due to this tradition, there have been many cases of mistaken identity or mistaken assassinations throughout the history of the kingdom, even becoming a very common trope in plays. This custom has created a culture of drawn out introductions or small talk to prove you are who you say you are.

Although it started as a mostly upper crust custom, it has trickled down to the masses, especially for festivals and celebrations. Nowadays, for people of lower social standing, wearing at least a partial face covering day to day is expected. Conversely, some people of high status who don’t wear masks often or who display their face are seen as pious and honest.

Relatively small prior to the unification, the Kingdom of Ontryme consisted largely of three cities; Ontryme, the largest and home to the seat of the crown, Oraton, the second largest city and cultural center of the kingdom, and Knight’s Rest, a smaller city that originated as a rest stop for travelers heading to Triad Point.

With its large stone spires from the base of the mountain that climb up towards the icy peaks, the city of Ontryme is the true crown of the Ontrymian empire. It is the manufacturing center of the kingdom, with some of the largest mines in Ealdagen. It also has the strongest presence of goblin travelers from Ur'Kech. King Kieran spends most of his time in his castle, as it is the center of his political and military headquarters. Especially as age catches up with him, he is less and less able to travel his vast empire. The question of his succession has been prevalent in the minds and mouths of Ontrymians, as he never married and leaves no direct heir.

Although smaller than the city of Ontryme, Oraton is still a large city embedded into the mountains. A large university was founded in it, one of the oldest in Ealdagen, dedicated to the study of history, art, and eventually, artificing. Oraton is seen as one of the most open-minded cities in Ealdagen, a place of intellectual stimulation and exchange to some, and a den of sin to others.

Knight’s Rest has grown from its origins in the early years of the second kingdoms as a one-road town to its own flourishing city. Although not as large as the city of Ontryme or Oraton, it is still populous. It has a strong connection to the military culture of Ontryme, and now the U.F.E., often hosting traveling bands of footsoldiers or trainees out on their first mission. Aside from its geographical accessibility, the city is the most “normal” to those outside of the kingdom of Ontryme and its odd customs, with no goblins, artificing, and less adherence to the culture of masks, making Scholtites and Beobrimians feel more at ease there than in the mountain cities. This also makes it the most multicultural of the Ontrymian cities, with a respectable percentage of the population being made up of Scholtites and Beobrimians.

Due to the strained resources in their region, the Ontrymians have always sought expansion. Their decisive victory over the kingdoms of Beobrim and Scholton, and subsequent establishment of the Ontrymian Empire, has paved the way for future military pursuits. Now, however, they are less about resource strain, and more about access to technologies and resources exotic to Ealdagen. Without much interest in the south of the continent, with its arid desert and inhospitable jungle, King Kieran and the Empire shift their attention north.

Rumor has it that the Order of the Lily has been planting seeds of discord between the dwarves of Barakbrok and the dragon-riders of Darastrix. A war between the enigmatic northern powerhouses would create an opportunity for the Empire to march north.

Ontryme has strong diplomatic ties to Axumor and Deluvant. Ontryme’s secretive mountain passes and allyship with the goblins of Ur’Kech give the Ontrymians direct access to Deluvant and Axumor by land. This has allowed the Ontrymians to maintain a stronger connection to their northern cousins than the rest of Ealdagen, which remains physically isolated by the mountain range and deserts surrounding the region. They have frequent diplomatic and trade expeditions through both regions, and have guided back the occasional traveler. However, they go through great lengths to keep the location of the mountain pass tunnel entrances and exits hidden.

Arguably, however, Ontryme’s strongest historical allies have been the goblins of Ur’Kech. The Ontrymian crown has had little interest in the area of Ur’Kech itself- the swamp more resource-strained than the mountain-range cities of Ontryme. However, they quickly found that sharing a mountain with goblins will either be an eternal pest control problem, or an opportunity for cultural exchange. Hence, the technological developments achieved by the goblin nation has had great influence on Ontryme. As a result, Ontryme is the most technologically oriented of the three kingdoms. They have welcomed goblin craftspeople and researchers for centuries, with the occasional goblin even settling down and starting a family in the human kingdom.