History of the Azure Kingdom
The Azure Kingdom was once a great nation. Its centralized location in the Blue Mountains gave it the ability to involve itself in world politics. Its large population provided it with vast armies. Its powerful mages gave it vision and direction. But this once great nation is no more.

Not much is known about the kings that preceded King Senaca, but his reign and the people that made up his royal court are the stuff of legend. Stories and songs about Senaca, his wife Judith, his powerful mage and advisor Cameo, and the bard Dutton Hobbs are recited by bards in taverns and by mothers to their children by the cooking fire late at night.

King Senaca is widely credited for making peace between the storm giants and the humans of this region. (See “King Senaca” in the Supporting Cast section for an illustration of him.) The Storm Gates were erected, and an orderly schedule for the release of the winter storms was established. When the Gates were open, winter ruled the Azure Kingdom...when the gates were closed, the storms were held back and summer's influence would return to the mountains. This was a great improvement over the days when the storm giants held the region at the mercy of their capricious storms.

Though many details of King Senaca's rule are no longer remembered, it is widely believed that he was a fair and just ruler. He cared deeply for his wife, his court, his friends and allies, and most of all - his subjects. He seemed to have the best interests of his people in mind for every royal decision...and he was loved by the populace.

Then King Senaca's rule ended with his tragic and mysterious death. The legends say that
Judith took her own life when she found that her husband was dead...and that Cameo's life was drained away in an attempt to save his friend and king by magical means. According to legend, the bard Dutton Hobb's fate is less certain. It is said that he died or left the region in deep grief.

With the King's death, the Storm Gates were never again closed, and winter never passed
from the land. Since that time most of the populace moved away or thinned out by attrition. Of those that remained, a high mortality rate has thinned their numbers even further. For the most part, the only centers of population that remain are fortified towns on the edges of the Kingdom, for its core is a bitter wasteland of ice and snow....