Kingdom of the Wood

The Kingdom of the Wood was one of the four client kingdoms that ruled what became Corinth after the fall of the Phadean Empire. It was founded in 1255 by Samuel Shale who along with Jude Mastodon, Amed Albarck, and Isrel Astor defeated Juran Coren, who claimed to be Phadean Emperor over the northern part of the Phadean Empire. After the victory of the four generals, the Phadean Emperor Solen IV allowed Shale, Mastodon, Albarck, and Astor to split the north into four constituent kingdoms while allowing Coren to continue ruling Coran.

Samuel Shale ruled as King of the Wood from 1255 until his death in 1272. He ruled from a small fortress near modern New Corinth. His son, Alton Shale, ruled as King from the fortress from 1272-1276 when, he died in a battle helping the Astor kings of the River fight against the invading Sampans. His young son, Carden Shale, only about 9 years old then ruled from 1276-1346, leading a long reign. His mother, Queen Emmia and his uncle, Prince Falkon, ruled in his stead until he reached the age of majority.

King Carden lead the development of a new capital city in the eastern part of the kingdom. The move was in part due to the threat of invading Sampans which required the king and his army to be closer to the area of concern. This city became known as Carden's Hill and was later shortened to Cardenhill. Carden helped build the famous Shale Palace, a large, luxurious palace built originally of wood, surprisingly different from the other fortresses. The Palace, while serving many symbolic purposes, was rarely used for government business which took place in a more conventional stone fortress. Legend says that during the reign of Tiron Shale, when the Sampans reached Cardenhill, they were so moved by the sight of the Palace that they could not bear to burn it.

He also lead the building of the Shale Square and the Wooded Sepulcher, which came to be the principal seat of the Prior of Cardenhill of the New Covenant religion.

The kingdom continued from 1255 until the unification with Corinth in 1535 during the marriage of Queen Azura Shale and Prince Riel Coren. The two houses united to create the House of Coren-Shale which became the House of Raffles. During the reign of Queen Azura and Prince Riel, the Kingdom became known as the Kingdom of Corinth and the Wood. Their son, Raphael Coren-Shale, later led the Conquest of Corinth and upon his defeat of Jude IX Mastodon in 1579, he changed the family name to the House of Raphael and the Kingdom's name to the Kingdom of Corinth.