Kingdom of Helmsdeep

Helmsdeep was a militaristic kingdom founded in 0AC at the start of the Second Era by King Mercenary.

After coming out of the War of Two Kings victorious, Helmsdeep became the dominant force in Minecraftia until the end of the Second Era, when during the Great Grief King Whazajottom of Redstonia stabbed Helmsdeep in the back, destroying most of the kingdom and leading King Mercenary into a trap, killing him.

Helmsdeep during its prosperous period was a nation with a extreme focus on military strength, prohibiting any signs of weakness in either themselves or their allies. This military tradition today still remains in in the Province of Valyria and the Province of the Reach, due to the influences of the former Helmsdeep colony of Marsadini - today known as Lannisport. It was known for massive expansion southwards, building at the time the biggest cities and buildings the world had ever seen, and displaying their wealth in the form of two giant diamond swords in front of the royal palace and throne room. Today this building is used as a headquarters for the Mercenary Bank, but the swords still remain.

To finance this expansion, the Kingdom during its founding used to trade with the Spawnlands - today known as the Riverlands. However, fearing that the influx of wealth would allow Helmsdeep to become the most powerful kingdom in Minecraftia, Kythira set up strict sanctions. This however backfired, leading to Helmsdeep holding raids on the Spawnlands that would only end after the Great Grief destroyed most of the known world.

Fleeing these raids were a small band of refugees under Whazajottom, who would eventually settle on the Peninsula of Peril, founding the Kingdom of Redstonia, crowning Whazajottom as their king.

At the end of the Second Era, with Kythira at the verge of collapse and Redstonia as an ally producing weaponary, Helmsdeep decided to conquer the known world alltogether. However, after succesfully taking both Kythira and the Spawnlands, forcing the remaining Kythirans and their King to flee north into the dense forrests to a bunker they had construted earlier, Redstonia blew up most of the Helmsdeep capital, trapping King Mercenary in the destruction, killing him. Without his leadership nor the wealth of Helmsdeep which was raided by Redstonia whilst Helmsdeep was occupied in the Spawnlands, the Kingdom almost immediately collapsed.

Instead of a Helmsdeep Empire under a blue crossed banner, only ashes remained until Kythira returned in the third era, taking over the ruins of the former kingdom and rebuilding it, uniting the old Helmsdeep capital with the former Kythiran capital, to form what is today the Imperial City.