Campaign created Saturday, September 5, 2009 06:10:59 AM by Kamarathin

Follow a band of Mountaineers as they patrol the Olemecan Highlands in defense of the people of Tursh.

Duchy of Clah

Current Ruler: Duke Jurtodd

Capital City: Lirian

Languages: Highlander is the dominant language within the duchy with Rivertongue along the Ettell and Gaver. Amo and Matharian can be found in the Olemecans.

Major Resources: Precious metals and gem stones, coal and iron ore.

Religion: The Old Faith is still strong among the baronies of Clah. There is little love for the Asunites here.

Racial Mix: Once again, this duchy is primarily Tursh with very little variance except along its northern border where a heavy population of Aigulf reside. It does, however, have the only Matharian Clanhome and the only Vaerdi Hall in the entire kingdom.

Overview: Duke Jurtodd is a very wealthy man, primarily due to the Vael Barony. He is an excellent tactician that has managed to keep the creatures of the Malgit from invading his realm through the Riondsay Barony. The Duke, however, is very much involved with the politics of the realm and is vying with Prince Elaunel to gain even more lands and power. His first target is the acquisition of Duchess Tirlessa's territories along the Olemecan Highlands. With the help of Bishop Hetor, the Duke is attempting to convince the Prince that no true noble of the realm should be allowed to follow the Old Faith; the Duchess is a Druid and only grudgingly accepts the presence of the Asunite Church within her borders.

This power play by the Duke could very easily spark a territorial war between the two Duchies that would eventually turn into a religious battle that the King may not be able to stop, let alone the pious but mostly ineffectual Prince.

The signs of conflict have not gone unnoticed by Baron Fina of House Vilare. His heavily fortified capital, Rolas, would be the most likely launching point for the Duke's army, should war occur. The effeminate Baron, always observant for an opportunity, has been holding secret meetings with the Duchess's emissaries. Should war break out between the two Duchies, Baron Fina will side with whoever made the better deal.

Riondsay Barony
Baron Riondsay is very much a symbol of his barony; a large man, even among the locals, he is loud, rough and cares little for etiquette and political intrigue. He is very straightforward in his dealings and never operates covertly. Many call him "The Boar" for his strength, tenacity and fierceness. This nickname has become slightly amended in the more "civilized" courts and he is jokingly referred to as "The Bore", this, however, is never said to his face.

The barony itself is dedicated to keeping the undesirables of the Malgit as well as Enni slavers and raiders from entering the duchy. Several forts and keeps dot the Olemecan Highlands along various strategic mountain trails, the most famous of these was Erry Keep.

The Village of Rayne
The village of Rayne resides in the Olemecan Highlands at the bottom of the Rayne falls on the Ettell River. This is at the eastern side of the Riondsay Barony which, in turn, lies within the Clah Duchy.

The Ettell begins high up in the Olemecans and carves a canyon just south of the village. The canyon ends at the Rayne Falls and from here its waters flow out of the foothills and joins with the Oighiread to form the Gaver River. The Gaver eventually spreads out and slows down ending in the swamp known as the Water Wood. This giant marsh is the last haven for the Halflings known as the Bezzi within the Kingdom of Tursh.

The falls allow the rapidly flowing Ettell to slow and the soft, sandy shores north of the falls combined with the yearly flooding of the river has made docking at Rayne merely a task of running the low-draft river boats aground and then pulling them further up the shore.

When the Matharians negotiated with House Bendam to found Rayne, they were asked to build a bridge across the Ettell in order to transport the Matharian goods with greater ease than the ferry that had been here prior. The dwarves built a sturdy bridge from the surrounding river rock which helped to further smooth out the already sandy shoreline. From the shore to the nearest hut is a gap of about 100 yards that allows for the yearly flooding that occurs in early spring. Even still, the buildings nearest the river will be built on stilts of approximately 5' in height as experience has taught that the spring floods are anything but predictable.

The river is the lifeblood of the village. The vast majority of the village's trade is done right next to or even on the river boats as they arrive, while the few caravans that travel this far upriver will meet at the village green.

The village acts as a trade hub for the Clanhome and is the gateway into both the Kingdom of Beilean and the eastern reaches of the Kingdom of Tursh, by way of the Ettell and Gaver Rivers.

Most caravans will stop at Riverford, a larger town located near the fork of the Ettell, Oighiread and Gaver rivers. The trails leading to Rayne are notorious for Enni Slavers and other bandits, a situation that further encourages the caravans to not bother with climbing up the foothills to Rayne.