Barony of Karriver

This young barony on the northern flank of Greenvale stretches north from the river Kar. It curves eastward, flanking the Karuun mountains and cradled between that mountain range and the northernmost finger of the Hikar Hills on the east. The Connokar is a large stream that runs through much of the valley, creating rich farmland before joining the Kar river. At this time the barony is only lightly populated, with about 3000 people in the baronial town and the half-dozen farming villages that surround it.

Man'sle

The capitol town of Karriver Barony is located on Manfred's Isle. This island was originally formed from an oxbow of the Connokar. Roughly oval, it is about 1/2 mile long and a bit less wide. At the island's highest point is a small but sturdy stone fort, built 8-10 years ago by Manfred and his adventuring companions. The island boasts a few small farms but not enough to support the whole castle population. On each bank of the river to east and west there are sizeable villages - they are guarded by a moat in one case and a pallisade in the other, but both are connected to the Isle by bridges and that is their major defensive plan - to retreat into the fort. Half a dozen smaller villages have sprung up within a few miles, each with its own motte and bailey or other protections. Manfred has already begun plans to substantially increase his fort into a true castle, and is seeking stonemasons and an architect at this time.

The town of Manfred's Isle (becoming known in the local dialect as Man'sle) boasts a population of 2,000. It has a conventional power center (feudal baron), with an alignment of Lawful Good (neutral good tendencies).

Population breakdown: Racially the town and the other surrounding communities are 50% human, 30% half-elf, 15% hobbyt and 5% other (elf, marchat or dwarf). By class and level: 1 adept of L1, 1 aristocrat of L1 (Lady Manfred), Barbarians of L7, 2xL4, 4xL2, 8xL1 (Woodsfolk - Lady Manfred's brother and other companions); Bards L3, L2, 2xL1 (One is Valmer, the Baron's own bard); Clr (of the triumvirate gods Mikol, Elanora and Kehret) L4, 2xL2, 4xL1; Commoners L14 (Manfred's grandfather, a crippled but very wise old fellow), 2xL7, 4xL4, 8xL2, and 1,710 L1. Druids 1x L5 (Fisher Makepeace), 1x L2, 2xL1; Experts 1xL7 (blacksmith), 2xL4 (woodworker and animal husbandry), 4xL2, 45xL1; Fighters 1xL8 (Baron Manfred, but also L3 Aristocrat), 2xL4 (one is a "retired" dwarf mercenery), 4xL2, 8xL1; Rangers 1xL2, 2xL1; Rogues 1xL5, 2xL3, 4xL2, 8xL1; Sorcerers 1xL4, 2xL2, 4xL1; Warriors 1xL6, 2xL3, 4xL2, 80xL1; Wizards 1x L5, 2xL1.

Man'sle is not a trade town nor a tourist destination. It is a working farm and forest community in a rugged area where survival is a battle. There is one rather small Inn, called the Boar's Tusk. It is clean and cheap, serves good food, but is mostly a drinking place for the town's soldiery.

Experts and skilled commoners in the areas of stonemasonry, metalsmithing, animal husbandry, agriculture, woodscraft and other basic skills are common. The barbarians present are kinsfolk of Lady Manfred's of the Werruen folk. The NPC's of PC class type are most likely adventurers who are either causing some minor troubles for Manfred or are currently/soon to be enrolled by him as aids in keeping the peace.

In the past two years new wealth has come to Barony Karriver in the form of a gold mine, and some gold panning in the river. The mine is located just a mile south of Man'sle, not far from the grove of Druid Fisher Makepeace. The wealth from this mine has been used to hire a new band of mercenary soldiers who are steadily working to clean out goblin and orc remnants in the barony's hills. They are also patrolling north of Mansle in an effort to prevent more goblinkind from arriving. The new merceneries are in addition to the folk listed above. Manfred has hired 25 men out of Greenvale - 18 are L1 warriors, and the others are 3 L3 sergeants, 2 L4 lieutenants, a L3 wizard for "artillery" and one is their captain (L5 warrior). They are good, competent men, well led and well behaved.

NPCs

Some important folk in Man'sle are

Baron Manfred human NG with lawful tendencies L11 (Ftr8/Ari3)

Baron Manfred of Karriver is a youngish man of about 30. He is a strong warrior and leader who seems to have his people's best interests at heart. He maintains a sizeable militia and guards his borders well. He is friendly with the barbarian Woodsfolk who roam his lands and treats them well. In return, they are careful not to hunt across the farms of his settled folk, and warn them of dangers when they can.

Lady Helmina Manfred human LG L1 (Ari1) This young woman is barely out of girlhood. She worships her older husband and would do anything to aid him in his leadership of the barony. Her only priority above him is her darling baby son.

Druid Fisher Makepeace N hobbyt L5 (Drd5) is a bright, cheerful man, rotund and talkative, very smart and unafraid to speak his mind. He's been a friend of the Baron's for years and is well aware of many problems and dangers facing the Barony as well as the resources and strengths it has to resist them.

Cleric Ardwyn Avenor - NG human L4 follower of the Triumvirate (Mikol, Elanora and Kehret) - Ardwyn is a bit headstrong and inclined to jump to conclusions too quickly, but he's a good man overall. He's begun to wonder what is wrong with Lady Manfred, though, and she is therefore nervous around him.

Fighter Kragor Hatharun - NE dwarf L4. Kragor was a dwarf mercenary leader from Koruzd until a few years ago, when the dragon-led army of goblins nearly overran the Barony of Karriver. He and his men fought a holding battle at Mans'le while the Baron led many of the locals to safety. Kragor was crippled in that battle when a stone wall fell on him. Manfred feels responsible for the dwarf's injuries and has provided him a home ever since. Kragor is an outcast from his clan, as were his band of followers, many of whom have taken up residence in Mans'le or the nearby hills. They're a difficult, surly lot, given to causing trouble and arguing their rights when they have none; Manfred would like to get rid of them but is afraid of offending the greater number of better-natured dwarves in his land. He doesn't realize that Kragor is an outcast and has no clan support; such information would be very useful to the Baron, and Kragor is careful to see that the topic doesn't come up.

History of the Barony

Baron Manfred founded Karriver Barony about ten years ago, after he and his band of adventurers defeated a ruthless party of bandits known as the Fire Lord and his Brigands of the Flame. These bandits, nearly 200 in number, raided as far south as Dene and as many miles to the East. Eventually they overreached themselves by robbing too many caravans and looting too many villages. The Count of Highscar recruited Baron Manfred and his party to deal with the evil troop. Manfred and his wizardly companion Rax did so by reputedly sealing them into a tomb in the hills. Less than a year later, Manfred settled into his new Baronial position. The war some three years later caught Manfred off guard; he was forced to hire mercenaries to take his lands back from the goblins who overran it. He hired a troupe of Dwarves from Harothar, and for a few years it looked as if they might become the dominant power in the Barony, as the Baron fell on hard times. However, the woodsfolk seem to have come to his rescue, leading him to gold in the nearby river.

Manfred is married to a maiden of the Werruen woodsfolk. She is 12 years his junior and they have one child, a boy just a year old in the year 2632. Manfred and his lady, Helmina, seem immensely happy with each other, but there does seem to be some cloud that hangs over the Lady. She withdraws from court often, spending her evenings alone rather than in the company of her husband and her ladies. 

However, not all in the barony is well. There are many ancient ruins across the land - it was once in the heart of the 2nd Empire's most settled lands. Castles, manors and other strange ruins are commonplace here. Adventuring in them is how Manfred got his start, and there are still a number of adventuring parties in the region. Occasionally they cause trouble of their own, or stir up things better left alone. In one or two cases, the ruins have drawn strange and dangerous outsiders here. Manfred is always ready to find strong and friendly adventurers to keep an eye on the less worthy and to take care of trouble when it arises.

Manfred's goals are simple- he wants to protect his people, strengthen his borders, and draw other like-minded people to build more baronies nearby to create a peaceful and prosperous realm. He is not interested in expanding his area of control, but would do so if it became urgently necessary. Manfred still has a group of 40 dwarvish warriors (mostly L1-3, ranging to L6 for the commander) from Harothar in his hire, and about 20 other human and half-elven soldier-types, including a wizard of L5, and a cleric of L4 (all as listed in the town population above).

Recently, the rumor of gold in Karriver's hills has begun to draw a few dozen rough types who are interested in prospecting on their own. Some are well enough, but others seem reckless, unwilling to be friendly with the woodsfolk, and unaware of the dangers the hills may present.