County Highscar

Cedarknot is the county seat, the count is Sir Liam, a knight of St. Romanus. His wife is Lady Halfreda. Because Highscar remained loyal to Prince Tellmon to the end, this county remains on the outskirts of Prince Starbow's court. The town of Cedarknot, the county seat, is located in a richly forested valley of the Karuun Mountains, called Cedar Valley. Sheltered from the worst winter storms, this is excellent farm and forestry land. It's pop is 5,000. Highscar is the least-densely populated of the Old Greenvale counties, but one of the wealthiest due to rich forest, agricultural and mineral resources. Total population is 230,000. 


Geographic Features

Important Towns and Baronies:

Sir Liam has five Barons and 23 Knights in his service. Each Baron holds a barony from him, and several also hold at least one manor as well. Baronies are large land units made up of a dozen or more manors and villages in a region. Because the division of land in Greenvale is fairly recent, these baronies are still moderately contiguous. Each Knight under a baron holds one or occasionally two manors from him. Each Barony has a small town or large village around the baronial seat. Most manors boast at least a hamlet and often a village within their bounds. Most Barons have between six and ten knights sworn to them directly. Some knights may hold manors from more than one Baron, or from a baron and the Count directly. This can create a tight web of interlocking feudal responsibilities that often conflict.

The Five Baronies of Highscar are:

Denbare (Village of Dene) - Baron Kerric Denbare. Denbare has five knights under his direct allegiance. One of them is Lady Elysa Mona of Shadybrook.

Blackmere (Town of Blackmere) - Baron Thorkell of Blackmere

Warenne (Village of Ware) - Baron Algar of Warenne

Desmond Lands (Village of Underhill) - Baron Miles of Desmond Lands

Thetford (Village of Shannondale) - Baron Alan of Thetford

History

Important NPCs

Important Groups and Organizations:

Candlekeep: located just a mile from the village of Auldfort, this citadel of learning stands on a low cliff at the edge of Silverwater Bay. It is a large multi-towered building, once home to the famous seer Alaundo, and preserves his writings along with many other pieces of knowledge assembled since the fall of the second Empire, and perhaps before. The price for anyone (any group) wishing to enter and study here is a piece of previously unrecorded information, or a book, scroll or other original document. This is how the Avowed, the scholars who dwell here, obtain most of their new knowledge.

The community of about 70 permanent and visiting scholars is led by the Keeper of the Tomes, assisted by the First Reader. Other senior scholars are called the Great Readers (there are 7 more after the First), the Chanter, the Guide, and the Gatewarden (Peredur). The Chanter is in charge of the prophecies of Alaundo, which are read aloud from each night during the evening meal. He is assisted by 4 Voices. The Guide is in charge of the young scholars or acolytes who do much of the daily work in Candlekeep, including reshelving and copying. The Gatewarden is in charge of guests, security and supplies.

There are old magics functioning throughout the keep which prevent fires (only light or continual light spells are used; no candles, torches or fires), keep insects, molds and mildew to a minimum, and (some say) even prevent teleportation!

Some of the most valuable materials are kept in a further sealed and warded chamber, whose entry is permitted only by a special token, issued to the Great Readers and the Keeper. Others are permitted these Inner Rooms only in their presence.

The keep is surrounded by a terraced garden with many trees, a spring, and many pools and cascades. The round walls that surround this inner garden then are lined with other buildings, guesthouses, warehouses, stables, granaries, an infirmary, a temple to Ta-lila, and shrines to other gods.

Total resident population of Candlekeep is about 150. This number can increase to as high as 200 when guests are taken into account.

Except in cases of illness, visits to Candlekeep must be for less than ten days. Order is kept by the Gatewarden’s five Watchers. They are said to have strong magics to assist them in defense. There are also 25 men of the Greenvale Guard assigned here for defense.

Copying of materials from the library is forbidden - all copying is done by scribes of the keep, and is charged for - this is where the keep makes its income. This rule is strictly enforced, and attempting to break it may lead to eviction and banning.

The current Keeper of the Tomes is Ulraunt, a haughty minor mage. It is custom that each searcher who comes to Candlekeep must sit with the Keeper at one evening meal during his stay. At this time Ulraunt usually asks many searching (rude!) questions about the person’s business here. Tethtorial, a half-elf, is the current First Reader. His gentle intelligence and good nature make him far more likeable than Ulraunt. Tethtorial has a special interest in mechanical magic and devices.

Specialty knowledge which is to be found at Candlekeep includes 22 maps of the first and second empires at various ages, maps of many keeps and castles from those times, songs, books and poetry of the second empire, legends of the first empire, genealogies, first-hand accounts of the fall of the second empire, and more.

Monastery of the Golden Flame: This monastic community is located in the barony of Denbare, some twelve miles south-east of the village of Shadybrook. The monastery was originally established during the 2nd Empire, and the structures that make up the monastery date to that time. It was abandoned during the Fall, but records that describe exactly when and why are apparently lost. In the past four or five decades the monastery has been re-established. At this time there are forty people dwelling in the partly-restored building complex. Several priests of three separate gods have chosen to come together to form a somewhat unusual community - Priests of Mikol the Sunlord, Nelora the Bountiful his wife, and her son Kehret Warwinner have all three sought out this place as their home.

Four clerics of Mikol - Father Aella Goldhad - L6 is the senior priest of the Monastery. He is patient, practical and managerial. He rarely gets flustered, and is able to see the strengths and weaknesses of all his flock.

Brothers Benoc, Dunnaca and Caege -L3 each are his assistants and helpers; Benoc is in charge of the Scriptorium, Dunnaca the gardens and fowl, Caege is the Hospitaler; responsible for the kitchens, the laundry, guests and hospitality.

Mother Torfi is the senior priestess of Nelora at L5. She is Father Aella's wife. She is in charge of the herbarium and the sickroom. She is a competent and restful woman whose skills well match those of her husband. Her fellow priestesses of Nelora are named Sisters Hygd and Lioba. They are 4th and 1st lvls respectively.

Father Waerna of Kehret is the head priest of that god. He is in charge of the defense of the monastery, and thus is the senior Porter. He has Brothers Stubba and Porcel as assistants. Father Waerna is L5, and his assistants are L2.

Five warriors of Kehret have also come to serve the monastery, and there are also a dozen expert priests who have devoted themselves to the contemplative life. The rest of the commoners (around a dozen) are ordinary servants and laborers who choose to serve the priests as a sign of their devotion. Some of these priests and commoners are family of the clerics, and there are even a few children among their numbers. Each year a few more clerics and priests join their brothers and sisters - and someday, they hope, they will once again be a thriving community for their gods.

The monastery itself consists of a central building with a large cathedral, a cloistered court, several dormitories, kitchens and dining halls, and other necessary living and working chambers. These buildings have been restored to a point where they are clean and safe, but are largely unused by the small population. Buildings which the present residents have not even touched include the old monastery's mausoleums, residence halls, infirmary and craft halls. The only building which is now in use was once a dormitory wing with a converted kitchen and a smaller set of chapels. Herb and vegetable gardens, a small orchard, a fish-pond and a large chicken-house are located nearby.