Greenvale
Back to Homepage
Greenvale Political History and Social Structure
Greenvale is a 200 year old kingdom ruled by the great-grandson of Elox the 1st, King Jhoram the Restorer. Greenvale covers an area of some 60,620 square miles. Prince Jhoram is now King Jhoram and Greenvale is once again a thriving, growing, changing realm. All Red and Green Text below is unedited or in need of modification before taking as truth.
Government
Greenvale's government is a strict monarchy, dynastic in nature. All offices, including the nobility, are appointed by the King, at least in theory; in truth, the King normally acknowledges the heir selected by the previous title-holder. A yearly Parliament, consisting of all the Counts and the Marchers (rulers of the "March Baronies" of Greenlake, Pintar's Keep, Aermon, Karriver and Mound) , the two Dukes (Karland and Thrak), the high Priests of Mikol, Elanora and Kehret, all Royal Officeholders (listed below) and all 16 of the Guildsmasters, meets each spring for two months. In theory, they have the power to overrule the King of Greenvale on many issues, but as they are usually deeply divided, and the King's Privy Council are highly skilled politicians, they rarely have the votes needed to defeat one of the King's Proclamations of Law.
The King further has his Privy Council:
This small body of people assist the King in his everyday decision-making, and are his closest personal advisors. The Privy Council's makeup fluctuates over time, and the members are personally chosen by the King; about every five years it is expected that the King will review the Privy Council's makeup, and may at that time make broad changes in the membership, but it is not uncommon for him to dismiss a Privy Councilor at other times. Current members consist of Queen Idonia, Duchess Rowena, Duke Thrak, the High Priest of Kehret, and Prince Jhoram, the King's twin brother.
Important Royal Family, Officeholders and others:
Queen Idonia: King Jhoram's half-elven wife is the heart and soul of Greenvale's social life. She runs the Royal Court, and plans every major social event held there. She's a sweet-natured but very intelligent woman, who wants what is best for her husband, her children, and her Kingdom, in that order. She truly loves being a social butterfly, and has a finger on the social pulse of the kingdom.
The Prince: Prince Taran is the younger twin of King Jhoram. Many people fear and distrust him because of his role as Prince Taran the Grim, while he was possessed by the Lich Umade. However, his brother refuses to allow this fear to prevent him from being close to his beloved brother. Prince Taran is rarely seen in public, and rumor has it that he has gone back to being an adventurer.
The Duchess of Karland: This is the only noble position which is hereditary without approval by the Prince. However the duke is required to swear fealty to the Prince. Currently Duchess Rowena is also the Commander-General of Greenvale's army. She is a strong, loyal leader who sees "might as right" in most cases, and leads from the front whenever necessary.
The Royal Princess: Princess Mildryth is a human woman, the cousin of Count Barricost of Old County. She is the wife of Prince Taran, but they are separated. She is often sharp-spoken, but is not an unkind person. She has taken over the position once held by the Dowager Princess Brigitta. She runs the "Children's Court" which is where many young nobles are sent for their fosterage, between about the ages of nine and twenty-one if they are human, or fifteen and thirty if they are half-elven. The Children's Court is located at Celebros Tower, just outside Castleton proper, which is in theory the "private home" of the Count of Celebros. Some of the children at the Court are the grandchildren of the King, his brother, and their late sister.
Dowager Princess Brigitta; half-elven half-sister to Count Maxis of Fairvale: Princess Brigitta, Prince Starbow's wife, has never been involved in ruling Greenvale. She is a very reserved and quiet woman, a half-elf, who devoted herself to her husband's care, and now to her grandchildren. She is now very elderly, lives mostly in isolation, and is only seen on rare occasions involving the royal family. She resides at Celebros Tower.
The Royal Children:
King Jhoram has his six children ranging in age from 35 to 53). His eldest child is Prince Kenward, aged 53. His second child is a daughter, Malinda (age 51), who has been wed to Count Randall of Ellegon for about eight years. His youngest children are twins, Aldor and Elsa. They are currently 35 years of age, and as yet unwed.
Prince Taran has three daughters (Rebecca, Aelfled and Gwytha) They are ages 39, 36 and 35. None are yet married; as half-elves their lives are long enough that this is not too startling.
The Late Princess Brinette had two children, a son Harald who is now age 44, and a daughter, Ekatarin who is now 42, and married to an elf from Avenvole. Harald has inherited his father's Barony in Farrhills County, centered on the village of Avonsey.
The Counts: who rule territories directly beneath the King and owe their oaths of fealty to him. These men are appointed by the King for life, and the succession is in the direct control of the King (usually hereditary, or the Count's choice approved). There are 14 Counts (actually only 13 because the King rules one of the 14 counties personally). Note that the final county is controlled by the Temple of Kehret (thus making 15 major land divisions). Each of these counties is further divided into Baronies and Fees, controlled by barons and knights who swear allegiance to the Counts. Each baron or knight will have one or more fees of land, which is "owned" by him so long as his oath to his overlord is kept. On that land there are two types of residents: peasants and freemen. Peasants are tied to the land. They may not legally leave the land without the permission of their knight or baron. Peasants who leave the land illegally do have the right to win their freedom: if they remain "at large" for one year they are considered to have gained the status of freemen. Note that peasants may not be bought, sold, traded or in any way treated as slaves. They are considered legally to be "part and parcel of the land" however, and when the land's ownership changes, they are expected to act accordingly. Freemen are tenant farmers who have the right to leave when they wish, and to own more than the clothes on their backs. Both peasants and Freemen have strict contracts with their feudal overlords, which are usually written down or memorized by the tenant. Any tenant may appeal to his overlord's overlord in cases of conflict over that contract, and peasants who have complaints about their treatment may do the same.
Commander General: leader of the King's armies. The army is broken into two basic units: the Guard which patrols the external boundaries and keeps it safe from external threats (and numbers approximately 4,000 total knights, footsoldiers, horsemen, and archers); and the Patrol, the internal keepers of law and order - the police (numbering about another 3,000 men, mainly knights, footsoldiers and light cavalry). Currently the Commander-general is Duchess Rowena, three times great granddaughter of Rakot, a personal companion to the first prince of Greenvale, the legendary Elox. She is the ruler of the Duchy of Karland. The Duke or Duchess has consistently been appointed the Commander-general and has passed that position on to their heir for the past 4 generations. There is an understanding that should he or she so desire, the current Duke or Duchess may at any time resign his position and claim lands now outside Greenvale to establish his own Duchy, which would become part of Greenvale. Duchess Rowena is a no-nonsense woman in her late fifties. She is about 1/8 elvish, and appears young for her age. She gained considerable renown in the Dragonswar, and is known to be a strong, charismatic leader who believes that Kehret guides her blade, and leads from the front when necessary. She was almost killed for "treason" during the Time of Umade, but was rescued and restored to her position when King Jhoram took the throne. She is currently a member of his Privy Council.
Master of the Wardens: the Greenwardens are mainly rangers, who work outside the limits of Greenvale across 'Boria. In general they work on the northern and western borders of Greenvale within the Anhieldfast forest and the Hikar Hills, but this is not their exclusive province. It is their duty to notify their leader of unusual activity in the wilderness that might threaten Greenvale's safety. Currently the position of Master of the Wardens is occupied by Count Timon of County Ellegon. Timon is in his mid-sixties, and has been acting or assistant Warden for nearly 40 years. There are about 400 Wardens, but nearly 2/3 are out of Greenvale at any given time. Note that the Wardens, being the independent sorts they are, are more loyal to the kingdom and the land than to individual rulers or commanders. During the Time of Umade, the Greenwardens were forced to withdraw from Greenvale proper, but they maintained their guardianship of the Kingdom's northern border, fighting many skirmishes against the undead moving southward into Greenvale. GreenWardens
Admiral: commander-in-chief of Greenvale's small but growing military fleet, based from Newport. The Admiral is Valentian Herriot, a reserved and subtle man who keeps out of politics for the betterment of his fleet. He is not a Count, but has equivalent social rank, if not income. He has two vice-admirals.
Treasurer: Keeper of the Kingdom's funds. This position is held by Lord Ganellon Tucker, a hobbyt of excellent repute.
He is a fun-loving but very competent man, who keeps the kingdom's incoming and outgoing funds in order down to a silver penny. He has rooted out any number of frauds and cheats in the years he's held his position, and many a man has confessed when confronted with his terrier-like accusations of wrong-doing. Ganellon is an older hobbyt now, and more settled in his ways, but continues to hold and manage his office with acumen. He works closely with both the Seneschal and the High Tax Collector.
King's Seneschal: one of the most important people in the Kingdom. Needs creating. The Seneschal handles all of the day-to-day activity within the Castle, and also all of the Prince's appointments and daily schedule. The Seneschal has a secondary role as the King's Spymaster; he has contacts all across Greenvale and knows a great deal of what goes on in the realm. Lady Gwennia, Countess of Farrhills County, is being trained as the next Kingdom Seneschal, under the current Seneschal.
High Sorcerer: official spellcaster to the Prince. Needs creating.
High Tax Collector: in charge of collection of all taxes in Greenvale. Note that the Tax Collector and the Treasurer must necessarily work closely together. This position is held by the half-elf Daphne, who was a ranger-adventurer, now retired. Ganellon and Daphne traveled together for several adventures, and often seem to treat their positions as just a lark, temporary assignments until adventure calls again. However, no matter how lighthearted they seem, they take their jobs as a serious trust and would not be either dishonest or neglectful. On the other hand, both are sympathetic and if presented with genuine reasons for a person to have fallen into arrears, they and all their tax collectors and accountants have the authority to be flexible. Lady Daphne was removed from her position during Prince Taran's disastrous rule, and fled to Thrak to become one of Prince Jhoram's advisors, and when he became King, he promptly restored her to her position. She is now an older woman, but as a half-elf, could be expected to remain in her position for several more decades.
High and Low Justices: responsible for the appointment of all judges and for setting all principles and standards of trial and punishment. There are three high justices, and nine low justices. High justice involves capital crimes such as murder, treason, assassination, thefts of amounts above 1,000 gc value, and similar acts for which the penalty is death. Low justice covers all other criminal and much civil law. The low justices are supplemented by the landed knights, barons and other fief holders, who may all render summary low justice. The Counts, March-Barons and the Duchess may all render High Justice, but any sentence must be approved (in theory anyway; this is regarded more in the breach than not) by one of the High Justices before it is carried out. Note that clergy are not covered by high or low justice, and all crimes involving the church are adjudicated in clerical courts. The three High Justices have permanent Courts of Justice, located in the cities of Castleton, Jerint, and Westgate. Typically, these men or women are appointed from the ranks of the Noble families of Greenvale, by the King himself.
High Priests of Kehret, Elanora, and Mikol: these final three people are also ranked as Lords of the Realm. They and the officers described above make up the Prince's advisory council. Note that Kehret is the official state patron deity, while Elanora and Mikol are the two most commonly worshipped deities of the ordinary folk.
Taxes and Ownership of Land:
Taxes are set at standard DMG rates (but read copper for silver, and silver for gold). Land within the valley is not owned by individuals. It is granted by the King (or his Counts) in fief, either in perpetuity to a family (only true in the case of the Dukes of Rakot) or to an individual, who must have the approval of the King (or Count) to pass the grant on to another individual. Lands held by the church effectively fall into the first category, but may never leave the hands of the church without approval by the King and by the head of the Church. To acquire more lands the church must be granted them by the King.
There are some exceptions to the restriction on land ownership. Most of these are based on claims that predate Elox's rule of Greenvale, and thus are most common in and around Marig (the free port), Fordton, Elfort and Littledale. Some lands here are individually owned and can be freely sold. Other exceptions include lands granted by the King "in perpetual ownership" (not simply in perpetuity). Typically these grants are tiny, but they are permanent and give the right to the owner to sell without reference to the crown.
However, ownership of fixed property ON a piece of land is a different story. A person may be given the Count's permission to build a building. That person owns the building, and has de-facto control of the land. That land is "his" and may be "sold" as part of the value of the building. However, the Count who holds the land in fief COULD renege on this control of the land (it would probably end up in court and could take years to untangle). This type of control of land is valid only inside the Bounds of Towns and Villages. Of course, if the King or a Count claims a piece of property, unless it is owned by the church or "in perpetual ownership" it automatically reverts to his ownership.
Many chartered towns have laws written into their charters which grant the ownership of land in perpetuity to the town. This land includes everything within the city walls, and all common grazing grounds as clearly marked on a surveyed map. This land can then be owned by individuals to whom the city has sold it. Thus private ownership is proected by the city's charter, which can only be voided by the King as a reaction to treason by the town or city.
The oldest portion of Old Greenvale was once partly protected by a pair of stone fortified walls that helped to isolate the coastal community from landward threats. There was once a proposal to build similar walls around the entirety of Old Greenvale. This plan was surveyed, and some small forts were built, but the wall was never undertaken. Now, with Greenvale's boundaries having grown immensely in the past hundred years, Greenvale's only protection from outside forces lies in the Greenvale Guard and the Wardens. They have built forts along the most dangerous routes into Greenvale, which number about 40. The March-barons and their lands are the most dangerous areas of Greenvale, and as such these Lords have the right to have larger standing units of men-at-arms than the Counts are permitted. They are also each supplied with a Guard Castle and a unit of the Guard.
Elox's Test of Rulership for Greenvale:
The potential heir must travel alone and incognito but armed with his/her choice of equipment from Greenvale's border to Harothar. Fourteen days are given for the challenge, but it may be completed in fewer. No person may accompany the heir, nor may he seek assistance from anyone who knows who he/she is. The Prince has the right to call a Test passed even if it exceeds the fourteen days, as long as the journey is completed. However, the journey may not be waived or shortened.
Religion in Greenvale
Elox was most closely associated with the temple of Kehret and its high priest Otto Mattock, his old companion. But he espoused religious tolerance in the valley, and people are free to worship any deity they wish, except Aragh, the God of the Dead, who should not be worshipped by any man.
There are a number of important religious organizations in Greenvale. First and most popular is the church of Elanora. The clerics can be found in most every village in greenvale. They tend to be low level and only interested in local doings. There are two orders associated with the temple of Elanora; one is the clerical order of St. Ilyria the lady. These clerics, almost always women, tend to be somewhat narrow-minded and very human-oriented, but otherwise much like the others of their deity. Second are the Knights of St. Ilyria, who are like their sister clerics, but more militant. There has not yet been an incident with one of these knights-templar, but their prejudice makes it a possibility. The High Temple of Elanora in Greenvale is Lady'sAbbey. It is also the home temple to the order of St. Ilyria. The currrent high priestess is not a member of the order of St. Ilyria, but she holds its members in high respect. Her name is Tarieth Aelfwyn. She is beautiful, friendly, and very powerful (about 19th lvl).
The second most popular deity in Greenvale is Centarius, God of Merchants. He is protector and luck-giver, and thus his clerics can be found in most every town in Greenvale. His knightly order of St. Romanus, called theifslayers, are also very popular. Many of these knights are members of the Patrol, and the order has taken on the duty of keeping up patrols and travel shelters on the roads running to Harothar and Laigladen. Many of them travel with the gypsy-like Shalani. Centarius is also conversely the god of profit, gain at any cost, and sometimes is called the God of Thieves. Note that the Government of Greenvale has not placed the High Priest of Centarius on his Small Council.
Kehret became a more popular deity in Greenvale because Elox and his sons supported the God's worship. Members of the Guard and Patrol find him a worthy patron. His priests are appearing more and more as the Temple in West Greenvale grows.
The sun god Mikol is also worshipped in Greenvale, but mostly in conjunction with Elanora, his wife. While Mikol is the father of heaven and bringer of life, he is seldom worshipped individually, though his presence is marked by many oaths and prayers during services of other gods and goddesses. His priests are few in number but are found everywhere.
The clerics of Diorel and Sithlar also have temples in some towns, such as Newport, but they remain small and local only.
King Jhoram supports the worship of all Gods and Goddesses of the Pantheon in equal measures, and attends Holy Services at the local Temple of All Gods whenever he is on procession. He is a follower of Kehret. There are about 40,000 priests (1% of the population) in Greenvale.
The druidic faith in Greenvale is low-key but present. Small groves can be found in most every County, particularly in West Greenvale, where the presence of towering forests and mountains as well as much open, unused land makes nature a constant companion to every person's life. Most druids in this region see it as part of their purpose to allow humans to make use of the lands they have claimed, but at the same time to protect the land from outright abuse. Most also agree that humans do not have the right to spread indiscriminately into the lands held by other humanoid or non-humanoid species that already claim territory. This brings the druids into fairly frequent conflict with the most adventurous and exploratory humans of the region. Many rangers and Wardens are also druidic followers.
Thieves and thieves' guilds in Greenvale
The guild was originally formed in Marig during Prince Elox's reign by Murdock, an adventuring companion of Greenvale's first Prince. He was a hobbyt fighter-thief. The guild is present in every major town in Old Greenvale. It is run by a grandmaster, with an 8 man council. The council members are either chosen by the grandmaster or elected by local members.
The guild is very cohesive, and in Marig in particular is positively centralist. The merchants of Marig are at a standoff with the guild, and local authorities hassle them on a regular basis. The general population alignment in Greenvale is Neutral good. Independent thieves are tolerated for only short periods before being warned off or encouraged to join the guild.
In Castleton, the Thieves' Guild has a four-man council and a Grandmaster, all elected by the local guildmembers. They work closely with other guild councils in Old Greenvale, and support the Marig Guild loyally, though there is always some friction about which council is senior- that of Marig due to age, or Castleton due to being in the royal seat and being somewhat wealthier.
In New Greenvale there is no one guild. Small independent guilds exist in several towns but the population is not large enough to form a permanent large organization. Independent thieves come and go through small towns and villages as it is profitable.
Mages in Greenvale
There are three major groups of mages in Greenvale. First, largest and strongest is the House of Ivorr. It was established before Greenvale became a nation, as a single alchemy shop. Time and good fortune have caused it to grow into a wealthy and powerful business. The alchemy shop is still in business in Marig, and that is their most visible location. But there are nearly two thousand active members of the House, and they do far more than make potions. They train young mages, create magic items, serve as a clearing house for much of the (above board) magical activity in Greenvale, and more. The House of Ivorr is lawful in nature and the current head, Deora, is Lawful Good (L16). The house of Ivorr specializes in training mages in the schools of Alteration, Abjuration and Divination.
There are six shops now open which bear the name of the House of Ivorr, located in Marig, Castleton, Newport, Jerint, Fordton and Westgate and one closely related shop - Falthar's Curios in Emerton.
The Red Wizard's society is the second group of mages in Greenvale. They are adventuring mages who band together for mutual defense and education. They tend to have brash, outspoken opinions on all matters, political and otherwise. There are well over 1,500 Red Wizards actively residing in Greenvale. They can train mages in Evocation, Illusion, and Enchantment magics. They do train generalist Wizards as well.
The third group of mages are members of the Society of Black Mages. They can train mages in Evocation, Necromancy and Alteration magics. There are perhaps 200 Black Mages in Greenvale. The political goals of the Black Mages are unknown, but generally understood to be "evil" in nature. This society is not an open one; its members are not open in their loyalty and no specific Houses devoted to their cause exist (or not openly).
About half of the mages in Greenvale belongs to no Society or House. They are usually generalists, though members of all schools exist. They may or may not train apprentices as they see fit. They number somewhere between 3-4,000 wizards and sorcerers.
There are other less prominent societies, clubs and organizations to which mages, bards, and other spellcasters may belong. Some are well-known and open in their goals, while others are secretive, shadowy, sometimes suspiciously so. Even in Greenvale, some mages have found it is unwise to flaunt their powers before non-casters, or before the church, and prefer to engage themselves only in private with others of their own kind.
Note; the word "mage" refers to both wizards and sorcerers. While sorcerers need less formal training than wizards, they are still accepted members of both the Red Wizards and the House of Ivorr in Greenvale.
Social Class and Nobility in Greenvale
Social Class
- Very Low: peasants, beggars, sewer-workers, pilgrims and lepers
- Low: tenant farmers, day laborers, apprentices and journeymen, itinerant travelers
- Middle: landed farmers, craftsmen and upper ranking journeymen, small merchants, midwives, tavern owners, apothecaries, Patrol and Guardsmen, unlanded knights and untitled gentry (younger sons), low-ranking priests, hedge-wizards.
- Distinguished: mid-ranking priests, guildsmen, mid-ranking mages, master craftsmen, town officials, Guard and Patrol officers, barons and landed knights, knights templar.
- Noble: Counts, Dukes, the Prince, March-Barons, High Priests and Master Mages, Senior Knights Templar. Needless to say, within each general class there are distinct sublevels of society.
Foreign Relations
Note: a map of these nations can be found on the Miraborian Politics page, with more detail about these realms.
Greenvale has its best political relations with Daintali, on Mistland. Daintali is a mercantile society, and is happy to trade with the 'uncivilized' but profitable nation of Greenvale. The alliance of the ruling hose of Greenvale with their nobility was a necessary and profitable step, if a slight comedown from the normal high standards of blood and breeding the Daintali normally prefer. Most Greenvalers look on 'Tali merchants as a good source of revenue but find little to either admire or dislike in their nobility. Relations are thus based on mutual profitability rather than emotional ties. There should be little reason for such attitudes to change, unless of course the rulership of Greenvale falls into serious dispute.
Greenvale's relations with Harothar are somewhat less cordial. Despite the fact that Elox's second son married a Harothan, Greenvalers feel they have little in common with humans who let a dwarf lord it over them. They feel that the humans of Harothar are mealy-mouthed and servile, the dwarves are overbearing and arrogant, and that they were all meant to be the largest source of profit possible to Greenvale. Since evil dwarves banded with Umade in attempting to overrun Greenvale, some negative feeling has grown stronger. On the other hand, the March-Baron Thrak is a close friend of King Jhoram, and his support during the overthrow of Umade was critical, and widely recognized. March-Baron Thrak is a friend of Harothar's.
Avenvole is little known to most Greenvalers, and thus they ignore it. However, the fact that Elox's granddaughter married an elf from this land doesn't bother most Greenvalers. Half-elves and elves are more common now in Greenvale than ever before. Adventurers sometimes travel to Avenvole, and there is an Ambassador in the King's court, but otherwise there is little contact.
Irgirth and Cove, the conjoined communities of hobbyts and sea elves, has become a very viable new commercial force. Greenvale desires to strengthen their relations here, both because it is a potentially valuable trading partner, and to undermine Harothar's potential relationship. Currently relations are friendly but casual, and could easily be strengthened or weakened by most any turn of activity. Cove and Irgirth are linked to both Tallow'sland and Lathamsfind by the great lakes.
Tallow's Land is a small community lying between Greenvale, Lathamsfind and Irgirth. Greenvale would very much like to co-opt this piece of land. Because its ruler, Tallow Tallowson, has no heir selected, Greenvale is politicking hard in favor of its preferred candidate. Harothar is doing the same.
Koruzd is a very isolated community. Its strongest link is with Harothar, which has sworn fealty to the King of Koruzd. However, it has been long since this fealty has been tested beyond a tax-tithe each year. Koruzd has trade with Greenvale via the Shalani and with the March-barony of Thrak. Ties between Koruzd and Thrak are very good, and since the Barony has become a March-Barony, ties directly to Greenvale have strengthened, although Koruzd is still technically hidden, and has no open ambassador in Greenvale nor direct trade.
Laigladen is to the south of Greenvale and could become a very valuable ally. However, because the folk of Laigladen are so reserved, Elox was never able to open relations with them. Any establishment of contact would be greatly appreciated by King Jhoram.
Miran is a throwback to the old days of Empire. If the Harothans are seen as servile by the Greenvalers, the Mirani are looked on as arrogant, suspicious and only fail to be actively threatening by way of distance and terrain barriers. Mirani merchants are viewed almost universally as slavers and pirates by 'valers.
The Plainsfolk are too isolated for 'Valers to be wholly aware of them. The plainsfolk are semi-nomadic and have no use for money, but might greatly desire other things in trade. Their lands have rich mineral deposits, unusual plants and animals such as the buffalo. Any relationship could develop.
Lathamsfind is the community that Greenvale has the most in common with. Both are mainly human in population, though Greenvale boasts a fairly varied blend of races, both are young, especially compared with Koruzd and Avenvole. And both are growing in population, resources and wealth. The only inhibiting factor is lack of a direct trade route. A secondary source of direct communication and contact could foster a strong and long-term relationship. Harothar would do much to prevent or sabotage such a link.
North and South Baronies:
moved to the Counties and Marches page, where they are/have been edited for the new era.
Sea Baronies and Islands:
Barony of Minea's Island: Minea's Island is a land mass about 3 miles wide and 5 miles long. It is a fairly smooth oval, with one major stream forming a small inlet where a dock and village can be found. The island boasts one single striking geographical feature; a tall narrow "mountain peak" thrusts some hundreds of feet into the air, ending in a blunt protruberance about 30' in diameter. At the top, anyone who can get close enough will see large windows looking into a chamber. It is said that this is a control room which allows a person to navigate the island by mental power alone.
The island appeared off the coast of Greenvale some 95 or 100 years ago, just about the time when Prince Starbow took the throne in Greenvale, or shortly thereafter. Lady M'nea, the current ruler, took possession of the island within the next 20 years, driving out evil creatures who had guided it here and were using the floating island as a base of operations for raids. The island now most often remains in the Silverwater Bay, leaving only when the worst storms threaten the region, or on the occasional whim of the island's owner. The owner, a stunningly beautiful half-elven warrior, was an adventurer of great and good repute, and is still one of the most respected adventurers in the region.
Around 30 years ago, when the route to Bretannia was discovered, Lady M'nea and folk sailed the island east, and have not been seen since, though rumor has it that they went on a circumnavigation of the isles of Bretannia.
Other places and people of importance near Greenvale:
South of Greenvale:
Castle Naerytar in the Great Dismal Swamp - this castle is home to the Order of the Starmistress. Starmistress Aideth, third to take that name, is the harsh mistress of this stargazing order of diviners. There are about 40 women in the order now, and they have perhaps 10 or 12 guards, and as many servants. They were once quite isolationist but in the last ten years or so have become more communicative with the surrounding communities. They have sent emmisaries to the Grippli, the Szathair (such as can be managed with so unstructured a people) and the human villages in the region. They have apparently promised protection and leadership for a small return in taxes and a promise of obedience or fealty. Exactly how much response they have received and how much support they have garnered is unclear. However, they have also approached Mound and its leaders, suggesting an alliance between the two groups - but they have NOT communicated with Greenvale's leadership.
Iniarv's Tower - this shattered ruin still lies unoccupied after the destruction inflicted by the black dragon twins fifty-odd years before. Rumors tell that evil things happen to those who camp too near.
Town of Mound- this small town is ruled by Greenvale, but is technically outside Greenvale's boundaries. Therefore, each ruler is appointed directly by the Admiral of the Navy, by authority of the King. The purpose of the town is as a defense against pirates. Few merchant ships bother to come here, and it is supported by some trade on the highroad, but mostly by supply ships. There was one attempt to create a barony here decades ago, but the baron, an adventurer named Ithilmore, grew too restless for his duties, and revoked the baronial rights to Prince Starbow. Ithilmore's fate is the subject of speculation, although rumor has it that he had sea-elf blood.
Grippli Villages
The Grippli are a small froglike people, close to nature but with a strong love of magic. They dwell in small villages thickly scattered over the south-eastern coast and swamps just outside the boundaries of Greenvale. This means that they are relatively well-represented in the March-Baronies of Eldon and Tamar. They are also fairly commonly found on the northern edges of the Great Dismal Swamp. It is commonly believed that many of these creatures are under the sway of the Starmistress of Castle Naerytar. How true this is is unclear to most everyone, but the rumor is strong.
Independent Villages
There are a few villages of humans (mostly "barbarians" according to 'Valer sentiment) and a smattering of szathair, half-elves and hobytlan that exist between the March-Baronies of Tamar and Eldon, and the town of Mound. These villages are impermanent, and their total population does not exceed probably 1,000 folk. They provide temporary winter shelter, a place to retreat in time of danger, and a place for trade to occur on a regular basis, but little more. It is rumored that most of the folk in this region owe their loyalty to the Starmistress of Castle Naerytar; again, the accuracy of this rumor is in considerable dispute.
North of Greenvale:
Old Lady of the Woods - this figure is more mystery than not. She dwells somewhere in the forest north of Greenvale and west of Barony Karriver. It is rumored that she controls a cohort of spiders - from the tiniest wood-mite to those as big as a man. It is also rumored that doing her a disservice will cause you to vanish from the streets of any nearby town or village without a trace, except perhaps a bit of sticky web. However, some few who claim to have met her say she is not aggressive, but merely seeks her own safety and seclusion. And, of course, a few others claim she is a wicked sorceress intent on building an army of spiders and goblins to invade Greenvale.
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.