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Fantasy A Tale of Three Houses - Information/Workshop [Invite Only]

House Terryn
Lords of EbonBrook

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EbonBrook
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The view of EbonBrook from outside the Merchant's Gate, which is a gate allowed to merchants so that they can get their goods into the city quicker than the Main Gate. The EbonKeep is also visible, as it is impossible to miss.

The Coming of House Terryn and the 2nd Grand Rebellion
House Terryn is a family with a rich history. Before becoming a noble house in the Sovereign Kingdom, the Terryns were renowned merchants. They certainly knew how to manage their gold. Give them one piece of gold and before you know it, it becomes twelve. For centuries, the Terryns traveled the seas in the warmer parts of the world, selling one product after the other, investing in one business after the other, until they came across a prince. This prince was fighting a war he could not win... not without allies, that was. That prince happened to be apart of House Dire, rulers of the Sovereign Kingdom. He was at war with his siblings, whom happened to have rallied a large portion of the kingdom against him. Only a small portion supported the prince. The rest of the kingdom sat idle, waiting to see what would happen.

The prince made an offer to the Terryns, an offer so juicy they couldn't refuse. He offered them nobility and that he would build them a grand castle alongside a river. The Terryns, with their fat fortune, declared themselves to the prince and hired an army of sellswords to fight for him. Once the prince gained the upper hand in the war, many of the houses that sat idle quickly joined his side to gain his favor and avoid harsh punishment. The war ended not long after the prince gained further support. He cornered his three siblings at House Yarsar's castle, who was supporting his siblings. The final battle of the war was fought at that castle. In the battle, the prince's leg was pierced by an arrow. His maester, Maester Hundrin, determined that if the prince kept his injured leg, he would surely die of infection. And so the prince's right leg was removed. In his wroth, he personally executed each of his siblings and the Lord and Lady of House Yarsar. The war was over and the rebellion was crushed.

The prince became a different man after losing his leg... like he was less of who he was before. He had forgotten many of his promises to his vassals and allies. House Terryn had invested a grand amount of gold and effort into the war and wasn't about to be given the cold shoulder. Lord Terryn stormed into the great hall of House Dire's fortress and demanded that he receive what was promised, that the war would not have been won if he hadn't of bought it for the prince. The prince glared at him and laughed, remarking how bold Lord Terryn was to demand something from him in his own hall. He did agree that Lord Terryn assisted in his war, but refused the Lord's statement that he would have lost the war without the gold. The prince ordered his Master of Coin to settle a place and build Lord Terryn a castle, under conditions that fit a "bold" lord.

The location of the construction was in a place a lot more chilly than what Lord Terryn wanted. They settled him in the Northern part of the Sovereign Kingdom, not too far from the Frozen Lands. Sure, the castle was nice, but the temperature was never warm. Along with Lord Terryn's castle came three Houses he had been commanded to take Lordship over, each of them had fought on the losing side in the rebellion. Terryn figured this was what the prince wanted, him to babysit and keep the three Houses under control. This was no reward... it was a command.

168 years later, House Terryn still rules at EbonBrook and have continued to be proficient merchants. Every time they have gained a considerable amount of gold, they have used it to grow their city. EbonBrook, under House Terryn's guidance, has become the largest city for leagues... which isn't saying as much as it sounds. The North is vast and is known to be quite spread out.

General Information
Population within Territories: Approx. 34,600
Proficient Skills: Trading, Fishing, Mining
Notable Castles: The EbonKeep, Riverwatch
Notable Cities: EbonBrook (The only city in the region)
Notable Towns: Steepshore, Hexington

The People in their Territories
The people that live within the borders of House Terryn's territory are generally wealthier than those that live in the territories of the other two Houses. A number of the villages within House Terryn's territory are located on the river. These villages are home to those that make a living off fishing the brisk waters of the river. The villages that are not near the river harvest crops and farm animals, like what one would think most villages do.

As for the towns, there would generally be a town near every few villages. The towns would be walled off with stone in House Terryn's territory. Towns act as a midway point for villages and the city of EbonBrook. Villagers would take their goods to towns before those goods ended up in EbonBrook. Towns also assist in the managing of villages.

As for the mining, ships are sent out from EbonBrook to the mines north of the river. Every mining operation usually ends with some causalities. Ever since the fall of the house north of the river, the lands have become more dangerous with the wildlife and wildfolk. Also, mining into mountains isn't generally a safe line of work. These operations usually involved hundreds of workers, perhaps even close to a thousand. The operations are costly, but it is easy to make profit if the finds are good.

Inside the city of EbonBrook, wealthy individuals are not uncommon. Businesses thrive in EbonBrook, at least more so than outside the city. The impressive castle, The EbonKeep, is a sight to behold. There are also the poor in EbonBrook. Some of them are servants to wealthy people, some work jobs in the city, some are homeless, and many come out of the city to sell goods there. One of EbonBrook's largest attractions is the hot springs. The hot springs are only available to those who have the wealth, or to those who have the power(House Members).

Castles
(Other than the EbonKeep)

Riverwatch
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Out of all the fortresses tasked with defending the land south of the river, Riverwatch is the most prominent. Armed with a large force of Terryn men, the castle is generally commanded by a person of high ranking. The castle also serves as the Terryn family's retreat if they ever need to flee the city of EbonBrook.

Towns

Steepshore
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Steepshore is a town known for its fishing. Though it isn't a large town (estimated population of 300), it still pulls in great amounts of quality catch each week.

Hexington
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Hexington is one of the more wealthy towns in House Terryn's territory. This town provides food and men for the capital's needs. The people of Hexington tend to be more educated than those of other towns and villages, which is due to them having possession of a school. They farm various crops, such as wheat and barley.
 
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House Farwyck
Lords of OxWood

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OxWood Keep
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Home to the family of House Farwyck, OxWood Keep is a formidable, yet simple fortress. House Farwyck boasts their home as the oldest castle in the northern territories. Within, a barracks is dedicated to the Farwyck Guard, a formidable force of fighters. The town of OxWood is not far from OxWood Keep. Within a mile.

The Coming of House Farwyck

The people of OxWood have the honor to boast themselves as the first to settle the area. It was about 520 years ago when the first Farwyck's became lords. Back in that day, The Northern Territories was a new thing to the people of the Sovereign Kingdom, and with new things came those that desired fortune. Many people began flooding into the lands and settling them. This was a problem to the king, as these people had no lords... no one to govern them, but more importantly, no one to collect their taxes.

There was a knight so admired by the king that he allowed him to sleep in his own halls. This knight's name was Sir Beryn Farwyck. At this period of time, the Farwycks were nothing more than a landless house. The reason why the king admired Sir Beryn so much was that Sir Beryn could not be defeated in the game of jousting. Tournament after tournament, he would win, and gold after gold he would gain. The king used Sir Beryn as a gambling tool to prosper, himself. It was a glorious time for Sir Beryn and a prosperous time for the king.

There then came a day that Sir Beryn got drunk before a tournament. What was the problem, he would think. He won every tournament he participated in anyways. There was no way anyone could defeat him. At this time, the king got more ambitious with his bets. Sir Beryn was chosen to joust against a much younger knight with flowing blonde hair. Before the joust, Sir Beryn would tell the man that he should be in a dress, not a suit of armor. And in moments, the joust began... and ended. Sir Beryn was struck dead center on the chest since he failed to block his opponents lance with his shield. Splinters flew everywhere, even piercing his legs at the openings in his armor. He fell off his horse and into the mud.

The king was disappointed in Sir Beryn, but could not hate the man since he earned him much gold in the past. The king could no longer trust Sir Beryn as a betting tool, so he would give him another proposition. The king offered Beryn a lordship if he would travel north and govern the people that had settled that land. Beryn accepted in the span of a heartbeat. He did not want to hang around and face embarrassment for his loss in the tournament.

And so he went, and so began the lordship of House Farwyck. It is said that once he arrived, the tree bark felt so strong that it reminded him of an ox's hide.

General Information
Population within Territories: Approx. 13,700
Proficient Skills: Lumber, Woodcraft
Castles: OxWood Keep
Notable
Cities: None
Notable Towns: OxWood, Redbark, Bouldervalley

The People in their Territories
The people that live within House Farwyck's territories are described as hairy and rough. Most men spend their days harvesting lumber and replanting trees. The rest work on that wood and make it into works that require great skill (shields, building materials, crafts, etc.). The women tend to animals and crops and make sure that the bulk of the meal is on the table. Some men, when not working with lumber, take hunting trips to add a little extra to the dinner table.

Most villages work as lumber mills. The towns near the villages are defended by strong timber walls. The villagers usually take their goods to the towns before the goods end up at OxWood, although with OxWood being a town itself, villagers do sometimes go there directly.

OxWood is a modest town, largest in their own territory, of course, but no where near the largest in the region. The Farwyck's castle, OxWood Keep, was built with a mixture of stone and timber. A structure built with such craftsmanship that it is pleasing to the eye. There aren't many attractions in OxWood. It operates as a normal town, only difference is that the lords live there.

Towns

Bouldervalley
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The town of Bouldervalley is home to one of the many lumber mills in House Farwyck's territory. This town is also home to House Farwyck's Hunting Guild.

Redbark
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A highly populated town, Redbark boasts itself as the home of the best woodcrafters in the world, which is unlikely, but the populace does not lack in skill. This is one of the towns that collect lumber from across the territory to use it for crafting.
 
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House Stilts and HeartHill
Lords of HeartHill

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House Stilts
The Stilts family can date their noble lineage back nearly 200 years, to the time before the 2nd Grand Rebellion, when they were first granted Lordship over HeartHill. Despite the family's long noble history, however, they have always maintained a humble reputation. They Lord over the people of HeartHill fairly, with a strong emphasis on maintaining peace and justice in their lands.

Most of House Stilts (and their entourage) live within the walls of Hearts Keep, protected by a small retinue of
their House Guard.

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(Hearts Keep)

House Stilts has a history of producing excellent Huntsmen, and is well known for having a mastery over the bow. All of the men in the family are brought up to be expert archers and survivalists. Those who prove to be better than the rest, traditionally, take on the title of Ranger. Rangers are the wardens of the land, tasked with patroling the roads and towns of HeartHill to maintain the peace and serve the Lord's justice.


HeartHill
Land and Weather: HeartHill is a sea of rolling, green, hills and sprawling yellow fields; small thickets of birch trees dot the green slopes and line the roads. To the East, separating HeartHill from OxWood, is large Pine forest teeming with wildlife (burdened by criminals of late).

The weather of HeartHill is generally nice, but apt to rainstorms in the summer months.

Castles:
Stone Tree
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Stone Tree is a large, sturdy built. It is home to the majority of House Stilts Army, and is also the home of the captain of the Rangers (who oversees the enforcement of the laws in HeartHill), Sir Gordous Stilts. Stone Tree lies to the east of Hearts Keep, and to the west of Arrondale.​

Towns:

Arrondale
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Arrondale is the capital town of HeartHill, and home to the majority of the region's population. Arrondale has a large market district in the center of town where any kind of store, shop, and service can be found. The town boasts a moderate sized town guard that is under the control of a knight sworn to House Stilts. The town is in close proximity to Stone Tree.

Bebinshire
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Bebinshire is a small town on the edge of the Pine Forest, it is the closest town to OxWood. The town has no official guard and is, in part to that, home to some less favorable sorts. There is a small Inn in town, but little else. The population is under 200.

General Information

Population with Territories: Approx. 14,200
Proficient Skills: Farming, Animal Husbandry, Archery
Castles: Hearts Keep, Stone Tree
Notable Cities: None
Notable Towns: Arrondale, Bebinshire
 
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House Sanders
The Fallen Lords of Norgard

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The Fall of House Sanders

House Sanders came to be not too long after House Farwyck, approximately 445 years ago. The demand for a lordship to be formed north of the river came when treasure hunters discovered gold, iron, and various other resources in the mountains there. As people came flooding to the territory, the king wasn't about to let them avoid taxes... and he wanted advantage over the resources in those mountains. So he went to his advisers to receive counsel. After that, he sent his Master-at-Arms north to take lordship over the land. That man was Henrik Sanders.


House Sanders thrived for many years until the 2nd Grand Rebellion, in which they chose to back the side that would eventually lose. They were punished with an increase in taxation, and a lord was placed above them, forcing them to kiss the boot. For years and years they plotted and prepared to overthrow their new lords. They built siege equipment and used their mining experience to gather resources. They mined more than their usual batches and hid the extra. They used those extra resources to craft weaponry of impressive quality. They were well on their way of having advantage over their superiors.

Just as their preparation was nearing an end, a "sellsword captain" came to visit them, stating that he heard they were preparing for what must be a large war. The Sanders were skeptical of this man, but he soon was able to convince them of his motives. The Sanders knew that they could use the extra manpower, so they payed the "captain" 200 gold coins for his and his company's support. He left, promising that he would return in a week with his army.

It turned out that he did return in a week. Ships came sailing to the port, obviously full of soldiers and equipment. The Sanders were surprised at how many ships there were and how many soldiers there were. When it finally clicked to them, it was too late. Those ships were transporting the armies of House Terryn, House Farwyck, and House Stilts. The latter two were forced to honor their vows to their liege lord. House Sanders was able to secure their castle and lock it up, but had no time to prepare for battle. The majority of their equipment went into their enemies hands, mainly the siege equipment they had built.

The battle lasted two nights. The only reason it lasted two nights was because Lord Terryn wanted House Sanders to face harsh punishment... for their house to never rise again. He wanted to set an example of what would happen to traitors. Fire, stone, and many other things fell upon the castle, tearing it to pieces. There wasn't much of a castle left when Lord Terryn finally gave the command to storm it. Still, the Sanders did not give up. They fought to the very end, which caused Lord Terryn to gain a small amount of respect for them. After the battle was all fought and done, the only remaining survivors of House Sanders were women and children. Lord Terryn took them with him to serve as servants to his House.

27 years later and the remainder of House Sanders still serves House Terryn at EbonBrook.
 
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The Northern Expanse
Once Norgard lands
The fall of House Sanders was swift and brutal, a decapitating strike with overwhelming force that gave the traitor Lord no chance to call up his levies or possible allies south of the river. Regardless it left the towns and villages across the water intact but leaderless, and many knights were only too quick to assure House Terryn of their loyalty. To this date the Sanders lands are held by the Terryns although there have been some indications that the crown views this as too much land to be held by one house. Perhaps a cadet House is in order? On the one hand the Terryns are stretched to provide adequate security both north and south of the river, but on the other the extensive mineral holdings and rich northern forests are prizes they are reluctant to let slip through their fingers. All known mines that were held by House Sanders are now fortified holdings run by the Terryns, who periodically send guarded expeditions north to collect the resources and change the crews that work them.


The people of the northern expanse are a hardy independent lot, and since the Fall most smallfolk who are not have resettled south of the river. What is left is a mixture of wrongheaded Sanders loyalists, newcomers drawn to make their stake in a land of opportunity and northerners who scorn to bend the knee to any “southerner” – for so they regard anyone living south of the river. The knights and petty nobility that remain are similar, with ambition and subservience richly blended. Many dream of one day setting themselves up as the new Lords of Norgard, but the ruins of that stronghold stand testimony to the price of overreaching themselves. Perhaps three have spent the last decades cozying up to House Terryn on the theory that they will enrich and empower their allies, but so far the ownership of the northern expanse remains a grey area.


Two to three years after the Fall the mountain clans resumed raiding the northern settlements, perhaps catalyzed by the weakened security there. This triggered a fresh wave of emigration south and the fortification of all surviving settlements (with at least a palisade and a militia to defend it) but absent strong and unified leadership it is only the occasional Terryn expedition into the north that unifies the various petty nobility to do more than chase the raiders off their own land.


General Information
Population with Territories: Approx. 7,700
Proficient Skills: Mining, Trapping, Metalsmithing
Castles: Norgard (ruined)
Notable Cities: None
Notable Towns: [Placeholder]


 
The Mountain Clans
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The people of the mountain clans mercilessly raid and pillage the towns and holds of the Northern Expanse. In part for the supplies they need, and in part for the hatred they have of the Southern folk. The clans folk live in the mountains and forests of the North, the original settlers of the snowy lands beyond the river, further out than the Southerners have ever dared go. They are tough and ruthless out of necessity and anger, but not savage (though they are In the eyes of the Southern folk).

The Ways of the Clan
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(a clan Sake)

The mountain clans are not one single, united, group but many independent groups (known as clans). Each clan is owned by a Warchief, and governed by his or her family (The family takes the title "Turak"). Clans very in size, but on average range between 20 and 100 people. Usually clans will have a town or settlement somewhere in the mountains, they call their "Sake," which in the ancient language means Heart. Sometimes multiple clans will ally together and share one large Sake.

In some ways the Turak (or "Blood Family") are like a noble House, and hold both power and respect over their people. One major difference between the Turak and nobles, however, is that the family has no birthright. The people of the mountain clans believe in something called "Durak" or "Blood-Right" in the common tongue. It is the belief that everything one has, and everything one is, must be earned.. with blood. Warchiefs can be challenged by any man or woman for control; the challenge is settled by a fight to the death.

The Ranks of the Clan for Men, Women, and Children
The mountain clans are a people of war, who survive off its spoils. Thus, anyone, whether it be man, woman, or child may earn their place through battle. Ones place in a raiding party is earned, they must show their skill and ferocity to the warchief. The titles that can be earned within a clan are as follows (in descending order of respect and power).

Warchief - Earned by challenging and then killing another Warchief. This is the head of the clan, their word is final.

Turak - family of the Warchief. They can hold any job within the clan, but it still must be earned, regardless of this title. That being said, they are respected for being kin to the Warchief.

Durak'To - "Blood Warrior" in the common language. These are the best warriors a clan has (usually a single clan will have two or three). These warriors lead the raiding parties, and act as generals in times of war. This is a position granted by the Warchief. Most often the Warchief will hold a Tournament (not like a Southern tournament) or host a challenge for Raiders to try and achieve this honored position. One must first earn the title of Raider before they can become a Durak'To.

Raider - These are the people that fight for the clan, and make up the raiding parties. To become a Raider, one must show their fighting skill before a Durak'To or Warchief. The Durka'To or Warchief will decide how to test aspiring Raiders.

Beyond this, there are no titles. There are jobs to be done, such as farming, hunting, weaving, sewing, healing, and many others but no titles are given to those who do them.
 
The Brotherhood of Leonis
The Black Lions
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The Brotherhood of Leonis originates far before the 2nd Grand Rebellion, in fact, they were the ones that caused the 1st Grand Rebellion. The order is made up of knights who are tired of their lords, are in want of something more, or/and are seeking the freedom to do as they please. Basically, many knights were tired of being treated like shit by their lord, or tired of constantly being wronged by him. Back in the first days of the organization, the few members that were involved had to keep their motives hidden, and they had a difficult time operating that way. They had to be careful with bringing in new members. If a knight they invited to their order refused, there was the chance he might have ended up dead the following night. Secrecy was their weapon at that time. Their only weapon. Soon enough, they were able to build their order with knights who had ideas similar as theirs. They would strip themselves of all recognizable banners, and pillage the lands of the lords whom they felt were not worthy, while at the same time, continuing their knightly duties to their own sworn lord. They operated in secret and did everything to avoid being caught. The only identifiable mark to them was the Black Lion on a red surface banner that was worn by them and carried by them when they decided to operate.

The First Grand Rebellion
The Brotherhood of Leonis had grown to a considerable size and felt that they were ready to strike out in open rebellion against the king of the Sovereign Kingdom. The knights were not the only members at this point. They had hired others that would be willing to fight for them. They also fed propaganda to the smallfolk to try and have them revolt against their lord... while posing as their regular knightly selves, of course. When they felt that the time was right, every knight that was involved in The Brotherhood of Leonis attempted to assassinate their lords, or cause some sort of mayhem in their lord's castle. The majority succeeded, and many significant lords died all in the span of three days. Some knights were killed as soon as they killed their lords. Hell, some members killed other members to prolong their-selves as a "loyal" knight. Some castles were taken by The Brotherhood of Leonis... thus starting the first rebellion.

The brotherhood was able to make the war last quite some years, taking one castle after the other, just to abandon them when they discovered a retaliation army was approaching. In truth, the brotherhood never stood a chance of actually usurping the king and the rest of the other lords. Not with what they had. But they were able to cause many problems throughout the kingdom, and they were able to end the lives of many significant nobles. They fought a few battles on the open field, only the ones that they didn't think had much risk. They even gained the support of some villages, who treated them as heroes... a funny thing, really. Considering they pillaged smallfolk just some years ago. The war ended when a few brilliant tacticians came together to put a definite stop to The Brotherhood of Leonis. The brotherhood was baited into taking a castle that rested against a mountain and were cornered immediately by the king's gathered armies. Due to the castle's strength, it took more than a week for the king's men to defeat the brotherhood. But when they did, the rebellion was over. All in all, the rebellion lasted 9 years.

The Remnant
Ever since their defeat in the First Grand Rebellion, the remaining members of the brotherhood (the ones who happened to have been elsewhere when their main force was trapped and wiped), decided to play it smart and allow their order to survive. They went back to using the secrecy that was once their greatest weapon. They were not seeking new members... no, not so soon. They waited many years before they opened recruitment back up. When they did, they did not find the same amount of recruiting success as they once had. Although, they were able to build their own fortresses. Hidden ones that could not be found unless one knew the exact location of it. They continued to operate and rebuild their order all the way into the present, but it was never at full strength again. When territories expanded north, so did the brotherhood.
 

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