Brastor

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Brastor
Status Hereditary Castellancy
Vassal of Duchy of Carzala
Location 140 miles East-south-east of Seagate.
Area ~50 miles wide (west/east) and ~40-60 miles long (north/south).
Geography A large fertile vally bounded by Mountains, Forests and the Sea of Grass
Population ~15,000 humans
Urbanisation
~25% as rebuilting continues.
Languages

Common
Folksprach
Elven
Halfling
Dwarven
Orcish
–Others

–Literacy


100%
60%
40%
20%
20%
10%
40%

3% (mostly urban)

Exports
Weapons, Armour, Mithral.
Imports
Grain, Rye, Flour, Hay, Law.
Subinfeudation

Overview

Brastor Holdings is an area of the Frontiers of Alusia within the area of control of the Duchy of Carzala. It is almost a high country area set in the south east of the Sweet Riding and covers an area which in the east most traders would say ends with the Choth Gap, just before the start of the Sea of Grass in the far east of Carzala. To the north of Brastor is a range of hills which cuts the Sweet Riding off from Brastor. The hills have two routes through being theCarlson's Switch and Braegon's Pass. Found in the east of the range of hills (the north of Brastor) is the large forest named Greenwood.

A trade route from the southern Brastor town of Westgate the the swamp city of Novadom at the river delta of River Mirimar on the coast. in 813WK Sabastian personally oversees Dwarves from Superstition Mountains servicing the road to Novadom The road has been widened and no longer at risk of landfall or slips.

Rebuilding

From 807WK to 818WK saw Brastor quickly & steadily being rebuilt with re-settlement from before the war and new settlers all being helped under the skilled & watchful eye of the Chief Architect Sabastian & friends. Lord Duke Leto DeWinter awarded Sabastian: 'Defence of the Realm' for his selfless service in Brastor in 814WK. At the cornerstone of Sabastians ability to rebuilt Brastor has been -

  • Designed and help rebuild the majority of towns
  • Designed and built keen infrastructure to allow the growth
  • Manufactured weapons and armour to rearm the populous
  • Organised trading agreements to obtain vital goods
  • Quickly setting up huge stores of grain in each major settlement.
  • Supplying every family resettling with two years of grain as either flower or seed.
  • No tax for five years from any guild of Carzala tax or levy.
  • Since 810WK Castellan Lord Byron Dumbarton under the insistence of Chief Architect Sabastian has supported the policy of having many Castellan Boarder patrols sweeping Brastor at all times, ensuring the peace, but avoiding the problems around Lewiston. Chief Architect Sabastian policy of serving the people not harassing them has seen a number of captains and men "move on".
  • Chief Architect Sabastian has engaged the services of over a dozen tinkers to help in the small outlying farms of Brastor.

Places

Towns and Villages

Tobintown
Mid sized town 3,800 people in North-western Brastor on the River Champion. Home to the Brastor local food reserves.
Brastor Township
The town settled close to Castle Brastor, which was resettled mid 806.
Brastor Landing
The major trading town of Brastor, which was resettled mid 806.
Charity
This mid sized town of 3,500 people south of Greenwood is lead by Reeve Simon Kinlock, and peaceful except for some goblin issues and rumours of mystical tunnels.
Emmitsburg
A small market town in Central Brastor and home to La Croix Enterprises. It is still a somewhat wild frontier town.
Lewiston
A small town in Southern Brastor, which is still in ruins and unsafe to travel to. When scounts return they come back with Nexus Coff and need bed rest for a week or two to recover.
Hugler's Ferry
A small town in Southern Brastor, which is mostly ruins. As of late Autumn 807 several hundred settlers have arrived and started the work of rebuilding the town.
Westgate
A very small town in Western Brastor, currently being resettled.
South Lending
A very small town in Southern Brastor, which is mostly ruins. As of late Autumn 807 several hundred settlers have arrived and started the work of rebuilding the town.

Geographic Locations

The Champion River
The main source of trade goods and water into the Brastor region.
Ildrisholm
A line of forested hills that form the northern boundary of Brastor.

There are four passes from the NW which lead to Brastor from the Sweet Riding. These are;

To the south there is

Places of Interest

Temple of the Light

This temple is currently being investigated and attempts are being made to reactivate it. As yet little information is available. Enquiries should be made to Father Broc who is leading the research on this temple.

This Temple is rumoured to be the training ground for the 500 Templars that left with King Sigismund when he departed on his great crusade and is a site of great power. Since the loss of the King in the mists of time on his crusade the temple became lost as most of its guardians departed with the King and its existence forgotten or hidden beyond prying eyes.

Recent investigations indicated that the temple used to sit on the heights of the plateau south of Brastor and that there was a central column topped by an orb of light which could be seen from several miles away. Anyone knowing more of the temple, its Templars, or news associated with it, should contact Father Broc in Seagate or Newhaven as soon as possible.

Temple of the Drow God

The Temple of the Drow God exists in northern Brastor, 25 miles north of the Fords of Gar. Excavated in Autumn 805WK, the remaining minions of Rashak have used the site as a rallying point.

Gunlion Hill

The location of the Church of Chantris and the Light of Reason that established a Dark Circle free area in the immediate area. See Scribe Notes. Located to the west of Tobintown. (Row 29, diagonal 060 on FoA map)

People

Brastor Council

The current council includes:

  • Lord Byron Dumbarton (son of the Lord Castellan)
  • Lord Harold Kafnick (field commander of the Brastor forces) of Tobintown.
  • Lord Justicar Timothy Drury (chief judge)
  • Abbotess Charity Hamilton (senior Raphaelite)
  • Seneschal Martin Harper (finances)

There are 3 Council 'Observers' - These 3 observers are from Carzala, the Western Church, and a Midheim consortium. These 'Observers' who, though they may not vote, seem to make most of the major decisions.

  • Lord Geoffrey McNaughton of Seacroft.
  • Bishop Desmond Garalga of Aladar.
  • Sir Byron Appleton of Midheim.

Others of Note

The golden child, most favoured of the Duke of Carzalan - Chief Architect Sabastian.

Children of the Lord Castellan

  • Lord Byron Dumbarton of Deep-pond - Designated Heir to the Castellancy
  • Lord Kyle Dumbarton of Misty-brook - Lord Kyle Dumbarton went missing in Spring 805 along with the mixed company of Light Cavalry, Quartermasters wagons and Heavy foot in the area of the cloisters. He is presumed dead.
  • Lady Callista Dumbarton of Gold-wood

Brastor Tribune

An unspecified sponsor has recently bought and installed a printing press in Brastor Landings and is rumoured to be taking the previously obscure periodical PQ (Paraphenalia Quarterly) and turning it into a local tabloid format red top to compete with the Seagate Times. The former editors of the Seagate Times Ishamael and Sabastian are believed, if anything about them can be believed, to be running for editor's job.

Groups

Castellan Boarder patrols
Since 810WK the Castellan Boarder have set up seven patrols of 80 mounted archers to sweep Brastor from the villages in the north of Tobintown to Emmitsburg to South Lending to Westgate and help to ensure the peace. They avoid the problems around Lewiston. Chief Architect Sabastian policy of serving the people not harassing them has seen a number of captains and men "move on".
The Barns
A group of good minded merchants working for Chief Architect Sabastian in rebuilding Brastor. They wear a yellow tabard. Rumours and stories of the large statues that adone the sqaures and market places in the towns of Tobintown, Charity and Emmitsburg come alive at night and hunt down any that harm the yellow tabards.
Yellow Tinker
Tinkers in yellow. Over a dozen tinkers again dressed in yellow tabards leading their trade mules can often be found servicing the outlying farms & villages. Everyone knows its bad luck to harm a tinker.
Military
Prior to the incursions of the Dark Circle the lands were protected from Nomad raiders and strange creatures from the Filgiso Forest by the Castellan Borderers.
The recent dangers from the Dark Circle, and the threats that made the Castellan Borderers a required force, have encouraged the Duke of Carzala to reorganise the forces in the Duchy, and the Borderers have been kept as a regiment within the Carzalan Army.
Ex Military
A large number of troops who fought in Brastor have settled with Land Grants from the Duke designed to build a solid core of trained troops should trouble return to the area. While these men and women have other skills they are now using many continue training and many of the populace still keep their weapons close to hand.
The Church
The Church of the Western Kingdom still has a large presence and is providing assistance to many of the town and villages within Brastor. A number of manors have been claimed by the church and are being rebuild as Priories or Monasteries.

Guild members involved in Brastor Holdings

Spring 815WK
Westgate - Rowan Velcanthus: Archbishop of the Church of Chantris, settled his family in Westgate and begun to build a residence and temple.
Emmitsburg
Summer 808WK
Winter 806WK
Sabastian was assigned as the chief architect to rebuild Brastor Holdings. He is rebuilding, rearming and rebeautifying Brastor. The following Guild members are assisting him - Blitzkrieg, Callas, Scab the Sasquach, Ty Trident.
Summer 807WK
Duke Leto DeWinter granted two large sections of land to the Unified Western Church. The Church was gifted 5 million silver pennies by members of the Seagate Adventures Guild to establish and run two large Chapter Houses to support the locals as well as Church activities, teachings, in the areas of; Brastor Holdings and Novadom City. (GM: Jon McSpadden)
Summer 808WK
The following guild members seem to have somehow managed to become responsible for lands in the area.
Dalran - Ayrkham Manor; Erzsabet; Mordrin; Shoka; Braegon - Oak Heart Village; Clementine; Liessa
Summer 808WK
A Minor Investigation took place in Hugler's Ferry, and the south of Brastor. The group of Guild members was lead by the dashing youthful hero TDP who was supported by Vychan, Amber, Silverfoam, Kit, Lath and Naden.



Resources

Resources: grazing pastures, herds of cattle, alluvial gold in the rivers, occasional finds of larger stones, marble quarrying, undead, ruins, and rumours of secret Mithril mines.

History

Autumn 821

No 1 Hobbits Detective Agency: River Watch

Summer 821

No 1 Hobbits Detective Agency: Recipe for Danger

Spring 820

No 1 Hobbits Detective Agency: Vigors Quest

Winter 819

No 1 Hobbit Detective Agency - Adventuring Arborist

Summer 819

No 1 Detective Hobbit Agency - The Creampuff Catnappering Caper

Spring 817

Brastor goblin hunting

Summer 813
A trade route from the southern Brastor town of Westgate the the swamp city of Novadom at the river delta of River Mirimar on the coast. in 813WK Sabastian personally oversees Dwarves from Superstition Mountains servicing the road to Novadom The road has been widened and no longer at risk of landfall or slips.
Winter 810

Brastor Banditos


Summer 808
To celebrate the bounty of the land a Harvest Festival is planned for the first week of Winter. Along with three days of festival merchants from around the Duchy have been invited to Brastor to set up stalls for the week. Along with a baronial ball at Brastor Castle will be numerous street entertainers, with a competition to retell the heroic tales from the area.
Summer 807
Duke Leto DeWinter granted two large sections of land to the Western Unified Church. The Church was gifted 5 million silver pennies by members of the Seagate Adventures Guild to establish and run two large Chapter Houses to support the locals as well as Church activities, teachings, in the areas of; Brastor Holdings and Novadom City. (GM: Jon McSpadden)
Spring 807
To celebrate the coming to spring the Campaign For Real Good Time has announced the Great Brastor Beer Festival. To be held in the week before the summer solstice. A number of well known beers from both the local area and the western kingdom will be available.
  • Hobgoblin Dark
  • Drackenbergen Weiss
  • Brastor Best Bitter
  • Seagate Strumpet Scrumpy (aka Slaggy Sabrina's Slurp)
  • Holben Family Perry
While orcs may live by beer alone everybody else will want food and there is plenty in store for visitors. Again the best of favourite dishes will be available, made from the freshest local produce, while speciality products from around baronies and further will be on sale.
  • Tuscanan smoked cheese
  • Terranovan fried chicken
  • Aladar spiced sausage
  • Lunar olives
  • Southern spiced curries
South Lending rebuilding has continued with good results to date. A wooden pallisade is now in place around the central town and new buildings completed are a town hall, a large Inn and Stables, a stone block of (5) commercial premises and a 40 foot tall stone guard tower. Hugler's Ferry is now a more welcoming sight with a new Inn completed along with 3 other stone buildings in town. The local engineers have started building a bridge across the river which is expected to be completed by the end of summer.
Winter 807
Resettlement of Hugler's Ferry and South Lending continues with more buildings being built and stores being built up. A trading concern has been established to enable ease of commercial matters and the like, this will be called the New Prosperity Trading Company.
Autumn 807
The Eltrandorian Troops that 'demobbed' in Brastor at the end of the major battles there, have been clearing the towns of Hugler's Ferry and South Lending from any Dark Circle influence. They have done so and have started to resettle these two towns with some 498 men settling in Huglers Ferry and another 602 in The South Lending. Initial work has completed the build of 2 sturdy buildings for Winter accomodation in each town in which the new settlers will reside while continuing their work over the next few seasons.
Spring 806
Duke Leto announces that following the successful release of a large group of slaves from the Lunar Empire and the total demise of Westgate, that the remains of the village of Westgate be turned over to these slaves (under advisement) and be thus rehabilitated. A sponsor has been found to supply initial essentials.
Spring 806
Rumours of Mithril & Gold in the rivers and mines :Rumours of both Gold & Mithril in the rivers in the south of Brastor become wide spread.

Spring arrives with surprise

The spring has bought new growth and the return of wildlife not seen in the area over the last few years. Lt Horatio De Wynter, spokesman for the Carzalan Pathfinders said "The re-growth of the vegetation in the south of brastor around the headwaters of the Champion and upriver has been remarkable and is what we would have expected from several years regrowth and not just one or two seasons". Investigations into the source of this regrowth is continuing as the effect seems to grow each season.
Winter 806
The Brastor council announce that Sabastian Siverfoot, a multi talented master craftsman, has been assigned as chief architect responsible for Rebuilding of Brastor Holdings. His arrival in Brastor Landing with dozens of skilled craftsmen and labourers was met with great excitement and ceremony. Sabastian was escorted by a mysterious woman who is demonstrates her abilities as a talented healer and powerful mage when assisting with the reconstruction efforts. All the workers can be identified by a badge they wear containing the image of a dragon and the letter 'S'.
In the months following the tour of the liberated cities by Sabastian and the Lord Byron Dumbarton the signs of reconstruction are beginning to show; the plans for the towns are almost complete, a desperately needed sawmill is being built near Tobintown and workshops are appearing in Brastor Holdings.
All queries should be forwarded to the Campaign Committee

Eltrandorian Units 'Demob' in Brastor

A number of the Eltrandorian troops in Brastor have decided to end their service in Brastor rather than returning home to Eltrandor and as such will 'demob' and become settlers in the recently 'cleansed' Brastor area. These troops who number some 1100 represent a large number of well skilled and military trained individuals who will be very useful in the Brastor area. The 1100 comprise some 670 Cavalry and 430 infantry troops and includes 70 engineers who are already hard at work organizing and planning reconstruction efforts in Brastor once the winter's hold on the land has loosened. All these troops who have 'demobbed' are currently based in and around Castle Brastor which they are working on until the 30th of Ice when they will spread out to various plots they have been given for service to Carzala. A lot of the troops will live in the same areas they have been asked to settle and as such we can expect a number of new villages to be seen in the area over the next few seasons.

Winter 805

Brastor goblin hunting

Autumn 805

Things to do in Brastor when you're Dead

Pre-Rebuilding

The Brastor Holdings have been the battleground for many of the battles in recent times (800-805) and as such the previously prosperous lands have been so despoiled, destroyed and abused that the land quality has fallen to poor with occasional areas of below average. (see the Land Quality Scale)

The most recent period where the holdings have been overrun has been in the year 805 when after some success by the 'Alliance of Good' forces the holdings had been 'freed' of its Dark Circle influences and the DC forces pushed into the hills SE of Brastor. In what has been revealed as premature enthusiasm the Alliance commander decreed "The Brastor Holdings are free once and for all and a 'safe and secure place to settle once more'. This resulted in several thousand 'settlers' entering the Holdings in Summer 805 only to be overrun when the Dark Circle forces counterattacked the weakened and stretched alliance forces in the Last Autumn of 805. Half of the new settlers and a significant portion of the alliance forces in the area were lost and only the heroic battle of Carlson's Switch, and its associated guild evacuation, enabled the rest to survive. But the end result was that once more the holdings were overrun with Undead and evil humanoids and the alliance forces pushed back to the last line of defence before the walls of Carzala.

The Brastor Holdings have been overrun so many times in recent years that the towns, villages and buildings are all effectively ruins of some sort.