The Barony of Bluestone Pass

History

The Barony had been awarded to Jurgen De Winter's uncle (uncle thrice removed) Hans de Winter I for vague services to the crown in Spring 499 but it appears that Hans was a disabled man who was unable to properly undertake his duties and so his nephew Jurgen arrived in late winter 499 and became known as Lord Bluestone until he died in 545WK.

Jurgen was known to have attended court and then decided to the simpler life in the countryside of Ranke near the capital. Jurgen had come upon a Barony in need of repair due to neglect over the centuries when the old line of Barons became so indebted through bad management that the crown seized the lands when an instance of possible succession failure on the part of the Griserdi's came to light. Jurgen seemed to inject much enthusiasm (and rumoured a lot of capital) into the Barony and in the 5 years after he arrived there the barony's infrastructure was updated and modernised as well as all creditors being paid off in full which generated much goodwill.

Jurgen was also noted for holding celebrations called Kulfs Feast each year on the 13th of Ice.
. On Kulfs Feast day men dressed as goats wander from house to house typically demanding for food or small gifts/presents as 'tribute'. They then take the 'tribute' to a local hall where all the children gather to feast and revel in their childhood and the closing period of winter for soon spring arrives and with it hard work - a day of transition between youth and action.

Jurgen was 36 in 499 when he arrived in Bluholm which is the main village of Bluestone Pass and where Bluholm manor is located on a rocky crag outside the village. Jurgen settled into Bluholm manor with his uncle and then married his daughter Merle in 501 (b480 d565) and had a number of children. The children were Conrad (b502 d), Elise (b503 d), Wilhelm (b504 d), Hans II (b504 d), Zubina (b506 d), Callum (b507 d), Ergon (b508 d), Jasmina (b510 d) and Fylk (b510 d).

Bluestone Pass is still in the hands of the De Winter Family who have done well from the barony and prospered in the Duchy of Ranke as it has become known rather than the Western Kingdom as it was and is rumoured to become again in the future when a King is crowned.

Geography

The barony sits in the high-pass area of the Bluestone Mountains on one of the 3 high (4000ft) mountain passes, but the road is very well maintained and the barony has carved the pass out of the mountain itself by using natural tunnels and caves that provide the best shelter of the three passes which makes it the most travelled of the passes and brings the large tolls revenue to the Barony. The roads are regularly patrolled and a number of the larger caves have been expanded not just for the passage of the road traffic but also in case of bad snows or weather and these caves could fit a hundred people and goods with a push for a few days if needed. Stone towers along the route help guide travellers with bright fires at the top and provide additional security with the men posted within.

Ruler

The Current Baron is Hans de Winter VII (b731) who is the 7th son of the 7th son and was a seer in his youth. Hans VII is old and doesn't have great memory retention of current events but long past ones he does, both issues are due to his age and dementia. He is currently on his 7th wife who is 40 and she is named Salome and they have 3 children together. He has 20 children all up.

Notable locations

Bluholm Village

Bluhom Village sits in the high-pass area of the Bluestone Mountains on one of the 3 high 4000ft mountain passes, but the road is very well maintained and the barony has carved the pass out of the mountain itself by using natural tunnels and caves that provide the best shelter of the three passes which makes it the most travelled of the passes and brings the large tolls revenue to the Barony. The roads are regularly patrolled and a number of the larger caves have been expanded not just for the passage of the road traffic but also in case of bad snows or weather and these caves could fit al hundred people and goods with a push for a few days if needed.

The village is home to around 700 people and 300 itinerant workers who work claims in the mountains, mine deep caves or shafts, log wood when they can or just live in the mountains hunting the good food and game in the area.

The village is quite cold when outside as the wind blows well, howling through the pass. The village has over the years been extensively rebuilt with most of the buildings being built more and more underground and set into the hills themselves with the top floor above ground used for location purposes. Above ground all the buildings are 2 stories tall with steeply peaked roofs that take the height up to 30ft above ground level.

As of 800WK each house however goes down 3 floors with the lowest level having a further trapdoor available that opens onto large tunnels that thread between the buildings under the village and have several large open areas from enlarged natural caves that are used as meeting places. The underground tunnels mean the people don't freeze to death outside their homes and can freely move around in the most adverse of weather.

The Village is tight knit and while they welcome travellers those who stay longer than necessary are looked upon suspiciously.

Bluhom Village sits in the high-pass area of the Bluestone Mountains on one of the 3 high 4000ft mountain passes, but the road is very well maintained and the barony has carved the pass out of the mountain itself by using natural tunnels and caves that provide the best shelter of the three passes which makes it the most travelled of the passes and brings the large tolls revenue to the Barony. The roads are regularly patrolled and a number of the larger caves have been expanded not just for the passage of the road traffic but also in case of bad snows or weather and these caves could fit al hundred people and goods with a push for a few days if needed.

Stone towers along the route help guide travellers with bright fires at the top and provide additional security with the men posted within.

The village is home to around 700 people and 300 itinerant workers who work claims in the mountains, mine deep caves or shafts, log wood when they can or just live in the mountains hunting the good food and game in the area.

Bluholm Manor

Hans de Winter VII (b731) who is the 7th son of the 7th son and was a seer in his youth. Hans VII is old and doesn't have great memory retention of current events but long past ones he does, both issues are due to his age and dementia. He is currently on his 7th wife who is 40 years younger and they have 3 children together. He has 20 children all up.

His wife: Salome de Winter (nee Nordburg of Aquila) (b771), married in 807 and their children are Athos (b808), Mordaunt (b809) and Constance (b810)

Previous Wives: Wilhelmina, Symone, Elize, Rachel, Reena and Helena. Their combined children are - Male - Francois (b750), Jean-Luc, Gavroche, Garin & Raoul, Vautrin, Herman, Xavier and Jacques. Female - Charlotte, Anne, Clarisse, Henrietta, Yvette, Éponine and Azelma, Maria

MajorDomo - Horatio Beauchamp of Borderlay