Terrain
N’Tor is situated where the great forest of the Northern frontier meets the grasslands of the south. Biting winds cross the south edge of the barony and dangerous beasts prowl the dark forest to the north. The keep has a great wooden palisade standing ten paces high around its exterior, walling off the small village of N’Tor proper. There are perhaps six hundred inhabitants to the village and another hundred living within the keep itself.
Rapid climate changes are common in the surrounds of N’Tor and viscous storms or tornadoes are not unheard of. Air elementals have been thought to be responsible for a great deal of the destruction caused in the surrounding area.
The only other town, located across the river a few miles down from N’Tor is Barma. This village is also enclosed in a wooden palisade, and in addition has a spike filled trench surrounding the entire town of five hundred. The buildings are constructed in pagoda like fashion several stories high to fit several families into one structure and make the town’s overall size relatively small. The population subsists on fishing in the river with their two coasters and farming the surrounding valleys.
Ecology
The northern forest are densely populated with a variety of wildlife. Most of it hostile to humans. Wolves prowl the forest edges, great cats lurk in the trees overhead. Giant Razorwings, a viscously territorial hawk, shriek from the air overhead. In recent days other creatures like the ogre and troll have been spotted and avoided by the local guards.
One other inhabitant of note is the Black Death. They come like shadows in the night, graceful figures full of life. Bows of golden wood across their backs, and black arrows in dark packs. Faces pale and ears quite long, like Elves all done up wrong. Their hair so dark it shines, their wails and song take men’s minds. In the night they come, to drive men back from the forest to which they come. No metal do they touch only witchwood with its poison do they clutch.
The southern plains are another story entirely. The wind blows so fierce that dust and grit stains the eyes. Men go blind if they stay out too long. Dust masks and goggles are always ready to a farmer’s hand. No creatures generally live here, though a few thick hided beasts eek out a meager living. The farmers themselves wall in their crops with brush and felled trees in the deepest of valleys to keep them from blowing away. By far the worst though are the wind creatures. Strange elemental beasts that ride the currents. Some are purely primal in nature, others quite intelligent. Those who have survived meetings say that they have an entire society in the clouds above. As no one has ever been there who can say?
The Baron
Baron Armis N’Tor is an aging man. Well past his sixtieth winter, he struggles to strengthen his barony before he must pass it on to his only living descendant. The grizzled old man is wise, and was quite a warrior in his day. He served the previous two High King Silverthorns in battle as a knight and then a thane. Never did his loyalty or allegiance falter. When the most recent King took the thrown, Armis N’Tor asked for his retirement from active duty to raise his two sons and daughter. On the journey to the Barony bequeathed N’Tor for his honorable service, the party was attacked by an enormous river beast and Baron N’Tor’s eldest son was slain.
Shortly after arriving in the new barony, N’Tor’s second son Kamett married a local girl and set about raising a family. One night his homestead was raided while he was off hunting and his wife and guards slaughtered with dozens of black arrows, long and graceful. Kamett swore vengeance upon the forest wraiths and set off into the woods to extract it. He never returned.
Armis’s only daughter, a beautiful young woman named Narisha married the local captain of the guard a bore a healthy son. Her husband left when Gromm’s forces first attacked to defend the mountain breach and was declared missing in action. During the winter, the loss of her husband and brothers overwhelmed the poor girl. She died off the cliffs of many sorrows in late winter.
Her death left Baron N’Tor with no children and a six year old grandchild. Now that he is getting on in years N’Tor is frantically trying to prepare his descendant for the tittle. The child is bright and healthy, if a bit quiet from time to time. He is very well behaved and little trouble. Many of the locals believe he will develop into one of the brightest young men in the kingdom.
Other Important Individuals
Baron N’Tor is a hardened veteran of many campaigns, he has seen more than his share of death and violence and has reached the edge of breaking. His misfortune’s sometimes overwhelm him and he retreats to his study for his real pastime. The Baron loves a rousing game of stones. He is accounted as one of the finest tacticians in living memory. Should anyone like to earn his favor, they would do well to cultivate some skill in tactics and stones.
Baronet Hamir N’tor is a spoiled child in many respects. As the last surviving heir to the seat for the barony his grandsire looks after him like a precious jewel. That is not to say that he is favored and given to softness however. Though the child is only six years old, he has begun knifework with the guard instructor and is learning his letters and counting. The child so far shows the level head to be expected of someone much older, and his wisdom could lead him to assume the thrown quite early.
Advisor Nathanial D’Marcos of House Mandalor is a narrow faced, long nosed individual who always dresses in the formal robes of his council post. It is rumored that he seeks the barony for himself and known widely that he has a strong dislike for the baronet. However, should anything happen to the child the blame would first fall to him, and D’Marcos realizes this as well. He is possessed of a shrewd mind and has seen to the stockpiling of the treasury based upon a river tariff for trade during the war with Gromm. The barony stands to make a great deal from this, but not much of it seems to make it into the general treasury
Advisor/Magistrate Sir F’Blaar of House DeVris is a stoic, though portly individual. Many of the locals find him to be helpful and understanding. He is a man with little like for politicking which is probably why at nearly the age of fifty he is still in a small town. However he enjoys working with the peasants and lending a hand with the nets or harvest. For this he has earned respect and great favor. Sir F’Blaar spends time each week with the Baronet, teaching him the law of the kingdom and telling stories about the great DeVris Cavaliers. Some of the servants say that Sir F’Blaar has a sky blue cloak with a silver star upon it sitting in his wardrobe.
Advisor Lady Zaria of House Jakoric is a short and comely woman. Though soft spoken and unostentatious she is given to clear thought and ready action. It is said that a pin does not fall that she is not aware of, but for the most part the folk of N’Tor favor her forthright manner. She may know everything, but she has never used her knowledge to harm a citizen of N’Tor in living memory.
Advisor Sir An’Liit of House Toevass, 6th Tome is the final seat on the court of advisors. His rise to power has been most strange. The young man arrived a few years ago, prior to the war with Gromm. He stayed on and settled down to become a farmer, but word got out that he could read write and count so his neighbors began taking letters to him to read for them. Soon he was serving as a scribe for those who could not afford it and attracted the attention of the previous house Toevass seat who appeared to have a wasting sickness. After spending some time training the lad, only about twenty, the house Toevass seat died, passing on his position to An’Liit with his dying breath.