Barony of Waymeet

Waymeet exists solely because a stopover point is needed between Dorchak and Gilbain. The town sits just over the border with Dorchak and serves as tariff point for incoming and outgoing goods. Taxes are leveled on behalf of duke Harrison under the watchful and always profit hungry eyes of Baron Aelgard. He and his large family live well upon that which they take in, and are always happy to welcome new citizens, whether peasantry or gentry, who are seeking to avoid the overcrowding of Dorchak.

Of course each new family must pay the immigration fee, and work to balance out the expence of finding a place for them to stay. Their indentures are rarely more than ten or fifteen years, after which they are free to move on or settle as they choose.

The good baron describes his actions as seeing to the wellbeing of the kingdom through finding and redistributing the labor necessary for the function of a strong duchy. Indeed, his is one of the few baronies that grew as a result of the increased traffic up and down the Dorchak river during the recent war with Gromm’s hordes. He maintains close relations with several of his previous employees who are still in Katak below Dorchak, and makes sure that way stations and trade posts manned by house Mandolar are closely monitored by his own men. In addition he has recently begun a practice of hiring young boys to monitor those people, peasants and gentles alike, who he has reason to suspect may be participating in crimes against the state. The only problem is that these crimes are not often recognized as such by the individuals perpetrating them.

It is unknown why Harrison continues to tolerate this man watching his border, especially considering that Harrison is suffering from an already small population and can put to much better use any people he can import than baron Aelgard. The baron has also gone through numerous house representatives in the last few years. It seems that many develop a strong distaste for the spicy food of the region, and find themselves reassigned to other posts.

The Houses

Jakoric and Toevass

Currently a young man by the name of Kildem Overbridge is sitting the house Jakoric position in the region, and has become betrothed to the seat of house Toevass. Neither house seems pleased by this action, and rumor has it that Mary O’edrin of house Toevass may be required to resign, even though she is several years Kildem’s senior.

House DeVris

House DeVris has a Scress representative in the region, who is reputed to be quite fond of burnings. He has in fact sentences at least twelve to death by fire in the past year, in addition to the regular assortment of beheadings and hangings. He is backed by a full score of loyal house troops and perhaps as many as two score personal mercenaries, which is probably for the best since he is not well lliked by the populace at all.

House Mandolar

House Mandolar is looking to the Lady Tobitha Garrer for guidance, but she has been so far unable to break the stanglehold on the local trade that has been enforced by the baron’s troops. All in all, a great deal of goods remain locked in warehouses and cellars within the town, and even though trade is needed badly, much of it languishes under tarrifs too high to make trading profitable. It is rumored that goods are still moving through the forest around the town, but as yet, neither Tobitha nor her investigators have been able to locate the smugglers.