Estate of Deepwinter

The Estate of Deepwinter

(Using the Strongholds & Followers rules)

Simplified Details:

The Noble Estate of Deepwinter is a farming & horse breeding establishment (S&F Establishment rule). It generates 1000 gp every three months to use however the party sees fit. Currently 198 gp are spent maintaining a unit of personal guards for the noble house (See Deepwinter Guards). The guards are established in a circular barracks behind the residence. The sum total of the estate's three month revenue amounts to 802 gp.

Detailed Notes:

The Deepwinter Estate maintains three skilled staff members and eleven unskilled staff (see Estate Staffe and Duties for more). The estate has two cottages, one is a guest house for any large group of guests and the other is owned by the Hawkgrip family who's eldest son is the Page. The family work the fenced land behind the barn by growing and cutting hay and as of early 1479 DR have started breeding and taming horses. The Coachman has started working as a wheelwright for Undercliff and a new merchant was hired recently to trade the estate's goods, trade horses, and work the trading markets using money backed by the estate's monthly income.
There is a stone barracks adjacent the stone cottages that maintains a guard compliment of 24 men they are fed well, introduced to regular training, and spend their downtime in the marching grounds. On occasion, the men cycle out but for the most part understand that the estate's adventuring lord serves the greater good. Currently, most of the men are seeking to establish their lives in Undercliff.

Estate Staff & Duties

Head Staff

Butler - The head of household staff in the estate; in charge of the pantry, wine cellar and dining room. Male staff report to him. The butler is often engaged by the master of the house but usually reports to the lady of the house. Works closely with the housekeeper.
Housekeeper - Responsible for the house and its appearance; in charge of all female servants. The housekeeper is always addressed as "Mrs", regardless of her marital status.
Cook - In charge of the kitchen and kitchen staff. The cook reports directly to the housekeeper. If the cook is a woman, she is always addressed as "Mrs", regardless of her marital status.

Support Staff

Coachman - The coachman's business is to drive a coach or carriage at the pleasure of the master of the house.
Valet - Is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. He is responsible for the clothes and personal belongings of his employer and making minor arrangements.
Lady's Maid - A lady's maid is a female personal attendant who waits on her employer. The role of a lady's maid is similar to that of a gentleman's valet.

Junior Staff

First Footman - The first footman was the designation given to the highest-ranking servant of this class in a given household. The first footman serves as deputy butler and acts as butler in the latter's absence. Otherwise he has the same duties as a footman.
Footman - The footmen perform a range of duties which included serving meals, opening and closing doors, carrying heavy items, or moving furniture for the housemaid to clean behind. The footmen might also double as valets, especially for visiting guests.
(Housemaid) Parlour Maid - She cleans and tidies reception rooms and living areas by morning, and often serves refreshments at afternoon tea and sometimes also dinner. They tidy studies and libraries and, with footmen, answer bells calling for service.
(Housemaid) Chamber Maid - She cleans and maintains the bedrooms, ensures fires are lit in fireplaces, and supplies hot water.
(Housemaid) Kitchen Maid - She reports to the Cook and assists in running the kitchens.
Page - Usually a young male servant whom acts as a messenger.

Grounds Staff

Gardener - Responsible for the grounds around the house; in charge of any seasonal men and women brought in at times of harvest or planting.
Groom - The Groom is responsible for some or all aspects of the management of horses and/or the care of the stables themselves.

Staff Members

Butler - Mr. Edwin Farnsworth. He is a "automaton" from another world.
Chamber Maid - Gretchen Emberlight. She is an ugly young sow but she cleans a room better then any soul alive. She is the sister of Egaelia.
Coachman - Gus Hawkgrip. He is a good and goofy man. He keeps a clean coach and a good joke at the ready. He is a cousin to the Hawkgrip family.
Cook - Mrs. Helath Crestreg. She is the wife of Mr. Crestreg, the gardener. She is always flush and busy but a sweet woman when she isn't throwing pots and pans. She is friends with Ms. Bestra Nersk.
First Footman - Verth Keenfire. An often sneering and untrustworthy fellow, Verth is the single most qualified First Footman there ever was. If his personality were not lacking, he would make for a great butler.
Footman - Hibran Huprak. Often a bumbling fool, he was available for the job when hired. He is always at odds with Verth.
Gardener - Mr. Torag Crestreg. He's an old man, but his eye for grounds keeping and his green thumb are leagues beyond many. Though he can't craft the great hedge mazes of his youth, he's reliable for the estate's meager needs. He is the husband of Mrs. Crestreg.
Groom - Liom Coshan. He loves to talk about his horses and he knows all the estate's gossip without ever getting involved in any. He's an average looking fellow but his voice could sooth angles. He could tame even the wildest beasts and his capability with a horse is beyond many.
Housekeeper - Ms. Bestra Nersk. She is the widow of Mr. Nersk, a soldier of Waterdeep whom died fighting a menace from the Underdark. She is a stern woman with a kind heart. She is friends with Mrs. Helath Crestreg.
Kitchen Maid - Corrah Meadowwillow. She never could put a dish together, but she takes orders well when she isn't tripping over the slightest drop of dust.
Lady's Maid - Radra Stillgloom. She is a stalwart and loyal servant. She dresses her ladies well and takes great pride in making adventuring ladies presentable at a formal dinner.
Page - Evan Hawkgrip. The son of the estate's farm family, Evan is a competent page but most importantly he's fast. Whether on horseback or on foot, there are few alive that could beat Evan in a race of endurance and speed.
Parlour Maid - Egaelia Emberlight. A beautiful specimen, she is often found staring out windows wondering what the worlds beyond hold. She is the sister of Gretchen.
Valet - Erid Whelm. He is getting on in years but his kid heart would make any man remember his youth. He is a wonderful valet and an excellent companion. He has recently learned quite a lot about repairing armor and arms from Baern Stonehammer.

The Deep Winter Crest

Once a snowcapped mountain with a large, stylized snowflake above and to the left of the mountain peak, the Deepwinter Crest was reimagined by the Most Excellent Order of Weavers and Dyers of Waterdeep.
The reimagined crest holds a per bend sinister, embattled white and sable. In the first quarter there is a snowflake of sable and in the fourth quarter a tree blasted and eradicated white. The meanings of the crest are as deep as the reforged Deepwinter House itself. The per bend sinister represents the division of the old house and the replacement of the new one. Its embattled stylization represents the toil of warring houses that will come to define the early house. The snowflake in the first quarter both reflects the old house and the new by holding to the old design and representing the new house's emergence in late winter, 1479 Dale Reckoning. The fourth quarter represents the first lord of the new house by replacing the snowcapped mountain and substituting it for a tree but not just any tree. The tree represents the badge of the lord's home that he bears on his armor but does not reflect it. Instead it represents the great oak behind the Deepwinter Estate and is blasted to symbolize the future growth of the house. In that theme, sable was chosen to reflect the lord and his home world's colored histories where as white was chosen to represent the house's deep connection to winter and purity of morality.