Grayhill, Barony of

Grayhill is located in the northwestern corner of the Dreadwood, where the forest verges upon the Good Hills. The small barony is often described as an enchanted place, for it is a crossroads of human, elven, and gnomish cultures. It was in Grayhill, nearly nine centuries ago, that human and elven emissaries first met and exchanged words of peace under a starlit sky. This cooperation has continued ever since and the barony is now held by a minor noble house, known as the Lizhal, who migrated along with the Rhola and Neheli following the Twin Cataclysms. Unlike the majority of those two houses, the Lizhal are heavily intermarried with both Oeridian and elven bloodlines.
The village of Grayhill stands much as it did centuries ago, a confluence of human and elven cultures. Despite its small size, this barony is noteworthy for having produced the current monarch, Kimbertos Skotti, as well as many of the most important advisers at court, including the Royal Archmage Lashton. The current Baron of Grayhill is the king’s younger brother, Markos Skotti. Markos seems to prefer the politics of court to daily rulership of the arboreal barony, for he spends more than half the year in council at Niole Dra, pressing his brother’s interests and leading the so-called “Royal Faction". It is no secret that should Kimbertos fail to produce a suitable heir before his death, Baron Skotti would like primary consideration from the Court of the Land to be successor to the Throne of the Lion. In this effort, he has an ally of convenience in Lashton. Markos often leaves the governance of Grayhill to his wife, an able lady who is much loved by the elves (with whom she shares some minor kinship). High Herald Cezar Bartos (called Lykos by his enemies) performs the day-to-day administration of the barony. It is widely suspected that the cold-hearted Bartos acts as the eyes and ears of Lashton in the province.
The fortress keep of Dourstone, seat of House Lizhaland capital of the barony, lies a handful of miles from the legendary site of Grayhill. It remains one of the few human fortifications in the forest, and its towers soar above the native trees of the Dreadwood. Other human villages dot the northern hills of the barony, but the elvish settlement of Silglen in the southeast remains the second largest settlement. In the southernmost corner of the realm, where the barony gives way to trackless forest, lies the ancient tower of Valadis. The spire has tantalized and daunted the people of the Barony of Grayhill for centuries, for it is rumored to have once been a place of wondrous magic as well as great death. The elves will not approach it, and rangers in the service of the king keep most people away. Warded carefully by the Silent Ones in centuries past, the spire is currently claimed by the arch-mage Lashton as a personal retreat, a right only afforded to him by his current high offices. However, it is well known in sorcerous circles that Lashton has been unable to penetrate beyond the base of the tower to its rumored dungeons that snake beneath the forest floor.

History

The Dreadwood has been inhabited by elves since before the arrival of humans. Circa -300 CY, Keoland's human settlers first made peaceful contact with the elves one fateful night at the town of Grayhill. This peace has been maintained for almost nine hundred years, with the minor Suel noble House Lizhal overseeing this region of the Dreadwood.

Geography

Borders

The Barony of Grayhill occupies the northern reach of the Dreadwood, a large forest in southern Keoland. Its borders approximately trace the outline of that northern section, with the forest's edges reaching into the neighbouring Barony of Sayre to the north, Barony of Raya to the east, and Barony of Westgate to the west. To the south, the barony is bordered by the Dreadwood Preserve, a dangerous heavily forested area long considered off-limits for human settlement. The northernmost point of the Barony of Grayhill also occupies a small section of the tail-end of the Good Hills.

Major Settlements

The capital of the Barony of Grayhill is the fortress of Dourstone. It lies a few miles from Grayhill. Its inhabitants are primarily human and elven. The third-largest settlement in the barony is the town of Silglen to the east, whose population are primarily elves.

Notable locations

To the south of the province lies the ancient tower of Valadis. The archmage Lashton officially claims this as his private retreat, but even he has been unable to explore the tower due to its powerful protective wards, placed by the Silent Ones long ago.

Ruler:
Baron Markos Skotti
Government:
Feudal Province of Keoland
Capital:
Dourstone
Major Towns:
Dourstone (pop. 985), Grayhill (pop. 1010), Silglen (pop.780)
Resources:
Wild Game, Timber
Currency:
Keoland Standard Griffon (pp), Lion (gp), Eagle (ep), Hawk (sp), Sparrow (cp)
Population:
4,000 — Human 50%, Elf, 35%, Half-elf 5%, Gnome 4%, Halfling 3%, Other 3%
Languages:
Common, Keolandish, Elvish, Gnomish, Halfling, and Sylvan