The Gold County

Pop: 30,000

Capital: Libernen (pop. 3,400)

Standing Army: 1,200

Tax Multiplier: 0.75

Tithe Multiplier: 0.9

Ruler: Countess Kyaren Rhavelle

The Cold County is the least populous of all Furyondy’s provinces, but it is rich indeed. Its name partly derives from the many rich minor nobles who are attracted here by relatively low taxes, as well as the sunflower-like plants, growing on the plains, which are harvested for their seed oil.

Countess Rhavelle is a cunning nobleman, posing as an almost ingenuous socialite while actually possessing very sharp wit and insight. She admires Belvor’s craftiness, but she does not believe that Furyondy will face war again for many years. For this reason, she stands steadfast against supplying extra revenues to the crown, and she has a good justification.

Since the war, the Gold County’s population has actually risen by 2,000 or so, including some Shield Land nobility, who managed to escape with some of their treasures, and some effete Nyrondese nobles fleeing their troubled homeland. Income from such sources as Noble Tax have risen, so that without raising tax levels Rhavelle has actually been able to pay slightly more to the King than before. She deems that sufficient.

Rhavelle considers Duke Tyneman an effete ninny and Luther Derwent a wet blanket. She is wary of ambitious Baron Butrain of Willip, and dislikes the northern provincial rulers. She most admires Baron Jemian, but in truth the Countess is highly self confident and very reluctant ever to admit that she might be wrong.

Social mores play a dominating role in the Gold County. For example, merchants are only permitted to wear simple, dark cloaks and attire so as not to compete with the vivid styles of their noble superiors!