Earldom of Linth, Keoland
Governed by Earl Lucius Linth
Linth, located south of the city of Niole Dra, is an old province dating back to the founding of the kingdom. While the population is primarily of Oeridian descent, the earldom is the home of the House of Linth, an obscure Suel house generally considered to be in decline. The capital is the town of Segor (pop. 4,540), on the Sheldomar River. The northernmost plains of the province, near the tower of the Silent Ones, is decidedly desolate.
A narrow majority of Linth is open grassland. The mighty Sheldomar River on Linth’s eastern border with the Duchy of Ulek, and Lake Athetki (and the river that flows from it) would seem to make Linth a ripe place for harvest and the fertile soil that sustains farmers. Yet the land has become ever more barren and arid as the years have gone on, as the whole of Linth itself succumbs to some all-pervasive blight. The earth is dry and cracked; even the heaviest rainstorms seem never to sate the parched soil. High winds often cause the topsoil – devoid of vegetation to hold it in place – to blow into enormous dust storms. These storms cloud the skies for miles around, choking anyone unfortunate enough to be caught within and leaving structures dusted with dirt.
Most natural animals have fled, leaving the region curiously devoid of wildlife (and adding to the problems of feeding the population). Some stayed, however, and no small number has been warped into aberrant shapes. These strange beasts roam the land, and few journey into the wilderness at night.
The King’s Road is the economic lifeline of Linth. This well-patrolled road stretches southward from Niole Dra, travelling past the Silent Tower into Brede, Laketowne, Jerda’ Crossing and Hammersford. It then passes through Grebe on its way through Blerfield and (eventually) Cryllor. Much traffic passes through Linth as a result of the King’s Road, and by royal decree the Earl keeps a large contingent of Knights of the Watch patrolling the roads at all times.
As a result of the unknown blight of the land, Linth has switched from becoming a producer to a consumer of foodstuffs. With the sickening of the Earldom’s herds, dairy products – especially the fine cheeses for which Linth was noted – have become more scarce and of lower quality.
Linth has gone from being a breadbasket to a forge. Rich veins of iron have recently been discovered in the hills around Dreduin and Sporo's Point. As a result, these areas have become centers of production for iron and steel items – especially swords, armor and tools. Rough royal estimates have shown that one out of every six swords in the hands of the Keoish army was forged in Linth. Still, the armies of Keoland can only absorb so many weapons and suits of mail, and so adventurers often find the combination of quality and price of the armor and weaponry forged in Linth to be irresistible. Linth’s trade has especially boomed with the recent troubles of Geoff and, to a lesser extent, the Gran March with the giant-led armies.
Linth once boasted a booming logging trade, focused on the sizable forest between Segor and Dead Lake, until the establishment of the druid enclave known as Esberedeth. The druids began clashing with the loggers over the destruction of the forests. King Kimbertos settled the issue (over the Earl’s heated objections) shortly after his ascension to the throne. As a former ranger, he took the side of the druids, and now the amount taken from the wood cannot be more than it can naturally renew. With the effect of the blight on the forest, this amount has grown to effectively nil, despite the best efforts of the druids to care for the woods.
Other Towns: Brede, Yorora, Laketowne, Dreduin, Jerda's Crossing, Ienolde, Sporo's Point, Dredstadt, Hammersford, Grebe, Watershead, Cullen Drift, Steffenmore, Amunmeade
Areas of Interest: Fortress Gorada, Silent Tower, Elberedeth Druid Grove, Dead Lake, Lake Atheki
Comments