Athelren (K5)
Athelren is the Shire Moot of Vemionshire, the principal seat and administrative headquarters of the Sheriff, Tulath Kaphin. Although the settlement lies closer to lowland Kaldor than any other place in the shire – Athelren is sometimes described as the Gateway to Vemion – its ancient Jarin heritage is still evident to the perceptive.
Athelren is the first town where mercantylers coming from Nubeth can rest, get supplies and trade, and it supplies much of Kaldor's vellum, which is traded across Hârn. The annual Athelren Hiring Fair, held in late spring, is widely attended, though it attracts more rustic crowds than the great Minarsas Wool Fair.
Property: 6% per annum (business)
Hawking (selling): 9% goods value
Bonding (storing): 1% goods value per month
Athelren is the first town where mercantylers coming from Nubeth can rest, get supplies and trade, and it supplies much of Kaldor's vellum, which is traded across Hârn. The annual Athelren Hiring Fair, held in late spring, is widely attended, though it attracts more rustic crowds than the great Minarsas Wool Fair.
TAXES
Property: 5% per annum (residential)Property: 6% per annum (business)
Hawking (selling): 9% goods value
Bonding (storing): 1% goods value per month
THE DROWNING MAID
Legend has it that Gweniver was a beautiful girl who lived in Athelren more than two hundred years ago. She was in love with one of the local lords, whose name is long forgotten, who barely noticed her. His younger brother, however, was infatuated with her, and his lust was more than he could bear. But when he opened his heart to Gweniver, she told him that her heart already belonged to his brother. The young noble was furious. In the heat of his passion, he rode to confront his brother, hunting in the Mylelim Hills. When he found him, he drew his sword and slew him, then hid the body in the woods. Gweniver was grief-stricken when her love failed to return. Rumours said wolves had taken him and that he was lost forever. In despair, she threw herself into the Harbic Pool and drowned. Her body was never found, and her story became a favourite topic for harpers and minstrels. In time, the pool became known as Gweniver's Lake. Songs of Gweniver remain popular throughout southern Vemion – a well-sung rendition Gweniver's Lament or The Dark-eyed Maid will win friends anywhere in Tishilan or Lynnfana. The lake is very deep, about 55 feet, and the dark underwater cliffs make it look deeper. The ghost of a young woman is sometimes seen just beneath the surface of the pool in the month of Agrazhar. Several exorcism attempts have been made but so far all have failed. It is said that the only way to help young Gweniver is to find the body of the man to whom her heart belonged.Government
Two years ago, King Miginath appointed Sir Tulath Kaphin, son of the Lord Privy Seal, Erila Kaphin, as sheriff to replace Sir Owein Powys, who died in the bitter winter of 717TR. That the new sheriff is young, an outsider, and widely rumoured to be the king's son has caused considerable resentment among the Vemion nobility, who are used to the position going to one of their own. That Tulath seems intent on shedding his reputation as a wastrel by attempting to govern Vemionshire strictly in accordance with the laws of the kingdom has further upset many traditionalists, who prefer to deal with problems themselves. There is a growing rivalry between the sheriff and the Earl of Vemion, a charismatic traditionalist whose presence has dominated every shiremoot Tulath has convened. He has avoided open confrontation with the traditionalist faction, but it may become necessary if he wishes to pursue reform. Popular opinion has it that the young sheriff is out of his depth, though he has won favour among the region's guildsmen, who find royal justice more conducive to business than vendettas. Lady Erila is keen for her son to do well in the post, and is never slow to lend him her advice or to exercise her influence on his behalf. Tulath would probably rather she didn't – many people have noted his change of heart coincided with his marriage to Elana Verdreth, and some suggest he is a rather weak man backed by ambitious women.
Industry & Trade
Vellum, primarily produced in Tishilan Hundred, and this trade is a major source of Athelren's wealth. Two tanneries, located in the manor of Lymrol, supply cured calf and lambskin which the town's lexigraphers turn into vellum.
Other exports:
Cattle, Charcoal, Horses, Linen, Sheep, Wool, & cheap soapstone
Imports:
Copper, Iron, Lead, Salt, Silver, Tin
Other exports:
Cattle, Charcoal, Horses, Linen, Sheep, Wool, & cheap soapstone
Imports:
Copper, Iron, Lead, Salt, Silver, Tin
Assets
Wild horses and wild cattle roam the grassy Tishilan Flats to the south. Cheap soapstone is quarried nearby.
Guilds and Factions
Most common folk worship Peoni, and the majority of the nobility follow Larani. There is a small Peonian temple in Athelren run by a handful priestesses from the Order of the Balm of Joy. An undercurrent of Ilvir worship exists, and several houses are decorated with symbols of the Craven Lord. The sheriff is known to frown on Ilvir worship, but he has taken no action against it. Other religions are not encouraged. The worship of Agrik, Morgath or Naveh is punishable by death.
History
The earliest known fortifications at Athelren date from around 50TR, when it was an outpost of the kingdom of Arwn, but little is known of its history until the coming of Lothrim. Most of the region now known as Vemion held fast against the Foulspawner's armies. Arwn barely survived early assaults, and might have fallen had Athelren not stood firm during the bitterest fighting of the war. Lothrim's interest in the region eventually faded when his thirst for the Penultimate Tome turned his attentions elsewhere. When Hain of Parlis, Prince of Arwn, founded the kingdom of Pagostra in 137TR, he awarded the keep of Athelren to Rheged Prydwen, who had conducted its defence against Lothrim more than 20 years previously. But the ageing warrior had no interest in administration or government, and the fief's finances were badly depleted by the time Rheged died and Athelren passed back to the king. Hain's successors chose better governors for the fort, and Athelren flourished during the Years of Plenty. When the Barbarian hordes ravaged the southern lands of the kingdom of Pagostra the region near Athelren was spared most of the turmoil. Only a few southern settlements were lost to Pagaelin incursions after the fall of the kingdom of Darlen. The lords of Athelren became subjects of the King of Serelind (and later Kaldor), when Orsin of Pagostra swore fealty to Medrik after the battle of KOBING. During the Kaldoric Civil War, Baron Megith sided with Aidrik II, against Fierth the Usurper though he changed his allegiance long before the decisive Battle of KIBAN. But although he survived the early purges of Fierth's reign, he fell foul of the Usurper and was executed in 382TR. Fierth took Athelren into his own hands, and it has remained a royal castle ever since. After the baronial revolt, Haldan the elder deemed it wise to place a loyal official in Athelren. Haldan chose to increase the power of the ancient office of shirereeve to counteract the power of the earls. He appointed one of his loyal knights, Sir Conlan Miraga, as sheriff of Vemionshire. Vemionshire has always been something of an independent region, and most monarchs have appointed Vemion knights, who understand local ways, as sheriffs.
Tourism
THE HIRING FAIR
The Athelren Hiring Fair is traditionally a place to hire shearers, and other summer labourers, it coincides with the arrival of the first goods and trinkets from the Tashal Caravans, and has become a major attraction to many people in Vemionshire, and the annual Athelren Fair draws lexigraphers from across the kingdom and beyond. The Hiring Day, always held on Kelen 15, is an extraordinary event. Most of the actual hiring is done in the morning, and it is customary for employers to give their new labourers a small advance on their wages, known as the fasteningpenny, to cement the contract; most spend it immediately on cheap spiced food, heady ale and fairings. A simple code has emerged to distinguish workers with different skills. Shearers pin a tuft of wool to their chests, waggoners and carters a small piece of whipcord, reapers a few strands of grass, and so on. Others call out their skills – I can sow, I can mow and I can stack; and I can do my master too, when ere he turns his back is a popular parody. Popular games and sports, including wrestling, catching greased pigs and foot-the-ball, are held on the East Common in the afternoon. Almost everyone in Athelren takes part in the festivities, which continue with drinking and dancing late into the evening, and their numbers are swelled by hundreds of would-be workers and pleasure seekers.
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