The Pearls of Eastern Shores

The eastern coast of Alven provides many resources for the clans. The northern port of Sandyfearne is famous for its production of pearls. The pearls growing inside the shells of The Oysts are the finest on the continent, and for generations, the pearl divers of Clan Coorson  have been bringing back to the surface the beautiful pearls of The Eastern Seas from the clear and cold waters of Norbay . The location of the oystbeds is a well-guarded secret of the clan and has made its fortune. Every year the chieftain of the clan sends its best pearls to the Thane as a tribute.

Demographics

The port of Sandyfearne has grown over the centuries around the profitable pearl and nacre trade. If the clan holds the monopoly for finding and trading that valuable resource, a host of other clansmen and guilds have set up many trades to provide support for the industry. Many pearls are shipped out of the place to other trade centres in the east, but the guild of jewellers in Sandyfearne is well known for its expertise and the exquisite designs of their objects. Around the jewellers and other artists who have settled in the town comes a whole raft of other craftsmen, such as clothiers, and fur traders.

Government

The Coorson clan has tight control of the affairs of the pearl trade. The Stewart 's keep was built on the highest cliff overlooking the port and its presence is felt everywhere on the lands he surveys. The clanlands extend inland, and the green, gently rolling grasslands of the lower plains of the Farside mountains also belong to the clan.
The Coorson clansmen are well known for their love of horses and they breed many of them in the clan farmsteads away from the coast. The land also provides very good pastures for livestock.
The Clanbearers always have key positions in the town's guilds and are very skilled politicians and businessmen alike. Every farmer, artisan, and trader wanting to set up their business within the clanlands will have to register with The Clan Clerk and be prepared to pay yearly taxes to the chieftain.

Industry & Trade

The main clients of the traders and artisans of Sandyfearne are the powerful clans of The Eastern Isles. The port also ships its goods to The Southern Kingdoms and The Frencal Republic . In return, the boats coming back from the south will bring all sorts of exotic goods: spices, soft vivid cloths, exotic wood, and other luxury goods, such as nuts, plants, and fruit. From Sandyfearne, these goods will be then transported across the land to the biggest cities in the east such as Hollyholm and other Alven towns further west.

Guilds and Factions

The Coorson clan, albeit a powerful and wealthy clan in its own right, has always sat on the fence in the many feuds between the western and eastern clans of Alven. They have always been very particular in paying their dues to the Thane, and Fearnhelm was the first place in the east where The Archive built a library and a Ravens' Roost, even before it did in Hollyholm.
In return, the Archive has always maintained a heavily armed presence of a few hundred men to help protect the clanlands from envious neighbouring clans. As things stand, there is peace between Clan Boarsden in the north and Clan Coorson, but it has not always been the case. The garrison of Archive soldiers in Fearnhelm might have something to do with the enduring peace.

History

Clan Coorson has been the dominant clan in this part of the world for centuries. The chieftains of the clan can trace back their ancestry to five hundred years ago or so. It is said that Greycald Tremane, the first Chieftain of the clan was a son of the great Chieftain of the Eastern Isles, Bogmir Tremane.
He fell out with his elder brother Cutter Tremane,  and took his followers and family further up north the coast to settle in what is now called Fearnhelm. The pearl trade ensured that they became a very powerful trading clan. Marriages into the families of the powerful Lords of the Isles have meant they never lost their influence at the Lord's court either. The Coorsons have a reputation for being excellent businessmen and wily negotiators.

Architecture

The traditional homes of Sandyfearne and Fearnhelm are typical of the Alvenish eastern style. Wealth is measured in the number of floors a house or warehouse has. The wealthiest merchant's house can boast of up to five or six floors. These houses are usually completed by towers and minarets, to give the illusion of an even higher height. Less wealthy clansmen will content themselves with narrow houses of up to three floors.
The stones to erect the buildings have been dug up from the white cliffs surrounding the coast. The white stones are easy to cut and make beautiful bright buildings but they do not stand up well to centuries of wear and tear being quite soft. To protect their buildings from the heavy storms that are likely during the dark months along the coast, the townspeople cover up their facade with a paste fabricated from the powdered white stone. These coverings are renewed bi-annually (when possible) to keep the buildings in tip-top condition. It is traditional for the coverings to be decorated with patterns made with wooden stamps.

Geography

The port of Fearnhelm is situated at a strategic spot on the long eastern coast of Alven. The port itself takes advantage of a large natural bay and its deep, quiet waters make it an ideal port of call for boats on their way south or north.
The vast rolling grassy plains of the Coorson clan tapered down at the white cliffs which are such a feature of the east coast at that point. Far to the northwest, the high snowy peaks of The Farside Mountains can be seen on a clear day. If you head southwest, you will find the headwaters of the Lang Loch.