Shire of Barleybuck

A beautiful landscape of rolling green hills, and shimmering lakes. Native home of the Bobbins , the smell of food and hearth fire permeate the air.

The Shire of Barleybuck is a beautiful landscape of rolling green hills, shimmering lakes and boundless serenity. The smell off food, pipe tobacco and hearth fire permeate the air all throughout the day and night. A peaceful haven for its citizens amongst the chaos of the Eternalwoad, it is a place of music, tales, and fellowship. The native home of the Bobbins, folk who make their home in Barleybuck are a hard working, good natured people.
While extremely precise with the recording of recipes and the agricultural techniques, the citizens of Barleybuck are somewhat less exacting when recording their early history. The prevaling legend on the founding of Barrleybuck is one of Thera Wibbletoe. According to the tale, Thera founded the Shire after becoming lost in The Eternalwoad, discovering the bountiful, fertile lands hidden deep within. She was able to safely navigate the Eternalwoad, and since that day, it is said, the citizens of Barleybuck have gone to great pains to not come to friction with the Fae, in order to preserve this state of affairs. To their credit, the Fae seem to find the citizens of the Shire to be wonderful neighbors.
The Shire of Barleybuck is goverened by the Town Council, which is presided over by the Mayor, Thomas Bramblebelly. The various chairpeople of the Shire's guilds make up the Town Council who vote on and propose ideas to strengthen the community, improve morale of the Shire, and share ideas on how to improve common practices. Propositions like increasing the efficieny of the storage of the food, protection and security of the Shire, and what new ale and cheeses should the Inn look to put on it’s menu all take up discussion time on the floor of the Town Council. The council meetings are proposed by the individual guild chairpeople, but ultimately ran by the Mayor of the Shire, who is elected by town vote every 5 years. The current members of the Council are as follows; Mayor Thomas Bramblebelly, Sheriff Wibs Biscuitstout, Storage Master Heathcliff Wibbletoe, Cheesemonger Darius Rindheart, Brewmaster Mehran Hepplebottom, Curator Samuel Wanderfoot, and Master of Trade Hepel Tumblebelly.
Curator Samuel Wanderfoot is of particular note, descending from the famous explorer, Cedric Wanderfoot, whose lost journal is said to contain the greatest story ever told. Curator Samuel Wanderfoot has become a major player in international politics due to the discovery of the mysterious landmass west of the Invium Ocean, and his participation in the forming of the Pact of Unified Expansion. Curator Wanderfoot was intrumental in the mediation between several of the other kingdoms, and has sponsored a large deal of the Pacts initial funds and personell in exchange for the chance to have the "Wanderfoot Expedition Co." continue their initial discovery of the newly dubbed Terra Novae.
Those who dwell within the Shire of Barleybuck are Bobbins by a large majority, though people of all walks of life are gladly welcomed within. However, due to the surrounding Eternalwoad, visitors and potential residents are mostly escorted across the boundaries of the Shire. Similarly, the many trade caravans coming in and out of Barrleybuck are almost always escorted to the edge of the Eternalwoad by small parties of guards, to protect these caravans from the chaos of the Eternalwoad by proximity and association.
Citizens of Barleybuck are a very spiritually aware folk, and take their faith to heart. Most common is the worship of Solace, followed closely by Trance. This is not a surprise, as the Bobbins who make up the large majority of the Shire believe these two gods worked together to create Bobbins in the first place. These two gods also represent the Shire's values quite accurately, focussing on the domains of healthy agriculture, fellowship, music, and community that are so important to the existence of Barrleybuck at its core.
While the Shire of Barleybuck is nestled in the heart of the Eternalwoad surrounded by all sides, there are three trade routes the Bobbins open to those they trust that lead to and from the Shire. Each road is connected to a borough, with the Shire having three boroughs within its large boundaries. These are the Borough of Appleton, the Borough of Highstout, and the Borough of Brieton. The Borough of Brieton notably contains a central location in its community called the Guild Hall. This large community building is a place where the Bobbins congregate and discuss the politics and financial well-being of the Shire as well as a place for the various guilds to meet.
The guilds of the Shire (and their heads) are as follows; the Brewers Guild (Chairman Brewmaster Mehran Hepplebottom), the Farmers Guild (Chairman Storage Master Heathcliff Wibbletoe), the Lore Masters Guild (Chairman Curator Samuel Wanderfoot), the Tradesmen Guild (Chariman Master of Trade Hepel Tumblebelly), the Performer Guild (Chairman Director Fippile Honeywell), the Celebration Committee (Head Seamstress Delia Sandlemead), the Town Affairs Committee (Cheesemonger Darius Rindheart), and the Town Watch (Sheriff Wibs Biscuitstout).
Every borough is associated primarily with the trade practiced by the citizens that dwell there. The Borough of Appleton is known for farming crops, cattle, and sheep, The Borough of Highstout known for its tradesmen, such as carpenters, tailors, thatchers, cooks, huntsmen, and butchers. The Borough of Brieton known as the trade center of Barleybuck, containing the Guild Hall, an outdoor theater, famous Gold Hearth Inn, and the Wanderfoot Museum, where one can find all sorts of oddities and artifacts, such as a small metal chunk, that is rumored to be the last piece of ore mined in the Azarak Mountains, as well as the town bank and storage cellars. Due to its central location and the presence of the out door theatre, most who live in the Shire travel for miles to have their festivities in the Brietown.
Perhaps more importantly than the Guildhall is the the Golden Hearth Inn. It is the center for most of the Brietown’s activity when the workday is over. The hard-working folk also like to play hard and this reflects in the spirit of the Golden Hearth Inn after dusk settles in on the Shire. The owner of the Inn, Brewmaster Mehran Hepplebottom, is renowned for always having a new story to tell each night and he has been the innkeeper for over 50 years. Brewmaster Hepplebottom claims that even the Djinn, themselves renowned world travelers, have never tasted a stew as good as his wife Helen’s Turnip stew.
Each borough has a trade route connected to it that leads out of the Shire and past the Eternalwoad and that stops at the borders of Kingdom of Draioch. These routes are protected by the Fae, the people of Draioch, and the citizens of the Shire. They also share with the people of Draioch any crops they cannot contain after their trades are done as the Shire despises waste, and often have eyes bigger than their stomach.
Trading season lasts from July to September. During this time the two caravans will alternate trade in and out of the Shire. Every second Saturday of the month the Boreal-Lurin Bazaar will make trade, and every third Saturday the The Grand Caravan of Bhutaar will make trade. In September the whole month is open to both caravans to openly trade in and out of the Shire. It is during this time the town watch is on high alert, while the rest of the town is partaking in the Grand Carnival, which showcases the revelry of the unification of these two cultures.
In the early weeks of the Spring of 1024, reports have made their way through the madness of the Eternalwoad concerning the fate of the Shire. According to these reports, the Shire has been cut off from the Eternalwoad entirely. As best can be understood, the Shire of Barleybuck is surrounded by a dome of impenetrable tree-thick vines, covered in shifting thorns. According to the witnesses, the dome sprang up from the ground around the shire the same day the fomorians attacked the Throne Grove of the Eternalwoad.
9/1024 - At the height of summer of 1024, the dome of vines that surrounded the Shire opened on its western side. From the opening, a gathering of golden armored bobbins marched in loose formation to a jolly traveling song, carrying a banner of a golden acorn on an emerald and amber mottled background. The Shire’s Town Watch remained at the opening, with Sheriff Wibs Biscuitstout wishing the knights well personally. The knights marched straight into the Eternalwoad, reinforcing the loyal fae who suffered there with their healing and bravely turning back hordes of fomorian, whose corruption seemed to burn in the presence of these knights.
From scouts who communicated with the Town Watch since, it was made known that the Shire was in fact trapped for months inside the dome, but it provided more than protection from the nearby war for them. The inside of the dome would produce glow-light to sustain their crops, and no corruption reached the Shire. In time, the Guildmasters used their connection to nature to commune with the spirits of the Vines to learn of what happened outside. It was then that this order of knights volunteered to venture outside to aid their longtime allies of the fae. They seemed to know how to open a breach in the dome, and coordinated the Shire’s defenses before leaving to bring relief to the Eternalwoad. By all accounts Sheriff Wibs refused with a chuckle every time someone asked him to clarify the identity of the order of bobbin knights.

Cultural Dress:
Citizens wear modest but well kept clothes, comfortable but practical. Suspenders, overalls and flood pants for working in gardens and wood shops. Wide brimmed hats are common, as the citizens of Barrleybuck, whether working or relaxing, love to spend time in the sun.

Kingdom Skill:
Gift of the Hearth: Once per day you may recuperate by any campfire/fireplace, 10 minutes.