by Jasmin Junger photographer
The elven ambassador to Autumn March, the Lady Alquarandir rejected her accommodations in the missing Marquis's palace. Rather she chose to purchase an old mill with several thousand acres of land surrounding it from Baron Burrberry whose family holds an enfeoffment to the Marquis. The Lady then brought in a group of faeries and elves that had been freed from captivity and never knew what is was to have lived in their ancestral homelands. Here they formed a small village and live a somewhat isolated life as the borders of the Lady's freehold are patrolled by the Baron's sheriffs.
The Lady Alquarandir has with her a small staff, half of who are strangely of a rougher sort. The other half being given to art and music. They distribute funds to the poor and needy of the barony, while the Baron uses the coin from the property purchase to build a new stone keep within his bailey. The lady could have the guard assigned to her by the elven prince, however, she dismissed them. The guard remained at the palace.
The mill is divided into two sections, one for work and business, the other as living quarters. The water side has a large pond, made larger by various animals the dwell there. The other sides are greatly overgrown and have their own variety of wildlife. It has been noted by those who live nearby that the trees have grown unnaturally large and far more quicker than normal.
The woods that have grown on the land are considered by some to be haunted. The local population of the barony who are mostly halfling, human, then gnome and dwarf are wary of faerie magic. Others are envious of the ambassador, for, the feeling is that she is as rich as a dragon. It is little wonder as to why the Baron Trask of a norther fiefdom is trying to win her hand. The eight hereditary nobles have all agreed that should one of them do something great for the march, then that person will be elevated and made the new marquis or marquise.
Alquarandir has to play the political game very carefully so as to not show favoritism to anyone.
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