Getha (K5)
Getha Keep is held from the King by Baron Chimin Indama, who also serves as Sheriff of Neph. The keep was first constructed in 280, then razed by fire in 437. It was completely rebuilt in 440 and is protected by a strong curtain wall.
Although Getha is nearly five centuries old, it is still a rugged frontier town. Surrounding manors are frequently victimized by wolves in winter and bears in summer.
Established to secure the Silver Way, Getha’s prosperity has diminished since some trade goods are now barged to Kiban from the Naniom Bridge. Baron Indama, in his capacity as Sheriff of Neph, has responded by establishing a seasonal outpost and demanding a toll at the bridge. He seeks the king’s permission to fortify it. The baron has many allies who support this petition and has earned the enmity of Earl Dariune of Kiban.
One ally is Hemisen Curo, the Earl of Neph at Gardiren, whose sister, Lady Myrtis Curo, married Baron Indama in 697. The eldest child of that union, Sir Harapa Indama, married Udine Elendsa in 718; the baron’s two infant grandchildren, Dosyl and Halene, have a distant claim to the throne. Getha was a vassal barony of Earls of Neph until 592, when King Iemald sought to curb the regional power of Earl Kalassen by raising the barony to royal tenancy.
A staunchly loyal supporter of King Miginath, Sir Chimin Indama is not noted for his mental agility but is dependable and honest. He was a champion jouster in his youth but is now satisfied to watch his sons and nephews uphold the family’s honor while he hunts and recounts past glories.
Government
Getha is the main settlement in Fethael Hundred. Primarily a trading town, this village serves as the major market in the area as well as providing services to the traders and caravans that transit the Silver Way.
The Baron of Getha is Sir Chimin Indama, tenant royal and Lord High Sheriff of Neph. The Baron is an active man in his late forties and is a keen horseman and huntsman. He was a champion jouster in his outh but is now satisfied to watch his sons and nephews compete for the family’s honor while he hunts and talks about past glories with his friends.
Sir Chimin is a conscientious man, though one not noted for his mental agility, and takes his duties as Baron seriously. As an obedient and loyal servant of the King, he applies Royal
Law to the letter, taking no account of
circumstance or politics. He makes a point of
visiting his family and vassals on a regular basis,
a task that often keeps him far from home.
Now that his son and heir Harapa has come
of age, Chimin has resolved to focus on ensuring
the future of his family. Sir Chimin is far from
bored now that he’s delegated some of his
Sheriff’s duties to Sir Harapa. Harapa has
relieved him of the burden of constantly
traveling from one political dinner to another
and Chimin is using the spare change he finds in
his privy purse to travel throughout the eastern
part of the kingdom arranging a suitable
marriage for his daughter, the Lady Lysella. Sir
Chimin’s wife of 25 years, Lady Myrtis (nee
Curo), governs the keep with a firm but gentle
hand in his absence.
Sir Harapa is a young knight, being only 24
years old, but his prospects are the brightest. As
mentioned previously, Sir Harapa Indama has
recently assumed some of the duties of Sheriff of
Neph for his father. Sir Chimin has given him
the responsibility of visiting the manors
throughout the shire, as the Sheriff must do at
least twice a year. Harapa is also charged with
maintaining the keep at Bidow, a task that is
accompanied by a royal stipend. The Sheriff’s
duties require Harapa’s presence in Tashal at
least one month every quarter but he insists on
returning to Getha as soon as his responsibilities
permit.
Two years ago, Sir Harapa married Udine
Elendsa, the niece of King Miginath. He and
Udine have been busy since the births of their
two children over the last 18 months. The scions
to the Indama title, Dysle and Halene, remain at
Getha under the care of their nursemaid while
Udine accompanies Harapa in his duties. To
help guide his son through some of the
decisions required of a Constable, Sir Chimin
has enlisted the aid of Sir Eadwin Lournay, the
lord of Drilen, to counsel and mentor his son.
Sir Shorisir Ewesar is the Constable of the
Keep [see 2‐6 on the plan of the keep]. He is the
distant cousin of his clanhead, who holds the
manor of Derym in Grimuld Hundred from the
Baron. Sir Shorisir is comfortable in his office
and has established himself as a level headed
and cool leader
Sir Shorisir has been a vassal knight of the
Barons of Getha for the last 50 years. He began
his service as a squire of Sir Lors, the current
Baron’s father, and then performed as a forester
and knight‐attendant when Sir Lors acted as
Sheriff of Neph. After Sir Chimin became the
Baron, Sir Shorisir was selected to replace the
retiring Constable of Getha Keep.
Over the last 24 years, Shorisir has governed
the keep with a gentle hand. He rules the manor
with the assistance of a small advisory council
and has never felt the need to raise his voice or
make demands of the merchants, farmers, and
serfs of Getha or its subordinate manors. His
duties include governing the town and Getha’s
vassal manors. A council made up of the litigant
Shalas Quiribor [24], the reeve Tazar Tyun [42],
and the Chaplain of the Keep Sotrin Rhythal [20]
advises Sir Shorisir.
The Constable commands the 20‐man
garrison of the keep. This company of light foot
is charged with safeguarding the baronial
treasury, which is held in the keep, and helping
the Laranian knights from Jenkald maintain a
watch over the Silver Way between Getha and
the crossroads in the Krista Forest. During
wartime the garrison is responsible for local
security. Sir Shorisir owes one knight (himself)
and three yeomen to the Baron’s war band
during the muster.
Defences
Industry & Trade
Districts
History
The village of Getha is ancient. Located at a
bend in the Getha Run, there has been a
fortification at Getha since trade caravans began
traveling the Silver Way. During the Migration
Wars, King Medrik won a battle here that would
set the stage for his momentous victory at
Noneth. During the pre‐Kaldor period, Getha
became a thriving town. The Serelindians
strengthened the existing fortifications to
command the major import/export route along
the Silver Way.
In 240, Gundolf of Gardiren began work on a
large stone keep at Getha. The keep was built of
Nephen granite and was 70 feet (22 m) square.
Each corner of the keep is anchored with a large
square tower that rises to over 125 feet. The
walls of the keep are 15 feet thick in the
basement and taper to 7.5 feet thick at the tops
of the towers.
In 372 and then again in 437, the keep was
razed by war and fire. Each time the lord rebuilt
his keep and made the holding stronger than it
was before. Completely reconstructed in 440 TR,
the new keep boasted a strong square keep with
towers at each corner.
Getha’s finest hour was in 602 when forces of
the Usurper besieged the keep. The enemy
summoned siege engines from Tashal and Kiban
and barraged the keep for almost seven weeks.
Again and again, the enemy’s soldiers attacked,
finally managing to breach the outer defenses in
early Savor.
The defenders rallied and drove them back
out of the bailey. Savage fighting took place in
the smoldering remains of the village as the
enemy counterattacked and retook the outer
walls but the keep remained in the hands of the
King’s men. The enemy attempted to negotiate a
settlement but, although food was running out,
the defenders were confident that they could
hold out until aid reached them from Gardiren.
The enemy resorted to undermining the
walls. Sinking a mineshaft under the southern
wall, the Usurper’s forces set fire to the
foundations using barrels filled with pig fat. A
section of the wall collapsed and the defenders
retreated into the great hall, still refusing to
surrender. The siege lasted another twenty days
before a relief force from Gardiren arrived.
By the time the siege was lifted, only twenty
defenders remained able to walk. Their names
and deeds are recorded in a tapestry that covers
the wall in the great hall. The Baron rebuilt the
damaged section, adding a gatehouse to
strengthen the defenses.
In 642, Ioin Indama was made Sheriff of
Neph. To commemorate this event, he
commissioned the construction of a guest hall in
the keep’s bailey. Called Ioin’s Hall, this
building houses guests and a large banquet hall.
The hundred is still very much on the
frontier. Gargûn swarms in 704 and 718 caused
minimal damage but have had a lasting
impression on the minds of the inhabitants. The
Taelda tribes have been quiet for years but the
recent activity at the settlement at Naniom
Bridge may change this at a moment’s notice.
Tourism
Getha hosts a grain fair early in the autumn as mercantylers from central Kaldor, Nephshire, and Meselyneshire converge in preparation for the arduous journey up the Silver Way. Hundreds of bushel sacks of wheat, oats, and barley are assembled into caravans, while mercenaries and teamsters fight, gamble, and drink the potent local mead.
Type
Outpost / Base
Population
260
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
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