Meminast
Holder: Sir Mykel Erwyne
Liege: Sir Terris Doulzârn, Lord of Novelim
Méminast dates back at least to the founding of the Kingdom of Káldôr, when it was a small hamlet held by the Lord of Novélim. The manor was built over 300 years ago and, up until a half-century ago, occupied by a bailiff, usually the eldest son of Clan Doulzârn. Some two hundred years ago, the hamlet of Gémheldon was created, expanding the clan holdings further along the Kald riverbank. Local crops are diverse, but barley, hay, plums, and pears are grown in large quantities, and the manor has a very large herd of cattle.
In 636 Sir Kormyr Doulzârn captured, bedded, and wedded a Kath woman named Marissa. She bore him three children: Duns, who ran Novélim as bailiff after his father was appointed Constable of Jédes; Sunea, who was reckoned to be even more beautiful than her mother; and Forten. In 661, Sunea, then aged 18, was kidnapped by (or, according to gossip at the time, ran off with) a wandering minstrel named Gerard. The clan sent out search parties and offered a reward for her return. Nothing was heard for the next five years, when a knight named Sir Gorayne Erwyne returned with Sunea and two children. The children, Hylda and Daryne, were raised in Méminast, but neither has been acknowledged by the clan.
Sir Gorayne married Sunea and was made bailiff of Méminast. On her wedding day, Sunea extracted a promise from her father that if her first child to her new husband was a boy, Clan Erwyne would be awarded Méminast in fee simple. When Mykel was born four years later, her father kept his promise, though it cost the clan dearly in “presents” to the Earl of Bâlim.
A small local market is held in Méminast once each month on the 5th. Most months there will be a number of itinerant masters in attendance, plus the salter Antyn of Glyme from Fenéven, the hideworker Hallyr of Lunn from Yâlen and the woodcrafter Ornin of Nyres from Gémheldon.
Sir Mykel Erwyne, Lord of Méminast
Sir Mykel is 50 years old. He is a big knight: tall, broad-shouldered, and now overweight. He retains a thick head of hair, though black has given way to grey. Sir Mykel is friendly, polite, and thoughtful. At the manor court he will sit in silence while complainants argue, then quietly and carefully express his view. He rarely makes a quick decision. He and his wife ride the borders of the fief, including Gémheldon, once every tenday, regardless of the weather
Lady Ysolde Erwyne, Lady of the Manor
Lady Ysolde was born and raised in Kilew, in Lynnfana hundred. She met her husband at the Royal Chélebin Tournament twenty-six years ago and came to Asólade as his wife the following year. Ysolde is in her mid forties, slim, and with dark-brown hair, which she now dyes with henna to retain the colour. The lady of Méminast has a nasal, whining voice that retains a slight Vémion accent. The constable’s wife, Lady Jenya, credits her with “the most annoying laugh in the kingdom”.
Squire Erelar Vareth
Erelar Vareth, 18, is the son of Sir Mykel’s sister, Marissa. His father is Lord of Vareth, in Balimshire, his sister is chaplain at Novelim. The squire has been somewhat lax in his duties over the past year, as he is besotted by his second cousin Dylza Doulzârn. His absences infuriate Lady Ysolde, but Sir Mykel is more tolerant and points out that he behaved similarly in his pursuit of his wife.
Lady Sunea Erwyne
Sir Mykel’s mother, Lady Sunea, is in her late seventies and rarely leaves her chamber. Wrinkled, toothless, and mischievous, she encourages Erelar in his pursuit of Dylza.
Children
Sir Mykel and Lady Ysolde have four children, two of whom still live at the manor. Charsi, the eldest, is 21 and married to Sir Hendrik Poúlty, bailiff of Támorlan, who is the same age as her parents. Sir Hendrik and his first wife, Trischa Vaén, were close friends with Sir Mykel and Lady Ysolde. Charsi, a tall girl with plain features, fell for Sir Hendrik after the death of his first wife six years ago. For a while, relations between Sir Hendrik and his old friends were strained, but Charsi, who had taken the lead in the courtship, managed to bring a rapprochement.
The eldest son Gorayne, 13, is squire at Novélim. Eleven-year-old Ygrun is a precocious, active, and athletic girl with a round face, a snub nose, and long black hair. Her parents often have difficulty keeping her under control. Ector, 7, has untidy, wiry hair and suffers from a skin complaint. Sir Mykel and Lady Ysolde regularly receive a paste from the monks at Brómelèon to treat their son. Some local folk fear the boy has leprosy, but Dalfeac of Umryc, the Lerovana (Master of Healing) at the abbey, something of an expert, has said that this is not the case.
Chamberlain
Thryna of Dykens is in her early forties. She is thin and wiry with a sharp nose and mousy brown hair. She is an excellent chamberlain but completely incapable of delegating even the most minor of tasks. Thryna is forceful and argumentative, always busy, and often harassed.
Thryna’s husband, Gordyn, is the manor cook. Burly, round-faced, and dark-haired, he does his best to assist his wife, though she does not always appreciate his efforts.
Bonded Ostler £££
Barne of Lyne is 50 years old. Like his father before him, Barne supervises the breeding programme for the Méminast destriers. For hundreds of years Méminast has been the horse-breeding fief for Clan Doulzârn. The feudal arrangements between Sir Mykel and his liege reflect this, with Méminast being required to supply one destrier and one palfrey each year to Clan Doulzârn.
Teamster
Although technically in the employ of Sir Mykel, Ordi of Heriel spends most of his time at Novélim, as both lords use the teamster to transport goods to local markets. This, together with the ostler’s services, forms the major part of the feudal agreement between Sir Mykel and his liege.
Ulstin of Jothyn is a scarred and grizzled veteran in his mid fifties. Ulstin spent many years as a guard on the Salt Route. He retired because he was too old to spend any more nights under canvas. Ulstin has never sought leadership and is happy to follow Fraken’s commands.
Merkan of Yend’s parents, and two older brothers all live at Ándrake manor. He is 17 years old, inexperienced, and misses his family.
Méminast manor, like most ancient manors in Asólade, has been much altered and improved over the centuries. There are several buildings within the manor walls. The oldest of these is the great hall, a much-repaired wattle-and-daub building with a thatched roof. The pillars of the hall are carved with Járin scroll work and verses written in the Sináin script and the Jedan dialect.
The manor was expanded, by the addition of a new stone and wood building to the west over a century ago. In 670 the wooden palisade surrounding the manor was replaced with a stone wall ten feet high. At the same time the ‘new manor’ was built to the east of the great hall.
Light Foot (Beadle)
Uthyr of Delsin is of middle height and middle years. He is going deaf in his left ear and has a habit of turning his head away from whoever is talking to him, to present them with his “good” ear. He works closely with his cousin Oldron, the beadle of Novélim, and disputes between the two manors are very rare.
Light Horse
Tróda of Snew is a commoner of Tarwyn and one of the four verderers. The ponies he and his clan ride are owned and bred by the clan. Clan Smew, the unfree branch of the clan, has several members in the village. Tróda is on good terms with his unfree kinsmen.
Miller £££
Petrys of Baxt is a commoner of Tarwyn. His younger brother Rykal is miller at Deshines. The mill, which is undershot, powered by the flow of the Kald, serves both Méminast and the hamlet of Gémheldon, which is a forty minute walk downstream. Petrys is a wealthy man of middle years and father to five daughters. He is resigned to passing the mill on to one of his sons-in-law. Three are journeymen millers; two live at the mill, all are desperate for the franchise.
Metalsmith £££
Keleren of Stoyn is a frail and elderly widower. He is assisted by his son Gabosar, who carries out much of the work and who expects to soon inherit this franchise. Gabosar is married with three teenage sons, the eldest of whom is currently apprenticed to Symon of Bahnd in Skáist.
Reeve
Torbris of Hardin is a hard-working widower struggling to bring up six children. He is short and slender with dark hair and a mournful expression. He relies on the help and support of his 16-year-old daughter, Anjika.
Anjika is a skinny brunette, only five feet tall. She suspects that she is pregnant, but has yet to tell her father. She is, however, certain that the father of her child, the journeyman chandler Seld of Tarth [p6], will marry her.
Herder
Orokal of Toben was elected herder only twelve months ago. A worried looking man in his late thirties with straggling greying hair, he is poor at the job and worries that Sir Mykel will remove him from this lucrative post. He tries hard, often too hard, and has fallen out with several neighbours as a result.
Woodward
The woodward, Tormyr of Kostal, lives in the adjacent hamlet of Gémheldon, where he also acts as reeve.
Priest of Peóni
The tall, thin Edric of Quald is in his mid thirties. He is greedy and miserly, all of the villagers know that he does not practice the generosity and compassion that he preaches. Though he has been ministering at Méminast for five years, news of the ill feeling of the locals has yet to reach the Pelnala at Brómelèon.
Cottar
Rabyn of Smew is the head of his clan. A hale and hearty 66-year-old, he lives with his eldest grandson and his grandson’s wife. The youngsters labour in the clan’s other fields leaving Rabyn to take care of the 5 acres held with the cottage.
Rabyn has three sons living in the village, two villeins and one half-villein. The clan holds a total of 91 acres, almost one-quarter of all of the tenant acres in the settlement. The clan take care of their own acres first. Rabyn has named his youngest son, who is a half-villein, as his heir.
Liege: Sir Terris Doulzârn, Lord of Novelim
Méminast dates back at least to the founding of the Kingdom of Káldôr, when it was a small hamlet held by the Lord of Novélim. The manor was built over 300 years ago and, up until a half-century ago, occupied by a bailiff, usually the eldest son of Clan Doulzârn. Some two hundred years ago, the hamlet of Gémheldon was created, expanding the clan holdings further along the Kald riverbank. Local crops are diverse, but barley, hay, plums, and pears are grown in large quantities, and the manor has a very large herd of cattle.
In 636 Sir Kormyr Doulzârn captured, bedded, and wedded a Kath woman named Marissa. She bore him three children: Duns, who ran Novélim as bailiff after his father was appointed Constable of Jédes; Sunea, who was reckoned to be even more beautiful than her mother; and Forten. In 661, Sunea, then aged 18, was kidnapped by (or, according to gossip at the time, ran off with) a wandering minstrel named Gerard. The clan sent out search parties and offered a reward for her return. Nothing was heard for the next five years, when a knight named Sir Gorayne Erwyne returned with Sunea and two children. The children, Hylda and Daryne, were raised in Méminast, but neither has been acknowledged by the clan.
Sir Gorayne married Sunea and was made bailiff of Méminast. On her wedding day, Sunea extracted a promise from her father that if her first child to her new husband was a boy, Clan Erwyne would be awarded Méminast in fee simple. When Mykel was born four years later, her father kept his promise, though it cost the clan dearly in “presents” to the Earl of Bâlim.
MARKET
A small local market is held in Méminast once each month on the 5th. Most months there will be a number of itinerant masters in attendance, plus the salter Antyn of Glyme from Fenéven, the hideworker Hallyr of Lunn from Yâlen and the woodcrafter Ornin of Nyres from Gémheldon.
MANOR RESIDENTS
Sir Mykel Erwyne, Lord of Méminast
Sir Mykel is 50 years old. He is a big knight: tall, broad-shouldered, and now overweight. He retains a thick head of hair, though black has given way to grey. Sir Mykel is friendly, polite, and thoughtful. At the manor court he will sit in silence while complainants argue, then quietly and carefully express his view. He rarely makes a quick decision. He and his wife ride the borders of the fief, including Gémheldon, once every tenday, regardless of the weather
Lady Ysolde Erwyne, Lady of the Manor
Lady Ysolde was born and raised in Kilew, in Lynnfana hundred. She met her husband at the Royal Chélebin Tournament twenty-six years ago and came to Asólade as his wife the following year. Ysolde is in her mid forties, slim, and with dark-brown hair, which she now dyes with henna to retain the colour. The lady of Méminast has a nasal, whining voice that retains a slight Vémion accent. The constable’s wife, Lady Jenya, credits her with “the most annoying laugh in the kingdom”.
Squire Erelar Vareth
Erelar Vareth, 18, is the son of Sir Mykel’s sister, Marissa. His father is Lord of Vareth, in Balimshire, his sister is chaplain at Novelim. The squire has been somewhat lax in his duties over the past year, as he is besotted by his second cousin Dylza Doulzârn. His absences infuriate Lady Ysolde, but Sir Mykel is more tolerant and points out that he behaved similarly in his pursuit of his wife.
Lady Sunea Erwyne
Sir Mykel’s mother, Lady Sunea, is in her late seventies and rarely leaves her chamber. Wrinkled, toothless, and mischievous, she encourages Erelar in his pursuit of Dylza.
Children
Sir Mykel and Lady Ysolde have four children, two of whom still live at the manor. Charsi, the eldest, is 21 and married to Sir Hendrik Poúlty, bailiff of Támorlan, who is the same age as her parents. Sir Hendrik and his first wife, Trischa Vaén, were close friends with Sir Mykel and Lady Ysolde. Charsi, a tall girl with plain features, fell for Sir Hendrik after the death of his first wife six years ago. For a while, relations between Sir Hendrik and his old friends were strained, but Charsi, who had taken the lead in the courtship, managed to bring a rapprochement.
The eldest son Gorayne, 13, is squire at Novélim. Eleven-year-old Ygrun is a precocious, active, and athletic girl with a round face, a snub nose, and long black hair. Her parents often have difficulty keeping her under control. Ector, 7, has untidy, wiry hair and suffers from a skin complaint. Sir Mykel and Lady Ysolde regularly receive a paste from the monks at Brómelèon to treat their son. Some local folk fear the boy has leprosy, but Dalfeac of Umryc, the Lerovana (Master of Healing) at the abbey, something of an expert, has said that this is not the case.
Chamberlain
Thryna of Dykens is in her early forties. She is thin and wiry with a sharp nose and mousy brown hair. She is an excellent chamberlain but completely incapable of delegating even the most minor of tasks. Thryna is forceful and argumentative, always busy, and often harassed.
Thryna’s husband, Gordyn, is the manor cook. Burly, round-faced, and dark-haired, he does his best to assist his wife, though she does not always appreciate his efforts.
Bonded Ostler £££
Barne of Lyne is 50 years old. Like his father before him, Barne supervises the breeding programme for the Méminast destriers. For hundreds of years Méminast has been the horse-breeding fief for Clan Doulzârn. The feudal arrangements between Sir Mykel and his liege reflect this, with Méminast being required to supply one destrier and one palfrey each year to Clan Doulzârn.
Teamster
Although technically in the employ of Sir Mykel, Ordi of Heriel spends most of his time at Novélim, as both lords use the teamster to transport goods to local markets. This, together with the ostler’s services, forms the major part of the feudal agreement between Sir Mykel and his liege.
MILITARY
Sir Mykel employs three light footman. The senior is Fraken of Delsin, a tall, dark-haired, attractive man in his mid thirties who recently married one of the kitchen servants, Ythyr. His new wife, who is a dozen years younger than he, is now pregnant.Ulstin of Jothyn is a scarred and grizzled veteran in his mid fifties. Ulstin spent many years as a guard on the Salt Route. He retired because he was too old to spend any more nights under canvas. Ulstin has never sought leadership and is happy to follow Fraken’s commands.
Merkan of Yend’s parents, and two older brothers all live at Ándrake manor. He is 17 years old, inexperienced, and misses his family.
MANOR BUILDINGS
Méminast manor, like most ancient manors in Asólade, has been much altered and improved over the centuries. There are several buildings within the manor walls. The oldest of these is the great hall, a much-repaired wattle-and-daub building with a thatched roof. The pillars of the hall are carved with Járin scroll work and verses written in the Sináin script and the Jedan dialect.
The manor was expanded, by the addition of a new stone and wood building to the west over a century ago. In 670 the wooden palisade surrounding the manor was replaced with a stone wall ten feet high. At the same time the ‘new manor’ was built to the east of the great hall.
VILLAGE RESIDENTS
Light Foot (Beadle)
Uthyr of Delsin is of middle height and middle years. He is going deaf in his left ear and has a habit of turning his head away from whoever is talking to him, to present them with his “good” ear. He works closely with his cousin Oldron, the beadle of Novélim, and disputes between the two manors are very rare.
Light Horse
Tróda of Snew is a commoner of Tarwyn and one of the four verderers. The ponies he and his clan ride are owned and bred by the clan. Clan Smew, the unfree branch of the clan, has several members in the village. Tróda is on good terms with his unfree kinsmen.
Miller £££
Petrys of Baxt is a commoner of Tarwyn. His younger brother Rykal is miller at Deshines. The mill, which is undershot, powered by the flow of the Kald, serves both Méminast and the hamlet of Gémheldon, which is a forty minute walk downstream. Petrys is a wealthy man of middle years and father to five daughters. He is resigned to passing the mill on to one of his sons-in-law. Three are journeymen millers; two live at the mill, all are desperate for the franchise.
Metalsmith £££
Keleren of Stoyn is a frail and elderly widower. He is assisted by his son Gabosar, who carries out much of the work and who expects to soon inherit this franchise. Gabosar is married with three teenage sons, the eldest of whom is currently apprenticed to Symon of Bahnd in Skáist.
Reeve
Torbris of Hardin is a hard-working widower struggling to bring up six children. He is short and slender with dark hair and a mournful expression. He relies on the help and support of his 16-year-old daughter, Anjika.
Anjika is a skinny brunette, only five feet tall. She suspects that she is pregnant, but has yet to tell her father. She is, however, certain that the father of her child, the journeyman chandler Seld of Tarth [p6], will marry her.
Herder
Orokal of Toben was elected herder only twelve months ago. A worried looking man in his late thirties with straggling greying hair, he is poor at the job and worries that Sir Mykel will remove him from this lucrative post. He tries hard, often too hard, and has fallen out with several neighbours as a result.
Woodward
The woodward, Tormyr of Kostal, lives in the adjacent hamlet of Gémheldon, where he also acts as reeve.
Priest of Peóni
The tall, thin Edric of Quald is in his mid thirties. He is greedy and miserly, all of the villagers know that he does not practice the generosity and compassion that he preaches. Though he has been ministering at Méminast for five years, news of the ill feeling of the locals has yet to reach the Pelnala at Brómelèon.
Cottar
Rabyn of Smew is the head of his clan. A hale and hearty 66-year-old, he lives with his eldest grandson and his grandson’s wife. The youngsters labour in the clan’s other fields leaving Rabyn to take care of the 5 acres held with the cottage.
Rabyn has three sons living in the village, two villeins and one half-villein. The clan holds a total of 91 acres, almost one-quarter of all of the tenant acres in the settlement. The clan take care of their own acres first. Rabyn has named his youngest son, who is a half-villein, as his heir.
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