The Autumnvale
The Autumnvale as a polity refers to the petty-kingdom, once a fiefdom of Ulnost, which encompasses the geographical area of the same name. Passing through the mountains dividing Ulnost and Bergeaux along the course of the Mancsflow River, the series of valleys are especially fertile and productive, containing dense woodlands, hills, moors, and a myriad of smaller rivers. The Men of the Autumnvale are of a mix of Ulnosti and Achiad stock, the latter being a race of men who had inhabited the area since prehistory. The Autumnvale is governed by several ancient noble houses, the foremost of which is House Ashdowne, whose patriarch is effectively a king in all but name following the fiefdom's split with the Kingdom of Ulnost.
In addition to being flexible and sturdy, these buildings feature several distinct innovations to increase interior space and decrease the strain placed upon the walls. The first is cruck-roofed construction, in which great arches of wood run floor to ceiling, eliminating the need for central pillars and providing a spacious interior as useful for meeting halls and workshops as it is for barns and warehouses. Aisled frames, which provide this space using a greater quantity of smaller beams, are used in the absence of timber large enough for the hewing of crucks. Alternatively, king or queen post trusses achieve a similar effect while providing an attic space. Finally, hammer-beam roof trusses are an elaborate system of intersecting supports, which may be elaborately carved, to achieve a staggering visual effect in the high chambers of castles and great halls.
The post and beams of the Autumnvale's buildings often serve as a canvas for various carvings and reliefs; popular patterns include twisting knots and vines, leaves, and wildlife motifs. Such decorations are common even in poorer households, as occupants may while away the long winter nights in their creation. This also serves as a family ritual, in which parents can pass craft skills to their children and the family can stylistically depict events in their lives or designs based on mythology and folk tales.
Walls of houses are often filled using wattle and daub, although river stones both large and small are another popular material, as is flint. Roofs are commonly thatched or covered with riven wood shingles, although slate is particularly sought after where available. Tapestries are a desirable item to adorn the interior of walls, both for their decorative function and for additional insulation. These range from simple quilted patterns to the sprawling, gold and silver-laced pieces of storytelling art that grace the grandest of halls.
The most successful among the growing numbers of land-holding Yeomen in the war years have also taken to establishing semi-fortified lodges on their new lands, which may consist of a main hall, several smaller buildings, and a stockade. Such places, among both knightly houses and yeomen, are often small communities in their own right, with populations bolstered by extended family and sustained with marriage, along with possession of desirable tools and facilities, such as mills, forges, or kilns. Some lodges also function as remote inns and waystations if they are built along roads or near popular hunting and logging areas, providing places of rest and supply in the otherwise wild reaches of the Autumnvale.
The greatest fortifications in the Autumnvale are the castles of the oldest and most powerful noble houses, particularly the Ashdownes, Walmoors, and Allisters. Some of these sites have been occupied for thousands of years; Cranwich Motte, for instance, derives the shape of its stone walls from that of a far older Achiad hill-fort. The greatest fortresses of the Autumnvale, namely Ardingly and especially Stonethistle, have been improved many times over generations, with architects taking inspiration from neighbours in Ulnost and Bergeaux, and from outside forces such as the Wythian Empire during its heydey. These castles have numerous wards and concentric curtain walls, studded with many towers and battlements. Stonethistle is particularly notable for the amount of grinding sieges it withstood in the war with Bergeaux, lasting seven years before its climactic fall.
History
Government
Military
Despite the great battles of its storied ancient history, the Autumnvale had for many centuries been characterized by an essentially peaceful existence, treading a balance between the Mancsflow river's role as a trade conduit between Ulnost and Bergeaux, and the rest of the fiefdom's relative isolation. As such, the martial traditions of the Valesmen, while enshrined in a rich body of folklore and legends, had long since fallen from practical importance. The arrival of the Empire initially threatened this status quo, and many Valesmen were prepared to take up arms against it; but Ulnost's mostly peaceful capitulation averted war and the defeat which would have likely occured at the hands of the Empire's forces. Thus, despite inflaming relations between the Autumnvale and the Ulnosti crown, and being seen as a humiliation by most Valesmen, the nature of the area's transition into Imperial rule likely spared the militarily unprepared fiefdom from devastation. While sorely resenting rule by an outside power, the Valesmen could find solace in their ability to maintain their peaceful and mostly isolated way of life. The Walmoors, whose holdings encompassed most of the commercially important southern shore of the Mancsflow River, had made enough concessions to Imperial rule (at noticeable cost to their reputation at home) to keep the Wythians largely unconcerned with the rest of the Autumnvale so long as the important thoroughfare remained open for trade. Aside from the periodic raising of auxiliary troops from the Autumnvale, the centuries under the Wythian Empire did not result in any significant military developments in the area. The outbreak of war with Bergeaux in 420 AU confronted the Autumnvale with the urgent need to construct a military from almost nothing....Culture
Architecture
Timber, whose quality is highly desired abroad, has long been an abundant resource in the Autumnvale, and its people's skills in woodworking are accordingly very developed. The ancient Achiad made extensive use of roundhouses for common dwellings, and long halls atop hill-forts in centres of power and commerce. While roundhouses are still commonly used by hunters and fishermen as seasonal shelters for long periods away from home, the millenia since the heydey of these structures has seen them supplanted by a rich tradition of timber-framed construction which now has produced the most recognizable structures of the region.
A Valic roundhouse, little-changed from antiquity.
An example of a tower-house popular with the minor nobility.
Many knightly houses have their seats in small castles, tower houses, or fortified lodges dotted throughout the landscape. This lifestyle is relatively self-sufficient, especially when supplemented by tenant farmers in the surrounding countryside. In the recent war with Bergeaux, invaders have found the ability of even small communities of Valesmen to withdraw safely to fortified or hidden places a serious obstacle to taking and holding territory.
Cuisine
Hunting is a very culturally significant activity in the Autumnvale, and the richness of its ecosystem means that it has not been restricted to the upper classes, although the scale and festivity of noble hunting expeditions remains quite distinct. As such, game frequently complements the usual livestock as a source of protein for Valesmen, as do the abundant fish and shellfish of the region's many rivers. For noble and commoner alike, hunting is seen as a sign of virtue and manhood, and so "wild" meats such as venison, boar, duck, and hare are more savoured. Given the alternation between densely forested terrain and elevated hills, large-scale herding is generally difficult, but hardy sheep are kept for their wool and ability to weather the moors and highlands, where mutton forms a large part of local meat intake. Yearly migrations of birds and waterfowl are keenly observed, as many species use the Ulnosti mountains as a north-south migratory route, often stopping in the Autumnvale's woodlands, rivers, and lakes. The men of the Autumnvale developed specially-crafted arrows with wooden heads, which can "skip" across the water to more effectively hunt these transient waterfowl. While meat is often roasted for feasts, more commonly it is spread throughout other dishes where it is paired with starches and garden vegetables such as pies, dumplings, and rich stews. Large-scale agriculture primarily takes place in the lowlands of the Autumnvale, particularly near the fertile deltas around Ardingly and Stonethistle, though even villages in the rockier hills commonly have several acres of communal land and individual houses often gardens for vegetables, herbs, and small livestock such as chicken or quail. Root vegetables enjoy a preponderance, including carrots, parsnips, potatoes, and onions, although peas, squash, chard and other options are plentiful. Orchards both large and small produce fruit accustomed to the local climate, including apples, pears, plums, and cherries. Several orchards owned by the Ashdownes around Ardingly are immense, and bounded with stone or wicker walls to also function as game preserves. Barley, rye, and oats are grown throughout the Autumnvale, with wheat in more fertile, temperate areas. As such, darker rye and barley bread are a staple, in addition to porridge and oatcakes. Finer, white bread is seen as a higher-status item. Bread bowls and plates, called trenchards, are used at many prestigious feasts and are afterwards given as alms, the bread having absorbed the gravy and other nutritional value from the dishes it contained. The Autumnvale is interwoven with rivers large and small, many having crisp mountain streams or highland lakes for their headwaters. Fish therefore has a sizeable presence in the Valesmen's diet, including trout and salmon from fast-flowing streams, with tench, pike, catfish and others found in lakes and larger rivers. Sturgeon are a particularly cherished fish, and can grow to immense sizes at which they are sought by the nobility, and the wealthiest thereof have diverted streams to create artificial fish ponds. Freshwater eels and lampreys are harvested during their immense yearly migrations for consumption by all levels of society, often using wicker traps before being transported to "stew ponds" to be farmed or await consumption. These fish are also readily salted and preserved, and are a staple during lean times, even having been used as currency on occasion. Clams, mussels, and crayfish are easily-gathered, and are a staple among the lower and middling sort with access to water. Most local alcoholic beverages in the Autumnvale are low-proof, high-calorie drinks such as ciders, small beers, and ales which are consumed throughout the working day or in large quantities on festive occasions. Some beers are often made sweet by the introduction of roots, bark, and herbs, which also act as preservatives for the liquid. While imported wines and liquor were desirable before the recent war, the political and military situation in the Autumnvale has seen a marked waning of their supply.Clothing
Type
Geopolitical, Lordship
Capital
Demonym
Valesman
Head of State
Power Structure
Feudal state
Currency
Trymessa, Sceattas, Stycce
Official State Religion
Subsidiary Organizations
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities