Eamonvale
Eamonvale is a long fertile valley through which runs one of the few trade roads across the Stoneheart Mountains. The valley, the forested mountain slopes that flank it, and its deep swamps and boggy moors are governed from the Grey Citadel of Dun Eamon. The authority of the Lord of Eamonvale extends from the mountain passes near the river’s headwaters to the trading center of Broadwater at the edge of the foothills of the Stonehearts.
For reasons that remain unclear, the Grand Duchy of Reme has never laid claim to the lands of Eamonvale, even though it is the source of a major tributary of the river that at its mouth empties into the Crescent Sea at the city of Reme itself. Rumors suggest that Eamon Angus, the original lord of Eamonvale, performed some critical service to the grand duke centuries ago and was rewarded with a permanent writ to hold Eamonvale free of the authority of Reme. Whether or not that is the case, neither the grand dukes nor the dukes of the Northmarches have ever attempted to annex the valley, though that has not stopped Rhemish merchant houses from seeking influence over this key trading route.
History and People
In 3238 I.R., Eamon Angus founded a small trading post at a ford near the end of a valley in the western eaves of the Stoneheart Mountains, south of the High Downs. As it became apparent that the trading post and the growing community on the ford were in a position to influence trade across the mountains, the community attracted the attention of several merchant families from the heartland of Reme. As the number of caravans moving across the ford and stopping to trade within the walls of the city grew steadily, the merchants sought a toehold in the thriving economy. Angus and his descendants forbade their emporiums in the city that would become Dun Eamon, so the merchants were forced to barter their goods and collect their tariffs before the caravans entered the valley.
At the mouth of the valley where the River Eamon calmed and widened into a navigable waterway, the tent cities and caravan camps of the traders grew into the town of Broadwater. It was here that the powerful Rhemian merchant house of Drenwal was able to establish an emporium and dominate the smaller independent traders. With total control of the movement of goods up the valley, House Drenwal taxed goods so heavily that they became unmarketable in The Frontier communities. The merchant dynasty bought out caravans of certain critical supplies to deny the settlers the tools for their survival. When Eamonvale had been weakened by their actions, a scion of the Drenwal empire led an army of mercenaries upriver to sack the Angus trading center at the ford and seize the lucrative position on the trade road for themselves.
Angus and his supporters raised an army of woodsmen and settlers and engaged the merchant prince with a ferocity and tenacity that surprised even the seasoned mercenary generals. The battles of The Frontier War were hard-fought and costly, but the people of Eamonvale drove the army of House Drenwal from the valley and secured their economic freedom and gained effective control over the trading center of Broadwater. House Drenwal withdrew from the economics of the region but has never forgotten the chagrin of their defeat in the campaign and still covets the valley’s flourishing economy
The Frontiersmen of Eamonvale fought for generations to preserve their rights in the valley, first wresting their sustenance from the untamed wilds, then defending their homes against humanoid onslaughts and, most recently, dealing with the political machinations of greedy merchant empires. The people of Eamonvale are hardy and self-sufficient, hardships are taken in stride, and respect is reserved for those who earn it. Two dominant social groups exist in the valley and are usually at odds with each other. The woodsmen who people the fertile slopes and forested glens of the valley regard the merchant class as arrogant foreigners from pampered lowland cities; the merchants regard the woodsmen as savages whose uncouth lifestyle they tolerate only in the interests of profit.
Religion
Among the merchants, Sefagreth is worshipped, and a temple to this god can be found in Broadwater. The locals generally prefer Dre’uain (particularly among the craftsman), Kamien, Pekko, and Thyr. Many travelers also sacrifice to Belon the Wise, seeking protection as they travel into the wilds beyond the valley. The Angus family, rulers of Eamonvale, have typically honored Stryme, and Lord Arb Angus’ brother, Cael Angus, currently serves as the Master of the Temple of Fortitude and High Priest of Stryme in Dun Eamon. Rumor has it that the Angus family adopted Stryme as their patron after a long-ago battle where they fought alongside dwarves who honored that god.
Trade and Commerce
Eamonvale is a key location on one of the few commercial trading routes over the Stoneheart Mountains. Caravans, traders, explorers, and more take the Eamonvale Trade Road, and Dun Eamon and Broadwater are the last safe havens before entering the deep mountains. This has made the valley a target of many merchant houses over the centuries, though the Angus family has fended off all threats to the independence of their domain. Other than trade, the valley also produces fur and timber that is sent downriver to Yalendir and beyond into the heartland of Reme.
Loyalties and Diplomacy
Eamonvale is isolated, located on the very limits of civilization several hundred miles from the nearest Rhemian city of Quintas. It remains on friendly terms with the grand duchy, having apparently been guaranteed its independence around the time it was founded. On rare occasions, ducal patrols visit Broadwater or Dun Eamon on their way to assignments along the Stoneheart foothills, and they treat the locals with care and respect (which treatment is reciprocated by the Eamonvalers). The only real diplomatic challenge to the Angus family comes from Rhemian merchant houses, and particularly House Drenwal, which continually seek to influence or control the trade routes through the Stonehearts.
Government
For almost three centuries, rule of Eamonvale has passed by hereditary descent through the Angus family, beginning with Eamon Angus, the founder of Dun Eamon. The current ruler is Lord Arb Angus, a tall, robust man with thick brown hair and a well-trimmed beard. The region has developed well under his reign. He is young, having just entered his 30th year, and he rules with the confidence and vigor of youth tempered by the strict discipline and wisdom of his father. His policies on trade and tax ensure a place for the local farmers and craftsmen in the economy, and his strict prohibition on foreign guild influence has drawn much controversy. While many abroad would see him overthrown, he is well loved by his citizens.
Arb Angus remains unmarried, and it is well known in the valley that he intends to wait until later in life to take a wife. He has two younger brothers: Bron Angus serves as captain of the Mist Watch in Dun Eamon, and Cael Angus is master of the Temple of Fortitude and high priest of Stryme in Dun Eamon.
Military
The maintenance of law and order in and around the Grey Citadel is the responsibility of the Mist Watch, which is over 200 strong. The force is made up of career soldiers, citizen militia, and wilderness outriders. There is no law of mandatory service for the citizens, but any man living within the city walls is subject to conscription in times of war.
Bron Angus, Arb Angus’ younger brother, is the captain of the watch and has been highly successful despite his young age. His experiences as a young man in a mercenary company taught him to be intolerant of sloth, insolence, and drunkenness, and his strict orders have resulted in an elite fighting force. The members of the Mist Watch are trained to a basic level with all weapons and tactics, but many of them have additional areas of expertise. All the watchmen are rotated through various duty stations to avoid boredom and complacency.
Another 200 soldiers serve in the Broadwater Guard, a standing military force garrisoned at the Old Keep in Broadwater. These guardsmen, under command of sergeants and captains, are charged with safeguarding the town from external threats, a duty that includes manning the walls and gates, patrolling the immediate vicinity, and responding to any apparent threat in the small communities immediately outside the gates. As the largest armed body of troops in the city, they may also be called upon to respond to any large disturbance within the walls, but they do not operate regular patrols in the town (which is the province of the Broadwater Constabulary).
Major Threats
There are many threats to Eamonvale that require the continual vigilance of the Angus family. The mountains contain many perils, including the orcs of Og-Brethos to the north and the other monsters that call the Stonehearts home. But historically, the greatest threat to Eamonvale has come from the merchant families of Reme who continually seek to take control of this critical juncture on the trade road across the mountains. It is said that House Drenwal, in particular, holds a deep grudge against the Angus family for evicting them from Broadwater in The Frontier Wars several centuries ago.
Region
Eamonvale
Parent Organization
Controlled Territories
Comments