Barony of Ashan

The Barony of Ashan is a largely agricultural and border barony with a rough, independent and self sufficient people. They are no strangers to conflict, and take great pride in their ability to wage war, but do not seek out violence and prefer the quiet and simple life of farmers and herders.

Structure

Nobility The nobility and peasantry live in greater harmony than in many regions of Fultar. The intense practical nature of both the nobility and peasantry has allowed them to often break off hostilities before the point of riot and massacre. The Barony is also far from the corrupting influence of the cities where most nobles do not come into any contact with their peasants and other holdings. The peasants are seen as people, not just animals. Also, the ever present danger of the Fultar Forest has led to a sense of that both the peasants and nobles need each other or both shall perish.

The current Baron of Ashan, Baron Jev Aulon, rules with a strong, but just hand. The Baron, like all his line has not followed the Fultonian practice of prima note and has enforced the Imperial edict against slavery. However the Baron has also burned those few villages that attempted to defy his will. Because of a distaste for intrigue and subterfuge Baron Aulon has neglected Imperial politics. The Baron's family, however, have filled this vacuum and become quite powerful in Fulton. Corrupted by the city life much of the Barons family see little need to appease the peasantry and opposes reforms to allow the peasants to buy there way out of serfdom or for the people to keep their numerous religious holidays. Northern Fiefdoms Besides the Baron of Ashan -- Lord Aulon -- and the Fultonian army, there are three other important political and military powers in the norther counties of Orielster and Brehiell. Owning land in both demesnes is Count De Vorten. De Vorten is a warrior prince with strong ties to the priests of the Fultonian war god Ram Kor. In recent times Breshiell has been a fairly dangerous county. Many of the other local lords have been unable to maintain power for more than a handful of years. In addition to De Vorten's power in Breshiell, the family of Lord Armentan has solidified and expanded their lands in these turbulent times by forging strategic alliances and crushing those few enemies they have made. The county of Orielster has a history of rebelling against both Imperial and Baronial power. Continuing this tradition is the robber prince Lord Dax Clomb who controls a portion of Orielster. Lord Clomb and his people are fiercely proud of their independence and unlike most northern Ashanians would rather face the barbarian hordes of the north alone than as the serfs of the Baron or Queen.

Culture

Peasantry The Ashanian peasantry is representative of most of their brethren living in the Fultonian plains. They live in easily built houses consisting of wood, clay, straw and animal shit. The peasants often live with their animals and their kitchen is either a separate building or a small wooden lean to. Unlike the woodland or hill based peasants who pass land to the entire family, Ashanian plains based peasants pass their land to the sole surviving son. The remaining children remain until marriage and then must fend for themselves in the cities, as soldiers, or the good will of their elder sibling. Two principal classes of peasants exist, the serfs and the free. The Ashanian open field peasants are more likely to be prosperous serfs, while their woodland and hill based cousins who are more likely to be poor, but free. Serfs often owe heavy labor service to their lord. They are not protected by the royal court, but the will of their lord. The serfs can not leave their land or livestock without permission and have to pay numerous fees in times of inheritance and marriage. About half the serfs work goes to their lord. Despite this, for most Ashanian peasants legal status is less important than their economic class. What is more important is how much land one farms, not whether he is free or serf. Better off peasants own 15 or 30 acres, in addition to their communal allotment of 2 to 5 acres. A reasonably prosperous peasant owns numerous hens, geese, a few hogs, a couple cows, sheep and two to four plowing oxen. The cottars, as the poorer peasants are called, hold five acres or less of land, borrow oxen or use a hoe, and some even hire themselves out to supplement their income. Cottars represent about half the Ashanian peasantry. The complex agricultural system often has a peasant working a different plot of land each week with the fruits of his labor going to a multitude of people. Peasants often have three different crops; a personal crop, their lord's crop and a cash crop. The lord's crop is divided into at least two groupings, the Queen's and Baron's. Often the local lords retained an additional share. Northern Fiefdoms Although to the outsider the people of the northern counties appear culturally and racially similar to the rest of their Fultonian brethren, they are seen as backward by most of Fultar. These small populations of a thinly distributed and widely dispersed people have prevented the establishment of the dominant Fultonian civilization. In addition to being poorer, hardier and more warlike they are freer and more primitive than most Fultonians. Being isolated from mainstream culture they have maintained more ancient religious and cultural beliefs. The feudal system common throughout Fultar has also only partially caught on in northern Ashan. The few lords are often nearly as poor as the peasantry and work along side their subjects. The constant warfare has lead to an armed peasantry only willing to follow the toughest and most cunning lord, regardless of bloodlines or ancient family history.

Territories

The Barony of Ashan is nestled beneath the Northern Fultar Forest to the north, the Melidatian Ocean to the west, and the neighboring agricultural heartland Baronies to the east and south. The Barony is about seventy miles wide by about seventy miles long. The Barony's rolling hills, numerous streams and small river valleys make it well suited for agriculture. Northern Fiefdoms The northern fiefdoms of Ashan are the least civilized and most warlike. The northern counties of Carante, Orielster and Breshiell primarily consist of rolling hills and scrub forest, but also include small parts of the Fultar Forest. Historically this region was covered with the thick foliage now associated with the Fultar Forest. Over a millennium of logging have caused extensive deforestation. Under the last Guar conquest the Guar used the Druids as a tool to control the populace. The Druids nature worshipping focus and alliance with the Treants forced strict anti-logging policies which today have bread resentment against both the Druids and the methods they promoted. The forests, which had made some recovery during the Druidic stewardship, are now deforested hills and scrubs. The wood from the forests was not wasted as it helped build the many powerful Fultonian navies. Without these navies Fultar could not have colonized Nubia, the Isles, Northern Fultar Forest, nor extended her influence to the Knives Coast, Gilean, Ashanti or Arabia. The people of the north are the first, and often the only, Ashanians to feel the force of northern invasions. In past times the Guar, Kozar, Germani, Celts, Shakanza, orcs, minatoaurs and hobgoblins have used the northern counties of Carante, Orielster and Breshiell as springboards to invade Ashan and the rest of Fultar. While the large scale foreign invasions have had a greater impact on the rest of Fultar, it has been the constant warfare and banditry between the northern Fultonians and their various enemies that has had a more dramatic impact on the border provinces. This constant armed struggle has made the people of the northern provinces more united, bellicose and hardy than most Fultonians. This tough strain persists despite that in recent times the Fultonian army has maintained a strong presence along the border and protected the provinces from harassment. Western Fiefdoms The western counties of Carante and Aulon are the only Ashanian provinces with direct access to the Melidatian Ocean. Their histories are shaped by their dependence on the ocean. Central Fiefdom The vast majority of Ashan is characterized by the rural agriculture of the counties of Scortenia, Rastrant, Blaemest, and Aulon (which also is on the coast and is considered both a Western and Central fiefdom), and the Dukedoms of Drenath and Conwei. This the heartland of Ashan, and Fultar itself, and can by itself feed the entire nation.

Religion

The Ashanian people have strongly religious convictions. The vast majority worship Sennia, although the mother goddess Tya Nehru is respected everywhere. Local areas like the warlike county of Breshiell worship the war god Ram Kor and the coastal areas worship Hantithenus and Poseidon. The clerics of Sennia play an important, but conflictory role. The Sennians both further the demands of the peasantry and assist the lords in maintaining a healthy degree of oppression. Because of their multiple responsibilities many religious orders within the clerics of Sennia have been established, and have at times broken into violent confrontation.

Agriculture & Industry

In Ashan wheat is the cash crop while barley, oats and rye are grown for consumption. Staple crops are planted twice a year with the last ploughing in April. In June the reaping begins and does not end until the end of summer. In the late summer and fall the lord's olives, figs and grapes are picked. By the first autumn rains ploughing begins again so that plants have some leaves by the time of the first frost. Restoration of the soil is not unknown, but relies more on magic than science. A two field crop rotation is used with one field lying fallow and the second planted with a spring and fall crop. Cover fertilizers crops are unknown. The planting of animal feed crops is so rare that many hungry animals must be slaughtered in the darkest days of winter. Besides letting the land go fallow the peasants spread clay or animal manure, and receive the blessing of their priests. The magical knowledge of the priests of Sennia is second only to the Druids and has a considerable impact on the success of Ashanian agriculture. Without the priests blessing Fultar would import rather than export grain. Northern Fiefdoms The northern fiefdoms are essentially hill based economies. As the hills are poor, so are their people. These small hills have few minerals and no major mines. Because the land is difficult to live off the hill people are forced to be self sufficient for most of the essentials of life. The pastoral north depends primarily on the herding of sheep and goats with some farming, trapping, logging, and cattle ranching. The Fultonian military outposts also contribute to the economy by providing both stability and a steady supply of gold. During the summer months part of the population travels into central Ashan with their flocks of sheep, and herds of cattle and goats. Whole families rarely make the seasonal migration. Many of the men must remain to fight the summer invasions, women have taken critical positions in the southern migration of livestock. Other exodus' coming from the north include refugees in times of war, armies of unemployed in times of drought or flood, and seasonal agricultural workers. All of this migration between the warlike, culturally backward people of Carante, Breshiell and Orielster and the sedentary farmers of Ashan is the cause of ethnic prejudice and discrimination as well as the occasional banditry and violence. Central Fiefdoms The central feudal states are the agricultural heartland of Fultar. The transformation of the rolling hills and plains of Ashan from primitive hoe agriculture to the modern plough agriculture has been a long and difficult process. Until recent times Ashan has existed as a peripheral area to the power of Gebash. This historical relationship has stifled the development of towns and commercial infrastructure. Ashan has had a difficult history of flooding and malaria. Thousands of years of irrigation improvements, building of aqueducts and draining of swamps have transferred Ashan into productive farmland. These slow improvements quickly digressed in past times of war and neglect. Irrigation improvements have been the result of capital investment from the towns and cities to the rural countryside, and are tied to the growth of the urban economy. Since Ashan itself lacks towns and cities most of the irrigation improvements in Ashan been made by lords and merchants with their power base outside of Ashan. This has profited the richer, city based nobles and merchants living outside of the Barony. Despite that richer, non-Ashanians control and profit from the aqueducts and canals, all Ashanians suffer far fewer mosquito and water based diseases than in ancient times. What the Ashanian peasants gained in bountiful crops and freedom from disease they have lost in personal freedom and autonomy from the urban elites.

Trade & Transport

Cities and Towns Only Conwei and Aulon have towns of considerable size. Conwei is home to the river town of Clenwei. Clenwei is controlled by the priests of Sennia, the Fultonian goddess of agriculture. The town is both the principal trading area for goods going down river to Gebash and the only area of Ashan where any intensive "industry" exists. Being an rural Barony there are relatively few strong mercantile powers. The towering giant among all the merchants is Hemling Bryant. Bryant controls most of the village stores, trade in livestock and agricultural commodities. His only weak area is in the "industrial" city of Clenwei. Bryant has no known interests in the Ashanian underworld. This underworld has been the subject of ruthless oppression by Baron Aulon and only consists of small, fragmented gangs and bandits. Northern Fiefdoms In addition to the export of labor and livestock, the northern fiefdoms also trade a small, steady supply of lumber, cheese, honey, meat and furs. Much of this smaller commerce is transported by the Ashanian mule trains. These mule trains are constantly moving groups of merchants, families, shepherds and soldiers. Some mule trains only make short routes while others make the long trip from the Fultar Forest to Gebash. Most mule trains have constantly changing merchandise, buying and selling as prices fluctuate from village to village. Other, larger mule trains financed by wealthier merchants and nobles, make the long trip bringing raw materials from the north and returning with manufactured goods from the towns of Ashan and beyond. While some native Ashanians work the mule trains, most are driven by Gypsies and the descendants of the Kozar and Guar. The Western Fiefdoms The western counties of Carante and Aulon have direct access to the Melidatian Ocean. Historically the many coastal villages played important roles in maritime trade. Before the coming of modern times the coast served as the bank of one giant river. Shore and coastal routes provided protection from storms, winds and pirates. Ships would sail a day's travel up or down the coast, then stop at the next village for the night. Traveling from one rocky village to the next, merchants acted as traveling bazaars. Nearly everyone from captain to cabin boy would buy items in one village and sell them in the next. Over the coarse of the trip the cargo would change many times over. This constant stop and go commerce allowed for the daily renewal of supplies, water, wood and rations as well as cargo. The Ashanian coast was often only one of a number of small stops on the long trip from Nubia to Gilean. Even in ancient times there were the larger, destination bound merchant ships. These larger ships still hugged the coast and rested in port every night. However, the quickest ships did not have to stop at every village. The destination bound merchant ships were in the vast minority of all merchant ships and primarily carried wine, oil, salt or grain. They were also more often oared by slaves, conscripts or indentured servants who did not freely choose a life at sea. The proliferation of trading villages had an important impact on the nearby inland areas. The surrounding forests were quickly deforested to build and repair the ships. However, before the hills were deforested Ashan was one of the greatest shipbuilding centers in all Fultar. The swamps were drained to destroy disease carrying insects and provide lush farmlands. The inland areas quickly became oriented toward providing materials and trading goods to the coastal villages. Often these inland areas became peripheral extensions of the dominant coastal merchants and nobles. In time the rising strength of the Fultonian Navy, the conquest of the Miwian Isles and the advanced design of ships caused fewer merchants to stop on the Ashanian coast. Merchants began to explore and conquer the open seas and were no longer hugging the coast as if it were the bank of one great river. Open sea travel is still more dangerous with the strong winds, unpredictable storms and numerous pirates and Vikings. However, even the small majority of ships which still hug the coast and dock at night have less to fear from pirates and storms. These ships can also travel longer distances in a day and no longer stop at all the old Ashanian trading villages. Today most of Ashan transports its goods by river, not sea, down to Gebash or Fulton. This drop in maritime trade has left the Carante economy depressed for the past century and many of the coastal towns have transformed, at least in part, from trading centers to fishing villages. The coastal county of Aulon while not as robust as in centuries past, is not as depressed as Carante. Aulon has a considerable agricultural hinterland that still trades out of the naval port town of Altenth. In addition, timber from the Fultar Forest is used for a small shipbuilding industry. Being the seat of the Baron's principal residence has also kept Aulon strong and prosperous. Altenth is ideally suited to launch trading and military operations to the Miwian Isles. However, being a rural agricultural county focused on the mainland, Aulon has missed the golden opportunity of the conquest of the Miwian Isles. Today relatively few Aulonian merchants, nobles or sailors live in the Isles.