The Freehold of Kilead

The Freehold of Kilead

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The freehold of Kilead is the easternmost province of the human kingdom of Erestea. Situated far from the capitol the sway of the government does not extend far beyond the central town of Kilead and the farmers have learned to be highly self reliant.
The lush woodland region was not always governed by the Erestean monarch. Many centuries ago the whole river valley was occupied and managed by five druidic circles that helped keep the land in order and the unruly woodland spirits in check. As the human "civilization" crept nearer the druids retreated and their influence wained until now only two circles remain. As the druids disappeared so did their benevolent influence over the restless nature spirits and many parts of the land have grown dark and inhospitable.

Human Lands

The western regions are controlled by and primarily inhabited by humans, and the Kingdom claims that their eastern border is at the foot of the mountain. In practice however their control ends within a days ride east of Kilead. Beyond that the lands are wild until one reaches the mountains where the dwarven empire maintains order.

Kilead

Kilead is the main seat of government power in the region but still only has ~500 inhabitants in the town center. The town lies in the fork where the Eatnu and Hir rivers join into the greater Hir river which flows down to the main regional capitol of Hirion. The townspeople of Kilead are a simple folk and work can be found mainly in the logging industry which supplies the shipwrights downriver.
The mayor of the town, lord Artog has now been in charge for almost 40 years and he is well liked by most of his subjects although rumours of him getting slower with age have started surfacing, likely fanned on by his main political rival, the head of the hunters guild.
The town is well known for the long and healthy lifespans of its citizens but what is less well known in the surrounding regions is the cause of this good health. Long ago when the town was established, the newly appointed Lord of Kilead went into the woods to the east in search of the druids that were rumoured to dwell there. When he returned he was accompanied by the head of the druid circle and proclaimed that a pact had been made. The people of Kilead were to place a fraction of their goods and foods at the edge of the woods each month, and in return the druids would gift the city a potion that heals all ailments of those who drink to the town at Midsummer of each year. Needless to say the local people make sure that the rumours of the true nature of this festival does not travel too far abroad.

Ravgarn woods

The vast forest on the western shore of the river is in many parts dark and inhospitable and the local people avoid crossing over the river and entering the gloom. They tell tales of those that have braved the wood and returned insane or not at all, and of strange creatures being seen in the boughs of the trees.
The truth of the matter is that one of the formerly mighty druidic circles have retreated into the depths of the woods and are using their influence over nature to barricade it against further incursions by what they consider invaders. In their desperation they are seeking forbidden magics and the land is turning dark around them, the woods are covered in thorny vines and the animals have grown aggressive even to their own kin. There are still those who oppose the isolation and would seek to live in harmony with the people around them and a conflict within the circle is brewing.

Blood Creek

In the woods to the south lies what appears to be a strange quirk of nature. It is a creek with no clear beginning nor end. It seems to simply rise from the forest floor, flow for a while and the vanish again. There are many tales of the creek, some saying that it brings a curse upon those who drink from it and others claiming that it is never seen in quite the same place twice. Whatever the truth may be all tales agree on one point: if the water of the creek touches bare skin it turns blood red.

The Circle

The circle of druids that entered the pact with the people of Kilead. They call themselves the Haldi meaning "the protectors" in their own language and they take the duty of protecting the wild lands very seriously and in the center of their village lies a magical well that is known as the heart of the forest. The legend says that as long as the water in the well is pure the lands of the Haldi will be free, and the Haldi select the strongest warriors to be guardians of the well.
The Haldi are led by the oldest member which currently is the elf-man Galva Mourra. In fact he is so old that he was present at the final council of the five circles, many hundreds of years ago. He has always remained a staunch defender of attempting to cooperate and coexist with the Eresteans even when voices even inside his own circle try to claim that they must fight the intruders and protect their ancestral lands.

The Elder Tree

In the eastern reaches of the Haldi woods lies the ruins of an ancient dome, built long before even the first druid set is foot in the wood. In the center of the ruined dome stands a great tree, shaped like an ancient oaktree but much taller than even the tallest pine. This is the elder tree, whose fruit provides the magic for the portion the druids craft at midsummer each year.
Beneath the Tree, unbeknownst even to the druids lie the hidden ruins of a temple. It was built to hold a relic from the creation of the world hidden from the gods themselves. The temple was designed to test the minds, bodies, and purity of spirit of the mortals that seek the relic and only those who grasp its true power and the necessity of protecting it should be able to reach it.

The witchwood

A small wooded grove that lies in the midst of a vast marshland that spreads from the shores of the Eatnu River as it winds its way across the flat landscape. No one really knows if there is a witch in the woods or not, but the eerie feeling of the grove is not under debate. It has become custom among those who travel the river to leave a gold coin or a small piece of whatever they are transporting on the shore closest to the wood as they pass to appease the witch and make sure no bad luck befalls their journey.

No mans land

At the northern border of the Haldi forest between the river and the mountains lies a godforsaken patch of lands that is known to the few that travel here as No Mans Land. A magical accident of some kind a long time ago has left the region devoid of vegetation and life. The only ones who dwell here are a tribe of goblins that have used the wasteland to avoid detection by the mountain dwarves.

The Great Northern wastes

In the north the woodland gives way to grassland and the area known as the great wastes begins. The name is somewhat misleading for it is a lush grassland that extends untold leagues to the north. However the influence of the Kingdom does not stretch into the sea of grass and the King has thus decreed that they are wastes and of no use to anyone.

The Dwarven Lands

As the plains and woodlands transition into hills and mountains the influence of humans declines and governance is given over to the dwarves. The mountainchain stretches from the northernmost reaches of the continent all the way to the ocean in the south and almost the entire length of it is inhabited by dwarves. The dwarves all hold allegience to the Ard-Righ, the high king, but different regions are rules by clans and organizations known as the Taigh that are mostly self governing. The region east of Kilead is dominated byTaigh Deigh-- The Ice Dwarves.

Silverlake

Perhaps the most curious part of this area of the mountains is the Silverlake, Loch Airgid in dwarvish. The lake lies nested between the mountains in a temperate valley were the shores and mountain sides are covered in lush vegetation, yet whatever the surrounding temperature the Silverlake is always frozen over. The ice is several meters thick in most places in the lake and if it is cut away or removed the water will instantly start to freeze again. The utility of this has not passed unnoticed by the dwarves that occupy this region and they have created a thriving economy based on harvesting the ice, shipping it down river and selling it in the towns for the common people to use to keep food fresh.

Túr Airgid

On the northwestern shore of the lake lies a large dwarven city, the low stone houses climbing the foothills of the mountains. On a central hill, looming above even the tallest building stands a metallic tower, its silvery surface reflecting the sunlight and splitting it into thousands of colorful rainbows. The tower was constructed entirely of mithril in an age long gone by. The Head of Taigh Deigh who rules over this city traditionally lives in this tower although the groundloving nature of dwarves mean that the tower residences are usually just used for ceremonies.
Inside the hills upon which the city is built the dwarves have excavated large halls that are now used as vast markets and storages.

Losghad Mor

At the southern edge of the Silver lake where the ice starts to break and the water flows into the Eatnu river lies a small dwarven trading post called Losghad Mor. The town was built for the construction of The great western locks, (the Ard Ghlaich) that were built to enable the passage of ships and barges down from the silverlake towards the plains below. The town inhabitants now get most of their income passage fees for the locks and have a foul reputation as a greedy people among dwarves and humans alike.

Fuaran Grove

At source of the Hir river lies a small wooded grove of trees at the center of which lies a temple dedicated to the god of the river and nature. It was once a common center of pilgrimage for humans and dwarves alike but has been largely forgotten by the humans in recent years. Nevertheless the monks and clerics who tend the grove remain and every once in a while a devout pilgrim will arrive at their doorstep seeking knowledge and wisdom. The legends of the shrine say that the monks get news of the world from the birds in the air and the fish in the waters and that they keep meticulous records of all that they hear.

The coat of arms of Kilead displaying the oaktree of the current lord, and the stag of the Duchy of Hirion to which Kilead belongs.
Image created with worldspinner.com

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