The Barony of Midwood (Praemal)

Suggestions and feedback greatly appreciated. This is a setting in progress to be used later this fall for online games.

Midwood

The Barony of Midwood, in the middle of Tulgey Wood, is home to the settlements of Middleborough (where the baronal seat of Midwood Hall is located and home of the Shady Dragon Inn), Foxton on Moss (home of the Way Inn, popular with merchant caravans) and Maidensbridge. Middleborough Church, which is dedicated to Lothian, boasts a regionally famous clockwork glockenspiel depicting an idealized version of life in the barony.

The barony is located in a relatively isolated portion of the Prustan Peninsula on the world of Praemal, closer to haunted Kem than to Grailwarden Keep. When barbarians sacked the imperial capital of Tarsis, Midwood was passed by. The peasants claim that Baron Nicodemus Midwood wove illusions that hid the barony, while others say they simply all got lucky. According to the baron, they are all still subjects of the Tarsisian Empire, although it is effectively an independent state.

Nearby locations of note are the abandoned Maidensbridge Abbey, the ancient Tulgey Barrow and the gnomish estate known as Wit’s End.

The narrow Moss River winds through the Tulgey. Its headwater, the Moss Pond, where the peasantry used to swim and fish, has recently taken on a sinister aspect, and after several children and fishermen vanished, it's now left alone, and the paths to it have become overgrown.

Green Mountain casts a shadow over the barony. Once the home of Grailwarden dwarves, the green dragon Gax conquered the dwarven fortress of Glangirn hundreds of years ago, and several tribes of kobolds took up residence on the high meadows on the lower slopes of Green Mountain. Gax was seen leaving the mountain a decade ago, and was never seen to return. What happened to her is unknown.

Without Gax’s leadership, the kobold tribes fell to infighting, until they were recently reunited under a single king. Those attempting to penetrate the dragon’s lair, seeking answers (and the dwarven and dragon hoards) have reported the outer portions of the fortress have been taken over by dwarven bandits, apparently descendants of the original inhabitants. No one has successfully penetrated the inner reaches of the fortress and returned to tell the tale.

Timeline

All dates are in IA (Imperial Age).

-2900 – The human civilization now only known as the Invisible Kingdom was at its peak in the Green Mountain and Tulgey Wood area. The civilization vanishes long before the Grailwarden dwarves explore the area.

-891 - The Grailwarden dwarves found the fortress of Glangirn, "Lost Mountain," within the depths of Green Mountain.

202 – The green dragon Gax arrives at Green Mountain, and enters the dwarven fortress of Glangirn there, with her kobold armies close behind. After three days of fighting, all the dwarves are either dead or have fled.

344 – A Prustan knight is given a rather undesirable fief – it has a dragon next door – and named Baron of Midwood. The village that grows up around the castle he builds becomes known as Middleborough.

560 – A river troll kills two lovers at a bridge later christened Maiden’s Bridge in a popular song.

570 – A hamlet grows up around Maiden’s Bridge.

610 – The abbess of Maidensbridge Abbey goes mad and kills the nuns before taking her own life. The abbey is abandoned ever since.

694 - Worgs attack a family of woodcutters in the Tulgey, killing all but two children, who are rescued and adopted separately. The young girl grows up to be Archer, Ranger of the Tulgey, and she almost single-handedly destroys the worg packs that once used to roam the Tulgey Wood.

698 – Nicodemus becomes the ninth Baron of Midwood.

710 – Khenemet-Apep arrives in the area and soon after builds a tower on the slopes of Green Mountain. He eventually becomes known as the Wizard of Green Mountain.

711 – Gax is seen leaving Glangirn by daylight, flying off to the west. She has never returned and her destination and fate are unknown.

712 – A dwarven expedition to retake Glangirn arrives in Midwood. After much preparation, they set off for the mountain and are never seen again. A kobold expedition several months later meets the same fate.

718 – The Green Mountain Kobold bard known as Fiddler shows up at a music competition at the Cat & the Fiddle in Maidensbridge. He narrowly loses to a gnomish bard. He appears at every subsequent musical contest held in the barony.

721 – The present year.

Maidensbridge
Maidensbridge (hamlet): Conventional, AL NG; 100 gp limit; Assets 1,000 gp; Population 200; Isolated (192 humans, 4 dwarves, 2 gnomes, 2 other)

Authority figures: Russell Bailey (male human Exp, bailiff), Ward Bridger (male human Pal, constable)

Notable NPCs: Heda Littlelark (female gnome Brd 5, minstrel), Therurt Glangirn (male dwarf Exp/Bar, blacksmith)

Militia:

The smallest community in Midwood, only a small fringe of trees separate Maidensbridge from the lower slopes of Green Mountain to the east. The hamlet is named for the bridge that straddles the Moss River as it heads north and downstream towards the larger community of Foxton on Moss. Although it is close by fast-moving water, by land, the hamlet is distant from both Foxton on Moss and Middleborough beyond it: It is more than two miles through dark woods before travelers reach the safety of Foxton on Moss.

Maidensbridge is almost entirely located on the west side of the Moss River, although the apple orchards are located on the east side towards Green Mountain, as is Ward Bridger’s watch tower. A simple log fence surrounds the hamlet on both sides of the river, with only a single opening on the east side and several on the west side. The west side openings in the fence are normally (casually) guarded by militia members.

The residents of Maidensbridge are apple farmers. Due to their proximity to Green Mountain, the residents of Maidensbridge have had to defend themselves more than any of the other communities have and has given birth to more adventurers. Even in distant Freeport or Ptolus, it is not strange to encounter an adventurer born and raised in the tiny hamlet of Maidensbridge, half a continent away.

The bridge that gives the hamlet its name was once the rendezvous for a pair of lovers from Foxton on Moss, whose families were of very different stations and who could not openly be together. Finally, the young girl was to be married to a much older man whom she did not love. The lovers conspired to meet at the bridge and run away together. Her lover was delayed on the road when his cart wheel broke. While she waited for him on the bridge, a river troll stole up from beneath the bridge and dragged her beneath the water, drowning her. When her lover finally made it to the bridge, he found her drowned corpse laying on the river bank, flowers still clinging to her hair where she had woven them, as she had always had for him. Spotting the river troll, he leapt on the beast, insane with rage and loss. The troll killed him as well, leaving his torn and broken body beside the girl he had loved. The tale of the two lovers was made into a popular song, The Maiden’s Bridge, and when the area was settled for orchards, the new hamlet inevitably took the name.

Once every autumn, the Green Mountain Kobolds descend under the cover of darkness and pluck apples from the orchards surrounding Maidensbridge and then pelt the houses with them. The event is known as Apple Night, and while it is frustrating for the farmers, who lose a portion of their crop every year to this vandalism, so far it has been a harmless annual ritual.

In the centuries since Maidensbridge became a community, those living there have become known as Bridgers, and Bridger is a common surname for the inhabitants.

Russell Bailey, Bailiff of Maidensbridge
Male Neutral Good human expert

Bailey has served as bailiff of Maidensbridge for 30 years, and his father was bailiff before him and his grandfather before that. The youngest of seven brothers, he is well-liked and respected in the community, and he is a known advocate of the commoners of Maidensbridge with the baron.

Despite being in his early 50s, Bailey still has a full head of curly bright orange/red hair, a trait he shares with his siblings and children. (Unbeknownst to him, his youngest son, the seventh of seven boys, is a sorcerer and will begin manifesting magical abilities before his 13th birthday.) He otherwise looks his age (and well-fed) and relies on a walking stick when traveling around Maidensbridge. He dresses simply but well.

Bailey has an excellent knowledge of the barony, especially Maidensbridge (Knowledge: Local), but what really makes him effective as bailiff is his ability to work with people (Diplomacy, Sense Motive).

His temperament mirrors that of the baron: He is more interested in the good of the barony's subjects than of the barony itself, although he knows the two are linked. But while Steward Thoric Glangirn has to put up with this attitude from the baron, he has been known to clash with Bailey for the same sort of attitude, taking out his frustrations on the human. Despite this, Bailey enjoys his job, and the hamlet remains prosperous and productive, although he is growing concerned about the security of Maidensbridge, now that the Green Mountain kobold tribes are reunited under a single leader.

Bailey is easy to talk to, and listens more than he talks. He is loath to issue orders or commands, but he knows he speaks with the authority of the baron, and will do so when he has to. He knows nearly everyone in Maidensbridge and many of those in Midwood Hall as well.

While out for a walk one night, after a long bad day had left him too tense to sleep, he saw something down by the shore of the Moss River that he suspects was a river troll. As yet he's not confident enough to speak up about it -- it was very dark, and he is somewhat embarrassed about his failing eyesight and hearing -- but as soon as evidence of a new group of scrags living in Moss Pond reaches his ears, he will speak up and corroborate the rumors.

When he thinks, he has a habit of tapping his walking stick between his feet.

Ward Bridger, Constable of Maidensbridge
Male Lawful Good human paladin

An adventurer and native son of Maidensbridge, Ward has returned to the hamlet to live out the rest of his life, after losing his right leg below the knee to Cerulean, a half-blue dragon behir. He now lives in a stone house that faces Green Mountain, which he watches as the constable of Maidensbridge. Several times, his frantic ringing of the bell he had installed in the skinny watchtower peeking over the treetops that he lives in has been the first warning of Maidensbridge of an imminent attack.

He also serves as a mentor to young adventurers, training paladins – and sharing his faith in the Platinum Dragon, Bahamut – and organizing scouting expeditions up Green Mountain.

64. Physical description
65. Attributes & Skills
66. Values & Motivations
67. Interactions with others
68. Useful knowledge

Although he retains the use of both eyes, Cerulean left Ward with a vivid white scar that runs from his hairline, across his left brow and eye and down to his chin.

Mother Bridger, midwife/healer
Female Neutral Good expert/cleric of Estanna

69. Occupation and history
70. Physical description
71. Attributes & Skills (Skill Focus: Heal)
72. Values & Motivations
73. Interactions with others
74. Useful knowledge
75. Distinguishing feature

Bridger's Skins & Hides
Leather armor and advanced leather goods are only available in Maidensbridge. The barons previously had a leatherworker in their employ in Middleborough, but the last one was kicked in the head by a mule eight years ago, and never recovered.

The Cat & the Fiddle
In addition to serving as the hamlet's tavern, the Cat & the Fiddle also produces cider, which is popular throughout the barony and is exported to the world beyond. The tavern also hosts music contests every year during Ale Days.

The Cat & the Fiddle is not an inn, but a nearby barn in only occasional use is available for those willing to spend the night in the hayloft.

__________ Wood, tavern owner/barkeep
Female Neutral Good human commoner

76. Occupation and history
77. Physical description
78. Attributes & Skills
79. Values & Motivations
80. Interactions with others
81. Useful knowledge
82. Distinguishing feature

Heda Littlelark, Minstrel
Female Neutral Good gnome bard 5

Heda Littlelark is a young gnome bard who traveled to Midwood with Rubik, but who found life in Wit’s End too stifling, and now works as a traveling minstrel moving through the various inns and taverns of the barony, although she calls Maidensbridge’s the Cat & the Fiddle home.

In addition to her work as a minstrel, Heda also passes information along to Archer and Rubik about anything she thinks they might want to know. While many assume all gnomes in Midwood are spies for Rubik, her relationship with Archer is a secret from everyone.

She is slight, even for a gnome, with hair the color of straw and brilliant green eyes. She wears outfits of gold and green, favoring an embroidered green vest and leggings with a yellow shirt and stockings beneath, with brilliant green leather shoes. Her gold pocket watch, complete with fob and chain, is one of her most prized possessions, and its chain swings between her vest pockets at all times.

She adores her bagpipes, but understands that enjoyment of bagpipe music seems mostly limited to gnomes and dwarves. When performing for a human audience, she switches to her concertina. She also sings and dances to accompany her concertina performances.

Although she is a capable minstrel, her real passion is for ancient lore (Trivial Knowledge, Skill Focus: Knowledge (History)), and she can easily imagine herself retiring one day to live the life of a sage in some lord's keep or in a scholarly society in a great city somewhere. In the meantime, she eagerly examines and helps identify relics adventurers retrieve from the Tulgey Barrow and other local sites. If she found the right group of companions, and Rubik gave his blessing, she’d happily leave Midwood and explore the world as an adventurer.

She has narrowly beaten Fiddler in every musical contest held at the Cat & the Fiddle, but it’s been a near thing every time. In her heart, she knows Fiddler is a better musician, and is under tremendous pressure from Wit’s End not to lose to the kobold.

Heda has a million questions for everyone she meets, but has the sense to listen to the answers. She does not believe herself to be terribly interesting, and will quickly steer any questions about herself back toward the questioner.

She knows a great deal about the local gnome and fey populations, as well as more than most about the Green Mountain Kobolds, including the general nature of the political rivalries, as well as a few details about their new rulers. She knows the information about the gnomes and fey could be dangerous in the wrong hands, and only shares it when she has to, and even then only with those she has reason to trust.

When bored, Heda is known to grab her watch chain and twirl it between her hands.