Kiern
Vale Handbook
Chapter 5:
The Northern Vale – The Drarun Hills and the “Stone Brothers”
Prologue
| Landscape and Important
Locations| The
Hunting Estates| Important
Characters
Background
of Player Characters
|
The Hunting Estates of the Brothers
Eramel and Tolvis Kor-Om’thel The situation in the region has changed
over the course of the last generation. Officially, the area has been under
the lordship of House Kor-Om’thel for countless generations. From time to
time, the lords of Thel A-Kern were called upon to settle disputes between
rival hunting clans, and occasionally even hosted and trained some of their
sons. For many years, however, the authority
of the mountain-pass lords had little real influence within the hills
themselves. That changed about twenty-five years ago, when two of the younger
and ill-tempered brothers of the lord of the time, Arthirion Kor-Om’thel,
arrived here one after the other. Both resented the manner in which the stern
lord excluded them from power, and had even ruled against one of them in a
legal dispute with a simple shepherd. The two brothers made use of an ancient
charter that had long lain dormant, and established hunting estates of their
own. Tolvis settled upon the rocky northern shore of Lake Tol’ve—and soon
began insisting that the lake itself should bear his name. Eramel, by
contrast, restored ancient ruins high upon the cliffs along the slopes of the
Tol’gre ridge, at a strategic point overlooking the Drarun Falls,
transforming them into a fortified and well-defended stronghold.
Trouble between the two aging
nobles—greedy men, fiercely jealous of their honor—and the ancient clans of
the local hunters erupted with startling speed. The causes were many: failed
attempts to fence off paths and impose taxes; the decision of one of the
brothers to take into his service outcasts banished from one of the clans,
including the beautiful daughter of one of the most violent and savage
chieftains among the local families; the selling of charters to bands of
miners and treasure-seekers; and the open disregard shown by both new
lords—or perhaps simply their poor understanding—of ancient local customs
passed down across generations, including beasts forbidden to hunt and places
long considered forbidden to enter or disturb. Matters soon escalated into a siege of
Eramel’s estate high upon the ridge, forcing Lord Arthirion to ride there at
the head of his personal guard. After a brief battle, negotiations began
between Lord Arthirion—furious with his two brothers, yet unwilling to leave
them to their fate—and the local clans. The talks ended in a compromise that
left neither side satisfied. Among other things, the new agreements imposed
limitations upon the two brothers and compelled them to respect at least some
of the ancient local customs. Things remained this way for years.
Now, however, following Arthirion’s withdrawal from power and the rise in
standing of his brothers within the Granite Courts, Eramel and Tolvis have
gradually begun to ignore—or quietly erode—the old agreements, once more
provoking the local clans. Among other things, they expanded their
hunting expeditions, inviting questionable adventurers and wealthy visitors
from other parts of the Vale to take part in them; reopened and carved new
paths through the mountains in an effort to allow the passage of wagons; and
more. Several years ago, Tolvis Kor-Om’thel
acquired dubious eggs from the Urgaka marshes, and succeeded in breeding from
them a herd of small predatory reptiles known as Shagluts. Some of the
creatures managed to escape and prey upon local animals. Worse still, Eramel, from his
stronghold high above the region, has grown deeply envious of his brother’s
herd, and is now doing everything in his power to obtain eggs of the
predatory Shagat from Urgaka, or some other impressive beast—to the anger and
alarm of the locals; and it seems that a new clash between the sides is only
a matter of time. |
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Kiern Vale guide
Created and edited by Gideon Orbach (2017) © All rights reserved. Commercial use and/or any
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