Table of Contents
The Duchy of Grayhaven – Home of House Garess
Background
- Origins – Like most of the people of Northern Brevoy (Issia) the people of Grayhaven originated in Iobaria. Traveling prospectors found the riches of the Golushkin, and word soon spread home. Soon miners and forge masters started to arrive. When they discovered the Golka, they forged an alliance right from the start.
- The Land – The hills from the mountains down to the Awzera river are rich with various minerals, although they aren't much good for farming. However, there is enough game in the hills to supplement the vegetables that the farms grow - and the produce of their mines pays for everything else they need.
- History – before the coming of The Conqueror, the city of Grayhaven (built by the Garess) was the main clearing center for the Dwarves of High Delve and the many small mining towns that had sprung up in the foot hills. When Choral came, The head of the Garess family gave the small towns a choice. Join him and pay taxes, or else Choral would come … The leaders of the towns became Dominus, Master or Mayor and the head of the Golka became a Baron - between then they put on a solid face for Choral that over the years has grown into one of the major noble families in Brevoy.
- Recent History - Ten years ago High delve and the Golka 'were lost' - at the the same time as as Skywatch sealed itself and all true blood members of the Rogarvia disappeared - there was a massive earthquake and the entrance to High Delve just disappeared under a new mountain of rubble and rock fall. At first it was though the Dwarves would dig themselves out. Later search and rescue parties were sent. All to no avail. The Gorka and their underground town are still missing. Missing trade with Highdelve weakens both Grayhaven and the Garess - but they persevere - even though their influence has receded.
Politics
- Leadership - Lord Gurev Garess, Duke of Grayhaven, rules from Grayhaven, the city that gives its name to the duchy. The city has its own mines but also hosts the ore and metal trade exchanges that allow Lord Gourav to control the duchy. Nowadays, he is 'advised' by the lesser nobles and mayors who run the small towns scattered across the duchy.
- Settlements - The towns and villages of Grayhaven have invariably grown up around a mine shaft that has been fortified. Local farms then developed in the hills, growing oats, root vegetables and herding sheep.
- Military - The majority of the Grayhaven military are trained to defend the fortified mines. This, with the abundance of metals, means that they are generally heavier troops, with better arms and armour (when compared tothe rest of Brevoy). Grayhaven Guards. However, there are still plenty of conventional Light Foot (Skirmishers) acting as shepherds and hunters. Leaders are generally fighters.
- Relationships - Grayhaven did have a very good relationship with the Golka dwarves from High Delve - however, most of the Golka have been missing for ten years, although there are still pockets of Dwarves scattered around the duchy. Greyhaven has fairly neutral relationships with everyone else - all the noble families need some of the metals that House Garess mines, either for day-to-day use, or as cargo along trade export routes. House Lebeda has traditionally been their main trading partner, although there is a lot less trade with the south, now that they have lost with the Dwarf Minehold.
Religion & Magic
- Torag - Diety of Dwarves, Miners and Metal Workers. There are many shrines or representations of Torag - all in the forges and mines that dot the countryside.
- Abadar - Deity of trade, business and civilisation support the community here with a Bank in Grayhaven - while he is reconised and welcomed as a deity - he is not revered in the same way as Torag.
- Other Deities are worshiped in the Duchy but they aren't all that influential.
- Magic - Grayhaven is a prosaic Duchy filled with miners, metal workers, farmers and traders - not the best place to nurture the academic skills required for developing wizardly skills. Most aspiring mages are sent away to New Stetven for training.
Settlements
- Grayhaven - GrayHaven is a small, but well fortified, city at the foot of the mountains and is the Capital of The Duchy of Grayhaven. Grayhaven produces some ore of its own, but the bulk come from the outlying villages. Traditionally Ores and metals came from the Golka clan of High Delve - and now that the Golka are missing, the Grayhaven forges are only working at half capacity, and the city's Trade Exchanges are much quieter than they were. The smelters and of Grayhaven concentrate on producing Ingots of Iron, Steel, Bronze, Pewter and lead for export. The Forges produce weapons and armour in great quantity as well as all the everyday metal items the Duchy requires.
- Transport - The road to the north used to lead to High Delve and is still the main link to The Great North Road (north) and Port Ice. The Eastern road also lead to the Great North Road (south) and Eagle's Watch). The southern road leads to the Gray River (for Silver Hall and New Stetven).
- The Northern Settlements - The Northern Road winds between fortified villages which can provide security for Trade Caravans. This is an iron producing area and each village has a small mine to add to Duchy's mineral exports. While production has been stepped up, there is not enough to make up for the loss of High Delve.
- The Eastern Settlements - The hills in this area are rich with copper, and each village has a mine that produces copper. The few towns are built around mines that seem to produce a lot of green gemstones in with their copper ore.
- The Southern Settlements - A short road (12 miles) leads to Grayport, the town at the top of the Gray River with the piers and jetties that are mean ores and metals can be shipped south.
- The Western Settlements - West of Greyhaven, small roads lead up into the mountains, where small towns and villages farm the sheep that provide meat for the duchy. In recent years, some of these have been lost to humanoid raids - and with the general disarray that the country has faced since the Highdelve earthquake, it hasn't been a priority to defend or replace them.
Heraldry
Garess Arms  |