JohnB's Games

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====== Rostland ======

===== Overview =====

The newest of the great estates of Brevoy, created after the great barons stepped in to avert a civil war between House Surtova and the Aldori. Rostland is 'ruled' by Lady Jamandi Aldori, although she doesn't really have control of the county yet. 

The Aldori of Rostland spent two hundred years with a Rogavian overlord, but maintained their identity through stories of Aldori bravery and tales of their unjust defeat at the Valley of Fire. While they maintained their basic Aldori-ness, they concentrated on maintaining their holdings and estates in the best way that they could. For many Aldori families this meant developing farms and businesses (as they would have done anyway) to ensure their family survival and keeping a low profile. That didn't stop them sending some of their children to Restov for Aldori training, but they tried to keep it fairly low profile, so that they didn't draw the attention (and ire) of their Rogavian Governor. While all the families had guards and soldiers to protect their holdings, many chose to train their soldiery in not-aldori techniques - and many Aldori supporting families now only have a few members who are aldori trained and use the duelling sword as a primary weapon. It might actually be that this is closer to the original model of early Rostland, but it doesn't have that high Aldori feel, that has been so vigorously promoted by the stories and tales of their heritage. 

Some families, although spiritually Aldori, are more business and agriculturally oriented - and they want to concentrate on securing and developing their economic heritage, rather than reviving the legendary Aldori culture of the past - or at least the culture that the stories describe. While spread across the whole of Rostland, these families predominate in the west, where they are closer to New Stetven and less influenced by the hotbed of Aldori activity in Restov and its surrounding area.   Swordlord Aldori-Blain  is a powerful voice within this group

Other families, primarily those in the east of the county, want to implement the way of life described in the old stories.  Further from New Steven and closer to Restov, (which was the centre of Aldori revolutionary zeal), their trading links with the metropolis were weaker.  Now they want a state where Aldori rule -  and most importantly where the traditional Aldori values are kept alive.  They don’t really approve of Mivon, nor the Khavatorov, and still consider both groups to be defeatists and traitors – although they mumble that quietly.  Swordlord Ilyushin Aldori-Saltikov is a powerful voice within this group

The Lady Jamandi has a careful balancing act to perform. Lord's Blain and Saltikov are on the Rostland Council - and represent the two different attitudes that prevail in the province. 

===== Settlements =====

These aren't all the towns and villages in Rostland, but they are probably the most significant.  The Balin estate is one of the largest individual estates in Rostland.

  * **Sirian** - large town and capital of Rostland. Seat of Lady Jamandi, Countess Rostland.  Sirian is growing quickly, Lady Jamandi has been inviting investment from a range of supporters and allies from The Almost War - prominent among them are Dwarves from Brundeston, the leaders of  Restov and even house leMaistre, as well as leaders of the Aldori factions in Rostland.  It is now the largest settlement in Rostland. You will find two different merchant bases – one serving the local community, the other working the main trade route between Restov and New Stetven.  The main temple is dedicated to Erastil,  there is a dwarven Smith, an Aldori Swordschool, an inn called The Flashing Blade as well a tavern owned by Lord Adoven of Tusk.  Jamandi Aldori has a fortified manor here, while the central square is dominated by a large statue of the First Sword Baron, Sirian Aldori.
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  * **Blainby Estate** – The Blainby estate is sprawling and spreads across the Town of  Blainby and a couple of adjacent villages.  Located in the west of the province, close to the Karovtarov holdings and the main  road to New Steven,  Lord Blain concentrates on cereal farming and the manufacture of a fine ale - Blainsby Bitter.   One of the villages, Romanak, was the holding of  Sir Kendrick Winterton’s family, although they sold up after The Almost War and moved to New Stetven.
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  * **Greenhome** is a small town, close to Blainby, with a tenant farmer holding land at a hamlet called Camerton.  Master of the town, Sir Roger of the Green Helm, is a friend an ally of Lord Blain.
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  * **Saltikov** – Lord Saltikov’s estate is compact, and just covers one small town in central Rostland - and he even renamed the town to honour his family.  The Saltikov's are typically combative Aldori, who want to bring back the ‘traditional’ Aldori way.  His estate are well run by his son Pyzhalov, although he advocates that the Aldori should arm themselves and even hire themselves out as mercenaries – then they will be when the day comes to take back all of Rostland. Most of the town's residents try to avoid their Lord and his guards, as much as possible.

===== People =====

  * **Lord Blain** is a businessman and farmer, who happens to be an Aldori Swordlord.  Like all (senior) members of the family, he had his initial training in Restov  but, as he was destined to become head of the house, he soon returned home to ‘learn the ropes’.    Once the Rogavia disappeared, he started to invest and develop – reasoning that Surtova would be more reasonable (or at least more lax) – and then after The Almost War  he stepped it up, and even managed to buy a neighbouring village (Romanak – once Sir Kendrick Winters family home).  It was at this time, that Lord Blain found time to complete his Aldori training, although he hasn’t really pursued it.  He has, however, built a military/Aldori training school in Blainsby and still sends the most promising of his young relatives to Restov for their initial training.
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  * **Sir Roger of the Green Helm** is a longstanding landholder, who owns a small; town close to Lord Blain’s holding at Blainsby  who is also a long term friend and ally of Blain.  Not as wealthy as Blain, Sir Roger was unable to expand his holdings after The Almost War, although he did manage to consolidate them.  Like Lord Blain, Sir Roger is a farmer although he doesn’t have the same, non-farming, interests.  He is a Knight of the Eastern Chapter, and while he rides to battle he mainly fights on foot.  His name comes from the distinctive green helmet that he, and his forebears, wears in battle.  A few years ago, he sponsored the son of one of his tenants (Gwair of Camerton) to train as a knight -  it didn’t work well and the young man finished up turning his hand to accountancy.  Now that young man is Treasurer of Sirian -  capital of Rostland County.
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  * **Lord Saltikov** resented the Rogarvia, and then the Surtova when they took power.  This was Aldori land -  all the stories, legends and myths said so.  Aldori Swordlords should rule the land as they saw fit.  This was probably exacerbated by the fact that the Saltikov estates were quite small, and located in the hinterland of the Viscount’s Town.  When the Rogarvia disappeared, it took a long time for Surtova to send out a new Viscount to take command, and Saltikov took advantage.  Somehow, he managed to gain control of quite a few businesses in the town itself (many  of which had Rogarvian affiliations), and became one of the more important people in town.  When the Surtovan Viscount arrived, Saltokov managed to wangle himself a place on the Town Council and served for years as bailiff, looking after policing and information.  However, behind the scenes he was advocating for civil war, and for the Aldori to reclaim the land.  During The Almost War Saltikov ‘arranged’ for an accident to the Viscount and few of his troops made it to the battlefield to support Surtova.  After the war, he took over the Viscount’s Keep and declared himself Lord of the town, no one challenged that, partly (perhaps) because he controlled  the town’s military forces.  In the process, he became a bit of a hero to the Aldori Traditionalist Faction.  Saltikov is an Aldori Swordlord through and through -  and the most able members of his family train as full Aldori in Restov.    There was a ‘minor incident’ in  Restov where Pyzhalov was imprisoned for killing some impertinent girl -  but it only took a year or so before he was able ‘buy out’ the sentence.