Difference between revisions of "Eastern Reaches"
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| + | {{Infobox | ||
| + | |title = The Eastern Reaches | ||
| + | |header1 = [[File:shield-eastern_reaches.png|120px]] | ||
| + | |label2 = Founded | ||
| + | |data2 = 883 TA | ||
| + | |label3 = Size | ||
| + | |data3 = Major Kingdom | ||
| + | |label4 = Ruler | ||
| + | |data4 = Ernest Goodfellow, King of the Eastern Reaches, Duke of Dragonsford | ||
| + | }} | ||
The Eastern Reaches encompasses the lands east of the Shadowyarn Mountains and north of the Sands of Time. The Eastern Reaches are dominated by the vast expanse of Haggelthorn Forest in the center and the Steppes of Ryan to the south. The current capital of the Eastern Reaches is Dragonsford, a military outpost which consists of a recently-built castle and a small surrounding town. | The Eastern Reaches encompasses the lands east of the Shadowyarn Mountains and north of the Sands of Time. The Eastern Reaches are dominated by the vast expanse of Haggelthorn Forest in the center and the Steppes of Ryan to the south. The current capital of the Eastern Reaches is Dragonsford, a military outpost which consists of a recently-built castle and a small surrounding town. | ||
| − | + | <imagemap> | |
| + | Image:map-eastern_reaches.jpg|right|750px|alt=The Eastern Reaches | ||
| + | |||
| + | poly 314 131 362 128 384 166 436 166 461 212 436 252 458 293 434 332 384 335 361 295 316 294 290 250 311 206 290 166 [[Dutchy of Dragonsford]] | ||
| + | poly 217 630 242 588 292 588 315 626 363 626 387 670 365 711 388 754 436 753 460 713 509 713 531 751 533 755 581 754 603 794 311 795 290 755 242 754 217 713 242 672 [[The Gran March]] | ||
| + | poly 94 419 145 419 169 460 218 460 241 502 220 541 215 547 238 584 240 589 219 629 168 629 143 587 169 544 145 504 94 504 70 462 [[March of Greenvale]] | ||
| + | poly 218 459 243 421 287 421 312 461 290 501 312 545 291 586 241 585 217 547 241 502 [[Barony of Highfolk]] | ||
| + | poly 529 420 582 420 606 459 581 504 604 544 583 586 603 628 581 671 604 714 582 754 532 753 509 713 461 713 437 669 460 628 437 586 458 543 509 543 533 502 510 461 [[Earldom of Lichfield]] | ||
| + | poly 23 378 72 378 92 416 70 460 23 459 2 415 [[Dutchy of Markinghamshire]] | ||
| + | poly 313 459 363 459 389 419 434 419 458 460 507 461 532 501 509 542 456 543 436 505 387 505 363 545 312 545 288 502 [[Dutchy of Middlefield]] | ||
| + | poly 606 459 582 419 606 379 652 379 679 336 727 336 749 376 726 417 680 420 654 459 [[North Province]] | ||
| + | poly 386 504 435 504 459 543 437 588 460 625 436 669 388 669 364 625 315 628 293 585 315 543 362 544 [[South Province]] | ||
| + | poly 290 168 311 207 293 252 238 250 216 210 167 207 146 165 170 125 146 81 170 44 218 44 243 81 290 82 319 39 363 39 387 83 361 128 313 130 [[Coral Castle]] | ||
| + | poly 386 335 437 335 457 376 509 376 530 414 530 417 511 461 461 462 434 419 388 419 362 379 [[Hamlet of Haggelthorn]] | ||
| + | poly 603 628 584 588 603 545 581 504 605 460 653 460 676 422 723 420 747 458 724 502 675 503 654 542 678 585 654 627 [[Free City of Irongate]] | ||
| + | poly 22 126 72 126 94 167 145 167 167 206 169 209 214 210 241 249 290 254 312 291 361 294 386 334 363 375 386 414 388 420 364 459 312 459 289 421 244 421 219 458 169 458 145 418 172 378 146 336 98 335 72 294 23 293 0 253 24 212 0 167 [[Ravenshaven]] | ||
| + | poly 439 1 749 1 748 300 729 336 677 336 652 380 606 379 583 420 531 421 509 374 457 375 435 334 459 293 435 252 460 210 435 167 461 126 509 126 534 85 509 43 460 43 [[Sea Barons]] | ||
| + | poly 386 0 439 0 459 43 508 42 533 83 509 124 461 124 435 167 384 167 361 127 387 85 362 40 [[Land of Bogs and the Little People]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | </imagemap> | ||
| + | |||
== Minor Kingdoms == | == Minor Kingdoms == | ||
[[Dutchy of Dragonsford|Dutchy of Dragonsford]] <br> | [[Dutchy of Dragonsford|Dutchy of Dragonsford]] <br> | ||
Revision as of 14:42, 28 September 2015
 | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 883 TA |
| Size | Major Kingdom |
| Ruler | Ernest Goodfellow, King of the Eastern Reaches, Duke of Dragonsford |
The Eastern Reaches encompasses the lands east of the Shadowyarn Mountains and north of the Sands of Time. The Eastern Reaches are dominated by the vast expanse of Haggelthorn Forest in the center and the Steppes of Ryan to the south. The current capital of the Eastern Reaches is Dragonsford, a military outpost which consists of a recently-built castle and a small surrounding town.
Minor Kingdoms
Dutchy of Dragonsford
The Gran March
March of Greenvale
Barony of Highfolk
Earldom of Lichfield
Markinghamshire
Dutchy of Middlefield
North Province
South Province
Free Lands
Coral Castle
Hamlet of Haggelthorn
Free City of Irongate
Ravenshaven
Sea Barons
Land of Bogs and the Little People
Geography
Axewood
Bandon River
Blackwater
Boiling Brook
Crimson Creek
Haggelthorn Forest
High River
Hornwood
Inner Sea
Long Lake
River White
Silver Wood
Steppes of Ryan
Whispering Woods
Wolfshaunt Mountains
History
The first human explorers into the area arrived in the late first century TA. These were the Rangers of the Wilderlands. Bound by a secret brotherhood, the rangers trekked deep into Haggelthorn Forest and into the vast grasslands to the north and south. Stories of a great family of tree ents living in Haggelthorn Forest raised the curiosity of many adventurers in Teufeldorf. Also, the Rangers brought back many strange and wondrous artifacts from their journeys.
Over the next century, the first human settlers arrived from the west and settled in the fertile valley of Markinghamshire. Not daring the tales of the Ents of the forest, these pilgrims settled into the valley building a great stone castle overlooking their kingdom. In 241 TA, Markinghamshire was unsuccessfully sieged by barbarian tribesmen from the south (see the Invasion of the Barbarians). For the next hundred years, the people of Markinghamshire lived in relative peace trading with the dwarves of Dwarrowdelf. This period of peace finally ended in 346 TA, when an army of four thousand orcs invaded Markinghamshire during the First Orcish War (see First Orcish War). Victory over the orcs secured the Eastern Reaches south of the River White as a relatively safe haven for settlers, and it marked the beginning of large-scale settlements in the area.
The first human settlement outside of Markinghamshire was the town of Haggelthorn, after which the current-day forest is named. Before this time, this vast tangled forest was known as Ravenswood. Founded on the coast of the Inner Sea by the legendary merchant, Ichabod Haggelthorn, in the mid-sixth century, the Town of Haggelthorn remains the principal trading center for the Eastern Reaches today.
Shortly thereafter, small towns began to spring up along the road between Haggelthorn and Dwarrowdelf. Supported by the trading route, rich farmlands and vast grazing plains of the region, the Eastern Reaches prospered. By the early ninth century TA, the rulers of the city-state of Teufeldorf decided to build garrisons in the Eastern Reaches both as protection from the orcs to the north and to establish a military presence in the area. In 833 TA, a garrison castle was built at Dragonsford, a northern outpost along the Inner Sea. With strong natural defenses, King Gregory the Even-handed declared the site the capital of the Eastern Reaches and appointed Sir Ernest Goodfellow as its first commander.
Shortly thereafter, the Eastern Reaches was conquered by Harek Bloodaxe, son of Hastur. Dragonsford Castle was stormed, Sir Ernest Goodfellow disappeared, and the Eastern Reaches were broken into a number of small barons and duchies. These feudal kingdoms were kept in a constant state of chaos by Harek who encouraged treachery, assassination and general discord (see the Feudal Reaches). During the next fifty years, the wealth and stability of the Eastern Reaches declined significantly.
In 883 TA, Sir Ernest Goodfellow returned to Dragonsford. Using a newly-discovered magical sword, Harek Bloodaxe was killed and the puppet King Trafford was deposed. During the next several years, Dragonsford Castle became the center for the Hastur Rebellions, finally gaining independence in 885 TA. The Eastern Reaches is still comprised of a number of minor kingdoms, although stability has been partially restored by the garrison at Dragonsford Castle. Trade is beginning to increase both west through Dwarrowdelf and east across the Inner Sea. The primary exports are horses and cattle from Markinghamshire, grains from the central duchies, and fish and coral from the coastal regions.
The minor kingdoms and free cities of the Eastern Reaches are a recent phenomenon, although they are generally based on pre-existing family ties. With the exception of Markinghamshire, these kingdoms were created in 833-838 TA when Harek Bloodaxe seized Dragonsford Castle and subjugated the population during the Five Years War. With the return of King Goodfellow in 883 TA and the subsequent liberating wars (see the Hastur Rebellions), the strength of these independent states has been challenged. Currently, most of the Eastern Reaches nobles support King Goodfellow's rule from Dragonsford.