Difference between revisions of "Rosewood"

Revision as of 12:48, 13 September 2016

Rosewood came briefly to prominence when its then Baron Jonus ab Kovar was one of those who tried to take the Lithmorran throne after the Harmon Plague, but the eccentric man was unable to garner much support. Upon returning, he drove it promptly into the ground, showing many of the same eccentricities and moral inequities that had made him unpopular in his bid.

He was unseated by his brother Gaven - some say with help from his half-sister, the Baroness of Eastgale Margaux ab Aguarossa - within five sun cycles of rule, leaving a massive quantity of debt and dissatisfaction for Gaven to contend with. The damage is immense, but Gaven seems the man both capable of and situated to heal it.

Beyond its semi-recent political upheaval, Rosewood is a quiet, country Barony best known for its exports of timber and a unique strain of champagne yellow Lithmorran roses. The rich mulch found in Rosewood's soil proves exclusively conducive to the growth and production of Rosewood Blondes, a fact which has prevented the rare seeds and blooms from becoming a marketable resource.

Largely dominated by coniferous and broadleaf evergeeen forests, Rosewood is temperate with warm summers, cool winters, and adequate rainfall. It's proximity to Lithmore's capitol, Volsuan, Hamstone, and Awan Ride had for generations encouraged healthy trade; under Jonas ab Kovar's rule, some long-standing agreements faltered. The Baron Gaven ab Kovar is said to be struggling to renew many of these agreements - attempts not well-received by Rosewood's slighted neighboring baronies.

The House sigil of Rosewood is an ancient oak with great masses of tangled withies, every branch pregnant with blonde roses in full blossom. This symbol rests centered by divided fields - one a pale gold, the other white. Silver cording is traditionally used to edge the shield.

Map of Rosewood

.....................................................................
:                                                   /               :
:                   _______________________________/                :
:    Lithmore      /;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;\                :
:                 /;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;\               :
:                /  ;;;;;;;;;;;;;Moors;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;\   Hamstone   :
:               /      ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;\             :
:              /:%         ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;\            :
:             /%:::%        ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;             |\          :
:            /%%%%:::%    R;O;S;E;W;O O D               | \         :
:           /%%%%::::::::%;;;;;;;;;;;;       &&&&&&   &/   \________:
:           |%%%%%::::::%%%%%%%%%         &&&&&&&&  &&/             :
:           |%%%%:::::::%%%%%%%%%%      &&&&&&&&&&&&&/\             :
:__________/ \%*Oakenvold%%%%%%%%     &&&&&Apple&&&&/  \  Elcaster  :
:             \%%:::::::%%%%%%%%%%    &&&&Country&&/    \           :
:             /%%%::::::%%%%%%%%%       &&&&&&&&&&/      \          :
: Awan Ride  /%%%%%::%%%%%%%%%%%       &&&&&&&&&&/        \         :
:           /|%%%%::%%%Forests%%%  _____________/         /         :
:          /  \%%::%%%%%%of%%%%%%%/                      /          :
:         /    \::%%%%%%Arden%%%%/                      /           :
:        /      \%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%/        Volsuan        \           :
:       /  Brune \_____________/                         \          :
:      /                  |                               \         :
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

The Moors

    ___________________________________________
  |';;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;::*;'.
  |;;;;;+;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;::*;;+;\
 /;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;::*;;;;;;\
/;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;:::::*;;;;;;;;\
|;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;:::****;;;;;;;;;;\
   \;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;::::::::::*;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;'.
      \;;;;;;;;;&&&;;;;;;;::*********;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;|
       \;;;;;;Farndale;;;::*;;;;;;;;;;.---------------'
            \;;&&&&;+;;;::*;;;;;;;;;;/
             \;;;;&::::::*;*;;;;+;;;|   Map Legend
              |;;;::******;;*;;;;;;;;|  ; - Marshland
                 \:*;;;;;;;;;*;;;;;;/   : - River Tarland
                  |;;;;;;;;;;;*;;/      * - The Old Undyr (Road)
                  /&&;;;;;;;;;;*;|      + - Settlement
                 /&&&&&&;&&&&;;;*/      & - Daffodil fields
                 '--------------'       & - Sparse forest

The Moors of Rosewood fill the entire northern quadrant of the Barony, swampy and filled with ankle-deep rain during the early months of winter, white as any other track in the coldest weeks, but blooming with a sea of purple heather from the months of Aprilis to Octobris. For the lion's share of each sun cycle, Rosewood's moorland is painted in purple.

Limestone streams are in abundance, veining through the entirety of the moors; their nutrient rich waters are home to abundant crayfish, and the sparse grasslands flanking the limestone belt provide habitat for many butterflies. Sheltered woodlands dominated by sessile oaks are found to the south of low ground, lifting toward the dense forests at the border with the Ardenwood and the River Tarland. These marshy woodlands are the home of sparrow hawks and wood warblers, and the deeper swaths of the moors both roe and fallow deer.

Villages are few and the population sparse; its few settlements are built atop stone foundations rising several feet above ground level in effort to combat flooding, connected by cantilever bridges in lieu of paths or roads. The most long-standing and populous village is Farndale, famed for its wild daffodils in spring.

Forests of Arden

     ____.
   .::%%%%\
 /:::%%=%%'.
.'%%:::#%%%%:\
|%!%%::::#%::%\
|%%=%%%:::::%%%',_________.
|%%%%%%:::::#%%%%%%%%%%%%%%'--.
 '.%%%%%:::::::::::#%%=%%%%%%%%'.
   \%%%::::::::::::::%%%%%%%%%%+%'------.
    \%%%::::::::::::::%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%\
     \%%%::::::%%Oakenvold%%%%%%%!%!%%%%.'
      \%%:::::%%*%%::::%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%\
       |%%:::::%%%::::::%%=%%%%%%%%%%%%%%.'
      /%%%%:::::::::::::%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%/
     /%%%%%:::::::::::::%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%\    Map Legend
    /%%%=%%::::::::::::%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%.'    = - Fortress
   ;!%%%%%%%%::::::::::%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%.;     : - River Tarland
   |%!%%%%%::::::::::%%%=%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%\    : - Hollow Lake
   |%%%%%%::::#%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%!%%%%%%%\   % - Ardenwood
    \%%::::#%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%\  * - Oakenvold
     \:::%%%%%=%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%!%%%%%%/  ! - Monument
      \:%%!%%%%%%%%%%%+%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%+%/   # - Hatchery
       \.%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%/'   + - Village/Town
        '-------------------------------'

Around Sun Cycle 19 Rosewood's heavily forested majority begins to bear demonstrable signs of civilized settlement. Countless stone monuments with images of residents in garb appropriate for that period were erected in glades and copses. Earthen burial mounds with dates carved in stone markers still stand in 370, preserved to this day by the Historical Society of Oakenvold. Relics of the earliest settlements -- anarchistic hunting, gathering, and fishing communities -- have been found as far along the River Tarland as Rosewood's borders with Brune; widespread scattering of crude tools and barbed flakes of flint are believed to show a pattern of southern migration during the months of winter. Rough wooden forts molder away in countless groves, too densely overgrown with trees to repair, believed built during the earliest days of *Agmundr the Carver's consolidation. Around many of these forts the circular stone foundations of residences are built around, perhaps confirming one of two things: that Agmundr's forces stayed docile longer between battles than previously thought, or that where said forces took, villages sprang up around them.

The Forests of Arden are the historical hunting grounds of House Kovar. Once punishable by loss of a hand, today the thick woods that surround Hollow Lake and Rosewod's ancestral castle at Oakenvold are open to trespass by citizenry and visitors. A vibrant economy thrives from the deer, boar, and bear hunted in the Ardenwood, and the sandy shores of Hollow Lake are riddled with hatcheries. Notably, there are no established roads through the Arden, as the rapid growth of foliage and trees swiftly unmakes near every attempt at permanent passageway.

The highest point in Rosewood rises at the center of Hollow Lake, where a strata of shales and ironstones are displayed with superb clarity; the edges of cliff sides and freshwater bays lift to their epicenter at the castle Oakenvold.

By far the most remarked upon sight are the roses from which "Rosewood" took its name. Their color -- a flawless, golden champagne blond -- are unique to the region, unable to be grown or replicated without soil taken directly from the Forests of Arden; even transplants taken with due care and plenty of regional earth bear no more than a single season's worth of blossoms, and what few can be fostered are a weaker shade. The roses grow on vines which tether and tangle through the boughs of trees and lesser foliage.

Rosewood Blondes are used in the production of House Kovar's *Rose Gin, a regional luxury and long-time favorite of Rosewood's upper echelons. The Blondes are often also used for the production of scented oils, a prime export from Rosewood to Vavard.

Sphagnum moss is common in the thicker miles of the Ardenwood, and though copses of ash, birch and the occasional stray palm are noted, by far the most dominant tree are the oak.

The Oakenvold

                     :      :
                     ===  ===
                     ========     Oakenvold Castle, Layout
                     ========          at Ground Level
                     :  @@  :
.------.       .-----:......:-----.       .------.
|  (  )|       |  t  :  GH  :  t  |       |(  )  |
| t .--|-------'------.......-----'---.---|--. t |
'---|      '         |      |(  )    A       |---'      Map Legend
    |  SR  '    S    |      |(  )            |       (  ) - Stairwell
    | .  . .- -------'      '-------- .--- --|---.     == - Drawbridge
    |      | ' ' '  @        @%%%%%%  |        C |      @ - Statuary
    |      | ' ' '           %%%%%    |--- --|   |      ' - Training yard
    |------| ' ' '           %%%%  %% |      |   |      % - Pleasure garden
'---|                        %%   %%% |  HM      |      t - Tower
| k |--- --|                 %   %%%% |          |      S - Stables
|   |      |                 %%   %%% |      |---'      R - Retainers' Hall
|      R   |                        @ |--  --|          A - Household apartments
'---|      |                          |      |          G - Great Hall
    |  (  )|  @                   (  )|      |          L - Lord Kovar's Chamber
    |______|  _______        _________|  G   |         HM - Haine Manor
    |        |_______|      |                |          K - Kitchens
.---|   K       P&B  |......|    L    |      |---.    P&B - Pantry/Buttery
| t '--------'-------\  GH  /---------'------' t |     GH - Gatehouse
|w (  )|              :....:              |(  )  |     SR - Service rooms
'------'              :    :              '------'      k - Servants' kitchen
                      :@  @:                            C - Chapel
                      ======                            w - Well
                      ======

Oakenvold is a Lithmorran castle at the center of Hollow Lake, deep in the Forests of Arden. Oakenvold's quadrangular design necessitates no keep, instead flanking itself with various chambers built around the outer defensive walls and courts. Each corner and entrance is marked by a high stone tower crowned by crenelation. Its structure, details and situation indicate that appearance was as an important aspect of design as the castle's defense. Due to Oakenvold's already vastly defensible position atop cliffs and surrounded by water, many of the castle's defenses are more ornamental than practical. Oakenvold is the ancestral home of the Baron Kovar and the center of Haine Manor, where the Lady Kovar and her children traditionally reside.

Architecture

Oakenvold is roughly square, with a central courtyard and buildings flush against the curtain wall. There are circular towers at each of the four corners, with additional, square towers in the south, east, and west walls. The main entrance bears a twin-towered gatehouse in the northern face, looking out over the thick forests of Arden and the northern moorlands. A second entrance in the house allows passage through a centered tower; the postern gate and portcullis bite directly through the tower's middle. Each tower is three storeys high, taller than the curtain walls and the buildings inside.

Between the outer wall and primary, northern gatehouse is a barbican, two storeys in height. The fabric includes slots for the portcullis and a sizable guard room, situated above the garderobe for off-duty defensive forces to reside. The gatehouse is reachable from the lake shore by a drawbridge, its approach overlooked by murder-holes in the flanking towers. Vaulting decorates the high, arched ceilings of the castle proper; each passageway is meticulously designed for aesthetic simplicity. The curtain wall and towers are scattered with windows for domestic use rather than military.

Layout

Domestic buildings within Oakenvold largely line the curtain walls. The castle is divided into separate living areas for the Lord Baron and his family, high-status guests, the garrisons, and servants. The southern quarter consists of the great hall, kitchens, and associated rooms. To the west of the great hall lies the pantry and buttery, connected to the great hall by a screens passage, divided by standing arches. A deep, cold well is build into the southwest tower, from which water is drawn for the castle's residents.

In the east lies the chapel and secondary receiving hall, as well as a safe-guarded accommodation for Lord Kovar and his family; notably, accommodations are divided between Oakenvold and Haine Manor, the latter of which, while contained within the castle proper, traditionally housed the Lady Kovar and her children.

Along the west curtain wall lies a third hall and second kitchen, providing residences and usable facilities for retainers of House Kovar. The retainers' hall has no windows, and is noted as being relatively dark in comparison to the remainder of sunny Oakenvold. The grand fireplace in the great hall is neither replicated nor imitated.

Left of the main gatehouse rises a two-storey building with a cold cellar beneath and vault above. The sparse arrangement of buildings and scarce provision for lighting around its base make a prime location for the castle's stables. Garderobes and fireplaces fill near every tower's three above-ground floors, and basements carve into the earth below.

House Kovar: Family Tree

                          House Kovar of Rosewood

        Agmundur
       /   |    \
  Haine  Rowan   Rhyson - Sindra 
    |                  / \
 Rowan II        Radnor   Agmundr II - Gilian
                 /                  /
             Calla               Erik - Anne
             /                       / \
 Delia - Grayson   Harold* - Valencia    Agmundr III - Destelle
      / \                                           / \
 Jaque   Thomas - Adella             Caryn* - Viktor   Erik II
                |                         / \       '----.
              Andreas*               Jonus Gaven - Emma*  Margaux*
                                              /    \         |
                                        Jaridan*  Davian   Voletta*

Addendum:

• Harold ab Conrad, youngest Lord of Iglisrich, died childless at the March of Edessa.
• Andreas dul Caravelli, son of Calla ab Caravelli, nee Kovar, died in infancy.
• Caryn ab Kovar, nee Denreld, daughter of Lord Horval ab Denrald.
• Emma ab Kovar, nee Courtland, daughter of gentry Carrick ab Courtland, Keeper of the Queen's Seal. Former Grand Magnate of the Merchants.
• Jaridan ab Kovar, eldest son of Lord Gaven and his wife Emma, heir to Rosewood.
• Viktor ab Kovar's only daughter, Margaux le Rouselle, High Steward of Lithmore. Former Court Bard of Rosewood.
• Voletta le Rouselle, Lady Margaux's daughter with Lord Ferled of Crestley.
• Davian of Rosewood, Lord Gaven's second son with Lady Emma.