[ The crest of House Zollern; a red bat over a black field. It is meant to symbolize the House's dominion over their lands, and misery to their enemies. Their motto is 'Our Land is Your Grave.' ]
Lord Gowan Zollern is the Lord of Gallow Hill, Deadwood, Mistwood, Banshee’s Moot, and The Pits. He is 79 years old, tall of height, thin of weight, pale of complexion, silver of hair, and dark of eye. He is married to Lady Heilwiva, age 76, born to a minor House of Brindlay. He has had seven sons and three daughters, but only his second-youngest son [ Vance, age 48 ], and two elder daughters [ Sybylle, age 46, Bouda, age 42 ] are alive today. The others died of either disease or battle. His eldest son did bear a son, however, and thus he [ Gabriel, age 32 ] is the heir to the House. Vance has never commented on this.
House Zollern has ruled over their lifeless land for ages, but not without contention. While the land itself is dead, the homes of the House’s sigil are rich with ores of both the pragmatic and pretty. Numerous lords have tried to take advantage of certain conditions to seize the valuable lands, but each attack has failed in some explicable disaster. One ended when most of the army was trapped in a sinking swamp, drowning in a fetid bog. Another failed when a horde of insects ravaged the supplies of the marching army. In the last invasion, a horrible disease came over the whole force.
At each turn of every disaster, there were always reports of men, in full, black plate, standing in the swamps and hills, watching them.
To this day, no other lord has attempted an invasion.
Lord Gowan, or any member of House Zollern for that matter, have rarely been seen outside their own lands. If the lord has any complaints or ambitions, he hasn’t expressed them once in all his long reign. The only time he was ever seen away from home was when his father was forced to pledge fealty to House Bloodsun by the Overlord. Gowan accompanied his father as a child. Gowan was known to possess the House's sword of some legend, Blooddrinker, but is rumoured to have past it on to his son Gabriel, as it has been decades since he has seen a tourney.
Gabriel, the heir to the House, is decidedly a more cheerful [ and handsome ] fellow. Though he is still has some of the quiet, aloof disposition of his own family, he has appeared to take more after his mother, and is an excellent charmer. He has reportedly been known to show up at tourneys and feasts uninvited, yet being the life of the party all the same. He was married once, but his wife died without bearing him a child, and is now only recently seeking to remarry at his grandfather’s behest.
Vance, Sybylle, and Bouda are all married, and have children of their own, but have never expressed any interest in House affairs, content to stay at court and pursue their own interests and hobbies.
FiefsGallow HillScrubland [ 6,000 pop. (3,000 from fief, 3,000 from infrastructure), 4.2 crops per person, +.3% growth ]
Some Resources [ +7,000 bullis ]
Advanced Infrastructure [ +3,000 starting pop., +1,500 bullis, +600 crops, +.2% growth ]
Stone Manor
Stone Walls
DeadwoodScrubland [ 3,000 pop., 4.2 crops per person, +.3% growth ]
Resourceless
Basic Infrastructure
Wooden Manor
No Walls
MistwoodScrubland [ 6,000 pop. (3,000 from fief, 3,000 from infrastructure), 4.2 crops per person, +.3% growth ]
Some Resources [ +7,000 bullis ]
Advanced Infrastructure [ +3,000 starting pop., +1,500 bullis, +600 crops, +.2% growth ]
Fortified Manor
Wooden Walls
Banshee’s MootScrubland [ 6,000 pop. (3,000 from fief, 3,000 from infrastructure), 4.2 crops per person, +.3% growth ]
Some Resources [ +7,000 bullis ]
Advanced Infrastructure [ +3,000 starting pop., +1,500 bullis, +600 crops, +.2% growth ]
Fortified Manor
Wooden Walls
The PitsScrubland [ 6,000 pop. (3,000 from fief, 3,000 from infrastructure), 4.2 crops per person, +.3% growth ]
Some Resources [ +7,000 bullis ]
Advanced Infrastructure [ +3,000 starting pop., +1,500 bullis, +600 crops, +.2% growth ]
Fortified Manor
Wooden Walls
Military800 Spearmen [ Leather Armor, Spear ]
500 Bowmen [ No Armour, Bow, Dagger ]
500 Unsinking [ Plate Armour, Lance, Greatsword, Crossbow, Horse, Horse Armour ]
Lordship ReceiptsTotal Population: 27,000 [ 6,000 from Gallow’s Hill, 3,000 from Deadwood, 6,000 from Mistwood, 6,000 from Banshee’s Moot, 6,000 from The Pits ]
Population Living in Towns: 0
Crops Produced per Annum: 115,800 [ 27,000 * 4.2 = 113,400, +2,400 from infrastructure ]
Total Growth Bonus: 2.3% [ 1.5% from fiefs, .8% from infrastructure ]
Income per Annum: 61,000 [ 27,000 from taxation, 28,000 from resources, 6,000 from infrastructure ]
Current Treasury: 61,000
[ The crest of House Dunsch-Taxi; a per quarter division, with a red thistle over a gray field on the right side, and a rampant black eagle over a purple field on the right side. It is the joining of two houses original flags, symbolizing both the main flower of the land, and that their house’s authority is invested by the Overlord. Their motto is ‘By Sovereign and God.’ ]
Lord Aelfryd Dunsch-Taxi is the Lord Thitslefield, Western Taxiland, Eastern Taxiland, Yostergard, Witchmoot, The Bog, Mossmeadow, Swampbreak, Woodersplace, and Plainfield. He is 58 years old, average of height and weight, light of complexion, black of hair, and green of eye. He is married to Lady Flaura, age 56, born to House Taxi when it was an independent House. He has two sons [Lleold, age 38, Phylls, age 33 ], and two daughters [ Rhona, age 35, Yuna, age 27 ].
House Dunsch-Taxi was born of a marriage between House Dunsch and House Taxi. House Dunsch had more land, but it was of poor fertility, and lacked anything of value. The Taxis had just one fief, but it was located in a field that had inherited just enough of the moisture from its nearby swampland that the soil was rich instead of fetid. The two Houses had long quarreled, as Houses who compete over little do, until it was finally agreed that some accord be reached.
Thus, the lords of the two houses married their heirs to one another. Upon their deaths, their houses formally united into one, and the formerly conflicted land came to be peaceful. However, though the married Lord and Lady get along as best as an old married couple can, the scheming between the extended families of each former House continues to this day.
This, however, wouldn't be the first clever marriage in the House's history. In fact, you could say they have a knack for them: Lleold is married to Lady Olga, the head of House Ealmund; Phylls to Lord Findlay Lilla's sister; Rhona to the heir of House Westfield, and Yuna to the heir of House Abel.
Lord Aelfryd himself used to be an exciting and vivacious youth, but age and politics have jaded him. Now he does little but lament his hideous wife, manage his land, and try to prevent his fueding family from killing each other.
Lleold and Phylls are both men of martial talent, and have dueled on more than one occasion to settle the question of inheritance. It goes without saying, neither are on cordial terms.
Of the two daughters, Rhona is considered the more pleasent one, and unusually for a woman, able to make jokes. She is a caring mother for her children, yet not afraid to spare the birch. She stands opposite to Yuna, who though is starting to leave the prime of her youth, still acts as the flighty, bratty child she has always been.
FiefsThistlefieldInfertile [ 10,000 pop. (7,000 from fief, 3,000 from infrastructure), 4.4 crops per person, +.5% growth ]
Resourceless
Advanced Infrastructure [ +3,000 starting pop., +1,500 bullis, +600 crops, +.2% growth ]
Stone Manor
Stone Walls
Western TaxilandFertile [ 18,000 pop. ( 15,000 from fief, 3,000 from infrastructure), 4.6 crops per person, +.7% growth ]
Some Resources [ +7,000 bullis ]
Advanced Infrastructure [ +3,000 starting pop., +1,500 bullis, +600 crops, +.2% growth ]
Great Manor
Great Walls
Eastern TaxilandFertile [ 18,000 pop. ( 15,000 from fief, 3,000 from infrastructure), 4.6 crops per person, +.7% growth ]
Some Resources [ +7,000 bullis ]
Advanced Infrastructure [ +3,000 starting pop., +1,500 bullis, +600 crops, +.2% growth ]
Great Manor
Great Walls
YostergardInfertile [ 7,000 pop., 4.4 crops per person, +.5% growth ]
Resourceless
Basic Infrastructure
Stone Manor
Stone Walls
WitchmootScrubland [ 3,000 pop., 4.2 crops per person, +.3% growth ]
Resourceless
Basic Infrastructure
Wooden Manor
Wooden Palisade
The BogScrubland [ 3,000 pop., 4.2 crops per person, +.3% growth ]
Resourceless
Basic Infrastructure
Wooden Manor
Wooden Palisade
MossmeadowScrubland [ 3,000 pop., 4.2 crops per person, +.3% growth ]
Resourceless
Basic Infrastructure
Wooden Manor
Wooden Palisade
SwampbreakScrubland [ 3,000 pop., 4.2 crops per person, +.3% growth ]
Resourceless
Basic Infrastructure
Wooden Manor
Wooden Palisade
WoodersplaceScrubland [ 6,000 pop. (3,00 from fief, 3,000 from infrastructure), 4.2 crops per person, +.3% growth ]
Some Resources [ +7,000 bullis ]
Advanced Infrastructure [ +3,000 starting pop., +1,500 bullis, +600 crops, +.2% growth ]
Wooden Manor
Wooden Palisade
PlainfieldInfertile [ 8,000 pop. ( 7,000 from fief, 1,000 from infrastructure), 4.4 crops per person, +.5% growth ]
Sparse Resources [ +3,000 bullis ]
Improved Infrastructure [ +1,000 pop., +500 bullis, +200 crops, +.1% growth ]
Fortified Manor
Wooden Walls
Military500 Knights [ Plate Armour, Lance, Longsword, Horse, Horse Armour ]
2,250 Spearmen [ Leather Armour, Spear ]
1,000 Crossbowmen [ Leather Armour, Crossbow, Shortsword ]
1,000 Woodsmen [ No Armour, Bow, Javelin, Spear ]
Lordship ReceiptsTotal Population: 76,000 [ 7,000 from Thistlefield, 15,000 from Eastern Taxiland, 15,000 from Western Taxiland, 7,000 from Yostergard, 3,000 from Witchmoot, 3,000 from The Bog, 3,000 from Mossmeadow, 3,000 from Swampbreak, 3,000 from Woodersplace, 7,000 from Plainfield, 11,000 from infrastructure ]
Population Living in Towns: 0
Crops Produced per Annum: 353,800 [ 36,000 * 4.6 = 165,600; 25,000 * 4.4 = 110,000; 18,000 * 4.2 = 75,600; +2,600 from infrastructure ]
Total Growth Bonus: 5.3%
Income per Annum: 106,500 bullis [ 76,000 from taxation, 24,000 from resources, 6,500 from infrastructure ]
Current Treasury: 106,500 bullis
