| Barony of Caldain | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Capital |
Caldain Manor |
|
Demonym |
Westridgean |
|
Government |
Hereditary Monarchy |
|
Area (Land) |
11mi² |
|
Population |
4,385 |
|
Currency |
Stormwind Coinage
|
|
Kingdom Allegiance |
|
|
Status |
Recovering |
The Barony of Caldain is a small and relatively insignificant northern lowland region of the County of Whitecliff. Caldain remains poorly developed and sparsely populated. Most of the region is covered in woody brambles and thick brush, with only the immediate area around the Harrowmire Estate being of any significant development. Caldain does not produce any significant goods, nor does it consume any.
History[]
Before its destruction during the First War, Caldain was a quiet, rustic region consisting of a few small rural hamlets. Being positioned between several mountain passes, the only landmark of real significance was a small guard post which watched over the valley. This outpost was eventually restructured into a manor, but it was razed during the invasion of the Orcish Horde, along with most of the development in the region.
In 36 L.C, Maxen Montclair appointed Tion Harrowmire as Baron of Caldain. Several months later, Tion travelled to the Duchy of Kent. He appointed his brother, Henri Harrowmire, as Regent of Caldain.
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Barony of Caldain
The Lay Of The Land[]
Caldain, unlike much of Westridge, is poor for farming; rocky soil makes the land not fertile enough to be worth the efforts of tilling. Most settlements only do enough farming to feed themselves and perhaps sell or trade with neighboring settlements, instead herding sturdy goats that provide milk, meat, and leather. What Caldain lacks in agriculture, it makes up for in minerals and ore; the rocky landscape has yielded several mines for copper, iron, and tin, as well as smaller deposits of other ores and occasional gemstones. It is not quite lucrative enough to provide the sort of wealth House Harrowmire has in Drakengard, but it is enough, along with convenient location, to keep Caldain reasonably valuable. Caldain lacks any major cities. Most of the population is spread out among the patches of land that are viable for growing produce or are settled near the mines. The largest settlement is the local Seat of House Harrowmire, a decent-sized town that supports the castle and a small standing army. Since House Harrowmire acquired Caldain, they have taken great care to improve the roads and send out regular militia patrols to make sure those roads stay safe. They have also organized the populace into Manorialism, which the locals quickly took to after seeing the benefits of refurbished infrastructure and the safety of armed patrols.
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The Political Landscape[]
The vassals of the County of Whitecliffe have been embroiled in intrigue almost since the area was settled. House DeVries has long been the most wealthy of the vassals of Whitecliffe, but recently House Hudson has become a wealthy political player as well. With the former underdog, House Hudson, suddenly coming into power, tensions among the vassals have been building as conflict is anticipated. Along with wealth accrued in cunning trade and the manufacture of arms, House Hudson has amassed quite a collection of firearms, from flintlock pistols to cannons. This military might has the other Houses on edge, waiting for the first shot to be fired. House Thorne, along with several smaller Houses allied with them, has maintained a food supply monopoly in the area. They've also had generations of disloyalty to the Court of Whitecliffe in the most petty of fashions as well as outright refusal to send tithes, and now they worry, looking over their shoulders at the heavily-armed House Hudson that may soon wish to break up that produce monopoly that House Thorne has been so smug about. New to this particular conflict, but certainly familiar with political undercurrents, House Harrowmire has remained neutral during this wary tension. Instead of taking any sides, they have appealed to local Lords as safe ground to conduct business. House Harrowmire has continued their tradition of banking, offering such services to all the other local Houses, and has made a tidy profit from those looking for loans in order to pay mercenaries and purchase arms -- arms often made by House Harrowmire. Meanwhile, House Harrowmire quietly builds up their own power base in preparation for advancing their own ambitions when the time is right.
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Economic Concerns[]
With relatively poor lands, House Harrowmire has gone outside the normal available resources to build up wealth in Caldain. Their tradition of banking holds here as well, and now portals make the transfer of funds quick and the loans quite lucrative, taking advantage of the wealth of the local Lords and their desires to buy their way to the top of their local conflicts. Rather than tithe cash or crops to Stormwind, House Harrowmire continues the tradition of tithing arms and armor. While the land may be poor for farming, there is plenty of space for the training of militia, and House Harrowmire offers that service as well, educating armsmen in the basics of combat before sending them to Stormwind for further, more in-depth instruction. As arms dealers, House Harrowmire makes enough of a profit to provide food and other necessities to the approximately 5000 people under their rule.
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Military Might[]
Composed of over 650 soldiers, most drawn from the local population, Caldain's standing army is the 3rd largest force in the Duchy of Whitecliffe. Fond of the latest technologies, House Harrowmire's Feudal Forces are well-trained in the use of cannons as well as small arms. This force is composed of 300 handgunners, 200 pikemen, 100 cuirassiers, and 50 cannons. Those enlisting within this army are subjected to several rigorous months of intensive training. Dwarven veterans have been hired to handle training in firearms both large and small, while experienced human soldiers handle hand-to-hand combat and training in the use of pikes. Besides the combat training, soldiers are also educated in battlefield tactics, the proper care and management of units of various sizes, and a philosophical discipline that makes for exceptional soldiers and officers. These soldiers are well-paid and drill on a regular basis; when needed, they report to Stormwind, and otherwise are prepared to serve at the whim of House Harrowmire. They expect, at all times, to be ready for war. While House Harrowmire has not given any soldiers to the conflicts of the Broken Shore, they have increased production of arms and armor to send to the soldiers of Stormwind fighting there.
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Leadership[]
After establishing Caldain and putting in place systems to keep it running profitably and smoothly, young Lord Tion Harrowmire left in order to enter service to Lord Marcus DeBray as a Knight of Kent. In his place, he left his older brother Henri as Regent of the Barony of Caldain and was named Baron of Aron's Crossing by Lord DeBray, thus securing family branches in Stormwind and Alterac within just a few short years.