Stonewood/Reflection
| House Stonewood/Reflection | |
|---|---|
| Head(s) of House | Malesh Stonewood |
| Voice(s) | Arianna Stonewood |
| Kingdom | Crownlands |
| Liege | Bisland |
| Words | Steadfast like stone |
| Sigil | A purple mountain with three dark green trees in front of it |
| Nickname | Stonebreakers, Glitterhands |
| March | |
One of the somewhat newer and though rather steadfast of House Bisland's vassals, it is said that no ruling Marquis or Marquessa of House Stonewood has ever betrayed the trust of their liege lord. From their seat at Stonehearth, the powerful march house often acts as House Bisland's strong right hand in economic commerce and has done much to keep things quite lucrative for the ducal.
Contents
Vassalage
House Stonewood is a vassal to House Bisland, which in turn is a vassal to House Grayson. There are some counties below them.
Cultural Notes
The lands of House Stonewood tends to favor cultural clothing that reflects the lifestyle of its people. In the warmer months it is loose fitting clothing that helps alleviate the heat of the day. In the winter, heavy furs and cloaks are preferred with clothes made of a thicker material. Clothes of earthen tones are often favored by men and those of ice colors are favored by women.
In the Spring the solstice is celebrated with a festival that is meant to encourage growth and prosperity for the coming year and to bring together young people for the purpose of first meetings and possible coupling.
Midsummer is marked with a festival at the mid-season that invites traders and craftsmen from neighboring lands; an encouragement to trade and for local crafters to sell their wares from the materials brought out of the mountains. It is also during this time the Baron and Baroness observe the new turnout for volunteers who wish to join the soldiery. Contests of skill are also held at this time of year with sponsored prizes going any victors.
The Winter season sees one local gathering; which is to celebrate the closing of the year and the harvesting seasons. It is during this time that the local stocks of meads and ales crafted for the year, that have not sold, are used to fuel the libations of celebration. In short...it is an end of the year celebration for the purposes to eat, drink, and be merry.
The County Seat
Stonewood, sometimes called Stonehearth, is the seat of the March. The town that has built up around and adjacent to it is also referred to as Stonehearth, due to being a major in commerce.
The Military Doctrine
The hallmark of House Stonewood is in speed and tactics, they typically train lightly armed soldiers experts with the longbow, and with swift short-swords for close combat. In training they are taught how to exploit the weakness of a flank or to use their speed to back up their allies who may be at need throughout the battlefield. Though the terrain is tough on horses. They maintain a light Calvary force, as well as Skirmishers that can harass an enemy with sword and shield.
Climate and Geography
Owing to its distance from open sea and position between Pride Hall and Whitehawk, Stonekeep has a climate that is temperate and continental, with four distinct seasons.
The average annual temperature is 11 °C (52 °F) in the south and 8 °C (46 °F) in the north. In summer, average maximum temperatures in the mountains rise to 28 °C (82 °F), and temperatures over 35 °C (95 °F) are fairly common in the lower-lying areas of the mountains and riverlands. In winter, the average maximum temperature is below 2 °C (36 °F). Heavy snows blanket most of the mountain, whilst only heavy rains seem to frequent the basin between the mountains and the rivers. Heated water carried through copper piping warms the house in the harsh winters. Precipitation is higher than average, with over 1550 mm (63 in) per year only on the highest western mountains, while around Stonekeep it drops to around 600 mm (24 in). There are some regional differences: in the western parts (such as the town of Riven), the climate is milder, and has some oceanic influences; while the eastern part of the county has a more pronounced continental climate. In Dobrujan, the riverlands can produce wetlands and marshes with their copious amounts of rainfall.
Industry and Economy
Major Exports: Precious metals, precious stones, wheat, raspberries, and honey (along with their various byproducts, including cider, honey mead, and raspberry ale). Various furs from the mountainous regions can be found here, including the sables of cave bears and mountain lions which populate the region. The major center of commerce for Stonewood lies within the city of Stonehearth. A bustling industrious place that houses all manner of merchants, wares, and traders.
The major center of commerce for Stonewood lies within the city of Stonehearth. A bustling industrious place that houses all manner of merchants, wares, and traders. There is a smattering of cultures here that seem to set the trends for the local courtiers but none more so than the Stonewood women themselves. The estate is rich in vineyards and the production of honey. Most people who come here speak very highly of the different types of mead produced by Stonewood.
Stonehearth's economic system has stood the test of time. With taxes and tariffs that are quite agreeable, merchants from all corners of the realm make their trek to this distant city. Although there seems to be regulations and laws in place, there are explicit loopholes that only Stonewood and its closest allies are aware of that allow them to sidestep some of the heftier sums for exportation. If one were to review the financial legislature, it would be a complex bundle of terms that would require none other than a lawyer from Stonewood to disseminate and translate. One thing is for certain, the commerce is booming and the legalese involved only draws in more capable clientele whom enforce the economic stability of the region.
Adding Family
Notes on Adding Family: Siblings are generally light haired individuals blondes or light to medium browns. With light eyes variants of grays, light blues, and light greens. At least one, if not more, of the cousin bloodlines are mixed. Due to ties to Bisland.
