Emesa Hundred/1st Edition/4

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EMESA HUNDRED 4
 


that Emesa Hundred is still held from the Crown, even if the writ of the Akarata clearly carries more weight.

Since 718, when the Warriors were confronted and turned back by the Kubora, the atmosphere in the hundred has been pregnant with possibilities. Prior to that disaster Akarata Horab Gerund’s grip on power seemed entirely secure. Now some contemplate a future that does not include him. Some even dare to wonder if there might be a future without the Warriors. They remember Hugai Lynnaeous and his treaties with the Kubora and wonder whether another Kuboran chief might emerge from the forests and return Emesa Hundred to its people. Perhaps, instead, the descendent of Hugai and Henail, Denyl Lynnaeous, Earl of Tormau, will be their saviour. Perhaps the gods have placed Emesans’ fate in their own hands. Only time will tell.

The Kubora[edit | edit source]

Relationships with the Kubora had remained cordial until the Warriors arrived. The Warriors consider them less than human and good only for sport and slavery.

A decade ago the Uld and Asawne Kubora made a coordinated attack on the hundred aimed at dislodging the Warriors. It is remembered by the peasantry as the ‘Big Raid’; two warbands rampaging across the north and east of the fief for 2 days. It sadly underestimated the resolve of the Mamekans who defeated the Kubora whenever they could catch them.

The Asawne held their ground in the face of reprisals but the Uld were driven north into the Uldan Hills. The casualties the order suffered in 718 have given both tribes a respite over recent years. The Uld give the appearance of remaining cowed but a trapper at last year’s Beast Fair claimed to have met a southron in the company of some Uld on the Scarlet Ribbon. The Uld said he combined the forest skills of a Kuboran hunter with a keen eye for tactics and an understanding of the Mamekans.

The western Asawne Kubora have become more audacious, regularly raiding Dasath, Bomntay and Torkat for goat meat to add to their winter stores. Some peasants see a pattern in the raids but few have the courage to share their concerns with their Mamekan overlords. Among themselves they talk of better coordination in the raids which draws a Mamekan garrison towards one incursion while goats are taken by another.

The Asawne have also established seasonal camps close to a recently re-discovered mine east of the Scarlet Ribbon and have already disrupted the mining. They showed a remarkable understanding of the mine’s operation when they sabotaged it after the miners and their mercenary guards left for the winter. The investment in a stamping mill at Dasath will be wasted unless the Guild and its guards can keep the workings safe for the year ahead. There is a suggestion that a standing guard should remain there next winter to protect the mine; if anyone is willing to take the job!

GOVERNMENT[edit | edit source]

Over the last 20 years the Warriors have consolidated their holdings with support from their clerical sponsors. Three manors now serve as chapterhouses and Caer Bedenes has been extended to encompass a grand training house for priests of the Order of Mamaka.

The Warriors’ word is law across the hundred; every settlement is held by an officer of the Order and all apply a harsh, Agrikan, interpretation of the kingdom’s laws.

Meketa Bron Zarnist, the Constable of Caer Bedenes holds Emesa for the Order. However, most decisions are made by Telmen Meran Toka, who acts as bailiff.

The hundred is too underdeveloped to boast a strong Mangai so the guilds take their lead from the ‘Akarata’s Voice’, Granek. He recognises that Telmen Meran can be influenced and is less inclined than most officers of the order to crush the fragile economic potential of Emesa. He has encouraged the bailiff to listen to Harvel of Yuropild, Emesa’s chandler, on matters of trade, and to his reeve, Kered in matters agricultural.

ECONOMICS[edit | edit source]

To an extent Emesa’s economy is the hundred’s economy; Emesa’s monthly market is the only one held, other than Anerath’s seasonal fish market, and all significant trade goes through the small town. Emesa’s dominance is built on the Beast Fair, which generates more income than the rest of the year put together. There are, though, signs that Emesa could become a more regular trading partner to the southern settlements. Master Harvel has convinced his fellow chandler, Layne of Urelt, to bring a cart of goods from Tormau every month or so. Harvel also takes orders, though they can take half a year to fill if Layne has to send further south for them.

Over recent years the hundred has been more or less self-sufficient in food and Emesa eats well enough. Oats are the major crop; the heart of the peasant diet is porridge supplemented by root vegetables and beans. Warm breezes off the Haonic Ocean allow fruit to grow well in the coastal manors and during the autumn apples and pears flow through Emesa’s market, often into the vat of Ginnis the brewer. His cider and perry supplement the dark ale he brews from the barley grown locally and supplemented by cooked oats for a smooth dark creamy taste.

Animal husbandry is dominated by goats grazing the rough local grassland. This is equally true across the rest of the hundred though the woods around the forest manors are full of swine interbreeding with Peran boars. This creates a rich meat that preserves well.

Decent catches of fish from the estuaries and larger rivers are dried and salted locally before coming to Emesa for sale. Preserved fish allows many families to survive the winter, or enjoy a treat on a feast day.

Hask and Alesen put several whale-boats onto the water whenever a pod of migrating whales is spotted