A Barony in the Earldom of Southmark
Nobles of Anym
Lady Baroness of Anym, Lady of the Axelburg: Cynthia Timmons
Acting Stallari, Acting Lord of the Mountains: Drake Tamarack
Lord Castellan of Vordin Keep: Alric Earthbound
Sir Loupe Wolfe, Knight Captain
Overview
Capital: Ostburg
Resources: Livestock (Husbandry - Voltan Chargers) and Mining (Iron, Stone, Copper)
Cities: Brunn
Towns: Dillgraf, McClaren, Ostburg
Castles: Axelburg, Verdinburg
Intrigues: Numerous intrigues with the Duchy of Niman.
Alliances: Murphy's Rangers, Trellheim Irregulars, Drok
Hostilities: Kron's Band, Shadowblades
The low mountains of this Barony are wood covered and lush. Many artists, jewelers, poets, and bards live in these verdant mountains and pursue their art. Much of the “high culture” in Volta comes from Anym. This Barony has a relatively light population density, the villages, towns, and cities being scattered across the area. This leaves plenty of room for raising livestock and the famous Voltan Chargers, as they need a lot of space to roam.
The Arran Hills are dotted with many farms. The central mountain region has scattered mines and quarries where stone and metal are produced. The small southern plains make for some of the best farmland in Volta, producing the highest quality goods. Lochniria, known for its waters with aphrodisiac properties, is one of the most beautiful places in the Duchy.
The Anymdin Mountains produce copper in abundance. Once trolls roamed the mountains, but have since been pushed back over time to only a few remote areas. These mountains used to be called the Troll's Teeth Mountains and reach up to 7,000 feet although most are 2,000 to 3,000 feet in height. The deep woods of Hadran and Vordin are both beautiful and dangerous.
Anym has had a long relationship with the woodsmen of Murphy's Rangers who do their best to protect the isolated people of the Anymdin Mountains. Recently the Trellheim Irregulars, refugees from the Duchy of Ashbury who fight an insurgent war across the border versus the Sessuar Imperium forces occupying Ashbury, have been given safe haven in Volta and enjoy wide support from the people of Anym.
Drok the cave troll is an interesting case, as he wanders up to settlers or even into towns and asks to do small jobs, does them, and wanders off. Drok has never attacked anyone who did not provoke him first - he seems to wander quite a bit and has no love for undead or other monsters but likes playing with children.
Two main factions are the scourge of Anym: Kron's Band, a war-band made up of Ogres, Trolls and other monsters appears from time to time, burning settlements and killing the settlers. The Shadowblades are a mysterious group who little is known about except that they seem to be hired assassins and brigands.
The Barony of Anym has seen great turmoil in the last year. Agents of the Horde spread a vile plague that destroyed much of the Barony. Heroes from Volta desperately fended off the plague, which would raise the fallen as foul undead. The plaguelands, while receding, require much work on the part of the citizens of Volta to restore Anym to its former glory.
Estates
Unless otherwise noted, all estates are Baronial
Axelburg
(Estate of Southmark)
Nestled in the Anymdin Mountains, the Town of Axelburg is a key outpost along the western border of Volta shared with the Duchy of Niman. Within view of the Nimani Castle at Gorm Kherz across the River Hadran, the citizens of Axelburg are primarily miners and smiths who ferry their goods south along the river and then overland east to Verdinburg. This estate was previously a part of the Barony of Anym but reverted to an Earldom estate when Baroness Cynthia Timmons established the former Earldom estate of Ostburg as the new Capital City of Anym.
Population: 1,200.
Resources: Iron and Metal Goods.
Anymdin Mountains
The Anymdin Mountains span the north-south borders of central Anym. Together with the River Hadran, the Mountains provide a natural barrier across south-central Volta and much of the shared border with the Duchy of Niman. The Mountains are a rich mining source for metals and stone, yielding the majority of the ores used by artisans and smiths in the Barony of Zarkym.
Population: 600.
Resources: Copper, Gold, Iron, Platinum Silver, Stone.
Brunn
The City of Brunn guards the the southeastern section of the pass through the Anymdin Mountains. Originally a trading post on the way to southern Dinsdale, Brunn has grown significantly in size over the past 10 years as Voltan troops made frequent use of the mountain pass to reach southern Volta in support of the Ashbury Resistance. Prior to the Sessuar invasion of Ashbury, Brunn was primarily a quarry for stones brought down from the Anymdin Mountains to be used in the construction of cities and castles throughout Volta.
Population: 1,200.
Resources: Stone.
Dillgraf
The City of Dillgraf guards the the northwestern section of the pass through the Anymdin Mountains. Like Brunn, Dillgraf was originally a trading post on the way to southern Dinsdale. Dillgraf is also the site of the largest horse market in Volta. It is here that Voltan Chargers, renowned throughout Evendarr for their size, speed, and spirit, are bought and sold. While the Plague in 606 ER caused the shutdown of the horse market, the herds seem to have rebounded stronger than expected and it is hoped that this trend will continue such that the market can reopen in mid-608 ER.
Population: 1,700.
Resources: Stone.
Dran Garde
The foothills surrounding the Town of Dran Garde provide the breeding and training grounds for Voltan Chargers. Throughout Evendarrian history, Voltan Chargers have been used to add speed, refinement, spirit, and endurance to other breeds of horses. Nearly all cavalry units of the Royal Army of Evendarr are built on the backs of Voltan Chargers. Once trained, any of the horses not allocated to either the Voltan Army or the Royal Army of Evendarr are transported to the horse market in Dillgraf where wealthy nobles and merchants have been known to pay well over 100 gold coins for these fiery steeds.
Population: 900.
Resources: Horses (Voltan Chargers).
Hadran Woods
The Hadran Woods sit on both sides of the Swift River along the western edge of the Anymdin Mountains and the banks of the River Hadran. The Woods are home to a wide variety of game and many trappers and furriers earn their keep via meat and animal skins. Local wildlife has flourished since the eradication of the Plague in Anym in 606 ER, resulting in an abundance of food and furs, much of which has been sold at great profit to the citizens of the Castle at Gorm Kherz in the Duchy of Niman.
Population: 400.
Resources: Animal Skins, Furs.
Haster
(Estate of Southmark)
Capital of Southmark
Poised in the foothills of the Anymdin Mountains, the City of Haster has become one of the leading markets for crystals in Volta. Raw crystal is harvested from the nearby caverns and traded to merchants to create all manner of products. Business has increased significantly since the liberation of the Duchy of Ashbury from the Sessaur.
Population: 6,800.
Resources: Precious Gems (Crystals).
McClaren (Estate of Southmark)
With the shift in the southern Baronial borders, the Town of McClaren, formerly an estate in the Barony of Zarkym, is now within the borders of the Barony of Anym. The McClaren family has a long history of master brewers who maintain the proud tradition of producing Voltan Ale, famous as the the best ale throughout Evendarr. This hereditary estate relies on the hops, barley, and wheat imported from Tallon's Hold as key ingredients in its many fine concoctions.
Population: 1,700.
Resources: Voltan Ale.
Ostburg
Capital of Anym
Castle Ostberg stands above the City of Ostburg like a watchful guardian. Ostburg serves as a staging area and training facility for most of the Free Companies in Anym and as such it is very well protected and patrolled. Baroness Cynthia Timmons officially declared Ostburg to be her Capital City to commemorate the location where the forces of Volta rallied together and stood united against the threat of the Plague in 606 ER. The citizens of Ostburg are primarily miners, delving into the depths of the Anymdin Mountains in search of precious metals and quarrying stone for constructing cities and castles throughout Volta.
Population: 1,900.
Resources: Copper, Iron, Stone.
Verdinburg Keep
Verdinburg Keep guards the passage along the road to the City of Haster and maintains the border patrol between the Keep and the River Hadran which marks the border between Volta and the Duchy of Niman. Nimani citizens claim that the Keep is named in honor of Duke Vordan Nicadaemus of Niman. However, the citizens of Verdinburg Keep are staunch supporters of Volta and are constantly patrolling the western borders of Anym to ensure that Voltan citizens are not kidnapped and enslaved by Nimani raiding parties. It is considered a great military honor to be chosen to serve a tour of duty in Verdinburg Keep, protecting the common folk of Volta from their hereditary enemies.
Population: 2,200.
Resources: Copper, Iron, Stone.