*Villages: Lochpond (765)

Uigmuir (115)

Ethnic groups: Kaelics 50%, Aalbanese 25%, Caurenzans 10%, Lupins 10%, others 5%.

Languages: Various, mainly Glantrian.

Ruler: Baroness Myra McDuff (born 946, Undead 14 HD, AL N)

The Noble Guard of McDuff, was once a quite efficient military unit. Nowadays though, most of the veteran guards have left their employment, as neither their salaries hadn’t been updated in the past 30 years, nor the Baroness hasn’t made any efforts to keep her guards at check. The guards leave their posts, harass the villagers, and are often found drunk from the local whisky. The only thing that keeps thieves at bay, is the rumour that a ghost of some kind haunts the tower. These are their stats:
25 fighters (F1 chain mail and pole-arm), 10 crossbowmen (F1, leather armor, heavy crossbows-insufficient amount of missiles, broadswords), 6 veterans (F3 plate armor, claymore, daggers), 1 mage (M4, usually drunk- miscasts spells, staff), 1 captain (F4, plate armor, claymore+1).
Additional weapons: 1 light catapult (does not work), 2 heavy ballistas (unmanned).

The Grand Army does not keep regular patrols in Uigmuir.

Trails: see Notable Sites

Economics: Uigmuir’s main resources are fishing and goatherds (sheepherds in Glen Dhubh). These generate a small surplus exported to the Barony of Adlerturm, then further South.

History:

After the Forty years war, Malcolm McAllister led his clan to establish the Barony of Uigmuir, with the Council’s approval. His reign lasted twenty years, at his death the title went to Christos Capostria. Arrived with his Caurenzan retinue, he soon realised this borderland fief wasn’t what he had hoped it to be. Despite of trying to escape several times Christos provided some changes that proved good for the Barony. The most important was to organise a regular commerce, exporting food surplus to the Barony of Adlerturm (and further South), using the income to better the trail that connected Uigmuir Valley to the Southern hills. Protected by the efficient Aalbanese garrisons of Fort Nordling, the community thrived, attracting several Aalbanese people. When Uigmuir returned to McAllisters, they took advantage of the Caurenzan’s wise moves. For forty years Uigmuir prospered under Ossian McAllister, progressively declining until 949, when Uigmuir was left to the sad Baronial Curse it had escaped until then: being neglected and used as a mean to gain an higher title. During next twenty years Uigmuir valley knew its darkest period, with people leaving its borders to the Barony of Adlerturm first (where they faced the same problem) then to the Western Free Province. The humanoid invasion in 969-970 marked the worst event in Uigmuir history. Nowadays, the Barony has still to retrieve its former splendour, since the only thing Lady Myra wishes is to retrieve her lost son.

Notable sites: Lochpond owes its name to several mountain lakes dotting Uigmuir valley, near thesource of Aalban River. The village in reality encompasses quite the whole valley and consists of several large communities, relying on each other for help and trade. Mountain pastures are the joy of the livestock, mainly goats, which provides the community with the main source of food.

Another great source of food comes from the lakes that abound of fishes. A trail leads up to OssianTower. The residence of the ruler Myra McDuff, it derives its name from the mage who build it some 120 years ago. The small village of Uigmuir rises around the tower, it holds a small Temple of Rad, and it’s home to few craftsmen and artisans who provides few services to the Baroness and the people of the Valley. Another trail leads downward to the village of Glen Dhubh mainly composed by Kaelics sheepherders who trade wool with the surrounding communities, then to the Barony of Adlerturm (and the village of Nahendorf). During winter, the valley is generally covered with snow.

Villa Capostria, a Thyatian-style villa built by Christos Capostria beside one of the lakes, currently serves as lodging place for important visitors. Capostria tried at first to live in McAllister’s Mansion, but the superstitious Caurenzan didn’t like the fact the previous Baron, Malcolm McAllister, and his hold household had been found dead without any indication for culprit. The Mansion has been uninhabited for c. 150 years now and, Malcolm and his friends happily haunt it searching for someone to uncover the old secret around their deaths.

Personalities: Baroness Myra McDuff (born 946, Undead 14 HD, AL N).

Coat of Arms: A sable tower with an or crown mounted on the top, on gules background.

Thibault Sarlat, Giovanni Porpora, Agathokles.

January 2001, All rights reserved.