Barony of Riedvin

[Ravana]

Name: Baroness Sigrelyn Drachteving
Barony of Riedvin
Age: 20
Tenure: new (officially: previously, two years as (largely absentee) administrator of fief)
Married to: Heverik, Prince-Baron of Marnau
Children: —
Parents: Siguving, Duchess of Sjaermund, Viscountess of Ulderberg, Baroness of Riedvin (42); Prince Teszlar (43)
Siblings: Richeva (sister, 19), Tamars (brother, 17, married to a baroness in Duchy of Zanarvec), Jekokjyr (brother, 15)

Immediate Overlord: Duchess Siguving
Other Overlord(s): —

Retainers
seneschal: an older, trusted family retainer
exchequer minor: another older, trusted family retainer
reeve: herself
ensign: herself, when she’s at home; a veteran sergeant otherwise
chamberlain: none known
castellan: the sergeant who covers as ensign
other officers: Hogar, tutor, other functions unknown

Residence: Riedvin Keep
Military: one unit light cavalry, one unit archers (baronial troops)
• two units heavy cavalry, two units light cavalry (personal troops)

Arms: Sjaermund (vert, a wyvern sejant argent), a border or
• inquire for the complete version

•••

What Can Be Overheard At Court [from Year 372]:

“Ah, yes. Her. La belle dame sans merci—junior.â€

“If she was at that gathering, it was undoubtedly in pursuit of either or both of her principal court activities: scouting husbands or spying for her mother. If she was there because her mother sent her, it was both… otherwise, it was just for the spying.â€

“She’ll become a baroness the day she marries; she’s already running one of her family’s hereditary fiefs. By all accounts, she’s immensely popular within her mother’s lands… and outside of them is as close to unknown as you can manage to be and still be an heir to a fief major. She probably would be unknown if she weren’t heir: she has three siblings, two of which I’ve not heard news of in years. No, wait… the older brother married last year; a baroness somewhere in the Duchy of Zanarvec, I believe. The youngest brother—fourteen—you may have seen at some of the court festivities: a quiet, distinguished-looking youth in the background at most of the revels and none of the routs. The last I’ve heard of the sister, she was supposed to be at some foreign prince’s court… somewhere east, or maybe south. But that was some time ago.â€

“She has a mind, a mouth and a grip like a steel trap. She’s attended court every year of her life, but is rarely more visible than absolutely necessary. As far as anyone knows, she hasn’t lost at checkers since she was six, and has never lost at backgammon. On the other hand, she hasn’t played checkers since she was eight, and I’ve not heard of her playing backgammon in years. She doesn’t gamble. On anything.â€

“The man you saw with her was no doubt her tutor… I know little of his history, save that he’s from some minor cadet family, somewhere in the north, I believe, is a pursuivant, has a solid reputation as a scholar—history and geography, mainly, though one would expect as much from a pursuivant. He’s said to follow her around everywhere she doesn’t follow him around. I can’t recall a time when I saw either outside the company of the other—and I’ve been coming to court a long time.â€

[from Year 373]

"Well, no one can question her bravery.…"

•••

Usual mode of dress: at formal court functions, single color, preferring medium to dark greens and blues with subdued trim or embroidery, form-fitting at top, loose but not flowing skirt (often pleated… which is not in style, as if she cares), hair braided and clasped with a single holly leaf in natural colors, enamel over gold. At less formal functions, bloused top of a lighter shade with matching darker vest, pleated skirt—over trousers and boots. Favorite outfit: barbute, hauberk, riveted leather vambraces, cuisses and greaves, leather gloves and riding boots, tabard displaying the arms of Sjaermund, accessorized with spear, longsword, targe and a horse that could carry three of her.

•••

Location: Duchy of Sjaermund (central northern border of empire), Viscounty of Ulderberg, along border with Grand Duchy of Meinterthagn
Region: Northern Riding
Population: 6,000
Labor Type: serfs

Town: Riedvin
• improvements: armory, marketplace, small church, town wall
Villages: Ternegar, Valholm
• improvements: marketplace, palisade [both]
Hamlets: none

Other Improvements: copper mine, iron ore mine, basic road network

Major Resources: copper, dairy, flax, fruit, herbs, horses, iron ore, resin, syrup, timber
Crafts: armor, furniture, plain cloth, weapons

Major Vassals: knight banneret, Knight of the Order of the Holly

Brief Description:
The Barony of Riedvin has been the seat of power for House Drachteving for generations. When House Drachteving acquired the Viscounty of Ulderberg, the barony was retained as an appurtenance, and has been handed over to the eldest child of the line to manage form the moment he or she was old enough to do so without serious danger of burning it down. Generally, of course, the baron-in-training is also provided with some reliable elder retainers to keep tabs on the invariably energetic budding pyroma—uh, heirs. At present, the barony is enjoying the benign neglect of Baroness Sigrelyn, who’s generally away in the field—hence the enjoyment—and who always listens carefully to her advisers prior to ignoring them and doing whatever the hell she felt like doing in the first place. She’s a little better about heeding her mother. Of course, her mother was the one who taught her how to wield a mace, which might have something to do with it. She also seems quite fond of her longtime tutor, Hogar, in spite of the fact that no one’s ever seen him handle a mace. On the other hand, the occasional person has seen him handle Sigrelyn’s mother, which no doubt struck Sigrelyn as a useful skill to acquire.

Until this past Midwinter Court, Sigrelyn's mother, Duchess Siguving, was deeply concerned that her daughter find a husband. Now the duchess is concerned because she has.

 

[Ravana]

News of the Barony of Riedvin, Arat, Year 61:

After another whirlwind visit by Her Ladyship, things have returned to normal. She dispensed such justice as was needful, saw to it that we really were going to plant crops, then took her cavalry and rode off to the County of Gramanstadt, where she won some small amount of acclaim last year and which is already anticipating being invaded by Vaesthegnar in order to win it back. Her Excellency the Marchioness stopped by on her return from Midwinter Court, and expressed her pleasure at seeing that all is progressing as it ought to, apart from the continuing disappointing returns from the iron mine, though she graciously allowed that there was little we could do about a seam playing out. She then rode on to Drachteving Castle, where she apparently expects some new intelligence from His Highness her husband. It is of some reassurance that Her Excellency did not exhibit concern that her daughter is riding off with three companies of the March's best cavalry to fight a battle two-thirds of the way across the Empire; it is to be hoped that this indicates the lack of a threat to our borders.

Once the spring planting is done, we should expect to begin putting the roads back in order following the usual abuses inflicted upon them by winter weather. Her Ladyship expressed a desire that these be extended this summer, and improved if at all possible. She also suggested that there might be a good market for timber in our neighboring Grand Duchy of Meinerthagn, and that we might wish to consider increasing our production thereof. She further suggested that application be made to her mother to fund such projects… though in fairness it must be noted that this suggestion was made after her mother had already left for her own residence, with the result that Her Ladyship will not be the one required to make said application.

 

[Ravana]

News of the Barony of Riedvin, Semanu, Year 61:

The best spring weather in living memory has graced our barony this year, with the happy result that we collected nearly enough fruit for the winery to replace the depredations of a combined visit by Her Ladyship and Her Excellency last month. The foaling also went well this year, with the happy result that we will no doubt have sufficient horses to replace those lost on Her Ladyship's campaigns. Though to be candid, this is probably anticipating difficulties unlikely to arise, since to date Her Ladyship has yet to return with fewer horses than she set out with. But anticipating Her Ladyship's needs is our duty.

An uncharacteristically bold suitor appeared at our gates, offering his hand in marriage to Her Ladyship; he was politely informed that it would save both time and trouble if he were to send it to her directly, and if she thought well enough of it, she'd consider accepting the rest of him then. When he appeared to take umbrage at this response, we informed him of what Her Ladyship had actually ordered us to say, before we toned it down, and that she had further instructed us to accept all challenges on her behalf, along with conveying her regrets that the challenger would have to await her return, unless he had the… fortitude to seek her out on the battlefield in order to have their fight. We then informed him that our use of the word "fortitude" was likewise a somewhat loose rendering of Her Ladyship's poetic terminology. Finally, we informed him that if he considered our responses inadequate or requiring more immediate chastisement, he ought to petition our overlord, Her Ladyship's mother, who could always use another pair of earrings. We even offered to send a post rider to fetch her, to demonstrate we held no ill feelings toward him. This appeared to assuage him—at any rate, the florid tone his complexion had assumed over the previous several minutes was quite remedied, and he departed without making further communication. It is believed his mount will catch up with him eventually. And if not, we can always sell him one of the spring foals.

 

[Ravana]

News of the Barony of Riedvin, Forlu, Year 372 (Year 61, S.I.)

Another month of fine weather, and our farmers will no longer know what to do with themselves. Which is fine, since there are several projects on order for which strong hands and backs are wanted. As per Her Ladyship's wishes, we are extending and improving the roads. As long as Her Ladyship remains absent, we also plan to slip in some commercial improvements of the sort she tends to demonstrate little interest in; if she asks later, we can always impress her with our dedicated vigilance, and if she doesn't, she need never find out. Though it should be noted she was correct about the market for timber among our neighbors; perhaps this is an indication of an increasingly mature judgment where matters of the fief are concerned. And a welcome one it would be, too.

We also wish to acknowledge the services of Berig, the smith of Kuerding, for graciously replacing a certain horseshoe on a certain horse at his own expense, and subsequently bringing it (the horse) to the reeve's attention, with the happy result that we were able to reunite it with its proper owner after all. Fortunately, we sent one of the barony's best trackers to perform that task; otherwise it might never have come about, as few of us would have thought to seek the owner among the altitudes to which he was discovered to have repaired upon seeing a rider in our livery. While his expression of gratitude might have left something to be desired, at least he expressed no greater reproach for us than did the horse. To the latter, we offer our heartfelt apologies.

 

[Ravana]

News of the Barony of Riedvin, Atsantu, Year 372:

We were treated to a number of surprises this month. One thing that wasn't a surprise was that, true to custom, Her Ladyship returned from the wars with more horses than she departed with. The surprise part was that, contrary to her custom, her return took place before snow began to fall. Another surprise was the number of horses in excess of her departing strength—and that the vast majority of them still bore riders. Fortunately, we were not required to stable and feed more than the sixteen of these Her Ladyship had claimed as personal prizes—horses, that is—as the balance, more than two hundred strong, continued east, Her Ladyship included. Which was yet another surprise, as their intended destination was Castle Drachteving, which they might easily reach before sundown; this would make this the first time in her adult life, to anyone's knowledge, that Her Ladyship has sought her mother's presence of her own will, rather than being summoned to it. She left with her usual unceremonious dispatch, leaving behind as a heartfelt farewell only the words: "Good job on the marketplaces"—warming the hearts of many a long-serving, patient retainer (she did notice! miracles abound!)… to which was appended: "And call up the militia." Which occasioned somewhat less delight.

Four hours after she left, a rider came in bearing the message that the Lord Marshal and Count of Aldenthau was dead. Seeing as it takes twice as long to ride from the Western border, where she had been, than it does to ride from Dravuchim, where he died—and that the message came by imperial post, whereas Her Ladyship did not—it strains credulity that the two events could have been related. Unfortunately, a connection between the Count of Aldenthau dying and the militia being called up requires not the slightest stretch of imagination.

The next morning, a post rider from Castle Drachteving brought an order over the Marchioness' seal instructing a general mobilization of all military units of the March. The rider noted it would have arrived the previous evening (and it was indeed a surprise it had not, since it is only a couple hours' ride from there to here by the post), but the Marchioness felt no pressing need for such haste, inasmuch as Castle Drachteving is situated near the eastern border of her realm… and Her Ladyship, arriving from the west, had already issued the same order to every other fief as she passed through, making the message merely confirmatory in nature.

A week later the news of the Empress Consort's death reached us… which, though saddening, surprised no one.

The entirety of the fief's output of metals, timber, medicines and horses, and all excess in foodstuffs, is to be directed to Castle Drachteving until further notice. The Marchioness will see to its distribution from there to wherever it will perform the best service. All troops passing eastward are to receive every courtesy and support the populace can provide, and accounts should be submitted to the keep for reimbursement. All adult persons of sound body who wish to enter the service of the March should likewise apply at the keep. Special bonuses will be paid to those possessing prior military experience, including any with militia training who are no longer on the active rolls. Hardship allowances to the families of such persons have been authorized.

 

[Silver Pegasus]

Dragons arise in the south, consume the north.

 

[Silver Pegasus]

Look to the keeper of secrets: strength is revealed.