Bryons Hold

The most important area in the Valley of the Sun, Bryons Hold overlooks the largest bridge over the Illthande River. The Illthande runs deep with a soft and sandy bottom making it dangerous to cross except over the bridges. In addition the villages of Denusa and Vilia both pay homage to the Lord of Bryons Hold and control the two bridges closest to Bryons Hold. This makes Bryons Hold central to the safety of those villages south of the river.

Bryons Hold was originally settled by families Morah tribes that were pushed from their homelands along the Caragan Sea by the expanding Irillian tribes. The Morah had a long history of fighing and herding, so the verdant river valley served as a good new home. However, the peaceful life they rebuilt for themselves would not last. Once the Irillians secured their hold over eastern bank of the Caragan they rapidly grew east, swallowing up the tribes that lived along the plains. It was only a matter of time before they secured their Empire enough to move north.

When that day came the Morah were ill-equipped to deal with it. The Irillians sported scale armour and fought in strong blocks or columns, while the Morah were little more than light skirmishers. In less that a week all of the Morah had surrendered to the Irillians and were swallowed up by the empire. To control this area the Irillians constructed the fortress town of Fraxi on one of the hills overlooking the Illthande river. This wooden tower and palisade housed twenty soldiers whose job was maintaining order and collecting the taxes.

Irillian Empire Falls

By the time the Second Empire fell to the invading Ellendar army the Morah village had grown into a bustling town thanks to the stone bridge built over the river. In addition the villages of Denusa, Vilia, and Ierzo sprouted up along the banks of the river. The towers were mostly manned by mercenaries as Irillian soldiers settled into the local population. For twenty-five years a period of lawlessness reigned as unpaid mercenaries, secure from their walled towers, looted the lands. That changed when the legendary Ket warlord Camerfel arrived with his people.

They had been driven from their lands after they refused to bend knee to the daconians. Camerfel's warriors defeated the mercenaries-turned-bandits and drove them from the land. Camerfel himself took up residence in the governor's manor and named himself the new lord of this valley. His loyal commanders each recieved a portion of the land in honor of their service.

Bryon “Longknife” became the lord over the land by Fraxi. The original tower had long since fallen to disuse and looting, so Bryan began construction on a stone manor house and watchtower on the south bank near the bridge over the river. Archers from the tower could rain down arrows on any Daconian warriors attempting to force their way over the bridge. This manor, and the town that grew up around it, came to be called Bryans Hold after the its first noble lord. Conquered

When the Dakarian army pushed through the Valley of the Sun, the people of Bryons Hold stoutly defended their land from invaders. The mix of Morash, Irillian, and Ket closed ranks and held the bridges against several attacks. However the weight of numbers favored the Dakarians and they soon forced their way across the river, burning the village of Ierzo on their way through. With the river crossed the Dakarians could siege the manor house from both sides. Rather than see more people die Lord Samson surrendered his house to the Dakarian commander. This victory allowed the Dakarians to secure their western flank, which led to their quick conquest of the entire Valley of the Sun.

Once ruled by a noble lord of pure Ket heritage, the current ruler is a Dakarian knight named Sir Huntington of Detter. However, his situation is difficult as the people have a long resentment for being conquered and the Kets still harbor hatred of the Daconians (who became the Dakarian Kingdom) who again control the heel at their throat.

Military

To pacify the land Sir Huntington has twenty militia archers, eight sergeants, and thirty militia spear men. Opposing him are an unknown number of warriors that escaped into the hills before the fall of Bryans Hold. The town of Bryans Hold can raise fifteen militia spear men and another ten from the villages of Denusa and Vilia; although their loyalty is questionable.

Before the conquest the economy was driven by the large goat herd kept on the hillsides. Inside the village itself chickens, pigs, and a small number of sheep were kept. Large vegetable plots are scattered across the lands, but the strongest economical crop is the grapes that grow on the vines behind the manor house. These rich red grapes prosper from the rich valley soil and temperate clime to produce an exceptional wine.

After the conquest most of the goat herds were thinned by the Dakarian quartermasters as they looked to local sources to feed the passing army. The vegetable gardens and chickens were also pilfered. However, Sir Huntington knew the area enough to immediately post guards over the vineyards. While the rest of the people are making due with what they have left and cutting back to avoid starvation over the winter, Bryans Hold is shipping an ever increasing number of wine casks back to the nobles of Dakar.