Duchy of Seastone

The Duchy of Seastone began with the city of Stonegarde, which was the ancestral seat of the house of Marwyn in the Kingdom of Stromgarde and before the rise of the syndicate, it was home to a population of little more than six hundred. A small village beside the sea, its primary income was derived from its forge, the local fishermen and the stone quarry from which the town earned its name. The Duchy of Seastone is now comprised of the combined holdings of Stonegarde, Alden's Rise, Silverbrook, and their satellite villages.

The House of Marwyn
The house of Marwyn, descends from the ancient Arathi clan of Longspear through the female line, and were the first to settle the region, long before the advent of the King's Calendar. The first chieftains of the region to be ennobled, they were originally Barons of Dagger Point, and later Baron Marwyn of Stonegarde. In the year 623 K.C. The neighboring Barony of Alden's Rise was annexed into the Marwyn holdings.

In late November of 623, following the split of the Kingdom caused by Allrick Antonius' negotiations with the faction led by Duke-Claimant Mathilan Lionblood, Melysa Marwyn-Ashvale used her considerable influence within the house of nobles to annex all the unclaimed land East of Alden's Rise, and create the Duchy of Seastone. On Wednesday, November 27th, Melysa became the first Duchess of Seastone.

Many were outraged by such a bold move, but Melysa insisted that it was necessary to ensure the survival of Marwyn holdings during the absence of a Trollbane King of Stromgarde. The clever move resulted in Seastone's land holdings almost doubling, and rendering the Duchy a candidate for possible independence from the Kingdom of Stromgarde if a Trollbane King did not return.

The House of Harrow
The Harrow family ruled Alden's Rise from 300 K.C. till 620 K.C. when the last of their male line was slain in battle against the Alterac Syndicate. The house of Harrow married into the house of Harlow in the year 573 K.C. and descendants of the family still reside in Alden's Rise, most notable of which being Edwyn Harlow IV, who served as Mayor of Alden's Rise until his betrayal in the year 623 K.C. Harlow is now a prisoner in Seastone's dungeon, awaiting his execution for treason.

Clan McGowen
As old as the region itself, the noble clan of McGowen was joined by marriage to the house of Marwyn when Lizabet McGowen wed Joren Marwyn at the age of sixteen. The McGowens were known to be fierce warriors and in their own opinion, the brewers of the finest ale in all the highlands. Today the clan is scattered about the Arathi highlands and the Hinterlands, but many have since returned to the newly-formed Duchy of Seastone. Sir Hugh McGowen currently serves as Mayor of the city of Stonegarde.

Economy
Seastone's culture is heavily influenced by the ancient Empire of Arathor and change comes slowly, if it comes at all. Much of Seastone's population is comprised of unskilled laborers who toil in the stone quarry for which the town of Stonegarde was named. Countless refugees from other settlements have flocked to Seastone since the Duchess announced the availability of work and these refugees now make up a significant part of the Duchy's population. With the reconstruction of Port Marwyn, fishing and sea trade have become an important source of income for the people and has doubled the population of Stonegarde. The acquisition of the silver and gold mines of Silverbrook has more than doubled the Duchy's potential income, and the Duchess plans to sell the mineral rights in order to fund a private army.

With the ever-present threat of the Alterac Syndicate and the forsaken heavily concentrated at Thoradin's Wall, blacksmithing has become an important and profitable trade in the Duchy of Seastone. In addition to the great forge at Seastone Keep, Stonegarde and Alden's Rise have nearly half a dozen smaller forges between them, each producing weapons, armor and tools.

Language
The primary language used in Seastone is the common tongue, though with a handful of Quel'dorei now residing in Alden's Rise and Stonegarde, Thalassian is also often spoken.

Architecture
As an ancient settlement, Seastone's architecture has remained largely unchanged, even after the reconstruction that followed the invasion of the Alterac Syndicate. Seastone Keep is the largest operational fortification in the Duchy and was built during the last days of the Empire of Arathor. Despite being put to the torch and undergoing extensive reconstruction, the Keep retains its original design and serves as the Duchess' primary residence. Most of the homes throughout both of the main settlements are small, single-family dwellings with stone walls and a thatched roof, leaving them vulnerable to damage from fire. With a middle-class emerging since the re-opening of Port Marwyn, the city of Stonegarde has become a thriving settlement, and hosts visitors from across the world.

Geography
The Duchy of Seastone consists of a long stretch of the Kingdom's coastline, located to the East of Stromgarde City. Its non-coastal holdings consist of rolling hills, jagged cliffs, and grassy fields dotted with ancient ruins.

The City of Stonegarde
Once the seat of the Barony of Stonegarde, the city lies the the shadow of Seastone Keep and remains a fortified settlement. Though it is largely a ruin, the original stone wall that encircled the town is still present. The main roads are paved with stones from the quarry for which the town was named. The finest homes are concentrated along the main roads where the merchant class resides, with smaller dwellings located closer to the outer wall surrounding the settlement and farms located outside the wall. Stonegarde's main road winds along the rise Seastone Castle is built upon and has direct access to largest port. The largest home in the city is Stone Manor, built by Lord Joren Marwyn for his wife, who refused to live in the dreary Castle that loomed over the city. The large, fortified manor is now largely a ruin.

Seastone Keep
Seastone Keep (Formerly Stonegarde Keep) is a small Castle, carved out of the side of the mountains by the sea. It serves as the primary bastion of defense for the Duchy of Seastone, and was built during the rise of the Empire of Arathor. The castle walls are ten feet thick and thirty feet high, making them quite resilient and virtually impossible to fell with cannon fire. The largest of its four towers faces the sea, and serves as the Duchess' main living quarters.

During the siege of Stonegarde, Joren Marwyn, his wife and many members of their household were put to the sword and the castle itself was put to the torch. After his death, Joren's son, Liam Marwyn took back the blasted ruin and garrisoned it with a small force of his own, but his triumph was short-lived.

Unwilling to allow his victory to go unanswered, the syndicate responded by sending a raiding party to lay siege to the ruined Castle and its already battered defenders. After just two hours of battle, Liam Marwyn was slain in combat and his remaining men fled to Stromgarde with his remains. Fearful that the syndicate would return, his men laid him to rest in Stromgarde's crypts, rather than the family crypts at Stonegarde. After Liam's death, the Castle and its surrounding lands were taken over by his sister. The Lady Melysa has since begun a full reconstruction of the castle and its battlements.

Liam's Landing
A small island just ten miles off the coast of Stonegarde. The Island was named in honor of Lord Liam Marwyn, who perished at the hands of the Alterac Syndicate. When Stonegarde was briefly occupied by the syndicate, Lord Liam and his men used the island to regroup and launch an offensive to take back Stonegarde. Measuring only 40 miles long and 23 miles wide, the island is currently home to a lighthouse and a small barracks. Construction of a large, fortified manor is scheduled to begin in the spring of the year 624 K.C.

Alden's Rise
Alden's Rise, once a Barony in its own right, lies just to the east of Stonegarde and formerly belonged to the house of Harrow. Since the fall of the house and the end of its bloodline, the Rise has been ravaged by the syndicate, its people forced to live in poverty within the ruins. A single holdfast once served as its primary defense, though it too was abandoned when the Syndicate lay siege to the Rise. Since her return to the highlands, Melysa Marwyn has taken it upon herself to see to the well being of the people of Alden's Rise, often distributing food, cloaks and other necessities to the unfortunate citizens.

Dagger Point
The tiny peninsula is lies between the coasts of Alden's Rise and Stonegarde, controlling the main roadway between both settlements. Often locally referred to as "The wet Keep" the ancient castle has been damaged by the elements due to a missing section of the Western roof. Historically, the Castle and its attended lands were held by the first Marwyn Barons, long before the advent of the King's Calendar. The title, Baron Marwyn of Dagger Point was only recently recreated for Sir Varyc.

Widow's Watch
A recent acquisition in the Duchess' holdings, this tract of land directly to the North of Stonegarde was recently granted to the Duchess in recognition of her family's upkeep of the land since the death of its owner during the siege of Alterac. Once it has been cleared of the witherbark trolls that inhabit much of it, the land is to be used primarily for farming.

Silverbrook
Named for the abundance of silver found in its rolling hills, and the small rive that divides the land, Silverbrook consists of all the formerly unclaimed land between Alden's Rise and the Thandol Span.

Seastone Map
A simple map of the Duchy of Seastone, depicting the main settlements, fortifications, and mineral resources. The many small and impoverished sattelite villages are not shown in this map.