Scouting Reports May 1107

Cornwall

With the Cataclysm came uncertainty in Cornwall. In Alton a strange forest has reared up where none stood before and Scouts report the way through Impassable at present. The Island of Lundy still unreachable via the land bridge and sightings from the ships in the Bristol Gap show the forest covering much of the Island.
The cliffs which mark the stark beauty of Cornwall have become even more pronounced as the Seas crash against them with a force born of the changing of the world. In Exeter the marshlands on the southern edge of Rutterkins wood have expanded making travel by land even harsher in the region and adding to the already dark reputation of the Wood itself.
Caer Pendrinn, Castle in the Sea has escaped the rising sea levels relatively unscathed, which many attribute to the mysterious Dame Melyor of Pendrinn. The town of Bristol is getting back to normal as people return after the initial destruction caused there and many businesses are now
re-opening to the joy of the populace, though travel there can be difficult with the Circle at Alton being damaged in the upheavals. In fact the Duchy is entirely cut off from the transport network as its circles are either destroyed or damaged. This has however, seen a great upturn in the coastal trades. Yet for all the happiness there is a sorrow. Rozenwyn Pervaine, Duchess of Cornwall and voice of the young Morgaine has been taken gravely ill with some malady of the Heart. Having returned to Caer Pendrinn it is believed that she is being tended to by Dame Melyor and none have seen her outside those walls for many months. As a result the people of Cornwall worry that the voice they so recently gained on the Royal Council of Albion may be lost forever and their Queen put aside for another. Some however are turning to the ancient House of Corvidae, Cornish in ancestry and outlook to be its voice, whilst others see the growing wealth and influence of the House of Glass as a beacon of hope for the Duchy as a whole.
Of all the Duchies’ Cornwall has long been the least interested in politics outside her own borders. Most Cornish folk are happily apathetic towards the Albion court and feel its decisions have little impact on their daily lives. Community, tradition and local pride are far more important to than directives carried from nobles in other duchies who have little chance of ever understanding Cornwall’s unique challenges.
Religion in Cornwall has been somewhat in flux since the formation of The Trinity. Support for Nethras and The Pendragon grows slowly but steadily but there is still a degree of suspicion about The Hunter, who is seen by many as a warlike northern ancestor who claimed victory over Manannan by force. Worship of Taranis is still strong in some more remote regions and, behind closed doors, whispered rumours of the Lord of Storms’ resurgence are all too common.
Rumours continue to abound about the disappearance of the Mists within the Vale of Avalon, what terrors might it unveil or what ancient treasures may be uncovered. Yet the Cornish mindset remains stoic in the face of adversity. They look to their own and where old communities have been destroyed or displaced, new ones rise in their place.

Gloucester

Gloucester has recovered well from the Cataclysm. Though much of the land was damaged before it, the new buildings put in place after the destruction wrought by the Green Man have stood the test of the upheaval and stand firm. There has been much damage along the foothills of the Mountains, yet whilst it is widespread it is also minimal with few casualties. As always the people of Gloucester turn to their Ancestor, the Hunter for thanks that the cycle of life continues, new lands and peoples coming from the destruction of the past. At Stretton the Ritual Circle destroyed in the Cataclysm has been rebuilt with the aid of the Mages guild and the curfew that was in place in the City of Gloucester has been lifted since the defeat of the Unliving North of the borders into Keswick.
The City of Castleford, destroyed by the attacks of the Green Man the previous year has been partially rebuilt with aid by refugees from Chelmsford and people of the surrounding area flock to help and repopulate it.
Despite this destruction the people of Gloucester are as positive as they have been for a while. The head of House Hunter sits as duchess with a resurgent household and a number of strong, visible nobles from other influential groups behind her. The military presence of the Storm Ravens offers the people a feeling a security that has sometimes been lacking in the past, and there is much expectation around the fact that a Gloucesterman may be confirmed as Lord Regent.
Those in Gloucester who are aware of wider politics share a similar optimism. Many see themselves as instrumental in leading the way to a strong, stable Albion and believe that if they stay united then the rest of Albion will follow. Such unity is however slightly threatened by differences in perceptions of the duchy of Winchester; seen by some as their most obvious political rival, whilst by others as a very powerful potential ally. Ultimately however trust in Duchess Minoo and Earl William is sufficient that most will accept the nobles’ decision on the subject.
Devotion to The Trinity remains strong in Gloucester and helps bolster support for the more pious nobles. The Hunter in particular goes from strength to strength and there is widespread hope that the newly-formed Order of the Stag will find a permanent home in the duchy. Support for Nethras has declined slightly as her followers have left Gloucester to spread their message into other duchies, but overall she is still well respected.

Keswick

Nestled against 2 National borders and surrounded by Mountains as it is Keswick saw much of the destruction of the Cataclysm pass it by. Tremors from the DragonSpine Mountains caused some of the hamlets and villages along the base to relocate, though there are reports of some valuable veins of precious ores and minerals being uncovered. If they are true then the work will be hard to recover them, but may prove fruitful for the hardy people of Albion’s harshest Duchy.
In Havoc, several of the mines have collapsed resulting in loss of life, though this was thankfully small due to the actions of Rangers and Scouts in the area evacuating people as the worst of the tremors hit. The people of Havoc continue as always to carve out what they need from the land and look to their Baron for protection.
Months later Keswick still mourns the death of Duke Michael and most folk here look to the future with a level of trepidation. This concern mostly focuses upon the question of who will succeed Michael as Duke, and fears that the post may be gifted to a “deserving” noble from another province rather than someone who actually represents Keswick. Those who believe such rumours mostly see Earl William of Chester as the likely candidate (since Gloucester already has a duchess) and there is resistance to the idea amongst a significant proportion of the populace.
Without a duke many here fear that the duchy risks being neglected in favour of the other four duchies. Keswick’s relatively low population and poor economy do nothing to allay these concerns. The last thing they want is to be left impoverished and starving whilst Winchester and Gloucester squabble amongst themselves for influence. For many the beacon of hope in this time of political uncertainty is the
increasing strength of Nethras within the duchy. Spreading northwards the faith has taken firm root here and her followers bring the promise not only of a better future but also tangible help in the harsh present. On top of that there are many here who feel that Michael’s death must be avenged and who look to The Crone as the force behind such retribution.
Over the past few months Naseby has seen an alarming increase in numbers of the unliving; mostly concentrated in the more remote and rural areas. There was a major incursion towards the town itself last month, which resulted in the destruction of the Ritual circle, but this was beaten back by the Keswick battalion, supported by units moving north from Gloucester led by the Lord Regent himself and backed up by units with the aid of the Lord Provost. The ensuing battle has left areas of the region, including Two Rivers mindful of further attacks and the people there are unlikely to be welcoming though the popularity of both the Lord Regent and Lord Provost are both currently high due to their actions.

Winchester

Winchester, Duchy of the King has undergone a change since the cataclysm. The Sea that was so brutal to the lands of York last summer has swept into the Eastern border sweeping much away in its path. Peacehaven is gone, drowned out by the cataclysmic floods leaving Marchwood Keep at the seas edge but without a working Transport circle. Similarly the Transport circle at Sherburn was destroyed by an outpouring of energy at the time of the Cataclysm. The Marshes at Trell have become even more inhospitable, its borders remain the same yet its depth has increased to make it almost impassable. However, as the waters begin to recede the land itself shows very little sign of the devastation, in fact there has been an increase in the waterways and irrigation canals throughout the Duchy, its people praising the Trinity for protecting them and showing that the King’s Duchy is indeed the chosen of Albion.
Politically Winchester knows its own strength and is quietly optimistic about the future. Duke Charenten’s influence at court is as high as it has ever been and his recruitment of House Grimmir from Gloucester is seen as a notable coup. Both Charenten and Grimmir were prominent in the battles surrounding The Cataclysm and there is a widespread faith in their ability to provide both stability and security. This is further backed by a growing support for the Company of the Blackened Staff as they are increasingly accepted as Winchester’s own.
Winchester has a greater awareness of affairs at court than many other duchies and there is a significant level of suspicion about the increasing power of Gloucester over the last year. Most believe that the balance of power rests between the two duchies and are keen not to simply hand control of Albion to a bunch of westerners who place greater stock in hunting skill than in manners or literacy. Overall however there is confidence in the ability of their nobles and trust in Duke Charenten to protect the duchy’s best interests.
Since the formation of The Trinity worship of The Pendragon has become increasingly visible in the duchy; particularly amongst those associated with the court. The Hunter is also undergoing a resurgence, although the interpretation usually portrayed here teaches strength, leadership and family as its core values, and pays less attention to some of the ancestor’s more feral aspects popular in other duchies. There is still some distrust of Nethras and she has never really prospered here; perhaps because of the lingering legacy of The Mother or perhaps simply because there is less poverty here than elsewhere in Albion. Many in Winchester are excited by the formation of the new knightly orders are there is some expectation that all three will establish some sort of presence close to court.
After members of the Harts Faction travelled to the Bloodwood in Selby to destroy the infestation of Daemons that had plagued it, reports started to circulate that the place was ill at ease. Scouts tell of strange sounds coming from within its borders, which shift and change with the wind. The Bloodwood is a wild and savage place once more.

York

With the Cataclysm came uncertainty in Cornwall. In Alton a strange forest has reared up where none stood before and Scouts report the way through Impassable at present. The Island of Lundy still unreachable via the land bridge and sightings from the ships in the Bristol Gap show the forest covering much of the Island.
The cliffs which mark the stark beauty of Cornwall have become even more pronounced as the Seas crash against them with a force born of the changing of the world. In Exeter the marshlands on the southern edge of Rutterkins wood have expanded making travel by land even harsher in the region and adding to the already dark reputation of the Wood itself.
Caer Pendrinn, Castle in the Sea has escaped the rising sea levels relatively unscathed, which many attribute to the mysterious Dame Melyor of Pendrinn. The town of Bristol is getting back to normal as people return after the initial destruction caused there and many businesses are now re-opening to the joy of the populace, though travel there can be difficult with the Circle at Alton being damaged in the upheavals. In fact the Duchy is entirely cut off from the transport network as its circles are either destroyed or damaged. This has however, seen a great upturn in the coastal trades.
Yet for all the happiness there is a sorrow. Rozenwyn Pervaine, Duchess of Cornwall and voice of the young orgaine has been taken gravely ill with some malady of the Heart. Having returned to Caer Pendrinn it is believed that she is being tended to by Dame Melyor and none have seen her outside those walls for many months. As a result the people of Cornwall worry that the voice they so recently gained on the Royal Council of Albion may be lost forever and their Queen put aside for another. Some however are turning to the ancient House of Corvidae, Cornish in ancestry and outlook to be its voice, whilst others see the growing power of the House of Glass as a beacon of hope for the Duchy as a whole.
Of all the Duchies’ Cornwall has long been the least interested in politics outside her own borders. Most Cornish folk are happily apathetic towards the Albion court and feel its decisions have little impact on their daily lives. Community, tradition and local pride are far more important to than directives carried from nobles in other duchies who have little chance of ever understanding Cornwall’s unique challenges.
Religion in Cornwall has been somewhat in flux since the formation of The Trinity. Support for Nethras and The Pendragon grows slowly but steadily but there is still a degree of suspicion about The Hunter, who is seen by many as a warlike northern ancestor who claimed victory over Manannan by force. Worship of Taranis is still strong in some more remote regions and, behind closed doors, whispered rumours of the Lord of Storms’ resurgence are all too common.
Rumours continue to abound about the disappearance of the Mists within the Vale of Avalon, what terrors might it unveil or what ancient treasures may be uncovered. Yet the Cornish mindset remains stoic in the face of adversity. They look to their own and where old communities have been destroyed or displaced, new ones rise in their place.