Duchy of Seastone

The Duchy of Seastone begins just East of Stromgarde with the city of Stonegarde, which became the seat of the house of Marwyn when the Trollbane Dynasty came to rule the Kingdom of Stromgarde. Before the rise of the syndicate, Stonegarde 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.

Stretching far into the West, Seastone is now comprised of the combined holdings of Stonegarde, Alden's Rise, Silverbrook, four tenant farms, and a number of rental cottages. The coastal holdings include Port Marwyn, and the Isle of Longspear. Presently impoverished, and threatened by the Horde, the mainland holdings to the West have been almost entirely abandoned, and the larger part of Seastone's remaining population has moved to the Isle of Longspear.

The House of Marwyn
The house of Marwyn is among the eldest of Stromgarde's noble houses that still exist today. Its lineage can be traced all the way back to the ancient Arathi tribe of Longspear, from which the female line descends. The Marwyns were the first chieftains of the region to be ennobled, and were originally styled Jarl (See Earl) Marwyn of Dagger Point, and later Baron Marwyn of Stonegarde after the Kingdom of Stromgarde was founded.

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 and his cousin, Lady Elizabeth serves as the Duchy's Treasurer

Government
Unlike her predecessor, Seastone's present Duchess is not the sole head of state. Because of her numerous mistakes during the March on the Highlands, Seastone is now governed by the Duchess and a small council, including the Mayors of each city and township within its borders, the Marshal of Seastone (See Champion of Seastone) and the Bishop of Stonegarde, who serves as adviser in all matters of a spiritual nature.

Controversy
The Duchess of Seastone has lost a great deal of the power she once enjoyed and there has been talk of splitting up the Duchy and awarding all lands acquired during Melysa Marwyn's time to the other prominent houses of the region. This would leave Merridyth Marwyn with only those lands which were part of her inheritence. (See Jarl Marwyn)

Duchess of Seastone
Merridyth Marwyn

Marshal of Seastone
Sir James Karwyn

Treasurer
Lady Elizabeth McGowen

Secretary
Thomas Goodwin

Bishop of Stonegarde
Alexander Reston

Mayor of Stonegarde
Sir Hugh McGowen

Mayor of Alden's Rise
Thorin Stonehammer

Mayor of Silverbrook
Vacant since the death of the last Mayor during the troll invasion of Silverbrook

Law Enforcement
Because of its present lack of a standing army, the protection of its citizens and the enforcement of laws falls to the Marshal of Seastone and his staff, comprised of less than thirty trained men-at-arms. For more information, see Laws of Seastone.

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 the 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 City. Four large farms supply the entire population with food, and surplus is sold to neighboring settlements.

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.

Laws
While the Duchy is a vassal of the Kingdom of Stromgarde, like all lands held by Arathi's remaining nobility, Seastone has its own laws, Marshal, and dungeons. (For more information, see Laws of Seastone)

Geography
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
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 seventy 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.

Liam's Landing
The single point of anchorage on the Isle of Longspear 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. Comprised of less than 16,000 acres, the island is currently home to a lighthouse and a small barracks. Construction of a large, fortified manor was 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. When she returned to the highlands, Melysa Marwyn took 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.

Alden's Rise is also home to a small Quel'dorei settlement, known as Quel'Reth, which serves as a base of operations for the Highguard. Since the Quel'dorei have settled the area, racial tensions have been at an all time high, and there have been reports of violence against numerous Quel'dorei citizens. The Duchess has declared that these attacks are to be punished to the full extent of Seastone's Law, and will not tolerate racism on her lands. This has angered many of her tenants.

Dagger Point
Dagger Point was the seat of the first Marwyn Chieftains, (Styled Jarl Marwyn) descended from the ancient Arathi tribe of Longspear. The tiny peninsula lies between the coasts of Alden's Rise and Stonegarde, controlling the main roadway between both settlements, and offering a commanding view of the entire coastline. Often locally referred to as "The wet Keep" the ancient Castle Marwyn 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 chieftains.

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. In February of 624 K.C. much mof Silverbrook, including its two largest mines was sold to the Duchess of Brightdale in order to raise money for local defenses.

Rebellion
Following the siege of Seastone, Adrian Harlow's call for rebellion, and the recent Horde March on Arathi, Seastone has lost more than half its population. Many have simply fled South, while others have gone North to the Brightdale Basin, where the house of Ravenshadow is said to have gathered an ever-growing army.

Forced with the difficult decision of whether to raise rents in such uncertain times or sell off some of her lands, the Duchess has sold more than three quarters of Silverbrook, and two of its mines to the Duchess of Brightdale. Her price was far less than what the land was worth, and the house of Marwyn intends to use the funds to strengthen local defenses within their remaining holdings.

Evacuation and Mass Exodus
With the threat of forsaken blight looming over all the Arathi Highlands, Merridyth Marwyn shocked the population with her decision to evacuate Seastone's people to the Isle of Longspear. Angered by the Duchess' decision, nearly half of the population has abandoned her in favor of the safety of the mountain Duchy of Brightdale.