Homeyard
Homeyard is the southern most of the small islands that lie off the coast of
Shardar and it is probably the one that least is known about.
As far back as records go, Homeyard has been owned by the Blackthorn
family and they have always been obsessed with privacy.
The Blackthorns are one of the oldest and noblest families of Shardar,
but they take very little part in the day-to-day politics of the land.
In fact, they pay virtually no attention whatsoever to anything that is
happening to Shardar and as long as nothing affects their small island, they are
happy to continue in this fashion.
Their
island is about 50 miles long and 25 miles across and it supplies everything
that the family could possibly need. Scarash,
the small village that lies on the northern coast of the island provides people
to fish the bountiful sea that surrounds the island and more people to farm the
rich, dark soil. All the people of
the island are very loyal to the Blackthorn family and are happy to remain on
the island. Those few who are not
content to stay on Homeyard are given a small amount of money to set themselves
up, are ferried across to the mainland and are allowed to go on their way with
no hard feelings. This level of
concern for peasants is an incredible thing in the noble houses of Shardar and
this alone would set the Blackthorns apart.
Homeyard
itself is mostly flat but rises sharply at the southern end of it.
The entire southern coast is made up of high, jagged cliffs and on top of
the highest of these cliffs lies the mansion of the Blackthorn family.
From this point, the family can look down on their island or look out
across the Southern Sea towards the continent of Dargoth.
The mansion
is a huge and rambling place, made up of many towers and winding staircases.
It is many times larger than any castle on the mainland and every
generation of the Blackthorns will add to the construction of the house in some
way. The residents of Homeyard
simply call it The House but it is rumoured that the Blackthorns have another,
more meaningful name for it. Other
than the Blackthorn family, only a few loyal servants and retainers are ever
allowed within the bounds of the mansion and these servants have all been in the
employ of the family for generations.
There have
always been strange tales and rumours of The House but the most common ones
always refer to the cellars and dungeons of the mansion leading to other worlds
and strange places. How much of
this is truth and how much is conjured from the imaginations of the bards and
minstrels is anyone’s guess, but the Blackthorns are not going to enlighten
anyone and their mysterious attitude does nothing but heighten suspicion.
When High
Lord Calloway started his campaign in Dargoth, he personally went to Homeyard
and asked for the help of the Blackthorn family in the upcoming war.
It is a known fact that the family are very rich and have the resources
to purchase entire fleets of ships and whole armies of mercenaries.
However, when a representative from the family went to meet Calloway in
Scarash, she refused to give the High Lord any aid at all and she also made a
prediction that the war would go against Calloway unless he could gather every
ally available. This was at a time
when the Mages of Shardar had refused to help the High Lord.
The High
Lord was naturally furious but there was little he could do, short of sending
his armies against the Blackthorn family. As
he left the island, it is reputed that a star was seen to rise from The House
and shoot towards the heavens in a blaze of fire and smoke.
Only High Lord Calloway and his retinue saw this happen and the High Lord
himself has denied that it ever occurred. There
are members of the party who will, after a few drinks, mutter that the star did
indeed rise and that it is a further sign of the strangeness of the Blackthorns.
No one can
say for certain how many people there are in the Blackthorn family and no one
even knows who the head of the family is, but there is one thing known for
certain about them. A few years ago a young male of the family left Homeyard and
went to study in the University under the personal tutelage of Matrix.
This man never left the bounds of the University, would rarely talk to
any of the other students and passed all the exams and tests in a fraction of
the time that most people take.
As soon as
he reached the Journeyman stage, the Blackthorn family sent a massive gift of
gold to the University so that he could be allowed to further his training.
Matrix instantly set about teaching him the High Magics and the young man
mastered these even more quickly than he had the previous Arts.
As soon as he felt there was nothing left for him to learn in the
University, the young Blackthorn left the Academy and returned to Homeyard.
Nothing has been heard of him since, but he has mastered Magic that would
put most of the Mages of Shardar to shame, and people with that much power do
not tend to live quiet lives. The
man’s name was never told to anyone other than Matrix and, although he has
been asked many times, Matrix will say nothing about him or about any of the
Blackthorn family.
Anyone
entering Homeyard via Scarash will be informed politely but firmly that the
Blackthorns do not like guests and that the intruder would be wise to leave the
island. People who come onto
Homeyard without going through Scarash are nearly always met by a member of the
Blackthorn family within a couple of hours of their setting foot on the island.
Once again, they are politely, but very firmly told that they are on
private property and unless they have a very good reason for being there, they
should leave the island as soon as possible.
There are
all sorts of rumours and legends about vast store rooms full of gold and jewels
within The House and even more stories about the Blackthorns worshipping Devils
and Evil Spirits and committing all kinds of foul acts in black ceremonies, but
there is no proof for any of these stories and they are probably all completely
false. Probably!