Silver Sierras, Free Province of
by Michael Berry
Area:
4,984 sq. miles
Population:
AC 1000 - 30,184
AC 1014 - 25,213
Ethnic Groups:
AC 1000 - Kerendian 50%, Alphatian 40% , Thyatin 5%, Hattian 4%, Other 1%
AC 1014 – Kerendian 65%, Thyatin 10%, Fen 8%, Hattian 5%, Alphatian 4%, Boldavian 3%, Kaelic 2%, Flaem 2%, Other 1%
Selected Villages: (population values are given for AC 1000 and AC 1014)
Cransmill (942/589)
Swurtins (940/760)
Rocca Silvestre (713759)
Radston (625/345)
Ponte delle Fiere (530/789)
Government:
Propraetor appointed by the Council of Princes, in charge for seven years. Seat in Radston (AC 990- 1009), Ponte delle Fiere (from AC 1009).
Administrator:
AC 1000 - Propraetor Thérèse Trintignant (born AC 962, NM, AL- L) Appointed AC 999.
Died AC 1009
AC 1014 - Propraetor Llorella Vincente de la Roja y Olivares y Buentes (born AC 515, Elf 10th Attack Rank E, (Witch of the 3rd Circle) Al N). Appointed in AC 1009.
House:
AC 1000: none
AC 1014: Alhambra
The Silver Sierras Free Province (SSFP) is nominally loyal to House Allhambra through the friendship of the current Propraetor with Princess Carnelia. However since House Allhambra has little interest in this area, the Propraetor has relative free hand to administer the province.
Territory:
The SSFP is bounded north to south by the Red River and Darokin border respectively and bounded west to east by the Red River and Principality of Blackhill respectively.
Food:
Surplus
Trails: The SSFP has several trails of note running through it. The most important is the Volnay-Lizzieni trail, rated a good quality trail by Glantrian AAA (GAAA). It is the primarily route for trade and visitors into and out of the Principality of Caurenze and is heavily taxed by the Propreator. Fair trials exist between Ponte delle Fiere and Blackstone, following closely to the Red River banks and between Blackstone and Wylon running through the hill country of the SSFP.
The Red River is navigable along its length to Lizzieni and many ships can be found going up and down the Red to and from Lizzieni. The Upper Red River is navigable for only rivers boat between Oreggiano and Lizzieni and is not navigable upriver from Oreggiano to any river transport.
Economics:
AC 1000 – The SSFP has been plagued by skirmishes for most of Glantrian history, therefore many of the people of the SSFP have settled in small-fortified villages, around a Keep. The lowlands near the rivers are abundant sources of agriculture and livestock Food is stored or brought to Caurenze or Blackhill on its way to other markets. Blackrock from the hills is exported to Caurenze and to Blackhill. However, Blackhill isn’t the final destination, as the highly sought after blackrock is sold elsewhere, mainly in the colder northern areas of Glantri, as the Principality is so rich in blackrock that the motto "To bring ‘rock’ to Blackhill" indicates a superfluous activity.
The higher one goes into the Silver Sierras the less impact the Caurenzian-Alphatian squabbling is bound to have. The Silver Sierras are a substantial source of Glantri’s wealth in natural resources and precious materials. In the mountains there exist numerous mines taking from the ground the bounty the mountains have. Sulfur, rare ores, precious metals, and gems are all found in the Silver Sierras. However there are many dangers also to be found up in the mountains and there exists a healthy demand for experienced guards for the mining operations as well as for all the ongoing prospecting for new fields.
AC 1014 – While spared the outright devastation the neighboring Principality of Blackhill suffered, the SSFP suffered serious damage and losses in material and human terms during Thar’s invasion and then the plague which soon followed. While Thar’s main forces never left Blackhill before turning north toward Glantri City the SSFP suffered very strong attacks and raids from the invading humanoids burning many homes, capturing livestock, and destroying many mining operations in the eastern half of the Silver Sierras. Unlike their unfortunate neighbors to the east most of the people of the SSFP had some advance warning of the humanoid attack and were able to flee east. Unfortunately a great tragedy unfolded in the SSFP which was overshadowed in the history books by the sheer scale of human tragedy that unfolded in Blackhill.
While Prince Innocenti of Caurenze opened his lands to some refuges of Thyatin descent he bared entry to any of Alphatian decent. Unfortunately most of the refuges were of Alphatian decent as they lived in the eastern half of the SSFP while Thyatins generally lived in the more secure western half which was never really threatened. Forced to live in impromptu temporally shelters near the Red River they fell easy prey to the great plague that soon swept the area in their weakened physical states. With medicines and the very rare clerical assistance stretched so thin to begin with and generally given first to those of Thyatin descent the Alphatian refugees were devastated by the plague. Recent books on the war have been in agreement in the estimates that refugee mortality rates for the plague approached 75%.
Today the population is rebounding nicely and assisted by the energetic leadership of a new Propraetor. A semi-legendary figure in the Glantrian government famed as the foremost fixer of the most seemingly intractable situations, it is expected that the SSFP will soon, within 5 years, completely recover and attain the heights of prosperity and production of food and natural resources it did prior to the invasion.
Notable People:
Thérèse Trintignant was the Propraetor of the SSFP in AC 1000. An effective administrator that like all previous Propraetors of the SSFP struggled to keep fighting between the Thyatin and Alphatian factions of her province to ‘manageable’ (low intensity) levels. Under her rule profits and productivity increased substantially in the years prior to the Great War. She was stricken with the plague however and died in AC 1009. She died as she lived, working to the very end to try to help the people of her province. A statue of her has recently been raised in Cransmill’s village square in her honor.
Llorella Vincente de la Roja y Olivares y Buentes is the new Propraetor of the SSFP and was asked to come out of retirement to help put affairs back in order in this very important province, and rich source of income, for the Council of Princes. In spite of her age she has proven up to the task and in five short years has worked tireless to reopen the mines, rebuild torched farms, and bring back livestock herds and get the SSFP back to pre war levels of productivity and prosperity.
Black Aevel (born 933, Air Elementalist of the 3rd Circle) (OD&D: Mage 22nd, Al C) (AD&D: Wizard 16th,CE). This powerful wizard doesn’t hesitate to impress the poor and and destitute into virtual slaves to work his mines. A distant relative of Count Emeet Urbaal, he uses his income to further his goal to open a gate to the Plane of Vacuum. Aevel managed to survive the war, and the plague and is one of the richest Alphatians left in Glantri. The recovery of his mines has been sped up by the tireless work of his ‘workers’ as there has been no shortage of poor and destitute needing work since the invasion.
Notable Sites:
Rocca Silvestre lies between the Viscounty of Redstone and the town of Oreggiano on the Upper Red River. The village has always been a Caurenzian stronghold, but it has been ruled by several families during the years. The keep is entirely covered by emerald-green musk, hence its name (meaning Sylvan Keep). The village was once connected to the north bank of the Red River, Two Volcanoes Free Province territory, by a sturdy stone bridge. However the bridge is no long useable. As a lasting reminder of the history of bitter skirmishes between Caurenzans and Alphatians, the bridge now is suspended by magic 100’ in the air. Caurenzans call it Il Ponte Sospeso. It is a popular tourist destination needless to say for any visitors that make it to this part of Glantri.
(Editor’s note: Unfortunately Il Ponte Sospeso fell victim to the week without magic in AC 1009 and fell into the Red River. Plans have been made to rebuild the bridge but it is far down the Propraetor’s list of priorities and will not be rebuilt for several more years.
Ponte delle Fiere is located near the Caurenzan border, and the bridge, which leads to the Principality. The village was named after the bridge, which is considered one of the marvels of Caurenzan architecture. It was named Wildbeasts Bridge, because the columns of the arches are embellished with head of lions, irregularly placed. It is told the stare of one of the heads indicates the direction for a magnificent treasure. It is now the administrative center of the SSFP as it was untouched during the war.
Swurtins is a large area that encompasses the hills and mountains around the County of Wylon. There are three blackrock mines, all property of Black Aevel. Devastated during Thar’s invasion, production is only now getting back to pre-war levels.
Radston is a recently built village, and it’s located in the plains approximately 16 miles south of Lizzieni at the rough midway point between Alphatian and Caurenzian areas of influence in the plains. Its creation was meant to stop the skirmishes going on among Alphatians and Caurenzans, at least in the plains, so that "agriculture won’t suffer the madness of the fools" as Propraetor Thérèse once famously declared. The plan worked thanks also to her "political" ability and became the administrative center of the SSFP. It remained as such until the Great War when a strong Gnoll raiding party evaded detection, overcame the garrison and burned the town to the ground. It was rebuilt in AC 1011 but with the brutal solution, though surely not intended, to the Thyatin-Alphatian fighting in the SSMP it has become a simple farming community in the postwar, post Alphatian-Thyatis conflicted SSFP.
Cransmill is located just across the border from Volnay and has a wondrous windmill which can be seen from great distance during clear days. Another building of interest in Cransmill is Acacia Row Inn, which hosts the meetings between "selected" Sisters of the Private Houses and high-ranking Alphatians. The Inn is run by Aegan (human female, born 972, Wizard 7th/Bard 7th, Witch of the 1st Circle, Al N), an Alphatian beauty of common Alphatian heritage. Thar’s invasion wrought great destruction to the village as it, along with neighboring Volnay, was right on the front lines and marked the high water point of Thar’s advance to the west before he turned his main forces to the north to besiege Glantri City. The windmill was unfortunately burned down, but the Acacia Row Inn is still in operation today. However in nod to the changed demographics of the SSFP, the Sisters of the Private Houses do not discriminate and host ‘meetings’ between selected Sisters and high-ranking Glantrians of any ethnicity.
Useful Links:
Silver Sierras, Free Province of the by Thibault Sarlat, Giovanni Porpora, Agathokles