Glenargyll, County of
by Michael BerryArea:
392 square miles
Population:
AC 1000 - 778
AC 1014 - 700
Villages: (population values are given for AC 1000 and AC 1014)
Grangemouth (80/70): is the administrative center of the County only 3 miles from the Count’s Tower.
Killmoreeths (154/140): is a walled village in the southeastern hills.
Ethnic groups:
AC 1000 - Kaelic 70%, Belcadiz Human 10%, Ethengarian 10%, Belcadiz Elf 5%, Thyatian 3%, Other 2% AC 1014 - Kaelic 50%, Kerendian 18%, Ethengarian 13%, Belcadiz Human 10%, Belcadiz Elf 5%, Thyatian 2%, Others 2%.
Languages: Kaelic, Thyatian common
Ruler:
AC 1000 - Alasdair McAllister (born 964, M13 Brotherhood of Radiance, AL - Chaotic)
AC 1014 - Antonio di Tarento (born 954, M14, AL - Chaotic)
House:
AC 1000- Crownguard
AC 1014 -Sirecchia
Military:
The Counties long standing Scotch Guard was disbanded in 1004 when Antonio di Tarento was raised to Count of Glenargyll thus ending nearly 200 years of Kaelic rule of Glenargyll. A handpicked force of 30 men, apparently Thyatin, enforces the Count's law now. The residents of Glenargyll are not happy with the current Count but know best to keep their mouths shut. The Counts men brutally enforce the laws of Glantri and seem to take particular enjoyment in meting out punishment. Enforcement is random and capricious and sometimes very violent.
Glenargyll is regularly visited by army patrols from Bramya. The locals especially welcome the arrival of these patrols as the new Count’s men tend to be on their best behavior when the heavily armed and no nonsense cavalry troopers are around.
Food:
Deficient. Food brought to markets in County from hills of the Colossus Mounts Free Province.
Trails:
Glenargyll has a single fair quality trail leading from Grangemouth through Killmoreeths and off to the southeast where it intersects the Alexander Glantri Memorial Highway running between Bramya and Fort Monteleone. Poor quality trails lead into the mountains from Grangemouth to the gold mines which bring a slow but steady flow of gold back to the Count's appointed representative for collection and payment.
Economics:
Glenargyll has never been a particularly rich dominion but it does bring in a steady income in gold from the nearby mountains. Gold has been taken from the mountains for the last 150 years in this area. There has never been that huge strike that some areas might have, but prospectors have continued to find numerous smaller veins that while keeping Glenargyll from being considered a major supplier of gold, does keep the County financial viable and keeps a steady income coming in. The foothills do produce a particularly popular blend of malt whiskey and grain whiskey which is shipped off to expatriates in Glantri City, and Sablestone.
Glenargyll Monthly Financial Ledger (figures from AC 1000)
Main resources: 1 vegetable, 1 mineral (whiskey, gold)
6 hexes: mountains; borderland; pop. 336; tax 16.8 dc
1 hex: hills; rural; pop. 280; tax 28 dc
Killmoreeths: village; pop. 154; tax 15.4 dc
Total population: 434 village/rural, 336 borderland
Tax Income: 60.2 dc
Resource Income: 240.8 dc
Standard Income: 481.6 dc
Council Tax: 156.5 dc
Net Cash: 144.2 dc
Overhead (35%): 50.5 dc
Available Cash: 93.7 dc
With 3612 XP/year, in 10 years the Count could gain 36,120 XP.
Alternate: 723 XP/year.
History:
Counts of Glennargyll
Percival McDougall 829-861
Hugh McDougall 861-886
Hamish McDougall 886-912
Conan McDougall 912-925
William McDougall 925-966
Malcolm McDougall 966-983
Eachainn McDougall 983-992
Alasdair McAllister 992-1004
Antonio di Tarento 1004-
The McDougall family, the founders of the County of Glenargyll, were a distinguished and renowned warrior clan on the Kaelic's home world of Laterre, and were closely related to the prominent McGregor clan. Their clan holdings were close to each other and near the border between the kingdoms of Kaelics and the Fens. Besides the war with the Fen, the two clans were troubled with strained relations of McGregors towards other clans. The situation, over time, went from bad to worse and only solution for McGregors was an escape through the gate that leader of the clan, Brannart McGregor, had recently found. McDougalls decided to follow their allies to a new world and found themselves in the Highlands of the Flaem on Mystara.
The McGregor clan settled near the present location of Crownguard while the McDougalls settled to the southeast and founded the town of Tavish. War soon came to the Highlands and the Kaelics were caught between the two sides. They refused to ally with the Flaem and remained neutral in the war against the Flaem. When Halzanthrun took over the Council and the much of the rest of the Highlands rebelled against him, the Kaelic clans under the easily dominated and weak leadership of Baliol McGregor went to war on Halzanthrun's side in 788. The McDougalls followed suit having always been loyal to the McGregors but the move to support Halzanthrun was not a popular one among the clans, or among the McGregors. Soon Bailol's oldest son, Bruce "the Grim" McGregor, overthrew him and imprisoned Baliol. The Kaelic, the McDougalls included, soon withdrew from the war only to fight those who entered their lands. No matter which side they were on.
The McDougall's finally broke with clan McGregor in the later years of the war, along with the McAllister clan, and sided with the rebels and helped hasten the rebels victory. When the war ended it came time to dole out rewards and titles to the loyal when the Republic Glantri was being formed. The Kaelic, under the leadership of the great Percival McDougall, demanded a seat on the Council but were refused for not doing enough for the rebels to have such a high honor. However they were granted dominions. The lands that had been the McDougalls were given to Bogdo Khan, a prominent war leader among the Ethengarian faction. Percival led his clan over Colossus Mounts, through Skullhorn Pass to Glenargyll and got a County there. There the McDougalls held a strategically important dominion on the eastern frontier against Ethengarian aggression for almost 170 years. The McDougalls were always highly regarded as capable commanders, tacticians, and powerful military wizards however perhaps the most talented come in 983 when Eachainn McDougall inherited the County when his father was killed in a laboratory accident.
Eachainn was already known as a masterful tactician from his time serving in the Grand Army as a young noble. In 992 as a compromise to create the Country of Skullhorn Pass and giving it to an Ethengarian the Council made a second dominion, a Marquisate, to balance it with the caveat of finding a noble that would be suitable. While Eachainn had rejected an earlier offer of taking Skullhorn Pass without a second thought, he was persuaded by Jaggar, and Brannart to accept it so 992 Eachainn McDougall requested 'officially' to accept his proposal to create a dominion on the opposite side of the Fen river from Fenswick just to the west of Skullhorn Pass. Nearly the whole of clan McDoughall picked up and left Glenargyll and moved to the newly named (after his favorite Scotch) Marquis of Dunvegan.
Many Kaelic who were not a part of clan McDougall who had moved to Glenargyll over the last 150 years decided to stay having put their roots down in the area with another Kaelic taking the County. Even though with a the first non-Kaelic ruler in 1004, a Kerendian, since the formation of Glantri in 829 the area still retains a prominent Kaelic character along with its majority Kaelic population. Though the Thyatin has chipped away a few of the distinctive features of the County, most notably the Scotch Guard, the current Count seems to care little for ruling and so things continue for the most part as they have for 170 years. The Seneschal who rules in the Count's name seems to care about making sure the gold flows in the County than for the lives of its people. Most realize that the Counts have never cared as much for their lives and this one is no different. It has taken time for the people to accept the rule of a non-Kaelic but since the Count leaves them alone they just go on living their lives.
Notable sites:
One of the great citadels in Glantri can be found towering above Grangemouth on Mount Galloway, the Citadel of Glenargyll. Built by Percival McDougall over a period of 20 years it is carved from the mountain itself with an extensive cave system below it, rumored to be able to shelter the vast majority, perhaps all of, the County’s population in times of crisis. The tower which rises above the works has multiple permanent enchantments and 3 heavy ballistras and 2 catapults are pre-sighted on the narrow path which leads up from Grangemouth. Most military experts consider the Citadel to be impregnable when fully manned by a trained and competent force.
The village of Killmoreeths is known throughout Glantri, especially in Kaelic circles for the fine blended whiskey that comes from the famed Auchmuty brewery just outside the village. Here you can taste-test the famed Auchmuty 18 Year Old: Blended from whiskeys matured for at least 18 years. Chocolate and orange notes, some citrus and spice on the nose and a full, fruity, citrusy and spicy palate, with sherry notes to finish. This blend won best Glantrian Whiskey in 1011 and along with the increased in demand the price has increased which has made this local brew something of source of civic pride.
Coat of Arms: three blazing suns on a field of white.
Useful links:
McGregor's, Nobility during the years, by Harri Mäki
GPD Eachainn McDougall by Markus Olavi Montola
GPD Antonio di Tarento by Giampaolo Agosta
The Economy of Glantri by Aleksei Andrievski