Bédenes Keep

is a fief held by the, an an from. The keep was built in 699, allegedly on land granted by King Nemiran. No legal title seems to exist; it is likely the land was seized from its legal holder during the turmoil caused by. The is Horab Gerund, a sadistic and corpulent sensualist.

Background
In 690, at the height of the disastrous, the began building an imposing at Bédenes. It was completed in just nine years and an educated eye can see the signs of rushed construction that relied heavily on unskilled labor. No legal title can be found granting the land to the ; the heralds of the refuse to acknowledge their claim.

Horab Gerund is intent upon the recapture of and all of. A recent failure resulted in a slaughter with few survivors. The skulls of 50 knights are staked beside the to this day.

Bédenes is essentially a private fiefdom run by the Akarata, a sadistic and corpulent sensualist. Horab takes no interest in the moot or the sheriff’s court and maintains only minimal communication with the in. Bédenes relies heavily on s from Manor for whaling, trade, and communications with Golotha.

Military Forces
The focus on the crafts of war. The order’s exceptionally skilled smiths and artisans produce a range of fabulous weapons, including unique and terrifying alchemical grenades.

Bédenes is expected to maintain pressure on but that readiness has been badly compromised since the Kustan debacle. Few know the diminished state of Bédenes’ forces. Many of their troops are recent recruits and are young and inexperienced. They are led by a core of grizzled veterans, survivors of the endless war with the. The maintain a garrison of two companies in Bédenes. The sixteen knights of the Akarata’s Guard, funded by the, are also stationed at Bédenes. Three additional companies are dedicated to protecting the order’s manors in. The extract iron from the bogs in the Perath Estuary. The Akarata employs a mercenary company of the to protect the operation from the constant harassment of the Kubora.

The also maintains a presence close to Golotha. Two companies are stationed at their chapterhouse at. The first company is at the disposal of the king while the other guards the order’s lands in.

Economy
The host the annual Emesa Beast Fair, profiting from the animals shipped south every spring. Whalers prey on right whales off the shores of Alesen Manor. The Akarata uses the income to purchase the luxury goods he craves. Traders go north seasonally to trade with the Kubora for furs and herbs, occasionally with Agrikan guards. Horab hopes to secretly exploit a new-found silver lode in the hills east of the keep.

= =