Once a part of the Duchy of Alamie, Tuornen split off during a civil war between two bothers, both claiming the rightful heir to the Alamien regency, and both unwilling to step aside. This schism brought war to Alamie, causing one of the mightiest of the old Twelve Duchies to fall.
The kingdom of Tuornen has healed from the wounds of this war, fought 100 years ago. Still, as in the Heartlands, places in the countryside remain where no living thing will grow again. The prairies in the south slowly gives way to the hills of the western provinces, which in turn become mountains, forest or a little of both. But those who would travel here, through Elevesnemiere or Pechalinn, should take care for Rhuobhe's domain lies nearby - and human-hating elves sometimes creep from Rhuobhe into Tuornen to slay "despoilers of the land".
The inhabitants of Tuornen seem generally friendly, but speak and act rather guardedly. They derive from the same stock as the Alamiens, but the drift apart culturally as much as politically. The Tuors get somewhat defensive when confronted with the topic of the rebellion, but they also feel proud of their forefathers' defiance. This pride drives them to prove themselves better than the Alamiens and excel in whatever they do. Though they may fall short of the mark sometimes, no one can ever say they haven't tried. Some neighbors think this drive makes the Tuors too proud.

Six counts serve the duchess, each responsible for his or her own province. Sheriffs administer the remaining two regions. During the War of Brothers, attrition among the nobility forced Dalton either to ennoble new counts or appoint common men as governors. He chose the latter, his childhood among commoners having given democratic leanings. since then, sheriffs have overseen the affairs of Monsedge and Alamsreft. The people of both provinces take great pride in being governed by individuals recruited from their own families.
Some of the counts employ wardens, men and women responsible for enforcing the laws of the province. Wardens are technically subordinate to sheriffs, though the counts often consider them of the same station. On the few occasions in which an inter-regional dispute has required the intercession of Haes, the regent has ruled in support of the sheriff's authority over a warden.

Unofficially, the common folk administer most of provincial justice themselves. Only when they cannot conceal a petty crime from the local lord do they bring it before him. For crimes of substance, however, the wardens of a count or the deputies of a sheriff must investigate and try the accused. The suspect may appeal to the count or sheriff, but those who do so and are found guilty almost always face more severe punishment.
Serious crimes like murder, rape, or arson are always brought before the count or sheriff. Punishments for these offenses are severe, ranging from hard labor (especially in western Pechalinn or northern Elevesnemiere, where the threat of the Elf's attacks adds additional terror to the punishment) to death by hanging. Only the regent can sentence a criminal to execution by any other means, and none has yet chosen an alternate method.
High crimes such as assassination or treason must always come before the regent. The mandated punishment: death by hanging.
All towns (including the city of Haes and most villages maintain a goal or dungeon. The dungeon of Haes has a reputation for being inescapable, though more than one minstrel sings a song of a daring youth, falsely accused of a serious crime, escaping cleverly from the dull-witted jailers. About half the towns also feature a set of stocks used to punish rude but minor crimes like vandalism or brawling.

Like other realms of the Heartlands, Tuornen has adopted the Imperial standard for its commerce : copper farthings, silver pennies, and gold crowns. Tuornen adds a large silver coin called the stag, worth half a crown, and a large gold royal bearing the likeness of Dalton, worth five crowns. Tuornen's farthings are stamped with a sheaf of wheat, its pennies with a foamig mug, its crowns with the ducal crest. The reverse of all Tuor coins depicts an image of Tuor's Hold.
Electrum and platinum coins rarely appear in Tuornen, but merchants and innkeepers accept the currency of most other realms. The exception to this rule is Alamien money, which often meets refusal, and sometimes (particularly in Tuor's Hold or Alamsreft) earns the bearer hard questioning or even punishment.

Tuornen has gained renown for one custom in particular: dueling. Tuor pride, notorious in the Heartlands, regularly escalates mild insults into deadly contests. Visitors to Haes are warned to tread lightly among the nobility, lest they endanger both their diplomatic missions and themselves. While the people of Tuor are proud and quick to anger, they are not foolhardy. Were the nobles of Haes permitted unlicensed dueling, their ranks would thin dangerously (and did, in latter part of the previous century), Thus, Gilgaed Flaertes established the Tuor Laws of Dueling. Though he himself deplored the practice, Gilgaed knew that his young nobles would continue to slay each other over the pettiest offenses unless a lawful system allowed each party to save face.

The Western Imperial Temple and the Militant Order of Cuiraécen control holdings in Tuornen. In addition to serving the spiritual needs of the domain, both orders provide strong military presences in otherwise sparsely-defended areas. Unfortunately, this means he regent must treat them carefully in order to maintain their support.
The Imperial Temple is by far more consevative. Its patriarch in Tuornen, Rhobher Nichaleir, actively participates in court politics. Nichaleir's priests promote traditional values, patient negotiation, and obedience to one's elders. While they do not defy Tuor society, the faithful believe that a more traditional social order would strengthen Tuornen.
The leader of the Militant Order is Fhylie the Sword a strong-willed and outspoken half-elf warrior who would as often settle an argument with a Duel to Yield as with conversation. She adamantly support Braedonnal Tuare, and one suspects she would prefer his rule to that of any more diplomatic regent. Her followers preach a litany of self-determination and personal honor which plays very successfully among the common folk and younger nobility.

The very basis of Tuornen's argument with Alamie was that nobility of birth should not be requirement of succession. Yet ironically, Tuor society remains sharply divided between the tiny noble class and the vast common class. More subtle measures further divide each group, usually involving the political strength of one's house (for nobles) or the vague measure of the beauty and bounty of one's home province (for commoners). So while in public a Tuor noble might profess his belief that virtue lies as powerfully in the low born as in the high, in private he clings to old ideals.

Six noble houses remain since the War of Brothers; no nobility of Alamsreft or Monsedge survived. Of the contemporary noble houses, Tuor and Haesrien command the most respect and power, while Elevesnemiere and Nabhriene present economic and political strength. Most Tuor nobles consider Ghonallison and Pechalinn lesser, rural houses.

Tuornen is a large realm whose value lies in its location and excellent agricultural base. Were it not for the dangers, both political and martial, of its precarious position between rivals and among foes, Tuornen would be an agrarian's paradise. As it is, Tuornen's greatest treasures are the land itself and the people who tend it.

Like its neighbors, Tuornen is a land of spring and autumn mists, especially at the base of the Seamists, along the banks of the Tuor River, and among the soft sedges of Croaker Norge. Its summers are mild and long - excellent for growing crops. The winters are relatively mild, as the land is sheltered from the Miere Rhuann by the Seamists.

The Tuor river creates the natural border between Tuornen and Alamie. The land on either side of the river is excellent for agriculture, except where ruined by past battles. The population of both domains is especially high along the Tuor.

The vast majority of Tuornen consists of farmland; rich, fertile black soil. The gently rolling plains of Tuornen's heart extend past the source of the Tuor to meet rugged hills at the base of the Seamist Mountains. Those mountains are shunned by most Tuor, who fear the wrath of Rhuobhe Manslayer. But Tuornen's scouts make frequent patrols of the area, despite occasional losses.

After 100 years of healing, Tuornen still bears the scars of its war with Alamie. Ancient battlefields dot the land, especially along the eastern border. While the thick, green grass of the plains slowly recovers some of the battlefields, others remain dark, ragged expanses of churned and poisoned soil. No crops grow in this barren earth; even wildflowers and the strongest weeds appear only in sparse patches.

The slow, strong currents of the Tuor River form the most significant trade route to southern lands. While both Tuornen and Alamie send boats and barges downriver, Haes dominates trade. There has even been talk of building docks along the walls of the city, but those nobles who remember family lost in skirmishes with Alamie have so far blocked such an action, preferring the unbroken walls of Haes to face Lofton across the water.

Since the War of Brothers, the Tuor has been an often dangerous path for Tuors and Alamiens alike, as each side vies for control of the river. The guilds of the Heartlands have not wished to see river traffic disrupted. Thus, when military patrols fail to stern raids on either bank, political pressure prompts the dukes to police their own populace, rooting out and punishing bandits. Punishment for river robbery is often more severe than for common larceny, especially if the act threatened to provoke the other domain's armies.

In some desperate battlefields grows the weeping lily, its lush petals heavy with a crimson hue. People say its color comes from the blood of those who died fighting their own brothers and sisters. In Tuornen, no flower is more precious - nor more poisonous. The most ardent of admirers sometimes haunt battlefields for months hoping to find this rarest of love tokens; others pay exorbitant sums to procure the blossom. The lily must be presented in glass lest the object of one's affection perish more quickly than the plucked flower.

Less virtuous individuals use the flower for darker purposes. The common folk of Monsedge whisper that Mad Maeve lurks around old battlefields at night, collecting the crimson blossom. When someone dies of mysterious causes, many say, "Maeve sent him a lily".

The more typical flora of Tuornen includes infrequent copses of hardwoods and fruit trees. Along the Tuor grow a variety of deciduous trees, including great willows which drape their locks into the cool bath of the river. In the northern provinces of Ghonallison and Monsedge, coniferous forests blanket the foothills of the Seamist Mountains.

The most common grain crops of Tuornen include barley, wheat, and oats, which are used in brewing Tuornen's renowned beers as well as in baking breads and other foods. Virtually every famer also tends a small vegetable garden, but it is grain that sells to the southern domains.

Opossum , squirrels, hares, and others small game (or pests) are common in the Elevesnemiere and other provinces near the mountains. Monstrous creatures are almost unheard of, except near Croaker Norge where a lone troll or small band of goblins may appear. Once or twice a generation, a reckless band of gnolls or goblins will cross the border from the Five Peaks, only to learn that Tuornen's army watchful.

The War of Brothers scarred no other province all badly as it did Alamsreft. All along the Tuor River and for miles inland, barren patches mark the sites of tragic battles. These fields, and the few remaining ruins of short-lived fortresses, are much shunned by the local farmers and herders.

Since the war, no nobility survived in the province now overseen by sheriffs. The current one, Blaene Carpenter is on duty for 15 years.

Rich black soil and plentiful rains make Elevesnemiere one of the most favored provinces for farming. Rolling hills in the north melt into seas of grain in the middle and southern area of the province, while light breezes carry the sweet scent of clover to those working the fields. Were it not for the periodic ravages of the Elf, residents might consider Elevesnemiere a veritable paradise. A popular one since its beer is some of the finest in Cerilia.

Bramm, Count of Elevesnemiere, a great lover of his brewers' yield, controls his province with help from his warden and niece, Erin Hunter.

The most sparsely populated province in Tuornen, Ghonallison is half mountain, and the rest is mostly hilly. No great stretches of farmland are found here, only valleys here and there. The south east provides good pasture for herds of sheep and goats. The mountains in the north west are mined for their gold and silver.
Robin Ghonallison is Count of Ghonallison, the Ghonallison family having held the province for hundreds of years.
High in the mountains, Thunder Abbey serves the spiritual needs of the Militant Order of Cuiraécen. Here young acolytes are trained to discipline their spirit and master weapons common to the Militant Order.

Montros Haesrien is Count of Haesrien. He, as the eldest brother, controls the House Haesrien as its Patriarch.

Montros rules the richest province in Tuornen. The realm capital , Haes, is the main town of the province and sister of the Alamien city of Lofton.

Haesrien is also well known for its defense. The Castle Haes or Caer Haes is the symbol the realm independancy from Alamie.

Aeric Boeruine has won the hearts of a many Haesrien inhabitants. Or at least the Archduke has become a symbol for what the Tuors would like in their own ruler: strength, decisiveness ambition, and power.

Since the War of Brother, as in Alamsreft, no nobility survived in Monsedge now overseen by the sheriff Willam Redstaff.

The province offers laborious job, since the main resources are timber and coal mines.

On the border of Boeruine, a pass go through the Seamists Mountains allowing trade with the Archduchy from spring until autumn.

The province allow many superstitions. An unnatural mist often obscure the land. Monsedge is also home to witch Mad Maeve, if she truly exists. Finally, the mystical place of Croaker Norge is a marshy gorge and inspiration source for many faerie's tale.

Nabhriene maintains an intense but friendly rivalry, dealing with beer, with the adjacent province of Elevesnemiere.

Artist and minstrel of the province are renowned or at least very appreciate by its inhabitants.

Rissa, Countess of Nabhriene, rules her province with all the care and calculation of a guilder.

Kerran Pechalinn is Count of Pechalinn. He rules in his father's stead, as the old count lies withered and bedridden.

Pechalinn is a hilly region that face the danger of Rhuobhe raids more than Alamien invasion. Mines gives valuable resources for the provinces. However the danger from the west does not help the population to growth.

The province mountains is the seat of a dwarven community that has many link with the boeruinean neighbouring province of Nietier.

Tuor's Hold is the home of Tuornen's second most impressive fortress, after Haes. The fortress of Tuor's Hold is controlled by the Countess, Jaedime Tuor.

Tuor's Hold is a great agricultural province with vast production and the export of bounty to Avanil, Endier, and the Imperial City. The town of Bellamie is a major port for Prince's Pride.

Countess Jaedime sees herself as a diplomat and relies on her wardens brother and sister, Lord Boroen and Lady Shallea Cavaene, in matters of justice and administration.

The Tuor family is a prestigious and ancient house, second only to the ducal houses of Anuire. As such, the Tuors are able to host regents of various domains in a neutral setting for diplomacy and social networking. Many a peace treaty and marriage agreement has been forged in the old castle in Tuor's Hold.

Although now separate and distrustful realms, Tuornen and Alamie once existed as a single country under the banner Alamie. The Alamie of old counted itself among the greatest of the Twelve Duchies of the Anuirean Empire. But then arose a fateful conflict between two brothers which rent the realm in two.

Tuornen's history began 140 years ago when Kaeduric Alam, Archduke of Alamie, dallied with a beautiful but unblooded woman named Calle.

Although marriage between Kaeduric and a commoner was unthinkable, no courtly sensibilities prevented the birth of their son. Calle named her child Dalton, for fond memories of her own youth in Avanil's city of Daulton.

Kaeduric obeyed his counselors' advice to pay Calle a modest annuity in exchange for her leaving Lofton. Carrying only her son, a small pouch of gold, and a ring adorned with a leaping. stag (a gift from Kaeduric), Calle took a boat to Lofton's sister city, Haes. There she could look across the river toward the duke who once loved her.

Three years later, Kaeduric married Morissa Berran of Sorelies, presenting his subjects with an eminently appropriate duchess. Within a year, Morissa bore a son of her own, Berric Alam. Berric grew to manhood surrounded by royal grace an splendor. He became a willful heir to the throne, subject to no one - until he met Lanelle Flaertes. Like his father, Berric fell in love with a woman of low birth. Unlike Kaeduric, however, Berric intended to obey his heart instead of bowing to social constraints.

Across the Tuor River, Dalton had also come of age. Choosing to find his own path in the world, he joined the Alamien military. On the day he left for Lofton, however, his mother told him the secret of his birth: "If ever you find yourself in peril, show this ring to the archduke. His love for you will get any favor a father can grant." Dalton understood what Calle meant but resolved never to use the secret unless his life depended upon it.

In the army. Dalton quickly distinguished himself - at least, as much as a common man could. But station concerned him little, for he found love. Whenever he bad leave, Dalton walked along the river with Lanelle Flaertes, He knew her charms had drawn the attention of other suitors, some well-placed. But he saw in her eyes that she loved him alone.

Just as Dalton was confident in Lanelle's affection, Berric feared losing it. On the night that jealousy overcame discretion, Berric confronted Lanelle and Dalton. The two men soon exchanged swords for words, and only the intercession of two city guards saved Berric from a serious wound, or worse.

Dalton faced the death penalty for assaulting the heir. Despite Lanelle's pleas, Berric refused to pardon his rival. But before he could be dragged to the gallows, Dalton persuaded his commander, Braedonnal Tuare, to deliver the stag ring to the archduke. With reluctance but growing wonder at his soldier's story, Braedonnal brought the ring to Kaeduric.

As Calle had foretold, Kaeduric spared Dalton's life. In joy at having saved his own son from death, Kaeduric rashly and publicly acknowledged Dalton's lineage. Berric grew full wrathful, and Dalton grew perhaps too proud. The people of Lofton found themselves joining camps, some celebrating Dalton as a romantic hero, others denouncing him as a threat to Berric's, rightful heritage.

Upon Kaeduric's death, Berric assumed his father's title and as his first act declared Dalton an enemy of the state. Fortunately for Dalton, the order came through Braedonnal Tuare. The elf commander's sympathies lay with Dalton, whom Braedonnal admired far more than he did Berric. Forewarned, Dalton escaped and fled to Monsedge with Lanelle, his new bride.

There they could have lived anonymously, and .so Lanelle pleaded with Dalton. But fear of Berric, and Dalton's growing ambition to be archduke, held sway. With Braedonnal's help, Dalton quietly gathered support among the army. He believed that the common people would support him and that a united opposition would force Berric to step aside.

In the time that Dalton spent mustering support, Lanelle bore a daughter, whom she named Telaena. Berric kept as calm a public face as he could manage and did not allow his jealousy to prevent him from taking a bride of his own.

By the winter of 447 MR (Michaeline Reckoning), Dalton believed he had enough support to force Berric from the throne without bloodshed. But the archduke, apprised by his intelligence agents of Dalton's plans, thwarted his half-brother. Berric surprised Dalton's supporters with a carefully orchestrated series of attacks and arrests, and put to the torch whole villages thought loyal to Dalton, Had he not attacked the villages. Berric might have ruined his rival in a single stroke. As it was, however, his rash cruelty swelled Dalton's armies.

Alamie divided neatly along either side of the Tuor River, since most of the villages Berric attacked were in the west. Berric fought from the relative strength of Lofton; Dalton, from the rebellious city of Haes.

After a year of staining the land with the blood of siblings and cousins, the war continued with no end in sight. Dalton offered a compromise: He would rule the lands west of the Tuor River, a land now known as Tuornen. Berric refused his terms.

The war continued, its number of casualties swelling to include Dalton's wife. Lanelle fell prey to an opportunistic horde of goblins that descended upon the provinces of Ghonallison and Monsedge while the War of Brothers: raged to the south. Word of the invasion reached Dalton too late for him to send troops to protect his family and others who lived in the invaded provinces. Telaena, mercifully, had been rescued by fleeing farmers.

The final battle of the War of Brothers was fought in Alamsreft, a new province formed at the secession. In a sea of struggling bodies, past blood-slicked armor and shattered spears, Dalton and Berric fought toward each other. When they met, they exchanged terrible, unrestrained blows. At the Last, Berric smashed Dalton's sword away. But as the archduke raised his, blade for the coup de grâce, Dalton drew a dagger from his belt and plunged it deeply into his brother's heart. Berric's eyes widened in surprise as his life ebbed, his bloodline power surging into Dalton. Dalton met his brother's gaze, his own expression revealing both triumph and sadness. The war was over.

Tuornen had won its independence; Dalton did not press for reunification of the two lands. Families on both side. tried to put the war behind them, but could not forget the violence and death that had come between those on either side of the Tuor River, Berric's heirs, robbed of the opportunity to be invested with their father's regency grew to hate Dalton and the rebel land.

The noble houses of Tuornen wasted no time in constructing a new court in Haes. Dalton's rule, however, was short and undistinguished. In melancholy over Lanelle's death, he shouldered full responsibility for all the devastation the war had brought. He took long walks on the moors, during which he allowed none of his guards to follow - though some did, from a safe distance.

Telaena Flaertes (who look her mother's surname) received an education worthy of any royal heir. A child of war, however, she excelled on the field far more than at diplomacy or government. Neglected by her despondent father, Telaena followed the lead of Braedonnal Tuare and became a superlative military leader.

In 457, Dalton Flaertes died upon the moors. Witnesses claim that he met a woman on the edge of Croaker Norge. After a short conversation, he gave her some sort of parcel, then fell to the ground. By the time his guards arrived, Dalton was dead. The woman had disappeared; only the rhythmic sound of creaking frogs broke the silence.

As the new regent, Telaena soon earned a reputation as a fierce fighter and strong commander-in-chief. The duchess led many forays into the Five Peaks, rooting out goblin bandits hat raided northern towns and homesteads. She became a hero to her people, especially those in the northern provinces.

While Telaena concentrated on defending Tuornen's borders, the guilds grew strong, establishing more control over Tuor River trade. The fledging domain soon became a significant economic power in the Heartlands.

Even after her marriage and the birth of a son, Gilgaed, Telaena continued to lead her soldiers. Though the Five Peaks remained their primary target, sometimes she led counterstrikes against Rhuobhe Manslayer. It was during one of these daring attacks that she met the Elf himself. She died upon his sword. her sundered heart pouring forth the power of her own regency and strengthening the awnshegh's bloodline all the more.

Following Telaena's death, her husband Vaeran acted as regent until their son came of age. It was during his tenure that Alamie first laid siege on the city of Haes. For several weeks. Tuornen's citizens feared that Jerem Alam would take the capital city and slay all the court. But even as attackers surged over the wall, Braedonnal called out a challenge to the duke, who readily accepted (albeit with his full honor guard in attendance). The clash ended with Jerem's death on the point of Braedonnal's sword. For the second time in two generations, a defender of Tuornen had robbed Alamie of its regent's blood and power. The siege was broken; the hatred seethed all the more.

Upon his fifteenth birthday, Gilgaed began his long rule of Tuornen. As had his mother and grandfather before him, Gilgaed trusted Braedonnal Tuare to command his armies. But unlike his predecessors, Gilgaed ruled with caution and debate, diplomacy and management, rather than with sword and flame. Within two years of his coronation, Gilgaed foiled an assassination attempt single-handedly. Some say that upon learning of the plot, Gilgaed resolved to foil it himself to prove that intelligence prevails over strength.

In 502, Gilgaed surprised his duchy with the announcement that he would many Fiarelle, an elf noblewoman of Tuarhievel. The news struck the land like a thunderbolt. since the constant threat of Rhuobhe Manslayer, had long ago soured human-elf relations. But Gilgaed and Fiarelle had fallen in love during the course of a long correspondence originally begun to establish relations between Tuornen and Tuarhievel. Their alliance proved successful: Fiarelle's presence in Gilgaed's court did much to sooth anti-elf sentiment among the Tuors.

Frustrated by his duke's cautious, pacifistic demeanor, Braedonnal Tuare turned restless. He pined to harry the Manslayer, but Gilgaed forbade him to provoke the Elf, Braedonnal became opinionated and insulting in court, often provoking duels which ended in the maiming of his opponents. At last he slew a son of House Tuor in an argument over reunification with Alamie.

Gilgaed had to punish his lieutenant. While House Tuor clamored for Braedonnal's execution and the Militant Order of Cuiraécen argued that the matter should be dismissed. Gilgaed made his own decision: Braedonnal was banished from Tuornen for a period of 20 years. He bore himself with dignity as he left for Tuarhievel.

Some argue that without the constant urging of Commander Tuare, the western patrols grew lax. Others say that Rhuobhe was emboldened by the commander's banishment. Whatever the cause, in 519, Rhuobhe Manslayer descended upon Tuornen with his gheallie Sidhe, or Hunt of the Elves. They slew every human they could overtake, which accounted for a frightening portion of the population of Elevesnemiere , Before the army could respond, it had another threat to face.

Taking advantage of Tuornen's distress, Alamie launched an attack to retake its errant provinces. Tuornen successfully fended off the assault on Haes and the western riverbank. but Alamie's move prevented the Tuor army from making a sufficient defense against the Elf.

Using the Manslayer's attacks as a lever, Gilgaed pardoned his banished commander. For several years the duke feared that Braedonnal's pride would not allow him to return to the land from which he had been banished. But Braedonnal returned - ten years to the day on which he had left - resuming his command as if be had been gone only a month.

The rest of Gilgaed's rule was marked by quiet diplomacy and slow, calculated mustering of the duchy's resources. But one last test was to come, In 541, a lone assassin stole into the ducal castle and slew Fiarelle with an envenomed dagger. Mourning and outrage swept the city of Haes. Even the normally sanguine Gilgaed raged through his library while his servants watched in fear. When finally Braedonnal lifted the exhausted duke from the ruins of his books, the commander asked permission to punish the offender. Gilgaed had only to name the culprit.

Gilgaed bent his resources to investigation. He would have proof. and certain proof, before he set his armies against anyone. The people were sure that Alamie was the only possible suspect in the affair, and a wealth of circumstantial evidence supported the common wisdom, But Gilgaed searched on, demanding hard evidence. When none could be found, he relinquished his revenge, In a speech to his people, he announced that there would be no retribution unless some day brought indisputable proof of Alamie's involvement. Once again, Gilgaed woo the respect of those who worship moderation, the scorn of these who love battle.

After Fiarelle's murder, Gilgaed was never the same. He spent his days in quiet study. while Braedonnal assumed full control of military matters and diplomats gradually assumed the tasks their duke once relished for himself. Eventually - be it from age, or grief, or an unknown cause - Gilgaed put aside his books. A newfound delight in mechanical toys consumed most of his waking hours. and he exchanged his grave counselors for the more cheerful company of the children of the court.

By the time he was sitting upon the floors of his halls, however, his closest advisers encouraged him - during more lucid moments - to invest his successor with his regency.

Thus did the stewardship of Tuornen pass to the current regent.

• Braedonnal Tuare (ME, Nbl 1/Ftr6, Ba, major, 34; CG): This elven commander holds the defenses of north Tuornen. Though this firebrand would love to fight the awnshegh Rhuobhe Manslayer, the duchess has forbidden it, reminding him that such offensive would place the kingdom in considerable peril.
  
• Gilgaed Flaertes, the former ruler of Tuornen and Laela's father is still alive. He abdicated from the throne in favor of his daughter when he admit he was no longer fit to rule. Since the death of her wife, ten years ago, he has become the shadow of former self.
  
• Archprelate Rhobher Nichaleir
  
• Fhylie the Sword
  
• Baubb the toymaker
  
• Brynaen Shander, mayor of Haes
  
• Maeve, the witch of Monsedge
  

While both the Western Imperial Temple of Haelyn and Militant Order of Cuiraécen sponsor their own Knights Templar, three secular noble knightly orders exist within Tuornen:

• The Order of the Unconquered Hart is an order popular with urban nobles. The Knights of the Hart pledge themselves to defending the Duke and the cities of Tuornen against tyranny.
  

• The Griffons of Haes is a knightly order that argues for peace and diplomacy backed by the force of arms and good law. Capable warriors, they seek honorable compromise and strive to avoid hot headed rushes to violence.
  

• The Knights of the Hunt is popular in the countryside, where it devotes itself to defending the northwestern lands from the Hunt of the Elves, Rhuobhe Manslayer's gheallie Sidhe. Brave and fierce, they have yet to win a skirmish against the elves.
  

• The Spears of Cuiraécen is a knightly order affilited to the Militant Order of Cuiraécen
  

• The Order of Haelyn's Grace is a knightly order affilited to the Western Imperial Temple of Haelyn