Barony of Kab Frehel

The Barony of Kab Frehel is a small sovereignty within the Kontelezh Pentevr, itself a powerful vassal of the Duchy of Letha. A remote region on the Northern coast of the Duchy, it largely consists of a few small villages and fishing ports along the high, rocky cliffs of the Emerald Coast, centered on the formidable fortress of Kastell Roc’h Goueon.   Traditionally, the Barony has operated under a high level of autonomy, derived both from its remote location and special privileges granted to the Barons at the inception of the Sovereignty, making them “Protectors of the Realm”, similar to the nobles of the Marches. The nominal liege of the Barons has shifted over the rears, cycling between the Konts of Dreger, Aleth, and most recently Pentevr.   The Barons have a few minor lords and Caballos under their influence, mostly centered on the fishing towns and fortified farms in the interior.

The inhabitants of the Barony possess a strong independent streak, self-sufficient and somewhat isolated on their remote peninsula. The town of Havre-Kast maintains close cultural ties with the free-spirited corsair city of Aleth, earning it the nickname of “Little Aleth” and “the town of 100 kings”. This often places it at odds with both Sant-Brioc and Dinan. The region’s dwellers have a reputation as brave, stubborn and rugged, befitting their remote cliffside existence.   With a large Fair population, the region has traditionally embraced a neutral or friendly relationship with the Good Neighbors, and most within its area follow either the Path of the Forest or a syncretised version of the Faith.  

Local Beliefs and Traditions

Folk tradition links the region with the primordial giants, the Gargan, with toponomy reflecting this connection. A series of Standing Stones outside Kastell Roc'h Goueon on Kab Frehel is called Gargantua's Fingers, while a grouping of marine rocks called the Bourdinots, a prime fishing spot, is a point of contention between the villages of Havre-Kast and Havre-Jacut. The Jacutiers claim the stones were thrown into the sea by the eponymous giant from their shoreline, and thus the fishing rights belong to that village, while the Kastiens argue that the stench of their rivals fisheries made the giant wretch, the stones from his gullet remaining as a reminder of Jacut's shameful past.

The Chained Phantoms - In the town of Havre-Kast, a ruined castle is haunted by four black phantoms, restrained by a heavy iron chain, led through the thorns by an armless girl on nights of the new moon. These four were abusive lords of Havre-Kast whose cruelty to women and girls was exceptional.

Following the fall of House Bisclavret, House Frihep ascended to the baronial title, and Kab Frehel has fallen into neglect, serving solely to boost the House’s status outside of its borders. The region is led by the Mercenary Castellan, Camus Bour, who has little interest in properly administrating the region, instead using it as a base of operations for raids into neighboring regions and shipping routes, freebooting off of the land.

Ar Mor Emrodez is a small barony largely covering high coastal cliffs, gorse-covered moorland and swampy marshes ill-suited for large scale construction or agriculture. The region includes the port of Erge-Ar-Mor, a small, but significant, port for scallop and oyster fishing and the trading port town of Havre-Kast, which provides a moderate, steady income. Small quarries of Pink sandstone, called the Blue Lakes because of the sapphire waters that fill them after heavy rains, dot the landscape from as far back as Imperial times.   The Castle of Roc'h Goueon sits at the point of a tall, rocky peninsula, overlooking three sides of water surrounding it. The Baronial title also confers the Emerald Storm, a blackwood-hulled windship with dark green sails.

Great Kernev and the Citadel of Nasado

  Prior to the reign of Gradlon Mwar, King of Great Kernev and Dumnonia, the region saw little in the way of permanent development. It was largely ignored by the conquests of Conan Meriadoc, serving as a refuge from the brutalities of his campaign. In the reorganization that followed, it became part of King Gadeon's Dumnonia, a staging ground to protect the vulnerable lowlands of Dol.   Following the War of the Two Brothers, Queen Malgven took an unexpected interest in the region. She undertook a mission, riding out along the waves to the Fées-des-Houles of the islands of Andium and Sardia, forging an alliance with the islanders and bringing them into the growing Kingdom.   The Korrigan of the Swells settled in the cliffside caves of the Emerald Coast, as Malgven ordered the construction of the Nasado Citadel, a gleaming white fortress atop the pink granite cliffs. Nasado stood at a key location to protect Kernev’s interests, watching over both the Renk and Goued Rivers, as the Pleg-Mor Menez-Mikael. Nasado served as a crucial link in maintaining the connection between Kernev Armorica and Kernev Albia across the Painted Channel. The citadel was built up into a large and luxurious complex, including a bathhouse, gardens and an aqueduct providing clean, running water to the fortress.   Nasado was almost exclusively garrisoned by Korrigan Tuath, notably the Fées-des-Houles from the Channel islands, who maintained control over the cape, while their Kriores allies patrolled the seas and salt-flats. Nasado also served as the continental headquarters of the Witch-Trinities of Fjallkonan, who taught their Huderezh to Korrigan and Boermerzh alike.   During the chaos that engulfed Great Kernev surrounding the Fall of Ys, the supporters of St. Guenole and the Church of the Four besieged the citadel, garrisoned by supporters of the fallen princess Ahes Dahut. As the walls were about to be breached, a great rumbling filled the air and the entire fortress sunk into the earth and sea, vanishing from the surface.  

The Arrival of House Guyon

  Since the disappearance of Nasado, the region never again reached the height of its population or regional significance, but it maintained regular habitation, taking advantage of the granite quarries and protected coastal access. The Fées-des-Houles and the Jetin Kriores, continued to live in the caves of the pink granite cliffs, or in the ruined surroundings of Nasado.   In 404 SI, King Tewdr Mawr granted the lands surrounding the Nasado citadel ruins to Armel Guyon, a privateer from Aleth who had proven himself during the war against the warlord Conomor the Cursed. Armel explored the ruins, using its location to construct a motte-and-bailey castle overlooking the sea. House Guyon’s holdings stretched from Goelo to the Corsair City, extending far beyond the region’s current boundaries.   House Guyon served as the protectors of the Emerald Coast, taking part in numerous battles and battling raiders and pirates. The region was heavily attacked during the campaigns of Hastings Fireforged in the 800s and 900s, and House Guyon was all but destroyed, passing to Marrok Bisclavret in 966 SI. Gaining both the rest of Goelo and the Petty Kingdom of Bedegrain, the region’s political footprint reached its largest extent.   In 966, succession of the tattered line fell to Marrok Bisclavret, a Caballos of Rivallon I of Dol. When Dol rebelled against Konan II , Dug of Letha, Marrok followed his liege, joining forces with Manchais warlord Gwilherm the Bastard and Hereweald of Kameled, serving with distinction at the Battles of Menez-Mikael, Dinan and Ponbay Bridge. For his service, Marrok was rewarded with Kab Frehel, as well as the Lordship of Goelo and the County of Bedegraine in Albia, marrying into House Guyon.   In 1040, Baron Lot Bisclavret, a vassal of Konan III "The Fat", supported the failed claim of Steven Blaez against Matilda Bro-Saoz of Logres. The vengeful queen marched on Bedegraine and seized the House lands in Albia.   In 1097, House Bisclavret supported Konstanza I in her war against the Order of Albi and its supporters. Baronez Corentine Bisclavret led the relief of Naoned, among other campaigns.  

Recent History

  In 1164, Melion Bisclavret ascended to the position of Baron, rebuilding the ancestral home and reinforcing the family’s finances. He married Dame Annaig Dieueveult of Clos-Poulet, having two children with her, Firstdaughter Argntel and Secondson Luc Bisclavret. After her death, Melion had a third child with a visiting noblewoman, the bastard Kathalia Bisclavret, who was later legitimized. A series of tragedies befell the family. Argantel was lost in a storm, her fleet carrying granite across the Painted channel destroyed3, while Secondson Luc Bisclavret was killed while hunting boar4. Melion was framed for the murder of Kont Morgan of Dreger and killed. Kathalia was sold to a passing slaver, but escaped to join the Urzh Kroashent Urzh Kroashent, a reprieve that would prove short-lived due to the sudden reversal of fortune for the nightly order. During the Black Crown Affair , she vanished once more. The Barony was then claimed by Gidas Frihep , “miraculously” producing a series of documents that traced a common lineage with the Bisclavrets, claiming the barony. The reappearance of Kathalia Bisclavret and the legal meddling of her uncle Deniel Bisclavret, a monk in the Abbey of Rhuys has complicated this claim.

The Bediz population of the region is quite small, but the Fae population, especially the Korrigan and the Fées-des-Houles have much larger numbers in their subterranean cities. The towns of Erge-ar-Mor and Havre-Kast are the largest population centers, the rest being scattered to remote cottages, hamlets and fiefs.

The Barony begins at Kab Erge-Ar-Mor, a natural cape on deep waters and sandy beaches created by a volcanic eruption. The cape is a small harbour and fishing port. To the west, the recently abandoned chapel of the Golden Pines, a small church sits in the fields of heather and gorse as the altitude begins to climb among the ruins of an abbey. Further along, at the height of the windwsept cliffs is the fortress of Roc'h Goueon, the seat of the Barony, overlooking the Bay of Fresnaye. Southwards, Montbran, the former stronghold of the Urzh Kroashent (Knights of the Crossroads) along the Rat River, a small fortified farm and chapel at Pleboull and the village of Matignoni, settled by Gallian sailors. Continuing East, the larger port town of Havre-Kast and the Urzh Kroashent Fortress of Krehen, now in ruins at the mouth of the Arguenon river. A small abbey sits on the peninsula of Sant-Yagu. The barony ends at the Froudveur river

A few lords and knights live in small fiefs in the area, but the largest current force in the mercenaries under the command of Camus Bour.   Kastell Roc'h Goueon serves as the largest defensive structure in the region, overlooking the bay from its clifftop perch, while the ruined fortress of Krehen often serves as a refuge for the inhabitants of Havre-Kast when faced with pirates or the raids of free companies.

Ar Mor Emrodez is a stronghold of the Druidic religion, despite the attempts of suppression by the current Baronial family, ardent supporters of the Faith. Druidsgroves are common in the region and the Faithful population is less zealous than most, with abbeys falling into disrepair as they are abandoned or becoming places of quiet contemplation if they are not. There are several such abbeys in the region, but few are politically active or aggressive in their proselytizing.

Buckwheat is commonly grown in this area and Gorse-oil is harvested and sold from the yellow flowers blanketing the moorland. The terrain, ranging from steep, rocky cliffs to swampy marshlands, is ill-suited for widespread agriculture, with most small patches used primarily for subsistence.   Fishing and the harvesting of shellfish is more active with the ports of Erge-Ar-Mor and Havre-Kast maintaining a thriving business, complemented by smaller hamlets launching from the beaches. Erge-ar-Mor is a major port for scallops, while flat oysters are harvested throughout the barony.   The collection of seabird eggs from the cliffsides is a booming economy, with the eggs being seen as a delicacy. These are collected by lowering a picker off the top of the cliff, clinging to the rocks as they make their precarious harvest.   Several quarries of pink sandstone are still active, although not at a constant level.