Noble Stead

 Noble Stead has two longhouses, three smaller houses, one hovel and several outbuildings. It contains the bloodline’s shrine. It is surrounded by a small ditch and rampart topped with a palisade. The stead is located where a stream called Neverlass runs down from a group of steep wooded hills to the south called Four Sisters and the Bear. To the east is Four Oak Hill which is sacred to Desemborth and is also topped with an ancient stone burial cairn which is known to be haunted. To the North East is Wild Storm Hill sacred to Great Orlanth. To the North West is Copper Hill where the copper mine is situated. To the south is the Earth Caves – a deep cave system and grotto where ceremonies to Ernalda are held.

Around the stead and along the stream are a number of strips of farmland mostly growing barley. The reasonably flat area on the far side of the stream is used for cattle grazing. Around the houses are gardens growing herbs and a few vegetables. The hills to the south and east are used as the stead’s sheep grazing country. Hunting is carried out in the hills to the south-west which are known for wild boar.

The Firivings to the north-east are friendly to the bloodline but they live near to Roundstone Fort where the king has tried to stay out of the Firebull Rebellion. To the north-west the Copper Hill Clan is hostile – whilst not pro-Lunar they are ancient rivals and their trade has suffered as a result of the rebellion. The Thorn Tree Clan to the south is traditionally friendly but the Roundstone Clan felt betrayed by their precipitous flight at Gold Hill.

The most important, and richest, man in the stead is Yeresti Three-Bull who is the thane of the bloodline. Before him the thane was his brother Rendalos Whitehelm, a noted warrior, who died in 1607 at the Battle of Copper Hill. Before that the thane was his father Rendalos Hand-and-a-Half who was eaten by the Bat at Runegate in 1602. Yeresti fought at Gold Hill but managed to escape the rout because he kept his horse handy. Yeresti’s wife Rostala Lashtongue and his mother Randana Londrasdotter are the stead’s priestesses and his nephew Hurbos Rendalosson is his right hand man.