The Enclave > Known Roads > King's Keep

Spears Gone To Ill Ways

Tis true, leastways as Ferre told it to me just this morning, afore the clouds came from the Farthest Sky. Red iron from the Keep, a spearpriest and the King's horses too we're to be having! Old Reafus and his isleblood girl are away to the smith and the shrine, and the stable folk are hard awork even with the summer rain, see for yourself.

Hold yourself, hold yourself! I've only the one tongue for the telling. As Ferre tells it, a brace of spears are gone to ill ways on the Forest Road, stealing coin and slaying merchant folk. No better than Neth, I say - we're to ride and remind them of the King's Way for all spears and blades. Remind them well, mark my words! There's a tale we'll have to tell to those spears who bow to the King only after first snow!

[ Posted by Reason on August 23, 2005 | Permanent Link ]

Stone Dropped in the Farthest Wilds

The King's Keep is as a great, gray quarried block, dropped by stoneworkers onto the green grass and left, far from anywhere. Such is as the Keep appears to traders and commonfolk atop the ridge above the Lothar, traveling to or from Three Stones on the New Road. For stranger folk emerging from the enclosing trees of the Traveler's Wood, the Keep is a mountaintop at the head of a gentle valley, a welcome sight after the shadowed Middle Road.

The King's Keep is sturdy and thick-walled, home to spearpriests who have taught the Way of the King of All the Ammand for generations. Many summers have come and gone since the first stones of the Keep were brought from the quarries of Krineth's Hills, now long-abandoned to Neth and the ravages of time. Over the years, villagefolk have come to dwell outside the high Keep walls, amongst them smiths, craftsmen and traders to match those who follow the King's Way within the Keep.

As year passes on year, Ammander spearmen come and go from the Keep. In winter, they come from throughout the Enclave to take the King's coin and carry their spears against the Neth. When last snow passes and the Known Roads turn to mud once more, all but the most dedicated leave to find summer coin in Port, Three Stones and the lesser towns.

There is no safer place for commonfolk in all the Enclave than the meeting of the Middle Road and New Road, in sight of the King's Keep, or so it is said - a hundred honest spears are but shouting distance away, and the King's Way is the way of this land.

[ Posted by Reason on August 24, 2005 | Permanent Link ]