Barony of Sazerac

The Barony of Sazerac is the baronial seat of House Hendrix, a relatively small, but wealthy family of Stormwind nobles originating from the great plains of Westfall.

### Seat

* Port Sazerac (City)
* Hélène (Country)

### Settlements

* Port Sazerac
* Viceroy Cross
* Des Palmier
* Hélène
* St. Alonsus

### Beliefs

* Church of the Holy Light
* Secular/Other

## History

### Founding and "The Golden Age"

Prior to the Gurubashi War and the Southward Expansion, generations of Hendrixes lived as wealthy commoners, administering over a thousand acres of sugar and tobacco plantations, as well as a successful pair of rum and cigarette factories from their ancestral lands in southern Westfall.

However, with King Barathen's conquest of the Vale came the Hendrixes ascension as proper aristocrats of Stormwind. Bequeathed with sizeable lands in the name of the King, Lord Hudson Hendrix settled the Barony of Sazerac in 572 K.Y., leading the charge of a handful of wealthy capitalists seeking to expand their fortunes into these untapped colonial territories. Over the course of a few decades, Lord Hudson Hendrix, 1st Baron Sazerac, developed the region, settling thousands of acres of plantations, settlements, and even a great port nestled at Sazerac's southern peninsula.

### Cataclysm and "The Troubles"

For some time, life was good for the Hendrixes and their loyal bannermen; far-removed from the wars and conflicts that left much of the North in turmoil. However, this stretch of good fortune would eventually come to an end. As the Cataclysm razed the lands of Stormwind and beyond, the Westfallian holdings of House Hendrix were completely decimated in its wake. With their coffers now hemorrhaging gold, the Hendrixes retreated to the relative safety of Sazerac, but soon found that the wounds inflicted upon their financial accounts (and those of their associates) were in dire straits.

For the next years, the Hendrixes of Sazerac lived with less, squandering their gold, and slowly rebuilding their accounts. However, the glory days of their empire would always haunt their minds, none moreso than the head-of-house himself, Lord Harlem Hendrix, 2nd Baron Sazerac. Ambitious and impatient, the younger Lord Hendrix acted foolishly, forging documents and providing false reports in an attempt to cheat the taxman and the Crown that employed him. It was not long after then that the Exchequer demanded a thorough account of House Hendrix's finances, and all the criminal activity that ensued. Ultimately, Lord Harlem Hendrix was found guilty of tax evasion and fraud, and was subsequently jailed for two years.

### Present and "The New Era"

Upon his release and return to the Vale, Lord Hendrix was dismayed to find that Sazerac had not only fallen into disarray, but that the lands themselves had slipped from his family's control. After a lengthy appeal to the region's new overlord, Lord Finnegan Quill, the Hendrixes were restored as the Barons of Sazerac, now under the banners and protection of the Duchy of Coldwake. Since then, the House, their subjects, and their remaining associates have worked tirelessly to restore prosperity to the region.

## Economy and Resources

Historically, the Barony of Sazerac has enjoyed great prosperity, owed in large part to its global export economy. As long as the price is right, there are very few entities that House Hendrix and their retainers will not do business with.

Sazerac's natural landscape is coveted for its fertile soil, and as a result, much of the region is dominated by large, sweeping plantations that primarily produce sugar, tobacco, coffee, rice, coconuts, pineapples, bananas, and mangoes. Beneath the earth are several ore deposits with large quantities of copper, iron, gold, and emeralds. For this reason, Sazerac has welcomed the influx of dwarven workers and investors with a greater expertise on harvesting these mineral resources. Additionally, Sazerac's prime adjacency to Coldwake Bay has propped up a booming fishing and crabbing industry.

## Settlements

### Port Sazerac

Port Sazerac is the capital of the Sazerac and the largest port in the Duchy of Coldwake. It is a fortified city occupying much of the region's southern peninsula. It is here that Lord Hendrix and his immediate family rule from Hendrix House, a great ancestral manor perched on the city's highest hill overlooking the Bay. Port Sazerac's economy is largely supported by its great, deepwater habor and several large factories. The culture is considered to be metropolitan in nature, owed to the many immigrants and travelers that flock here from around the world.

### Viceroy Cross

Viceroy Cross is a smaller port town and the gateway to the lush Sazerac Valley. It is considered the "Old Town" of Sazerac; the first settlement built in the region following the end of the Gurubashi War and the subsequent Conquest of Stranglethorn. Here, life is slow and quiet; a tranquil hub for the arts, history, leisure, and natural beauty among locals and travelers alike. However, once a year, the town comes alive for the festivities of *Beau Dimanche*, a hedonistic carnival and feast honoring the founding of Sazerac.

### Des Palmier

The eastern township of Sazerac Valley, Des Palmier is administrative seat of much of the region's great plantations. Likewise, a collective of wealthy local landowners known as "The Five Families" exercise great control and influence over the area. In addition to its booming agricultural industry, the town's adjacency to the Hudson River has brought rise to many waterwheel factories.

### Hélène

The northern township of Sazerac Valley, Hélène is home to Fort Barathen, several great country houses, and acres of livestock pastures It is named after Lady Hélène Hendrix, the former Baroness of Sazerac and the matriarch of House Hendrix. The elderly Lady Hendrix administers the township and occasionally receives members of her family seeking respite from the hustle and bustle of Port Sazerac.

### St. Alonsus

The western township of Sazerac Valley, St. Alonsus was founded by missionaries sent by Archbishop Alonsus Faol. From a large Cathedral in the center of town, the Bishop of St. Alonsus exercises great control and influence over the area. Likewise, much of the area's residents are deeply conservative, pious, and notably disdainful of southern Sazerac's more 'liberal' tendencies. The town's economy is supported by several great plantations, as well as an emerald mine in the mountains to the north.