Spellgarden

Spellgarden

East side of the Magelaw

## Overview

Sited on a pretty double hilltop, not far from Spellgate, it is the country estate for the Count of the Magelaw.

In just four weeks of breaking ground, the first resident’s hall was finishing up and the kitchen complex nearing completion.  The foundation of the keep was also progressing at a fast pace.  Carmilla had assigned two of her best crews to work on the Count’s new estate.

When Minalan was shown the area for his new estate, just before mid-summer there were no buildings, manors or estates in the area, only a small family of squatters working a tiny farm.

But Minalan was charmed with the views and the pretty meadows.  When Carmella showed Minalan the plans for the Keep, she also mentioned how she wants to experiment with enchanting the tower with a paraclete.

When Minalan brought Alya and the children out to see the area and have a picnic, Alya asked for a some water and cows, lots of cows and a creamery.  Minalan thought the creamery and cows would be a good idea but wasn’t very keen on having a lake or pond around with small children.

The estate was planned and built during the summer of

## Features

Carmilla assigned Speredek a thin wizard from the Hesian Order to oversee the construction and planning for the domain.

Several Residence halls were added, “Spellmonger Hall” for Alya and the children and ‘’Greenflower Hall’’ was built to house the two Greenflower children, their servants and caretakers. An additional chamber was included for Taren to stay in when he came to visit as he was their guardian for several years at Greenflower Barony and both children were attached to him.

In the keep Minalan’s tower became his command center.  He commissioned Lanse of Bune to build a great diorama on the 2nd Floor.  The diorama was of the Magelaw and Penumbra and due to enchantment help, it would update as things changed.

The Manor house for Spellgarden Village was completed, but still empty.  Minalan needed a proper agriculture estate down off the hill where the land was fertile, so he recruited his own 100 to settle in the area Carmilla and he had set aside for the estate to feed the manor as well as the people working it. They were busy building their cottages, clearing fields and planting gardens.

### Avetaline Monks

The Avetaline Monks were granted 10 acres of marginal farm land near to Spellgarden Castle, to establish a Magical library that visitors could use.  As part of their rents they were required to make copies of some of the books.

### Mews Tower

A Mews tower for the Alshai Wing of Giant Hawks was built the other hill over from Spellgarden and were officially made part of the Counts household.

## Estates

Eventually, the entire domain contained four separate manors including the home estate for Minalan’s household.  The land on the double hilltop was suitable for agriculture it was fertile enough for some vegetables and fruit trees.

The rest of the estates weren’t big enough for a full hundred, so Minalan carefully chose the peasants to settle and work in his domain.  He had no problem recruiting rents, including some Bovali from Sevendor that wanted to join him in his domain.

### Carinhold

One of the few original manors that had been settled in the past was ‘’Carinhold’’, which was the most fertile, consisting of about 200 acres for grain.  With Minalan’s magical aid ‘’Carinhold’’ was the first estate to be successfully deforested when they arrived in mid-summer, even before the Village got started.

### Spellmere

‘’Spellmere’’ next to it ‘’Carinhold’’ to the North was less fertile and wetter with less exposure to the sun.  The peasants that worked there planted the areas that were unsuited for grain, in nuts and fruit trees.  Minalan enlisted Master Minnik help in finding more exotic varieties to add to the usual apples, pears, walnuts and chestnut trees.  Fourteen families of Bovali from Sevendor settled in Spellmere as soon as it was cleared enough to plant.

### Spellgarden Village

‘’Spellgarden Village’’ was planned, rough roads cut, lots leveled, dikes and berms built up by Minalan and Ruderal while on a working visit.  Minalyan eagerly watched them perform magic.  Land cleared of timber and made into pastures for cattle, too.

### Deep Hedge

‘’Deep Hedge’’ estate was the last settled as it was a special project of Minalan’s. The land was in too much shade to be a proper agriculture estate and grow grain.  Two families of footwizard and hedgewitch were initially settled there and they planted potatoes and onions and established a piggery as it already had an abundance of oak, hazel, hickory and chestnut trees that could serve as pannage for the pigs in the fall and winter.  In the forest was also all kinds of rare and uncommon herbs and fungi.  That area already had a reputation of producing great witches because of the abundance of special herbs.

Eventually this estate becomes a sanctuary for hedgewitches and footwizards. They enjoyed the three halls and tavern that opened there.  Minalan kept the rents cheap and accepted magical services for the rest of the domain in lieu of the rent.

### Creamery

In  Arcanist Alya’s creamery is built under Speredek’s guaidance

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mancour, Terry. Thaumaturge: Book Eleven of the Spellmonger Series. Chapter 11. Kindle Edition.