Viscounty of Sutherford

**Ruler**
 **Ruling House**
 **Resident Houses**
 **Seat**
 **Settlements**
 **Beliefs**
 **Founded**

The Viscounty of Sutherford, ruled by House Curzon, is a small fiefdom, feudatory to the Duchy of Aldridge, on the banks of the Nazferiti River in Elwynn Forest. Straddling both sides of a tributary, the Courson Burn, the land is almost entirely agricultural, and sells its produce to surrounding settlements and to Stormwind City.

Distant from most troubles, it has little need for a major military presence, but it is dominated by the Courson Fortalice, a large fortress built in the aftermath of the First and Second Wars.

## Culture

There is a quiet, austere culture in Sutherford. It is not a flashy or ostentatious locale by any means, and being out of the way and distinctly ordinary, outside of church festivals or celebrations to do with the ruling house, there aren’t usually many calls for extra celebration.

That’s not to say Sutherford is an unduly unfriendly place, but it is not necessarily a big nexus for wayfarers, though the ferry stations in Sutherford town itself can become more lively in periods of expanded activity on the river.

There is a not insignificant community of northern exiles in Sutherford, taken in following the events of the Third War.

### Religious Beliefs

The Viscounty of Sutherford and its localities are almost exclusively dedicated to the Church of the Holy Light. Few, if any, folk beliefs remain, and superstition is low, despite the proximity of Duskwood on the other side of the river.

### Local Holidays

Aside from regular church festivities, the only local festival in the Viscounty of Sutherford is the Cornerstone Festival, which celebrates the beginning of the process of rebuilding after the liberation of Stormwind in the Second War. This takes place on the thirteenth of July each year.

## Economy & Resources

The economy of Sutherford is largely agricultural, and the region boasts no mines or particularly dramatic resources. Grain and flour make up the vast majority of the region’s exports, with livestock and fresh produce making up a lesser degree. There’s limited woodland management, but no major logging practice.

The growing of jute is common in areas close to Sutherford town and its ferry dock, for the production of rope, and the construction of river barges is not unheard of.

## History

### Foundation

The Viscounty of Sutherford is an amalgam of the Barony of Courson and the town of Sutherford. Whilst the Barony is a much older title, the Viscounty was brought into being some generations following the creation of the barony to reward the continued service of Lord Evroult Curzon. The greater interconnection between the lands was mutually beneficial, and increased overall efficiency in the region.

### First and Second Wars

Practically the whole of Sutherford, from the town to the Barony of Courson upstream along the Courson Burn, was razed to the ground during the First War, and the land remained desolate and in ruin until the return of the refugees following the Second War. Large scale reconstruction works had to take place, and it took time for the fields to once again bear good harvests.

### Third War

Sutherford took in a large number of refugees from the fallen northern kingdoms following the Third War, and has treasured that refugee community closely despite the usually quite austere culture of Sutherford as a whole. This is taken as a communal duty, due to the number of refugees from the region that had fled north following the First War.

### Present

Sutherford is reasonably successful and stable at the time, with the only recent blip being the power struggle between the ruling 11th Viscountess and her erstwhile regent, Sir Harluin Vaize, which resulted in a skirmish of forces in Sutherford town. The rural idyll has been restored, and an undramatic fief continues on its daily business.

## Settlements

### Sutherford

Sutherford town itself is a small river port situated on the Nazferiti River that wends between Elwynn Forest and Duskwood. It is the primary economic hub of the Viscounty, and serves as its usual port of entry for most visitors, with those visitors coming from the river. Goods produced in the Viscounty are usually shipped from here by barge to other locations.

### Courson

Courson is the seat of the Viscounts. Situated up along the Courson Burn, the village is dominated by the Courson Fortalice, a large castle built following the traumas of the First War. The surrounding lands are dominated by grain crops, and the town has a number of watermills on the Burn, which help produce flour, the main export.

## Houses

### House Curzon

The Curzons are an old, local family who have had a stake in the area for much of the length of Stormwind’s existence, either as gentry or nobility, and continue to rule the region as Viscounts. The current liegelady of Sutherford is Lady Magdaleyne Curzon, the 11th Viscountess of Sutherford.