Craven

"Argent, et Fess entre six Crosses-Crosslet fitchée Gules"

Craven is a barony within Britain, neighboring Cheshire. The barony is famous for its vast farmlands known as the Dales, which produce the best wheat in all of Britain. It is watered by four large rivers, the Lune, the Ribble, the Aire and the Wharfe.

The centre of Craven is the city of **Settle**. Other notable cities within the barony are Hornby, Giggleswick, Long Preston, Malham, Gargrave, Skipton, Bolton Abbey, Burnsall, Linton, Kettlewell and Arncliffe.

## History

### Roman times

In the time of the Roman Empire, the region that is now Craven was part of an area known as Britannia Inferior. After the downfall of the Roman Empire, the area got renamed to Yr Hen Ogledd, the Old North.

### Arthurian times

During King Arthur's rule, the Dales were a part of the kingdom of Estrangore, under the rule of King Brunor the Elder. At the time, the Eastern part of Yr Hen Ogledd got invaded by Vikings from Denmark, who named the area Jorvik. To hide from the Viking raiders, a lot of Brits fled to the dales, led by a man named Dynod, son of Pabo. King Brunor gave shelter to Dynod's people, who swore loyalty and paid taxes to him. Dynod's land was known as Regio Dunudinga (the region of Dynod), but due to not being brave and strong enough to fight the Danes, the people following Dynod were called "cravants", meaning the "cowards" or "defeated ones", and Regio Dunudinga became better known as Craven. The town where the cravants first settled down was merely known as Settle, which eventually became the capital of Craven. The name of Dynod still survives in the word "doughnut", a sweet fried bread from Craven.

Craven existed as a peaceful community of farmers who paid taxes to King Brunor. After some time of Viking rule, Dame Aldriona and the Brotherhood of the Black Rose reclaimed Jorvik for King Arthur. When Aldriona rescued peasants from Transylvania, many of them settled down in Craven and became part of that community. Among these peasants were the Bognár siblings, the cartwright Bálint and his sisters Berta and Boróka. Berta fell in love with Dynod's son Sir Abel, who served under Brunor as a knight.

### Post-Arthurian times

After the Battle of Camlan, Bálint returned to Transylvania, whereas Berta and Boróka remained in Craven. Berta married Sir Abel and had three sons, Sir Alvin, Sir Simeon and Sir Theodore. Sir Simeon married King Brunor's granddaughter Britanny. When, following Brunor's death, Estrangore was split up to the County of Cheshire and the Barony of Craven, Sir Simeon became the Baron of Craven, and Britanny's half-brother William became the Lord of Giggleswick. It was Sir Simeon who established the world-famous Settle Library, where he collected many books, tomes and scrolls, both from Britain and from Transylvania.

After Sir Simeon's death, his daughter Baroness Jeanette von Simeon became the leader of the country. It was under Baroness Jeanette's rule that her second cousin, Botond Bognár arrived to Craven with his wife Beáta and her infant son Bertalan. When Jeanette died in 591, her young daughter, Eleanor, became the new Baroness.

### Present day

In the year 600, famine broke out in Transylvania, and Eleanor travelled there to solve the crisis, appointing Bertalan as the Steward of Craven.

## Notable places

### Settle

Capital of Craven on the coast of the river Ribble. Home of Baroness Eleanor and Sir Bertalan. Also the location of the Settle Library.

### Hornby

The westernmost city in Craven on the coast of the river Lune, bordering Cheshire.

### Giggleswick

Castle Giggleswick is across the river Ribble from Settle. It is the home of Lord Wilkin.

### Skipton

The largest city in Craven, on the coast of the river Aire. The centre of commerce in Craven.

### Bolton Abbey

The religious centre of Craven, on the coast of the river Wharfe.

### Burnsall

A city along the river Wharfe. is infamous for destroying the entire grain harvest of the year 556 in a fire.

### Arncliffe

A city along the river Wharfe. Location of The Falcon inn.

## Karaktärer

### Player Characters

* **Eleanor von Simeon**, Baroness of Craven
* Sir Bertalan von Bognar, Steward of Craven
* Lord Wilkin of Giggleswick
* Alviva Childe, servant of Settle
* Everett, servant of Giggleswick
* Anne, servant

### Non-Player Characters

* Lord Harold of Giggleswick (deceased), Wilkin's father
* Sir Gilbert of Giggleswick, Wilkin's brother
* General Dame Colleen Blackpot of Kettlewell, military commander
* Captain Colin Blackpot of Kettlewell, military captain, General Blackpot's younger brother
* Master Archibald, archivist
* Maggie, head servant of Settle
* Bessie, servant of Settle
* Halfdan, servant of Giggleswick, Everett's grandfather
* Edric, servant of Giggleswick