Boothe

## Geography

The county of Boothe encompasses the northernmost part of the Bastion mountain range. It is the second largest of the counties that make up the Crags, bordering Saintsvale in the south and having direct access to the Sea of the Wandering in the north.

Incredible vertical cliffs reach down into the waves below, making for poor port locations, only made worse by the thousands of rocky spires that sit quietly below the surface of the water, waiting to dig into the hulls of ships of careless traders who think they can shave a few days off their journey by sailing closer to the coast than most trading companies advise.

The dangerous waters are only sailed by smugglers and other less than savoury folk. Large, sharp peaks and ridges can be seen across the county, with broad valleys separating them from one another. Unlike the southern part of the Crags, the north known to be geologically unstable, with earthquakes and landslides happening on a regular basis.

## People

In spite of the obvious problems that come with living in such a rough mountainous region, a fair amount of people have made their home in Boothe since Alenthyl’s discovery and settlement in the 4th century of the Second Era.

The main draw of the region can be found in the mining sector, as the county is the second richest region in terms of mineral ores in all of Alenthyl, rivaled only by its southern neighbor. Mining communities can be found all over the county, usually located in poorly accessible valleys.

These villages can be quite remote, often relying on outside parties to make supply runs, leading to many adopting a self-sufficient lifestyle by farming the scarce but fertile glacial till at the bottom of the valleys. Perhaps an even more common sight are abandoned mining settlements, either due to mines drying up or misfortune prematurely ending a town’s existence. Because the threat of a natural disaster looms over them every day, the people of Boothe tend to be more hardy and pious than most Alenthylians, thanking the Lady Light for keeping them safe before each meal and before going to bed.

## Ruling Family

House Barrington only recently came into power, being handed the county when the Vincents came into power as part of a small reform courtesy of Morella Vincent. The previous count, Ernest Masset, was forcefully removed from power when it became clear that his opinions on how to manage the land and is resources clashed with that of the Vincents. The Massets still live in the city of Farindon, and are known to be extremely bitter towards the new Count and his family, creating a fair amount of tension in court.

The Barringtons are well-liked by the lesser nobles of their court, as they have placed a lot of executive power with local lords who typically oversee a small number of villages each. This practice greatly lessens the administrative burden on the Count’s family, but has also resulted in a fair amount of corruption.

Lesser nobles frequently embezzle tax money, taking advantage of the fact that their liege lords do not know exactly how many people reside in the mining communities or how much ore is mined. In addition, most settlements are far too remote for the county’s official guard force to effectively patrol.