Butcombeshire

Butcombeshire is a small county of the Riblets with a comparatively low and spread-out population of middling prosperity. It has four sub-regions, three of which are historic Hundreds, and one of which is an area where people have repeatedly failed to settle called the ***Nimmer’s Dean*** (thieves valley).

## Thanedoms/Hundreds of Butcombeshire

***The Bell*** is a term derived from the bell-like shape of the Hundred on a map. ***Bellburgh*** was so named because it was built as the Burgh (fortified town for local defence) of the Bell. The area is known for it’s apple cider and the large ***Bell Copse***. The Bell Copse is used for firewood within the county and the hunting grounds of the Earl of Butcombe. All other hunting is banned there, however, some outlaws and daring rangers sometimes choose to chance it.

The ***Fidghley Shore*** is an area of valleys and coastal villages straddling the ***Butmoor*** which engage in farming and fishing. The road and bridge from ***Weebleford*** to Butcombe were only recently completed which has meant it has long been poorly connected to the rest of the county. This has resulted in a distinct local character. It is named after a local hero, Fidghel, who was said to have been one of the people who lead the humans to the Wolds and is said to be buried in ***Fidghelbury***. The coastal area is known for it’s local delicacy of Shagg n’chips, a shagg being a type of bottom dwelling fish.

The Hundred of Butcombe is dominated by the rich productive farmland south of the ***river But***. The area is known for its famous fast and strong Butcombe horse (horse breed). The town of ***Butcombe*** is an important centre for trade with Bunglesmerle and its two-towered drawbridge is its most famous landmark. It is home of the locally important ***Butcombe Lyceum***; which is currently on hiatus due to structural and educator incorporeal issues resulting from recent orc related arson. Many of the goods bound for Bunglesmerle are brought up the river *But* before being taken overland to it.

## Society

The vast majority of people living in the county are tenant farmers living in small farming or fishing villages. These people inherit their leasehold property and work as serfs for the lord of the manor in exchange for protection; each village is also owned by said manor. The title for the lord of the manor is called a ***Thane*** in Butcombeshire; but is sometimes called a ***Baron*** in other counties. These lords of the manor (Barons/Thanes) in the Riblets typically own a large number of manors/villages as the rents from one would not be sufficient to keep them and their large families in the lifestyle that they are accustomed to.

Currently in Butcombeshire each of the historic Hundreds has had all ten of the Manors/Thanedoms neatly bundled together. And so the Thane of Bellburgh is also independently the Thane of Minchpool, the Thane of Funtington, the Thane of Nempnett Thrubwell, and so on and so forth. However, in common speech they are almost always simply referred to as the Thane of the borough town for the sake of convenience, except where necessary in legal documents. This grouping of a large number of Thanedoms in Butcombeshire has meant the Thanes are unusually wealthy compared to those in other counties, and has allowed for them to patronise the arts, give alms to the poor, build palaces, and sponsor large adventuring competitions like the ***"Duck of Bellburgh Exam."***

The Earl and Thanes of the counties typically travel from one village to the next in a circuit over the course of the year collecting local taxes and sorting out their local administrative duties. They usually appoint a local steward before leaving to look after certain delegated affairs for them in their absence. The Earl and Thanes, while owning at least ten manors each, may prefer some over others. For example, the Earl of Butcombe is known to favour ***Uphydewick House*** and has spent a great deal of their personal fortune enhancing its size, appearance, and usefulness for entertaining guests.

## Administration and Politics

The ***Earl of Butcombe*** is the hereditary Earl and feudal ruler of the county of Butcombeshire. They are also the Thane in the historic Hundred of Butcombe, and as such, they collect rents from all of the villages and burghers (inhabitants of a borough town) within it. The Earl owes allegiance directly to the King (lord?) of the Riblets while the two other Thanes ruling in the historic Hundreds of Bellburgh and Fidghelbury owe allegiance to the Earl of Butcombe directly. Should either die without an heir, their titles would revert back to the Earl of Butcombe. The Earl could choose to bestow any Thanedom they posses on another if they so wished.

The ***Sheriff of Butcombe*** is appointed by the King/Queen (Lord/Lady?) of the Riblets to collect their taxes and administer important matters of justice. While the ***Borough Reeves*** are appointed by the Earl of Butcombe to administer lesser matters of justice.

Interestingly, the Thane of Bellburgh is called the “***Duck of Bellburgh***” by locals (and outsiders referring using the resulting courtesy title). The local pronunciation having been “dook” at that time, and as such, was misinterpreted by speakers of the Riblets accent as Duke; a Mirabelese title equal to that of Earl. It is thought the local terminology originated as a tongue-in-cheek insult for the first Thane of Bellburgh, a fat waddling carpetbagger of a man from Riblets-on-the-Roblets, who misunderstood the locals and was flattered by what he thought was a compliment remarking on his obvious inherent sophistication and dignity.

The curent Duck of Bellburgh (Thane) is ***Lysander***.