Westmire

Westmire, or rarely Bitsingburyshire, is one of the newest and southernmost shires of the Roblets. It's inhabitants are largely humans originally from the Bits with a significant minority of gnomes from Barnyrin. It is largely centred on the Eddy river and it's drainage basin; including polders, swamp, and moors. It is known outside the shire for it's Bitsian/Barnyrinish hybrid accent, love of pasties and saunas, in addition to it's high-quality textiles including cothes and rope. It's two largest settlements are Bitsingbury and Jutebury.

It's inhabitants are approximately 70% humans, 20% gnomes, and 10% other species. Most of the humans either descended from or have recently moved from the Bits. The gnomes were invited from an overseas country called Barnyrin (from the old gnomish "barn" [tilled, inhabited, land] + "yrin" [made, crafted by hand]) for their expertise. Barnyrin is a coastal bog the gnomes reclaimed and turned into a small but wealthy kingdom focused on agricultural and clockwork exports. They have an expression that "the gods made the world, but the gnomes made Barnyrin." The people of Westmire are known for their local specialty of mutton pasties (rather than other meat) deriving from the Bits and their love of sauna culture deriving from Barnyrin. Their accent (Yooper IRL) is a mix of Bitsish (west country irl) and Barnyrin (scandinavian irl).

## Society & Government

Westmire society and government is organized on similar lines to the Bits and as such the **Hide**, or family, is the fundamental social unit. Hides are organized into **tithings**. The noun tithing breaks down as ten + thing, which is to say, a thing (an assembly) of the households who live in an area that comprises ten hides. Each village corresponds to a single tithing, and as such ten founder families with farmland. Each Tithing elects amongst them a **tithing[wo]man** who is responsible for ensuring tithing obligations are met and for administering minor justice at a local level. Each tithing is required to supply one person to the local **borough** to build, upkeep, and guard it for a four-month stint. In times of war all of the locals are allowed to retreat behind the safety of the borough walls. Each Tithing is also expected to supply two fully equipped warriors for the **fyrd**.

Ten hides (including the borough itself) are grouped together to form a **hundred** (ten tithings being one hundred hides). The tithing[wo]men meet at the fortified borough to form sessions of the **hundredthing** (hundred assembly) where they organize the local defence of the hundred centred on the **fortified borough town**. The hundredthing also coordinates the maintenance of local water defences. The hundredthing also elect a **hundred reeve** from amongst themselves to administer justice in more serious legal matters. The hundredthing also elects one from amongst themselves to serve as an **Ealdor[wo]man** at the county level.

The Ealdor[wo]men meet in the county town for sessions of the **shirething** (shire assembly) where they pass bylaws, coordinate the defence of the entire county, and (in former times) met with the Ealdor[wo]men from the other shires at the **Witan** to elect a new King/Queen from amongst themselves to lead them into war and to approve any kingdom wide laws. In Westmire the shirething also plans the expansion of new polders into the Marshy Marches, as well as the maintenance of defences in the Marshy Marches.

New land is made available at no upfront cost to couples with at least one parent who is a resident of Westmire or The Bits, are unlikely to inherit land, and have at least one child. In Westmire it is illegal for a family to have more than one hide, or to divide one. This is to encourage the further expansion of agriculture in the shire. The fyrd is also co-ordinated at the shire level through the Fire Fighters, a unit who prevent the forest from reclaiming the Marshy Marches. The shirething also elect from amongst themselves a Shire Reeve to administer justice for the most serious matters.

It is not uncommon for a tithing to pay a professional warrior, referred to as a **thane**, to meet their **fyrd** requirement. Some scholars speculate this practice became hereditary in other parts of the Riblets and eventually led to the enserfdom of their local population. Similarly, in other areas of the Riblets outside of Westmire, hundreds may have transitioned form electing one Ealdor[wo]man to having one heredity Earl. Like with the Bits, these differences between the complicated but flexible system of local accountability contrast with the feudal-relationships underlying rights and responsibilities in other parts of the Riblets. Also, like with the Bits, these differences combine with cultural differences to give a mutual air of backwardness between outsiders and locals.

## Hundreds and settlements

### Lower Westmire

Are those Hundreds where gnomes have helped the humans who immigrated from the Bits to build dykes and windmills to drain the bog and build very productive farmland producing vegetables, grains, flowers, cotton, and jute. Most of the residents of Westmire live in this region.

Typical Polder and town.Typical Westmire windmill used for pumping water out of fieldsVillages frequently cling to road and other high ground in ribbon-type development
###### Hundred of Bitsingbury

Is an area dotted with farming villages on polders. Crumpminster, located at the mouth of the Moss River, has grown into a small town. The hundred is centred on Bitsingbury, a large town which is also the county town. It is located on a spur of the Eddy river adjacent to it's head where it empties into the sea. It has a thriving textile industry producing wool, cotton and jute textiles including rope and clothes. Wool is brought down river by boat from those living in Upperwestmire for processing. Bitsingbury was the first human settlement in Westmire and its name means fortified enclosure of people from the Bits.

###### Hundred of Jutebury

Is an area dotted with farming villages on polders. Jutebury is a large town in Westmire. It contains the headquarters for the Fire Fighters.

###### Hundred of Warebrough

Is an area dotted with farming villages on polders. Warebrough is a small town in Westmire. It is the borough town of its hundred. It is the most recent area to have been converted to farmland. Warebrough (from weir + borough) is at the head of the largest canal in the region. Standig is a small village dedicated to farming and it's locally important stone quarry.

### Upper Westmire

Upper Westmire is nestled in the valleys and hills of the Spectremoor. The Spectremoor is a large moor, most of which lies within Westmire, but other parts being in [UNNAMED NORTHERN COASTAL REGION) and [UNNAMED EASTERN COASTAL REGION].

The area contains towns in it's valleys where shepards live, most of whom tend flocks of sheep. The wool produced in Upper Westmire is usually taken downstream by boat to Lowerwestmire to be turned into wool, fabric, and clothes. At night the hills become inundated with ghosts and other malicious spirits.

The Dead-Knifeear Pass is an important crossing over the hills of the Spectremoor on the fast road from Riblets-on-the-Roblets to Mudford Sock. Don't get caught on it at night!

In the past the Spectremoor supported abundant and diverse forms of life.In the past the Spectremoor was heavily wooded.The Spectremoor today is largely used as grazing land for sheep.Today the Spectremoor is a relatively sparse landscape dominated by grass, moss, and heather.
###### Hundred of Mossbrough

This is an area in the southernmost valleys and hills of the Spectremoor. The economy of the area is centered on the wool industry. Mossbrough is a small town which is the borough town of this hundred; it is named after the River Moss. It has an Abbey in the centre of town which is made out of red sandstone quarried at nearby Redstan.

###### Hundred of Shepbury

This is an area in the northernmost valleys and hills of the Spectremoor in Westmire. The economy of the area is centered on the wool industry. Shepbury is a small town located in a wide valley where two vrivers meet and there is a hill which almost uniquely for the Spectremoor does not become innundated with ghosts at night. Shepbury is located on that hill. It is the borough town of this hundred and is named after its main industry, sheep.

### Marshy Marches

Is a large very sparsely populated swamp dotted with fortifications and outpost towns and villages dedicated to logistics and maintaining the border with the Forbidden Forest. All of Midwestmire was once in the Marshy Marches. When a new hundred is established, with new weirs, dikes, dams and windmills being built to convert the marshland into farmland, its new villages and borough (walled town for defense of those living in the hundred) are no longer considered to be part of the Marshy Marches.

###### Knifeear-Barrow-on-the-Upper-Eddy

Is a village in the southwestern part of the marshy marches. It is usually referred to as Knifeear-Barrow. It contains a barracks for a nearby fort located to it's north on the border with the forest. It is named after a tumulus (barrow/motte) with wood elf ruins on it which is it's largest landmark.

###### Fort Bogwater

A fortress and village in the middle of the marshy marches.

###### Soggy Bottom Common

Is small military and logistics town in the Marshy Marches on the Lower Eddy where the river splits into two rivers. It contains one of the Firefighter castles lining the border with the forest. It is an important stop on the fast road from Riblets-on-the-Roblets to Mudford Sock which goes through the Spectremoor going over the Dead Knifeear Pass.