 |
 |
 |
 |
Rockhaven lies in the almost forgotten kindom (technally a dukedom) named Fawniakama (Fah, nee, ih, kah, mah).
On the East coast of East Palastan, about 80 miles north of Ptolus there is a penninsula the juts out into the Whitewinter sea. One of the most ancient families of the area by the name of Fawna live ns a tumbled down castle named Fawniakama. The family has rule over a tiny dukedom named Fawnadima. It is tiny now, although once it stretched from Camber in the north to Caeralith in the west and down to Thaerith in the south. The decline in the influence and strength of the family have resulted in the retreat of their rule from the sea to the forest lands to the east leaving them only the most rocky and least desirable lands. Fawna cove which lies between the castle on the end of the penninsula and Camber is a lively fishing port and has a modest business in the markets of that city. The rulers stay very much to themselves and only collect light fees and taxes which makes their laize fair attitude to the holding acceptable to their "people".
The castle sits on the very edge of a sea cliff overlooking the stormy ocean and the fishing cove that lies to the W of it. Although the castle is fairly large and is fortified, no force has ever assailed it and so it remains "undefeated" primarily since the lands it holds sway to were traded away to prevent armed conflict. Basically, those wanting the lands belonging to the family found it easier to barter for them than to fight for them. And now little remains of the family holdings except for the lands of the penninsula and the cove. This is often lamented by the family of Fawna, but none have seen fit to take action to reclaim them. Ever. Now days the family manages with a minimum of staff, the tiny budget and grand illusions of their status within the Empire.
The Fawna family have become strange due to a pair of challenges. The first is that they are prevented from marrying non-nobles and few nobles outside of the family would give any of them a second glance as a mate. The result is an unfortunate amount of in breeding which has resulted in a number of birth defects. Clearly, they have their own problems and are very absorbed in the dramas that have made up their otherwise insular existence. The second challenge is that they have been influenced by the evil that arose in the House of Stone and was introduced into their line by 2 unfortunate marriages about 350 years ago to secure a positive political relation to the Norbad family living in the House of Stone. This evil has grown and resulted in malignent evil and maddness that threatens to ruin what remains of the family fortunes and its relations with their subjects. It is so bad there are roumers of ritual killings.
