Misty Hollow

The Misty Hollow is a viscounty within Storm’s Crag that is one of the older pieces of land within it. It was given it’s name due to the morning mists that roll into its dense forests from the mountains, but tend to stay for most the day, even as some sunlight burns it away. Anyone who wields magic will be able to sense a charged atmosphere. Currently, there is a vacancy in the ruling families, as many deserted the area after Gilneas was sacked by the worgen, Forsaken, and the orcs. Lord Graveshire has recently deemed his wife, Lady Anwen Vaught, as Lady-Protector of the region, with the assistance of Lady Lillian Graveshire, and the Captain of his Knights of the Antler, Sir Ottokar Seabrook, a native of the area.

The Beginning
The Viscounty was formed long ago, the charge of ruling it being given to the Auber family, a clan active in the unification of the vast region. The capitol of the region was build in the cradle of the mountains and named Aubridstead after those that built and formed the political system within. The Auber’s split the region to be ruled by several Baronets to assist in keeping things unified and under watchful gaze that were too far from the city. These areas included: The Baronetcy of Crescent Landing, Forst Hold, and Lucant. Appointed to the positions of Baronet were House of Seabrooke, House of Waterlow, and the House of Woodrish. Mining and seafaring became a focus of the viscounty after digging into the mountains and seeing the treasures of silver and sapphires within. Around Aubridstead and Forsthold, farmland was cultivated and crops were grown for the entire region, though the sea bore its own fruits, and trade outside of the region flourished.

A Time of Hunger
However, as population ballooned over the years due to prosperity, there was not enough food to feed the hungry mouths, and trade was unreliable at the time due to droughts and conflicts in other areas of the world, aside from being costly. The Aubers turned to the Fold, an earldom just over the mountains which was ripe with crops and lands to harvest from with several ranch operations to provide meat to its people. In desperation, the Aubers sent over troops to steal from the Fold, creating conflict at a price they deemed just and necessary for the survival of the Hollow.This conflict lasted decades until the lord of House Woodrish spoke up against the pointless fighting and withdrew his troops from the mountains. The Aubers, displeased with this action, felt that their hand was forced and immediately reprimanded the Woodrishes, leveling Lucant to a pile of rubble in the forest. It was never rebuilt.

Re-establishment and Post-Auber Rebellion
More recently, Lord Ederic Auber came into power, but when the Forsaken encroached upon the kingdom, he evacuated the region and fled to Darnassus. It took Nicholas Graveshire, while he was only a viscount, to pull him back to Gilneas with the promise of aid in exchanged for swearing fealty to him. He grew tired of the deal and launched an attack on Greymoon Isle, leveling Fairwind Port and killing the Viscount’s son.

In retaliation, a civil war was started and the Misty Hollow was left crippled with defeat. It is still recovering. There are no official baronets that have been reinstated in their positions and Aubridstead has been renamed to Mistholme.

After the war, Lady Lillian Graveshire did charity work with the poorest areas of the region to aid them in reconstruction after the war. Nicholas debated making her the Lady-Protector of the Viscounty, but this changed when she left the Storm's Crag for a time. The Seat of Viscount went to no one, and Nicholas remained the ruler until he could no longer handle the area himself. The position of Lady-Protector went to Nicholas' wife, Anwen.

The Oligarchy
Post-Rebellion, while the Misty Hollow started to undergo reconstruction, a group of wealthy merchants within each town gathered together and started to organize trade, and with it, the flow of gold throughout the region. To gain further support, they offered to raise the poor and destitute up under the promise of a new, and better life. The spread of propaganda against the House of Graveshire had begun. Nicholas became all too aware of this fact and has started seeking a solution to satisfy the lower folk, yet the merchants still make life difficult in ruling the Hollow.

Geography
The Misty Hollow is covered in dense forests with a mist the rolls down the mountains and lingers. The trees are a varied type, with many trees that lose their leaves during the winter mixed with evergreens; a tranquil land with the safeguard of stalwart mountains all around, save for the single cove that opens out to the sea. Agriculture has formed nearby the rivers and lakes, and water the crops through an irrigation system. Military forts and towers dot the land, but their use has been rare. There are only a few main roads, though they are well trodden.

Resources

 * An abundance of silver, copper, and tin. There is rumored to be some gold.
 * Coal.
 * Iron ore.
 * Sapphires.
 * Potatoes, carrots, yams, barley, wheat, cabbage.
 * Wild herbs, berries, and roots are plentiful.
 * Some livestock. Sheep and lamb mostly. Some cattle.

Problems

 * A constant troubling mist thickened frequently with the work of Mistmancers.
 * Rogue wizards and mages.


 * The populace outside of Mistholme and some of Crescent Landing is poor and generally unhappy.
 * The Graveshires have worked to change this by putting on a good face for the public that things will change, but no solution has been taken.


 * The Fold has taken advantage of the Misty Hollow's weak state, and is leading frequent raids on the Viscounty.
 * Bandits and feral worgen are numerous. Most of them hide in caves, causing them to be difficult to find.
 * With such little farming areas, a drought or bad crop severely cripples the area.
 * There are no lesser nobles controlling the Baronetcies, so all the responsibility falls upon the House of Graveshire
 * There is a network of wealthy merchants who are running an underground exchange to control the flow of gold and limit the peasants, while presenting the image of boosting them up. They're spreading propaganda against the Earl and generally making the region difficult to control.

Effect of Magic Users
Once magic-users enter the region, they will feel a magical charge in the very air. It will tingle on the skin until they get used to the sensation. The cause is thought to be that the Viscounty is upon a stable leyline. Spellweavers will find their spells charged and much easier to cast, as well as more powerful than if they were outside the region.

Blue Dragon Sightings
Because of the odd atmosphere, some of the commonfolk spread legends and stories that the blue dragons make this their home during certain years. Some even think that they have spotted a dragon with their own eyes. This has been unproven, but the commoners still enjoying telling the tales of how the Blue Dragonflight came and taught magic for a time within the Hollow.

The Ruins of Lucant
The ruins of a 'rowdy baronetcy' that did not muster when House of Auber requested, the town was ruined and left to serve as a reminder. Yet for centuries, it has remained highly active with paranormal and magical activity. No one dares venture into the ruins, and those that do are rumored to not return.