Weirwater Vales
Overview
The Weirwater Vales are located in Wickmoor in the Dawnish territory of Weirwater. Custodianship of the Vales grants an Imperial title; a seat on the Imperial Bourse; and a seasonal bounty of valuable weirwood
The Resource
Weirwater is named for the forests that dot this landscape and the rich supplies of weirwood they produce. The Weirwater Vales are an Imperial resource, and while there is some occasional grumbling from the earls, this is unlikely to change. The houses of Seerken and deCourney who once claimed the land on which the Vales stand each blame the other for the fact that they no longer control the weirwood forest - their feud has persisted for nearly four hundred years and shows no sign of abating any time soon.
Legend claims that the first weavers made a pact with an eternal to enchant the woods, but that the magic has slowly dwindled over time. Yet there is still magic here, of a sort.
The workers of Weirwater Vale are used to it, but every so often visitors to the area make an unsettling discovery. Colloquially known as a Bone Hanger, it is a tree decorated with wild flowers, ribbons, and small knicknacks made with twine and sticks. Whenever such trees are found, workers will take undue care removing all the decorations, and pack them in a box made of the first weirwood harvested that season. The workers then fell the weirwood tree, knowing that it will be the best wood of the seasons harvest. The box of decorations is left in a certain place, an old ring of black stone, for the mysterious owner to collect. By the next season, the box will be gone, and perhaps another tree will be decorated.
Visitors to the area are sometimes unaware of the traditions. Some are unlucky enough to take one of the knickknacks, possibly as a keepsake, or some sort of memento. If one of the workers discovers the accidental crime, they make every effort to return the trinket to the Bone Hanger. As long as it is returned before nightfall, there will be no tragic consequences. Every so often someone will come to the Vales intending to stop the "idolatrous" reverence for the Bone Hangers. On one occasion, an ambitious priest from Holberg tried to make a name for themselves by stripping a tree of its decorations and burning them.
Disrespect for the Bone Hangers always ends in the same way. The transgressor will be found a short time later, serving as a grisly decoration on another weirwood tree. The workers will draw lots as to who will remove the body - it is gruesome, bloody work.
The nature of the spirit that haunts the Weirwater Vales is a matter for debate. More than one scholar has pointed to the proximity of Karov and wondered if the spirit is not some creature of the eternal realms as is often theorised, but an exiled Varushkan sovereign. Regardless of its nature, there is no doubt that there is something in the woods here, and that it will not tolerate disrespect.
The Bourse Seat
Responsibilities
The Seat has no particular responsibilities; they simply receive a bounty of weirwood which is theirs to do with as they will. If the Weirwater Vales were to be threatened in any way, it would be the responsibility of the Seat to deal with those threats. Likewise, if any particular opportunity were to arise related to the Weirwater Vales, the Seat would expect to be consulted as to how that opportunity might be resolved.
Powers
Seat on the Bourse
Custodianship of the Weirwater Vales comes with a seat on the Imperial Bourse. For the most part, this Seat comes with no additional responsibilities. It is an Imperial title that grants the right to participate on the rare occasion when the Imperial Bourse as a body is required to make a decision.
Bounty of weirwood
The Seat has control of a source of weirwood and receives Bourse certificates to represent that control. They can dispense this resource as they choose. Production is 23 Imperial wains of weirwood every season.
Appointment
As with all weirwood Bourse seats, the holder of the title is determined during the Winter Solstice. As an Imperial seat, any Imperial citizen may participate in the auction and hold the title.
Custodianship of the Weirwater Vales is retained for a year, or until the citizen holding the seat dies, or steps down. An Imperial Bourse seat cannot be revoked by the Imperial Synod.
| Summit | Nation | Elected | Bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Solstice 385YE | The Marches | Misha Kemi | 440 thrones |
| Winter Solstice 384YE | Dawn | Vivane Knotes | 416 thrones |
| Winter Solstice 383YE | Highguard | Keturah | 440 thrones |
| Winter Solstice 382YE | The Marches | Harry Roost | 242 thrones |
| Winter Solstice 381YE | Rada Prochnost | 280 thrones | |
| Winter Solstice 380YE | The Marches | Jack Plank | 50 thrones |
| Winter Solstice 379YE | Soren i Signo | 400 thrones | |
| Winter Solstice 378YE | The Marches | Landon of Longridge | 280 thrones |
| Winter Solstice 377YE | The League | Niccolo dos Tassatos | 98 thrones |
| Winter Solstice 376YE | The Marches | John Marsh | 7 thrones 5 crowns 2 rings |
Recent Elections
This title is due to be vacated just before the next summit; it will be reelected at the next summit. The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold this title in the years since Empress Britta died.