Lannigolds

A stout, square building, like a giant palace or castle but the size of a city, the walls of Allon, it is said, have never been scaled or breached, and never shall be. It is a stronghold of the Lannigolds, home to their retainers, servants, and guards.

Built in the stout, square style of all Lannigold strongholds, Ellesmere has long been an important holding of this aristocratic family. Those loyal to them praise their noble defence of this bastion, which, they say, stands to defend the people of Lucerna and the Middle Kingdom from the rampages of the Orcs of Mal Motsha. The cynical observe that it is also a profitable trading centre. In any case, visitors note that Orc and Human traders alike can be spotted in the marketplaces.

Until two hundred years ago, Eyepool was a free port. But the Illyria Trade Council slowly came to control it, despite grumblings from the locals. When, sixty years ago, a local uprising ejected the Trade Council and plunged the city into anarchy, it was Lannigold troops who restored order. Their intervention was for the good of the people, they said. But when they had subdued the rebels, they handed the keys of the city to the Lannigolds, not to the Trade Council.<br><br>The Lannigolds have now rebuilt the city - and its defences - in their own style, and it has become a thriving trade centre. The Trade Council have never ceased to blame the Lannigolds for the theft of their trade post, and animosity rumbles on to this day.

One hundred years ago, a Lannigold prince rose to become commander of the mercenary company based at Hoscarmel. His family invested in the imposing defences of the town, which they rebuilt in the Lannigold style; however, when he died they laid claim to the place, saying that they now owned it. They won their claim, and Hoscarmel became yet another, albeit far-flung, stronghold of this powerful family. It is proud of its military heritage, and still produces many of the Lannigolds' finest troops, although it cannot match the more northerly courts for style or sophistication.

Laresh is the oldest, and still the principal stronghold of the Lannigolds. Its square structure and impenetrable walls set the style for all of their subsequent strongholds, and the opulence and fine taste of its courtiers sets an example which many noble families wish to emulate. Visitors speak of being impressed first by the imposing walls, but then overwhelmed by the extravagance of the Lannigold court.