Harp Basin

The Harp Basin contains the lands bounded by the Adri Forest to the east, the Harp River to the north and west and the Lyre River to the south. These lands were granted to Karasin by Overking Xavener I. when she entered the United Kingdom of Ahlissa. A variety of other influences both open and concealed threaten the stability of this province. While Karasin rules this land by name only, she already controls some 30 miles south of the Harp, excluding the wooden areas of this region. The only settlement in this part of the region is Hillspride, now paying tithe to Karasin.

Inside the Basin, there is no titular ruler; rather, a patchwork of nobles of all Houses as well as the odd wealthy merchant or even commoner hold sway. The cities of Jennden and Ralsand are the hub of economic and political power in the region, using the twin resources of the great road leading north to Innspa and the river itself. While rulership is high along much of the riverbank, as one goes north or east one quickly enters a no-man's land of petty nobles and the odd village with no clear authority.

The southern region enjoys considerable stability, with frequent patrols still encountering the occasional band of undead or even a single fiend from the blasted lands around the ruins of Chathold. The eastern bank of the harp holds a dozen or so small keeps originally built to watch over Almor. The four southernmost keeps are well stocked and aggressively patrol the banks of the Harp, pouncing on these invaders and keeping order over the surrounding countryside.

The scattered farmers and ranchers of the central lands cultivate their fields and herd their cattle much as before, but as one moves north and east the holdings become smaller and smaller, until the landscape is broken only by the odd hamlet or village on the horizon. These are wild lands, largely abandoned during the chaos of years past and still waiting to be reclaimed.

What is making the issue of control more difficult is the lack of any systematic system of fortifications or even roads in the central and eastern portions of the region. Long a sparsely populated farming and cattle region, the few roads are small things, easily blocked, poorly maintained and prone to becoming a morass of mud during wet weather. Only the great road leading north to Innspa can support large traffic, so for now the remaining lands lie outside of direct control. Most of the fortifications east of Jennden were severely damaged or destroyed during the chaos of previous years, and new structures are expensive to build and to maintain.

After the chaos of the Greyhawk Wars and the insanity of Duke Szefferin's rule in Almor, the entire region was awash with deserters, marauders from the Bone March and the occasional fiend or band of undead. Much of the populace had been reduced to near starvation due to the demands of supporting local troops as well as losses due to raids, and people were slowly moving elsewhere. Now the region is slowly recovering, but the remaining warlords and the surviving landowners only slowly responding to the demands from Innspa to swear fealty to Princess Karasin.

References

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

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