Between the quiet the wintery waters of the Mare Morilicum and the edge of the impressive Northwood forest is Barony of Burdansk. Baron Rinivon Burdansk is the last of his kind in a couple of ways.
First, he is the only Baron who has not ceded his lands nor pledged fealty to the Prelate of Vihmorand. The Baronies of Aetharalas, Abbrivale, Virnask, and Azrithune have all succumb to the new order of the prelacy in the past 60 years, and become one unified nation of Vihmorand. Burdansk is bordered by three types of terrain that give it a natural hegemony (hi-ˈje-mə-nē) over the area—the sea to the west, forest to the east, and hills to the south.
Secondly he is the last of his kind in name as well—he is the last heir to the seat of power in his small but prosperous lands, having no sons to whom he can give title or land. The Baron’s father and grandfather had been good to the people of these lands, and quite known for gentle guidance, low taxes, and richness of commercial trade with other lands. Although insulated by natural borders, the Barony is anything but insular. Rinivon is adamant about creating new trade opportunities to grow weath in his modest lands, which by all rights would be a small kingdom—if the word “king” weren’t such a threatening word. Rinivon takes his title from the old days when the feudal barons paid fealty to the Overking, but that kingdom lies now in crumbled ruins within the heart of Vihmorand, a place known as the broken lands. 80 years ago, the last Overking was crushed in battle against the unleashed forces of Lolth’s children, the drow. In that year, 252 K.R.. the clerics of the highest social rank and power from several different faiths banded together at the Cathedral of the Morningstar in Vihmorand to oppose the drow. The result of their retribution devastated the drow, but also put an end to the kingdom and despoiled the lands. When the dust cleared, the victorious high priests became The Prelacy of Vihmorand.
