Muselle

Eponymous capital of the region, the city sits at a fork in the Muselle river. Centred mainly on an island, the banks on either side are uncharacteristically flat for the region, offering a respite from the steep ravines that line most of the river. It has long been a gathering place for Halflings, offering an open place for them to build and trade on. With humans arriving to the region, the site has been expanded significantly, used for its importance as a centre in the region. The only road through the hills cuts directly to Muselle, connecting the city to the rest of Muerthe. Osse's authority here is growing, subverting the original Halfling leadership in place of Murthe's King. Many Halflings have been displaced, pushed into more rural regions or leaving their homeland outright.

Politics

The King of Muerthe lays claim to Muselle, both the city and the region, even claiming the Lothern Marshes which lay beyond to the east. For much of the kingdoms early history, this was simply idle talk. With absolutely no way to announce, let alone enforce, his authority, it was practically useless. Most Halflings had no idea about their supposed overlord, simply going about their lives as they had for generations, suddenly freed from the threat of Orcs on their border. Not to say there was no communication between the two groups, but to reach into the maze of ravines and rivers that make up the Muselle region as a whole was practically impossible. This changed some decades ago, when one of the Kings in Osse decided they should better exploit the Halflings under their rule. Inroads were made to better enforce order and rule, with the chief among then being a centre for provincial administration in Muselle. Just a trading city at the time, its central position,and the fact it was considered neutral ground by most Halflings, made it an excellent spot for projecting power.

Since then, a keep has been made by the humans to station a garrison in, housing soldiers and a governor for the region. Merchants having also moved into the area, keen to take advantage of the unique peculiarities the Halflings produce. Chief among these is the Musellan Ewe, a breed of sheep known for its incredibly soft wool. This wool forms the basis of much of the Halflings wealth, traded to Lothier which turns it into high quality textiles and trades it abroad. Controlling the supply of this wool is a major goal of the Muerthe King, and so his wardens have clamped down on its trade and production, levying taxes and other fines to try and stem the flow. Other agricultural goods too,such as cheese or drink, are being clamped down upon in the region, with humans from Muerthe seeking complete control over the Halflings and their products.

For their part, the Halflings have resisted this tremendously, largely moving from the low lying areas further upriver. Avoiding the prying eyes of the humans is still easy for the little folk, who can practically disappear along the Muselle's various forks and tributary streams. Villages in the uplands have swelled since humans displaced their lower lying counterparts, with most Halflings simply wanting to continue their way of life unimpeded. This has also disrupted the feud structure between families, uprooting old rivalries and scattering them across the region. Some have been put aside entirely, its participants putting their energies towards undermining the human invaders instead. While no outright violence has been enacted on the Muerthe officials, things are building in that direction, with the garrison in Muselle beginning to face an angry and united populace. Thefts are becoming increasingly common in Muselle itself, and the recent murder of three human merchants has everyone on alert.

Groups

The Wardens

The Kings of Muerthe have long desired to bring the region of Muselle entirely within their grip, seeking the unique goods it produces and desiring to take its prosperity for its own. This has been done through a campaign of intimidation and bribery, swaying some key Halflings with promises of power, and outright dominating those few who would resist. The key to this operation has been the Wardens. Operating as a combined soldier-police force, the Wardens are responsible for enforcing the governor, and by extension the King's, will in the province. Considered by many to be half-wits, they are no doubt a brutal tool of oppression in the region, able to largely act with impunity as long as their end goal of stable rule is upheld. They monitor river trade, and investigate crimes, often to the detriment of Halflings, who see the extent of their savagery. Their leather jerkins and cudgels are ubiquitous, providing for a form of uniform among them.

Landmarks

Muselle Keep

Built as a symbol of the power the King wields, the Keep was a significant investment, with a tower house and a small curtain wall hedged in by three towers. Stone does poorly on the riverbanks, however, and the keep sank into its waters shortly after completion. The peaks of its towers are still visible, the construction slowly eroding under the constant flow of riverwater. A second was built nearby, though it too is showing signs of succumbing to the region. A small wooden palisade nearby hosts the governor of the region, with the keep mostly serving as a base for patrols and other soldierly activities. The failure of its construction, not once but twice, has made it the butt of many jokes among the Halflings. Some more spiritual among them consider it the river's way of rejecting the human invaders altogether.

Personalities

Othon Quieret

The mantle of leadership in Muselle has been a somewhat unwanted one for most of Muerthe’s history. Seen as a backwater occupied by little more than pastoral Halflings, there was little desire to control it. With Lobar’s focus on the region, however, this attitude has greatly changed. One of his first acts as a young King was to appoint his friend Othon to the region as its lord, serving as a marquis directly beneath the King himself. By doing this, the message was clear as to his intentions in the region, and many of the investments in Muselle came shortly after. After all this time, Othon is still the marquis of the region, officially making his home in the keep near the city itself. Practically, however, he is rarely in the region, travelling to Osse and leaving much of the stewardship in the region to his inferiors. This, combined with his own ignorant oversight, has led to unbridled corruption among the wardens and rampant repression of the Halfling population. Unrest has grown significantly under Othon’s reign, yet little word of it makes its way beyond the valleys themselves. Othon Quieret is a middle-aged man, who has yet to come to terms with his youth leaving his body. Somewhat overweight, he still considers himself a capable warrior, yet is rarely tested. A choppy beard wraps around his chin, while steel grey hair is pulled awkwardly across his brow. He wears the livery of the Wardens whenever he is in Muselle, and rarely walks around unarmed.

Eynon Heilidhe

The Heilidhe clan has dominated the waterways in central Muselle for generations, playing a vital role as mediators and elders in the clan politics of the area. With the arrival and imposition of humans into Muselle, they were raised and recognized as a part of the new feudal hierarchy, given titles and privileges to formalize their influence. Eynon Heilidhe is perhaps the most important of his clan, an old Halfling who sits as its patriarchal head and leader. Granted the title of Baron by the King of Muerthe, his holdings are the town of Muselle itself. While officially under the control of the regional marquis, the title has still granted Eynon and his brood tremendous influence. Controlling river traffic and most of what happens in the city, the Heilidhe have used their position to usurp their former rival clans positions in the area. With the backing and support of the King of Muerthe, Eynon ensures that he always takes a cut of everything occurring in his realm, growing ever more powerful by the day. In working with the humans, and helping to repress his fellow Halflings, Eynon has earned the enmity of many Halflings across Muselle. Derogatorily called the “Master of Muselle” for his schemes of dominion, many seek to fight and subvert his influence within the realm. He is average height for a Halfling, with grey hair. He stoops when he walks, hunched over with age. A cruel smile is often on his lips, and his eyes dart around the room at all times.

Hugues Pisdoe

The Wardens are what passes for a watch in Muselle. Most are mercenaries or other sorts of brigands who either wandered into Muselle or were recruited elsewhere and sent there. They are entirely a regional force, dealing with very little oversight into their actions, and officially given a limitless mandate by the marquis. All of this, combined with their low character, has created a very effective host for terror against the native Halfling populace. Crimes against humans are treated with priority, while Halflings are accused, belittled and even beaten in their own homes. Racism is rampant, accompanying Muerthe colonialism as it tries to fix the region up into something more resembling Osse. Chief of this force is Hugues Pisdoe, a petty nobleman from Pignan is the Routot lands who came to the Midlands for adventure some twenty years ago. His tenure with the Wardens has been a bloody one, as he has slowly normalized the culture that exists today among its ranks. Hugues himself is hated by the population, and several attempts on his life have failed. A tall man, he bears himself with noble distinction, wearing a certain pride and arrogance in every action he takes. He considers himself inherently better than practically everyone around him, and secretly believes he is the true power in the region, not the marquis.