Baronial Province of Anskaven

This article is about the province. For the city and its capital, see Anskaven.

Baronial Province of Anskaven
Capital	Anskaven
Population	>70,000 (MS 5000)
Foundation	c. MS 3447
Country	Sommerlund
Region	Northern Magnamund
Planet	Magnamund
Plane of Existence	Aon
Politics
Ruler	Baron Avan Caldar (MS 5080)
Noble title	Baron of Anskaven

The Baronial Province of Anskaven is a region of Sommerlund, located in the north. Its capital is Anskaven, where the Sommlending first arrived on Magnamund.

History

Between MS 3250 and MS 3400, Archlord Vashna began marching east across the Durncrag Mountains, seeking to conquer the land that would later become Sommerlund. One outpost, banned by Giaks and Doomwolves, was created south of Anskaven Bay. In MS 3434, the Sommlending disembarked from the Great Voyage, landing in Anskaven Bay, naming it "Anskaven", meaning "Our Harbour" in Old Sommlending. The Sommlending then engaged this outpost in the Battle of Anskaven Plain, soundly defeating them and inflicting the first human defeat on the Darklords in nearly 400 years.

This caught the attention of the Drakkarim of Dejgazad, and Warlord Zangar, its commander, sent his elite troops to meet them. In the Lagan Marshes, on the coast south of Anskaven, the two forces fought the Battle of Lagan Marches, with the Sommlending victorious. As the Drakkarim fled, Archlord Vashna attempted to cover their retreat with a swarm of Crypt Swarm, which the Sommlending bravely stood their ground against, and Magicians, who later founded the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star, destroyed them with electrical storms. The Sommlending later pursued the Drakkarim all the way to Dejgazad, defeating them in the Battle of Dejgazad, and driving the Darklands forces back beyond the Durncrag Mountains.

The Sommlending then began to settle the land, establishing the great cities of Holmgard, Toran, Tyso and Anskaven. Admiral Dundir Caldar was made the first Baron of Anskaven as a reward for his role in battle.

In MS 3550, parts of the Kaltersee froze over, and the Kirlundin Isles became linked to Kalte. The Ice Barbarians began to settle south, and Baron Daemar Caldar observed them from afar. He undertook several campaigns to explore Kalte and negotiate with the Ice Barbarians, eventually leading to the construction of the neutral trade port of Ljuk.

During the Age of the Sun Star, Anskaven lost its status as the most important trading port, overtaken by Toran and Holmgard; however, it remained an important port, retaining much of its wealth, and still had the largest fishing fleet in all of the Lastlands.

Around MS 4950, the Xargath began appearing in the Kaltersee, halting all fishing activity in the area.

In MS 5000, Baron Velo Caldar ordered the doubling of naval patrols in responses to naval raids by the Darklands, and hoped that the Order of the Kai would undertake a dangerous spying mission in the Gulf of Helenag, to gather intelligence about the port of Argazad.

During the Darklands War, Anskaven and the northern coast were blockaded by the Darklands by naval forces from an upgraded port of Argazad.

In MS 5080, during the events of Wolf's Bane, the titular character Wolf's Bane, a Jahksa of Lone Wolf, landed in Anskaven, masquerading as the real Lone Wolf. Wolf's Bane murdered the men of Baron Avan Caldar, and then went on a rampage in Sommerlund, attempting to assassinate Banedon, and failing to do so, burnt down the Guildmaster's Hall; Wolf's Bane later travelled to Tyso, leaving destruction and chaos in his wake. The real Lone Wolf arrived eighteen days later, and was promptly imprisoned, until his identity was verified by a Platinum Amulet.

Geography

The Province of Anskaven is located in the north-east of Sommerlund, on the coast of the Kaltersee. The Baronial Confederation of Toran lies to the west, and the County of Tyso to the south. Across the Kirlundin Straits to the east lies the Kirlundin Isles, and north of the Kaltersee lies Kalte.

Settlements and places of interest

The Province of Anskaven has the following settlements:

• City of Anskaven
• Lancelar
• Combay
• Slate Cove
• Hulst
• Jadin Cove
• Icy Point
• Drumfield
• Crowoode
• Pinestar
• Emerton
• Raditch
• Monksey

Politics

Nobility

See also: Baron of Anskaven

The Province of Anskaven is ruled by the Baron of Anskaven. The latest known ruler of Anskaven is Baron Avan Caldar as of MS 5080.

In MS 5000, the vassals were:

Vassal	Domain(s)
House Lancelar	Lancelar (Fryearl) and Combay (Knight of the Realm)
House Slate	Slate Cove (Fryearl) and Hulst (Fryearl)
House Jadinar	Jadin Cove (Count)
House Drumfield	Drumfield (Fryearl), Crowoode (Fryearl), and Pinestar (Knight of the Realm)
House Emerton	Emerton (Fryearl) and Raditch (Fryearl)
House Monksey	Monksey (Fryearl)

Additionally, Icy Point was governed by Major Col Fiskall.

Government and law

The Baron is responsible for implementing the laws of Sommerlund. This is deferred to the Lord Constable, who in turn defers it to the High Judge, who oversees the Magistratum, a panel of lesser judges.

The punishments for violating the law are similar to those of the County of Tyso. These are:

Treachery

Death by drowning

Murder

Death by hanging, often commuted to imprisonment in the cases of a single murder with mitigating circumstances

Piracy

Death by hanging

Deception

Long sentence of hard labour on Kirlu

Theft

Fine or incarceration

If the theft involves Crown property, the right hand may be amputated

All other lesser crimes

Incarceration, fine, or both

In the gamebooks

The Province of Anskaven is briefly visited in Wolf's Bane. The player, as Lone Wolf, is arrested at the start of this gamebook, as Wolf's Bane, a Jahksa, had caused chaos in his guise. The player leaves Anskaven soon after.