Barony of Ravenswood

History
Named for the Elven Lord Vincent Ravenswood - who in service to the King was given the land and title as reward for services (though he was forced to change his name, having formerly been Gwynfor). Despite his service the King did not wish to bestow prime lands upon a pointy-eared bastard who would live longer than him, and so he was given rights to the south section of lands called the Rottwood. White, leafless trees called casuarina trees grew there, and the soil was red.

Refusing this gift would be death. Not attempting to use the land would be an insult, and would mean death. Lord Ravenswood had no choice but to try and establish himself there…  And establish he did. As it turns out, the wood from the white trees was incredibly strong, and made for the finest spears, fences, and buildings. The red soil - though no reason for its appearance could be found - was incredibly fertile, and the only place the casuarina trees can grow.

As a result, Ravenswood became a powerhouse in Vanigar, and the Barony’s capital city of Moonbarrow housed the Kingdom’s only elven nobility.

Local Lore and Culture
In one of the few ways that people under Lord Ravenswood could insult the King for his underhanded attempt at dooming their Lord with the gift of title and land, they chose to make Elven the only accepted language. Lord Ravenswood pretended to ignore it - and by the time it became a problem for some merchants dealing in the Barony, Lord Ravenswood claimed there was nothing he could do about - he could hardly force people to change their dialect.