Ludlow & Wigmore - Earldom of March

**Dirty Chai** · February 12, 2017, 06:08 AM

Ludlow, Shropshire & Wigmore, Herefordshire

Current Earl of March: Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March (also 6th Earl of Ulster)
Location: Ludlow is located in province #9 of Shropshire; Wigmore is in northern Herefordshire, just miles away

Here lies the main residence of the Mortimer family in England and Wales, where the Earls of March have made their home for generations.

Regional Bonus Welsh Marches: Shropshire is the where much of the Mortimer estates are located; a powerful family of marcher lords. Those who hold their primary estates here get -10% troop recruitment and upkeep costs.

Provincial Bonuses Shrewsbury: Built out of red sandstone on a hill overlooking one of the River Severn's bends, Shrewsbury Castle makes for an impressive seat of power for the Earls of Shrewsbury and a sharp warning to any Welsh raiders looking for easy pickings in past centuries. Shrewsbury's town walls extend from it, further insulating the entire settlement from outside attack. That said, it doesn't have the most successful history - King Stephen's forces succeeded in storming it during the Anarchy, and Llywelyn the Great also took it in 1215. +3 Siege rolls, -3 Raid rolls, and if the outer walls were to fall the defenders can hold out in its keep for half a year (3.5 days).

Ludlow: One of the first stone castles to be constructed in England, this imposing fortress has stood on the Welsh border for centuries as a foreboding symbol of English power and authority. It is the principal seat of the Mortimer Earls of March, the foremost among the marcher lords in power and wealth. +4 Siege rolls, -4 raid rolls, and if the outer walls were to fall the defenders can hold out in its keep for half a year (3.5 days).

Lordships & Manors

Yearly Wealth Poor (red): £200 per annum
Sparse (orange): £250 per annum
Average (yellow): £300 per annum
Prosperous (light green): £350 per annum
Rich (dark green): £400 per annum

Poor: 1 x £200 = £200
Sparse: 4 x £250 = £1,000
Average: 5 x £300 = £1,500
Prosperous: 3 x £350 = £1,050
Rich: 0 x £400 = £0

Total Yearly Income (unmodified): £3,750
Modifiers to apply: +35%
Total Modified: £5,062

With Earldom of Ulster: £5,062 + £2,750 = £7,812

Infrastructure I. Tenant Homesteads: +10% estate income
II. Rented Properties: +15% estate income
II. Market Charters: +10% estate income, +1 AI interactions with Burghers

**Lucius Malfoy** · February 16, 2017, 08:05 PM

A letter arrives by courier to Ludlow Castle. The messenger carries the livery of the Hastings family, who were presently the Earls of Pembroke in Wales.

To my Lord Mortimer,

I write to you upon a most auspicious topic. As the present Earl of Pembroke, I, John Hastings, am without a proper and lawful wife who can help me continue the legacy of my father and grandfather. My kinsmen have spoken highly of the Mortimer family, particularly, your beloved sister, Phillippa. As such, I offer you a union between our two houses, joined together by offer of being a suitor and husband to your sister. I hope that this proposal meets your approval and that our two noble houses can be joined together by the happiness of marriage.

Signed,
John Hastings
Earl of Pembroke, Baron Hastings, Baron Manny and Baron Abergavenny

**Lucius Malfoy** · February 17, 2017, 08:46 PM

A reply from the Earl of Pembroke comes by courier. With this messenger, however, came a score of gifts. Some of them were clothes of fine Italian design, others were artifacts of French craftsmanship along with a set of English boar spears for hunting. The Earl of Pembroke seemed to shower gifts upon, not only the Lady Philippa, but also the Lord Mortimer himself.

To the Lord Steward of Ludlow,

You honor me and my family with such approval. I shall plan a visit to the family castle once the turmoil of our realm has subsided. Until then, I shall await the day that I will be able to see the Lady Philippa.

I ask that you accept these tokens of appreciation and gratitude on behalf of my family.

Signed,
John Hastings [titles attached]

**Lucius Malfoy** · February 19, 2017, 06:36 PM

With the war still far away, a message arrived, bearing word that the Lord Hastings was coming to see Lady Philippa and her kin at Ludlow Castle. Not two days later would their party be seen approaching the castle, a long train of retainers, knights and fellow members of John Hastings extended family. Riding at the front was the Earl of Pembroke himself, who was accompanied by his older cousins, Sir John Hastings and Sir Edward Hastings, who were his cousins by his deceased uncle.

The young Hastings sits idly upon his stallion as Sir Edward approaches the gatehouse, announcing their arrival and intentions. Quietly, the Lord Pembroke awaits a response.

**Dirty Chai** · February 21, 2017, 05:17 AM

Ludlow was a sizable fortress - it had two layers, in fact, with two large yards. It was also old, though kept in shape by its masters. To the south was Wigmore, some miles away, the ancestral home of the Mortimers - but it was small, even older, and the nearby abbey was only a reminder of death and ancestors if nothing else.

The Hastings' were let through the gatehouse without much of even a look from the guards - the gate had been long open before they even arrived. Inside the first yard - which was a crescent-shaped, sloping green - were a handful of men training horses to the left and some archers pelting goose feathers into haystacks on the right. They ascended further, the earl's horse reins led gently by a grey old footman (ie, a doorman), and the upper keep's gatehouse was also open for them. On the other end the footman, panting slightly, stepped aside, and a blonde haired man stepped forward, well dressed with a flat, dark hat.

"Be welcome, my lord Pembroke" said the steward, de la Mare.

**Lucius Malfoy** · February 21, 2017, 06:39 PM

The Lord Pembroke marveled at the craftsmanship put into Ludlow Castle. He remembered reading some texts about it, how the fortress was originally constructed by the Norman family, de Lacy, before it eventually fell into the hands of the Mortimers through marriage. He could see that the castle had age and history within its walls, yet there was a sense of tranquility within this mighty fortress that served as the home for the Mortimer family. Once he was led into the upper gatehouse, John and his cousins dismounted and proceeded towards the Steward of Ludlow Castle.

My good steward, you are a lucky man to be in service to the Mortimer family and to look over such a marvelous castle. I feel as if I am in Camelot!

The young John Hastings had light brown hair and blue eyes. His young features were without blemish nor scar from aging. His smile was charismatic and his tone was kind. Yet he was easily overshadowed by his more reserved and robust cousins.

These are my cousins, good Steward. The eldest is Sir John, the middle is Sir Hugh, and the youngest is Sir Edward, all descended from my great-grandfather, the 2nd Baron Hastings.

**Dirty Chai** · February 22, 2017, 05:12 AM

"Good, good," the steward said, nodding with a smile to each of them as they were introduced, "Room shall be made out for each of you in the halls. In the meantime, my lord Pembroke, would you like to meet with the young lady Philippa? She is with her nurses and servants, in the upper solars, and has requested that you come entreat with her once you are settled."

**Lucius Malfoy** · February 22, 2017, 10:07 AM

Lord Pembrokes nods to his cousins, as two of them depart to be situated in their rooms. The eldest, Sir John, remained with his cousin however.

I will be more than happy to see the Lady Philippa. I hope to present a gift to her in person, in fact.

He would reach into his pocket, putting out a fine box. Within it was a finely crafted necklace. From the craftsmanship, it appeared to be Italian.

**Dirty Chai** · February 23, 2017, 06:16 AM

When the young Earl of Pembroke was shown the way to the waiting young lady, he found her in a long but narrow solar with her back to a large window which overlooked the courtyard below. She was surrounded by a few servants, two girls who seemed of similar age to her, and two young women with coifs over their hair suggesting they were recent brides.

Philippa was a slight girl, a small thing. She was dressed in a green dress - only faintly dyed so - and her hair was braided in a conservative fashion that was considered fanciful decades ago - the wet nurses with their wide hips were likely to blame. She had a color of hair that was lighter than her siblings, closer to the red leaves of autumn then to its bark.

She and her two peers - daughters of knights, perhaps - had needles in their hands and little circles of cloth. The young girl looked quite curious and bright-eyes as the Earl of Pembroke, who had come to woo her, approached.

**Lucius Malfoy** · February 23, 2017, 06:55 PM

The Earl of Pembroke would politely come into view, remaining silent until the Lady Mortimer turned to him. John Hastings removes his cap, bowing to Philippa, not as a lord to his liege, but in the way that a man should always respect a lady. His cousin, Sir John, was more rigid in his bow, more a soldier's attempt at bowing, when they feel like they should salute. Lord Hastings would offer a smile to Philippa.

My Lady Phillipa, I am the Earl of Pembroke, John Hastings. I hope that I am not disturbing you, my lady, for you seem occupied.

Any sort of manners acquired through tutoring were certainly not from Sir John, but one of this other cousins or a proper tutor that taught him etiquette.

**Dirty Chai** · February 26, 2017, 02:58 AM

"Nonsense," she dismissed the apology with a high-strung voice, all while glancing with apprehension at the older man beside the Earl.
She then looked back to young lord and tried to altogether ignore the presence of the older, harder man.

"I am quite happy that you have come to call upon Ludlow, my lord Hastings, for it is so boring here sometimes," she said, halting the needlework in her lap, though she sounded a little unsure of her guests.

**Lucius Malfoy** · February 26, 2017, 10:46 AM

I could hardly believe the sight of Ludlow, my lady. It is unlike any castle I have ever seen.

John Hastings would then reach inside his clothes, pulling out the promised gift to the Lady Mortimer. He offers it to Philippa, yet a servant would take it and bring it to her.

I hope you will accept this gift in the spirit of our first meeting. It is hard to find a gift for such a highborn lady of a house like yours. I hope it will please you immensely.

**Dirty Chai** · February 27, 2017, 01:30 AM

She took it out of the box as a servant held it for her.
"How beautiful it is," Philippa looked quite surprised, "How kind of you, my lord, I shall have to wear it soon."

After the necklace disappeared back into the box and the box disappeared itself into another room, the young lady changed the subject.

"Tell me about Pembroke, lord earl."

**Lucius Malfoy** · February 28, 2017, 11:44 AM

Pembroke is nothing like your home in Ludlow, but it is indeed a grand castle. Built by Norman Lords and expanded by many another families till mine inherited it.

The Lord Pembroke ponders upon the castle, thinking of its features and architecture of the fortress.

The Marshals are the ones who truly made it the castle it is today. It still holds a Norman-style enclosure castle, yet it displays modern features. It is home nonetheless and stands as a great castle to the Norman and English presence within Wales.

Hastings would smile lightly, thinking upon the home of his family for the past three generations.

I hope that, someday, you will come to enjoy Pembroke as much as Ludlow. It will certainly provide all your needs and see to every bit of hospitality that my family can offer.

**Dirty Chai** · February 28, 2017, 01:46 PM

Philippa shifted uncomfortably.
"But what about the land around it? Isn't Pembroke along the ocean?"

**Lucius Malfoy** · February 28, 2017, 06:14 PM

"Indeed, milady. Pembroke and my family's lands rest upon the southwestern tip of Wales that stretches towards the seas. Sometimes in the early morning you can hear the gulls far off at the shores. The seas are plentiful and thus each harvest, there is a grand amount of fish caught. All of different sizes and colors. I even once saw a crab the size of my head when I was a child. What a fascinating creature it was to see."

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

**Dirty Chai** · February 28, 2017, 06:23 PM

"Oh," the girl sounded quite in awe, "Can you see Ireland from the shores? I hear you can see Picardy from Kent on a clear day."

She had an almost sing-song rhythm to her voice when she became interested in something. An imaginative girl, the servants would say.

**Lucius Malfoy** · March 01, 2017, 03:46 PM

John smiles at the young Philippa, seeing her interest had been garnered.

"I have not seen it, but there is a local tale that on the clearest of days, when the sun is at its peak, one can gaze out at the sea to witness a thin green line upon the horizon that stretches for miles. The green of the Emerald Isle, a shade that is remarkable to see upon the blue waters."

He keeps smiling at the young Mortimer female, already seeing how she enjoyed such details.

"Perhaps someday it can be witnessed, this very rare sighting. It would be worthwhile, wouldn't you agree, Lady Philippa?"

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**Dirty Chai** · April 01, 2017, 02:56 AM

The Earl of March had been living in Wigmore for a time, in Herefordshire, through the winter of 1394 and 1395, choosing to trade the busy capital for the open air hunting grounds of the west country. The Haywood, or Hay of Hereford, was to the south, creating a boundary between the old de Bohun marches to the south and the Mortimer marches to the north. Everything was older here, the fortresses, the manors, the forests, the hills.. the people, even. It seemed as if every other farmer's sons had all marched off to London or to greater things - such as they were.

Wigmore was of white stonework, just as pale as the horses in Wiltshire (which Roger had made a point of seeing on his ride out west). It was an ancient construction originally, a pinnacle of a motte being the central dominating feature of the fortress. A small keep sat the crest of it, enclosing a handful of buildings smashed together into one fine palace; on the side facing outwards, its walls reached up twice as high, forming a central holdfast large enough to keep the lord from harm, if no one else. The bailey sat across another layer of walls, with the great hall (a significant feature, shaped like a chapel) standing alongside the middling wall, perched on top of a high, steep mound of its own. A moat (better described as a pond) followed the bailey beyond a fatter set of walls and a wooden, expendable bridge of narrow make stretched across the deep chasm to a final ring wall. Under this ring wall the pond-moat drained out in a stream which ran underneath another bridge, which in turn led to the village - which, though only composing a few households, had a wooden stockade surrounding it.

On this day, Roger Mortimer had wrangled with what to do with himself. It seemed the most indecisive day yet of his entire life; by noon, he had already left his family's apartments three times to go hunting, only to turn back around and hurriedly return before even crossing the flying bridge to the village. He took a long bath in the hours following noon and spent the early evening regretting not having spent his day out in the forest.

However, this time, the screaming - the wailing - was halted this time by smaller cries, high-pitched. Demanding. Roger stood up from the bench in the hallway of the eastern wing of the keep, a veil seeming to lift off of his shoulders; he hesitated for a moment, numbed, before striding into the room, ignoring the half-protest of a maid.

**Oznerol** · April 01, 2017, 12:05 PM

Eleanor was in bed, her hair loose and sweaty. She looked tired after a long day of labour, how else could she be, but the Holland was seemingly oblivious of her own exhaustion and was looking at the baby held by a midwife, the baby was naked, exposed to the mother's gaze as it was customary before he was wrapped up tighly with linen clothes. Eleanor notices her husband's arrival.

"Look by yourself, Roger. It's a boy!"

She said. The countess was radiant, graced by motherhood and joy.

Thread: Ludlow & Wigmore - Earldom of March

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