House Blackhorn

Arms and Words of House Blackhorn

Head Down, Hooves Flashing

Realm: The North
Liege: Lord Josian Wisent, Lord of Wisenwood
Lord: Ser Kromley Blackhorn, Master of Blackhorn Vale (age 68)
Lady: None
Heir: Ser Thomas Blackhorn (age 45)
Other Scions: Emma Blackhorn, wife to Ser Thomas (age 41)

• Thomas and Emma's children: Yasmin Cerwyn (age 24, wife to Ser Mallory Cerwyn), Ser Danyk Blackhorn (age 22), Ser Garwyn Blackhorn (age 17; in service to House Wisent, Marten (age 9)
  

Seat: Blackhorn Tower, Blackhorn Vale, southern portion of the Wolfswood
Age: Recent, in the time of the Blackfyre Rebellion

Traits

• Defense: 18
• Influence: 22
• Lands: 19
• Law: 19
• Population: 20
• Power: 32
• Wealth: 22

Defense

• Blackhorn Tower: X

Influence

Lord Kromley Blackhorn is the aging Lord of House Blackhorn. He took to his wife a minor noblewoman of the Tallhart line, one Ballia by name, though she passed nearly a decade ago of a winter fever.

Of all Blackhorn's children, only his second son, Thomas is alive and heir. Thomas is himself married to Lord Wisent's cousin Emma, and the two of them have four children: their eldest Yasmin (now married to a minor Cerwyn knight, their heir Danyk, Garwyn (currently a knight in service to Lord Wisent) and their youngest son Marten, at age 9.

Land

House Blackthorn possesses rich but mostly untouched lands. They possess a reputation as "hunter lords," and rightly so.

• Blackhorn Vale: A small, richly wooded portion of woods with a hamlet of crofters and woodsmen. (Plains; Lightly Wooded, Hamlet; 18)

Power

The military forces House Blackhorn can call upon are as follows:

• The Blackhorn Archers: Two units (200 total) of Veteran Archers. (16)
• Blackhorn Lancers: Two units (40 total) of Trained Cavalry. (16)

Wealth

House Blackhorn's investments include:

• Godswood of Blackhorn Vale: A godswood less than an hour's walk from Blackhorn Tower proper. (5)
• Artisan: The bowyers of Blackhorn Vale are well-known for the strength and quality of their bows and arrows. (10)

History

• Ascent: +6 Influence, +3 Lands, +6 Power, +4 Wealth

Lords of House Blackhorn

• Taenis Blackhorn (202 - 226 AL)
• Urdall Blackhorn (226 - 246 AL)
• Danyk Blackhorn (246 - 259 AL)
• Kromley Blackhorn (259 - 293 AL; Current Lord)

The Founding of Blackhorn

Taenis Blackhorn was a knight in the service of Korvan Wisent. The two were more than liege and knight, however - they were fast friends, and always fought side-by-side. House legend has that it was Taenis who helped his friend muster the men and the courage to go to war with his own brother, Lord Maegris Wisent, called "the Mad" by his own smallfolk and family. When the battle was over, and Maegris had cast himself from the battlements of his weirwood-constructed Palewood Tower, Korvan's first act as Lord Wisent was to raise Taenis to lord status as a vassal, and grant him part of the Wisent lands deeper in the Wolfswood. (Ascent: +6 Influence, +3 Lands, +6 Power, +4 Wealth)

Blackhorn Tower

Blackhorn Tower

Ground Floor

• Entrance: The entrance here is a set of massive double doors crafted of oak and set with the House arms. A small guard post (area marked G) is off to one side. Two guards trade off over a shift, one at the door, another in the guardroom, throughout the day.
• Lower Cellars: An extensive wine cellars, as well as a place to store salted and smoked meats. These cellars also have access to a well built into the foundations of Blackhorn Tower, providing clean, cool water year round. It also bears a small servant's staircase leading up to the upper cellars.

First Floor

• Barracks (G): The castle barracks houses up to a score of soldiers at any one time. They work in half-day (12 hour) shifts, ten to a shift, so there are never any more than ten soldiers here (and during the day many of them are out in the hamlet).
• Upper Cellars: The upper cellars are used for other kinds of storage, intending on being kept as dry as possible. Canned and jarred foods, dried fruits and containers of flours and other dry food goods are usually stored here.
• Larder: A storage and preparation area for food intended on being used in an upcoming meal, the larder is well-built, with stone slab thrawls for keeping food cool.

Second Floor

• Great Hall: The Blackhorn Great Hall is the heart of the tower. It features an elevated table in front of the great hearth nearest the kitchens, at which the family sits. There is also a lower table, with long benches, where the rest of the household sits and eats. At other times, tutors teaching children might be found here, or servants doing mending.
• Lord's Study: Just off the forward stair is a long room that holds the study of Lord Blackhorn. In it is not just the lord's desk with his various correspondence, but also several walls full of shelves with the family's archives of maps, letters, journals and books acquired over the years. This door is usually kept locked.
• Kitchens: The kitchens are constantly abustle with servants running up and down stairs to the cellars below, and preparing the next meal.

Third Floor

• Drawing Room: X
• Library: The family's library is here, with a variety of texts, maps and other books, most of which are considered appropriate for public viewing (unlike the materials in the Lord's Study). The children of the household take their lessons here.
• Bedrooms: There are two bedrooms here, one for the steward Markyn

Defenses

There are two shifts of men, ten soldiers to a shift. They are made up of five lancers and five archers. The Day Shift works from midnight to mid-day, and the Night Shift works from mid-day to midnight. They are stationed in the following posts:

• Door Guards: Two lancers man the door and guard post on the Ground Floor.
• Great Hall: Two lancers stand beside the front entry to the Great Hall.
• Drawing Room/Garret Guards: During daylight hours, there is a guard on the Drawing Room door; at night, the guard is moved to the Garret door.
• Rooftop Archers: Three archers patrol the walkway over the entrance, and another two keep watch at the back walkway.