Hearth

A proud halfling King began writing to his legal team.

https://youtu.be/S91wQbYYX3Q?si=oEruNTRwpBaZoXPv

A rather idle halfling King glanced up the the tear in the sky. "Oh aye, ye?"  Before opting to pack up his pipe and light it up, willing the cataclysm would sort itself out.

Crest designed by @_RoyalCrafter_

Our History

"Bring unto the realm halfling ire." These are the words of the crowned fox of the Collingwoods, a steadfast call to arms that echoed throughout the Kingdom of Haense when I, Cyris Collingwood, the first of his name- broke an oath to King Karl III in order to abandon the Shire of Honeyhill with the hope of granting my people, the Weefolk, a freedom they had not tasted since the evermore distant days of Dunshire.

The lineage of the Collingwood family stretches back to the ancient days of Atlas, though then we took a different name. In those distant times, my great grandfather, Glenn Collingvine, a valiant Knight of Knox, found himself wounded and maimed, seeking refuge in the Dominion of Malin to escape the ruthless hordes of September. It was there, amidst the care of the elves who tended to his injuries, that he encountered and ultimately married a young Ame woman, my great-grandmother, Arleigh Ainawood. Their daughter, my grandmother Arlen Collingwood, remains a mysterious figure, her presence fading from historical records after her youth. It can be assumed that at some point in her life, she crossed paths with my grandfather, and together they cultivated my mother, from a patch of Pumpkins no less.

It is said my mother was the spitting image of Knox himself, which raises several questions regarding her bone structure and general health- however, those are for another familial document; Through reasons that to this day evade me, she left when I was but a babe, leaving me in the care of my father, a distant, cold man- though protective of his own when it mattered; I miss him dearly. 

When I came of age the very avatar of the Pumpkin Lord himself appeared before me, on one of my frequent walks through the ever twisting brambled woodlands of Elvenesse- though what events transpired as a result of that fateful encounter can be found in the library under the 'Bramblebury' section. I do not regret the discourse my actions fueled- while to this day the Peregrins hold their grudges- we are under the control of Arugula's puppet no longer and even they cannot deny Knoxscalibur's aurum blade scorched its tainted hide, but I digress. 

Since the days of Honeyhill our family has flourished beyond simply myself and those before me- we have grown into something greater; As the records now stand we are the largest family in the Shire. Knox's magic flows through our veins stronger than ever, as does the knightly courage and honour of our ancestors; With these gifts at our side, the Shire shall know peace for centuries to come- under our crown, whomever's heavy head it shall rest upon…

Our Virtues & Traditions

• The Collingwood family upholds the value of integrity above all else. For us, once a promise is made, it becomes an unbreakable commitment that we honour by any means necessary. Our family name is synonymous with unbroken trust, a quality that strengthens our resolve to fulfil Knox's will and safeguard the Weefolk. 

• In our possession, we have heirlooms passed down by the head of our family, symbols to remind our successors of our legacy and the values they are expected to uphold.  

• Our sigil, a fox adorned with a golden crown, represents our noble and resilient nature. We embrace the cunning and resourcefulness of the fox, embodying its traits as we navigate challenges. Its crown signifies our noble lineage and the Knox-given authority we wield with honour and integrity. Bravery, honour, and trustworthiness are the cornerstones of our character. 

We constantly strive to embody these virtues, guiding our actions and interactions. Through upholding these principles, we seek to create an environment where the Weefolk can flourish under our protection. Our ultimate goal is to foster a Shire that reflects our values and enables the growth and prosperity of those we hold dear.

Our Faith

Foremost and above all, the Collingwood family remains unwavering in their loyalty to the Pumpkin Lord, Knox. Amidst recent whispers painting the fiend Arugula as some supposed harbinger of justice, we raise our voices in defiance, declaring such notions as blasphemy. Let it be known to all that the Pumpkin Lord is the one true patron of the Weefolk, and no heretical Arugulean Cultists shall divert our unwavering commitment to this eternal truth. Our allegiance rests solely with Knox and Knox alone. May his shadowy radiance forever guide our steps and illuminate our path. 

Our Blood

Excluding the many that have been adopted into our noble family of course; The Collingwoods have through countless generations clung to a few distinctive, physical traits that set us apart from our fellow weefolk.

1. Our children are most commonly born with hair as black as the night and as thick as the sheaves that scatter Knox's golden wheat fields.

2. Collingwoods possess irises of varied colours, as is reflected in our heraldic crest of silver, blue and gold. 

3. Our lineage boasts a delicately defined bone structure, a testament to the fairness of our most distant ame ancestors. 

4. Notably, even among the halflings, our shorter stature stands as a beacon of distinction, an enduring mark of our most proper halfling blood. 

These defining characteristics, interwoven into our bloodline by the hands of time, are treasured reminders of the indomitable spirit that courses through our veins. As the Collingwoods journey forth, may these traits continue to unify and distinguish us as a resilient and noble family.

Our Heirlooms

While our family has persisted for shorter a time than most, we have acquired many treasures and trinkets throughout our time in this realm, some simple keepsakes- others powerful magical artifacts that should never fall into the wrong hands. I, Cyris, feel it necessary to catalogue them- to ensure that they are not lost to history, or to theft.

• Knoxscalibur - The Shovel of our Kin, granted to I, Cyris, by the Pumpkin Lord Knox. It's Aurum blade has scorched the false idol's retched hide, and has slewn many more creatures of the night. May it serve my descendants well, for the world is vast and full of monsters.
• The Collingwood Crown - A trinket, and all I have to remember my mother by. It's origins are hence unknown, though it serves a symbol of our divine obligation to protect those that would call us royal.
• Frogtopia's Favour - A  golden medallion, gifted by one of the founding chieftains of Frogtopia in the days of Honeyhill, following the victory against the Spider Queen by myself and the honorable Breasal Nimblefoot. A reminder of our friendship with both him, and the many frogs he- as frogkempt- protects.
• The Time Scythe - A dangerous and powerful relic, pried from the scheming hands of Watermelon-Joe, I daren't imagine what destruction could be wrought should it's nature be discovered by any that hold ill-will, hence it shall be kept from this record.
• The King's Shield - A personal keepsake from the Mori-Siege of Norland in Almaris, it held back many a blow as I lead the charge to take back the inner-chambers of the city's walls, preventing a flank from underneath what forces remained atop it's ramparts.

A Closing Word of Advice

Do not mistake our kin's gilded exterior as superiority, the Great Farmer made all of us as equal folk, the duty of our family is to protect such. Heavy is the head that dons the crown, as the rest of the world shall see it as it is seen amongst the realms of men, though we know better than to put ourselves above others, wield the influence it shall bring within the realms of men and elves to deter foreign mingling amongst our folk, there may come a time when Emperors, or Biggun Kings shall try and subjugate our folk once more, wield the crown of our kin as a tool to show that we do not need them. Knox has granted us our freedom and we shall protect it fiercely, lest our Shiredom crumbles and our people are driven to obscurity once more...

"Bring Unto The Realm Halfling Ire"

-House Collingwood-

+1 There's already Kha druids. I mean- I don't see any reason they'd not be able to

This is so ******* cool. Best way to guarantee roleplay without axing small relams.

The King of the Wee read the warrant with a disappointed sigh. "Shoul' harm come tae Minty our kin will beh friends no more. Add 'tat tae t' court record."

Whatever system you devise, bare in mind that activity checks won't allow smaller realms to grow. Bywater wouldn't have had a chance to become the size it is now if it was constantly under pressure. Go easy on the little guys, so that they might become something better in time. If they're absolutely dead- then by all means send the ruination team in.

Or- and hear me out here...

"Welp, tere goes my plans for t' weekend." A pious halfling king mused.

Didnt read, upvoted.

Just now, Xarkly said:

 

Public activity is a wild idea. I think I remember this was a thing back on Axios, and I think it would actually work better than activity checks. I think we'd see a return of nations trying to dunk on each other because one of them has more people at X time, but there's no flawless solution either. Not a bad idea at all.

 We'd certainly see alot more raids. But I mean- that's extra conflict roleplay. 

2 hours ago, squakhawk said:

I'll bully them because they are short but Halflings are an example, with functioning vassals last map, and getting a settlement right at fuckin cloud temple which was still mostly empty after being told by Llir they'd get an exception where they couldn't expand and could just exist, to now this map them owning a ton of tiles despite still being that same settlement (and were they to be conquested, i'm sure they'd just get another settlement, similar to how Nevaehlen has gotten one)

Dúnwen numero uno!!!!!11!!1
 

Patriotism aside, I agree that there are a lot of realms and that can drastically spread out roleplay to the point of it being hard to find- though instead of some grand nation purge or whichever brute force method may resolve this- I instead believe that centralization can be achieved by just- allowing players to know which realms are active by making the command public. They'll flock to the realms that actually have players and in turn those without will have little capability to pay their upkeep if they don't have a consistent and loyal playerbase. (Which should absolutely be increased because if the barefooted hill dwelling Communists can gather enough capital to support a realm the size that Dunfarthing is then it must be too cheap.) 

Cyris Collingwood nominates Cyris Collingwood!

The King of the Wee offered a simple bow of the head at the word of his Kinsman's demise. "We'll mee' again soon, Mistah Green. Oi will put ye' back together."

People o' Braevos!

'Er since th' defeat o' Iblees in t' ancien' days o' yore, th' Weefolk 've been a scattered people. Continen' after continent weh lay scattered in Shires a thousand farthin's apart, or worse, livin' as bigguns in t' countless cities 'n settlements o' th' other descendants. Billybob's kin forced aside as a secon' thought, for centuries even 'tose of us that gathered together were given no other option but vassalage 'n servitude under taller folk tat' saw nothin' o' us but a source o' farmed goods or worse targets o' simple plunder due to our sacred tradition o' leavin' no door sealed from our fellow kinsman.
 

To 'tat oi, Cyris! King of th' Wee, faithful servan' o' th' mighty protector chosen fer us by th' fifth brother Billybob, th' Pumpkin Lord Knox- say "Nae!".

To th' scattered Weefolk of the realm:

Come. Come! Heed me call, let Billybob's kin be a united people once more! In th' Shiredom of Dúnwen yeh shall be embraced wit' open arms, regardless o' what may haunt yer pasts. Abandon yer minae! Abandon yer shoes 'n weapons! Yeh'll not be needin' em. Become free from th' grasps o' biggun society, taxes, violence 'n greed! An' let Knox intae yer heart once more.

To th' descendants o' Horen, Krug, Urguan 'n Malin:

Th' Weefolk are a free people, hinder 'tem not from leaving yer cities- but shoul' 'tey desire to stay, do nae force 'tem out- instea' treat t' kin o' t' fifth descendant wit' th' dignity 'n respect 'tey deserve; Oi shan' tolerate my kin bein' tretten in any way but as yer equals. Dúnwen and it's tidings shall for'er be at yer doorstep shoul' yeh respect this request.

To my people, th' Halflins o' Dúnwen:

Fer too long have oi served as yer Thain, though et has been an honour- oi have been neglectin' my true duteh to Knox, an' th' Weefolk across th' Realm, not jus' within' our walls. Moi close companion, Mimosa- shall take up th' shovel her grea' grea' granpappy Rollo firs' lifted, un'er 'er wise guidance th' Shire shall thrive, o' 'tat much oi am sure.

Oi shall continue me duties as King, spreadin' t' tidings of Dúnwen's people across Breavos, keepin' th' most vulnerable o' Billybob's folk safe- an petitionin' fer peace among th' rest o' descendant kind.

Tae lighten me load, an' focus on dispensin' Knox's good word to th' people o' our Shire, oi reprise th' title o' High Pumplar, an' under th' authoriteh granted to me by Knox- bestow et upon th' most proper 'n respectable, Sister Dolly Peregrin, may sheh serve as ah beacon o' properness fer our good folk.

Wit' 'tat, oi bid yeh all adieu. Let et' be known to th' realm 'tat Billybob's kin have returned to 'tere former glory, as ah united people. Bowin' tae none but him an' our Guardian Knox, from now till th' end o' time.

Regards- His Majesty King Cyris Collingwood, the First, the Second. Former Thain of Dúnwen.

Name: King Cyris Collingwood I, II

Race: Halfling

Your vote for Sheriff (choose one):

Breasal Nimblefoot ( x )

Mister PADRIC Applebottom-Peregrin ( )

Your vote for Mayor (choose one):

Ser Do’Spuds Loa’chil ( )

The Wizard Magnolia ( x )

Name: King King Cyris Collingwood the First, the Second.
Race: Clo- Halfling
Pick for Sheriff: Mimosa Applefoot
Pick for Mayor: Bob the Turtle

There is merchant roleplay? I've seen a whole lot of it and my nation doesn't even use Minas internally. 

[!] In response a simple missive would be posted atop the oaken post of the Pinemaw Barn.

Eviction Notice

On the 10th of the Amber Cold,  Year 152 of the Second Age.

For the malpractice of undercutting both your neighbours within Barnsley and the agreed minimum market price of the Silver Merchant Sovereignty,

it is with great displeasure that the Trade Authority of Barnsley must order your eviction from the premises upon the Pumpkin Week's end.

We wish you luck in your future business ventures, sincerely,

The Farming Commune of Barnsley, on the behalf of  His Majesty King King Cyris Collingwood the First, The Second.

"Who t' feck bathes with clothes on, ta's t' real crime 'ere" A rather confused Halfling King mused.

[!] To the citizens of The Commonwealth of the Petra and those of Númendil, a grand missive was delivered, nailed to each and every sign-post, notice board and gatehouse.

The King's Road Begins

-------------------===={ + }====-------------------

For far too long, the winding roads of our realms have gone unplanned, unloved, and untouched. But today, I, Cyris, King of the Weefolk, am most honoured to make a monumental announcement on behalf of the citizenry of Dúnwen. We are putting an end to the neglect of fair Aevos' infrastructure. We begin this venture with the restoration of the Grand Bridge that once gracefully spanned Loch Dúin in centuries long past.

But this is just the beginning! The construction of the King's road is underway, a testament to our dedication to Dúnfarthing and her neighbours. From the bridge's head, a grand brick road, meticulously crafted from chiseled stone, will stretch westward, reaching all the way to the distinguished borders of the Commonwealth of the Petra. It is my heartfelt plea to our neighbors in Númenost and of the Petra to seize this diplomatic opportunity. Let us, together, establish a dignified, travel-convenient, and, above all, cooperative connection among the Eastern nations.

This is no small undertaking for my kin, and I recognize the challenges that lie ahead for all of us. However, armed with determination, a hunger for grandeur, and a shared vision, our realms shall, at long last, be linked in a way that will leave an indelible mark on history. Let the world take note of this proud moment!

-=+=-

Sincerely, His Royal Majesty King King Cyris Collingwood the first, the second.

Thain of Dunfarthing and her vassals, Protector of the Wee, Lord of Greater Bramblebury, Honeyhill and the Hillmen. Father of Foxes, Liberator of Frogtopia, Slayer of Gods,  The Oathbreaker, Grand Wizard of Bogwartz: School of Shamanism and Housemagery, Tamer of the Forest, Chairman of the League Of Super Best Friends, Wielder of most holy Knoxscalibur, Emperor of the Holy Orenian Empire of Bywater, Shogging Champion, Attorney at law.