House Winnor

House Winnor is a fiefdom located in the Westernfold. The house and its people are an old one, founded shortly after the coronation of Krenbald by Lord Erim Winnor, First of His Name. The family’s bloodline has remained true since and continues the tradition of feudalism within it’s lands, ownership of the land may only stay within the Winnor family name and all decisions are decided by the current head of the house. The house is currently run by Ser Erim Winnor, Second of his name, proudly named after the original founder of the house.

The origins of House Winnor lie within the town River’n’side, Lord Erim Winnor began life as a farmer and stable hand and was soon appointed as a leader.The town began to thrive under his ownership and soon expanded, this was recognised by the crown and Erim was soon appointed as owner of the majority of the villages in and around the area known as the Jerile Mountains, His competency within the role soon lead to him becoming ruler of the entirety of The Western Fold. The prominance of the goat in the coat of arms reflects the family's farming past.

Wealth
House Winnor is well established and has a reasonable sum of wealth, they are well known for their productive farms and exceptional horses. These are sold and exported all throughout the kingdom of Mercania. However due to recent in house rivalry the steady flow of income has started to become disrupted.

The Western Fold
The Western Fold is a large area of land situated in the west of Mercania, it covers an area which consists of a small crop of mountains, The Jerral Mountains, and a set of sprawling plains, The Golden Fields, aptly named due to their fertility. well known for its abundance of horses you will often find untamed teams of them roaming freely. Many villages and settlements are set up within the Fold, these are primarily made up of Farmers and are the backbone of the region.

House Winnor currently owns the entirety of the western fold and has done so for many years however recently there has been a power struggle with Ser Erim Winnor and his youngest brother Brion.

The People
The People of the Western Fold are a hardy bunch, the majority of people live off of the land and perform agricultural work. Being a feudal society there is a strict hierarchy in place, the poor work the fields, the middle class tend to the animals, the wealthy take part in trade. Horses play an important role in their society, ownership of a horse requires conscription into the military and it is common practice to breed horses with other families.

The people here hold many ancient traditions that are carefully followed by all members of society, one of the more obscure rituals is "The Passing of The Goat" this ritual happens prior to the harvest and requires the head of house to take one Goat from 5 of the villages in the fold, these goats are then periodically thrown over the ledge of the castle, Palens Watch, in front of a large gathering of people. Soon after the remains are gathered and a large communal feast is had in the castle hall.

Military
The Military strength of the house is mostly focused on light cavalry and skirmishers. They tend to field very little infantry and it is a rarity to see heavily armoured troops other than the elite few that join the House Guard.

Common armaments include, short bows, spears, round shields, and short swords.

Religion
The people of the fold are devout followers of the mother aspect of The Septenary. Idols and shrines to the mother can be found in all reaches of the fold, the people hold many feasts, rituals, and festivals in her honour in hopes that she will bring them the next bountiful harvest.

House Relationships
House Winnor have striven to keep good relations with the other factions that surround the fold. The most prominent of these friendships is with House Taahiema, though culturally very different House Winnor aided them in their struggles to survive in the harsh deserts, this relationship has bloomed and the faction often aid one an other in affairs.