Connects to: 04.06, 14.09, 18.10, 29.01, 29.14.14, 29.14.16, 31.04, 36.04, 37.01, 43.03 and the Kingwood.
Overview
All of the keeps of the Land of the Night Cattle are well away from the woods, except the one inhabited by Lord Olmsted and his daughters. Any trade or communication with the elves of the Kingswood must go through the half-elven Lord Olmsted, who is said to be a great-great-grandson of the Bloodied King himself – though almost all requests are denied without any recourse.
The destination of many of the caravans traveling the Welt Road, Olmsted Keep is a somber, squat fortification sitting at the very edge of Kingswood. It is divided into three parts – the outer walls, the market yard, and the Olmsted manor.
The outer walls are sparsely defended by (confirmed) half-elven archers, as well as strong wards against magical attack that are renewed daily by the resident wizard Sala Olmsted.
The market yard is covered with layers of leather tarps, to blotch out sunlight, and managed by a metal-masked unseelie elf who refers to herself as “Faceless.” Others more commonly refer to her as “the Drow.” The Drow manages not just the yard, but trade between the lands of men and the elves of the Kingswood Court. It’s hard to miss the iron shackles binding her feet, but it’s a certainty that anyone who mentions them or stares too long are denied the right to trade.
The elven Court, through the Drow, barter for cows, leathers, finished metal goods, well-crafted jewelry (dwarven make is a favorite), as well as any unique treasures. In exchange they offer fae-wines, rare herbs with potent medicinal/arcane qualities, the mostly finely crafted bows and arrows, and charms. Most of the charms are simple contracts protecting the bearer from faerie mischief for a year and a day, but a few have more potent effects. Or at least they are touted as having more potent effects. Buyers beware when dealing with elf-goods.
Olmsted Manor is the fairly posh living quarters of the current Lord of the Keep, a half-elf who has seen three generations of men – Lord Zeem Olmsted. To become a member of Olmsted’s clan or retainers, a half-elf must journey under elf-sold license and protection to the Mirror Lake (37.01), and stare into its waters. If the petitioner is truly in equal parts both elf and man, the still waters of the Mirror Lake will bear no reflection. In this rare case, the Court declares the petitioner an Olmsted, and brands him or her with a moonsilver tattoo. He or she is now Olmsted and a resident of the manor.
Those who are less than pure are killed on the spot or taken away for mysterious purposes. It’s therefore rare for a half-elf outside of sons and daughters of the Keep to even make the attempt. Although there are always several Olmsteds within the Keep, several have made names for themselves as travellers and adventurers in the world beyond, Nara Olmsted (04.06) is one of these.
Location
- Silverhall: the Olmsteds have figured out how to use magical silver to prevent hangovers.
Connections
- Jerome Olmsted, the only son of Lord Olmsted lies dead within the nearby garden of Amelar (36.04).
- Lord Zeem Olmsted has placed a sizable bounty on Drogo the Barefaced (29.01).
- It is a little-known fact that Lord Zeem Olmsted is a wereman and transforms into Barnabus Bludenose when the moon is full (18.10).
- A troll who goes by the name Master Var (43.03) comes here every so often to sell his strange art.
- Zeem Olmsted once saught wisdom at the Temple of the Labyrinth (29.14.14).
- Burrin Olmsted, a minor member of the family, was seen near the lair of the Geas Easter (29.14.16).
- A clay golem with the Olmsted coat of arms (a phoenix gouging at its chest with its beak) is marching about the Freeholds (14.09) smashing anything in its path.
Hooks
- Why does Nara Olmsted live so far from her family’s domain (she’s the lieutenant of a small mercenary crew commanded by the bastard son of the lord of Cragsend)?
- What’s the deal with the Faceless?
- Now that Jerome has disappeared and is presumed (correctly) to be dead, who is the heir to the Keep?
