The Maddlows lived in The Ruins of Maddlow Castle (23.19)
The Maddlows once ruled over all the Witch Clans. The Maddlows had the frightening power to place geases at will, and they used this to control the other clans of the mountains. If all the Clans had been perfectly united, they likely could have conquered the Duchy of Thring, but fortunately the Maddlows’ power was precarious. A geas can only ever force the victim to carry out one task, and it must have a time limit. Therefore, the Maddlows were constantly worried about the other clans turning on them, and the Maddlow patriarch was in turn worried that his own kin would turn upon him. This also explains why the castle was never fully built - each Maddlow suspected the others of inserting secret doors and traps into the design.
All this came to an end in the time of Ban the Clever, founder of the town of Banshot (26.20). While travelling over the mountains, Ban and his four companions were captured by the Maddlows and geased into service. However, Ban managed to play on the Maddlow King’s paranoia and convinced him to geas all the other Maddlows to travel to the far borders of the Shrouded Lands so that they couldn’t steal his throne. After the rest of the Maddlows were gone, Ban’s party escaped while the Maddlow King was gassed to death by a disgruntled Dunger (25.17).
Connections
- Simon Maddlow lives in exile in the Shuttered City and is employed laying geases on travellers at its gates (29.14.17).