(Sir Kern Tralek/Non-Canon game area)

Home to some 900-odd souls* (though considerably more on market days), Appleford is the largest town in the Barony of Torsleigh. Dominated by the motte and bailey castle that is Castle Torsleigh, the settlement has sprung up around the ford in the Apple River that lent the town its name. Chiefly famed in the local region for its apple orchards; the town is the producer of the finest cider for many miles around.

Appleford is, like many Albish towns, a fast-growing bastion of the merchant class and guildsmen and a lure for disaffected villeins from the surrounding countryside. Visitors to the town will see the full spectrum of Albish life spread out before them, from the wondrously magnificent houses of merchants and the fine hall of the guild, to the stinking, flea-ridden slums of the poor.

History

The ancient town of Appleford or Rhydafal (Ford of Apples) has stood astride the Apple River for over a thousand years. The story goes, that in ancient times, sacred apple-seeds were brought here from the fabled Cornumbrian Isle of Apples (Ynys Afal); the center of the Druidic Old Religion. The seeds were scattered upon the fertile soil of the river-banks and grew into the apple trees which eventually became the cultivated orchards of the area. Indeed the burgh of Rhydafal was once an important stop-over on the sacred way to Ynys Afal and many a King of old tarried here and made a sacrifice before passing northwards to the marshes and onwards to the sacred Isle. Selentine* writings dating from shortly after the invasion of Albion, corroborate the fact that a burgh still stood on this spot when the Legions arrived in the area finding, " fertile land surrounding a settlement gifted with apple trees in great abundance."

In the early days of the True Faith*, missionaries arrived in Albion*, tasked by the church with spreading the light of The True Faith* to the pagan savages of the area. A monastery was built near the site of the ford, to offer shelter, succour and instruction in the word of God and His Son, Gatanades* The Saviour, to travellers, wayfarers and the Albishmen and Cornumbrians that populated the area. It was no coincidence that the monastery was built across the hallowed ground of the Drudic compound, effectively 'acquiring' a place of pilgrimage from the Old Religion for the True Faith.

In the summer of the year 656 A.S., Mercanian* reavers raided the area, hoping to sack and loot the monastery which was rumoured to contain great wealth. Reaching the mouth of the Apple, the raiders rowed their dragon-prowed longships up the river, as far as the ford that lent its name to the town. The Mercanians* razed many of the wooden buildings to the ground, killing indiscriminately, whilst carrying off captives and livestock.

Many of the citizens sought refuge behind the walls of the monastery and were granted access to the fortified sanctuary. The monks themselves were in unmanned by the horrors perpetrated by the raiders, and after admitting the first group of refugees, barred and locked the gates of the monastery, leaving the rest of the locals, including many children, to the beastly ravages of the Mercanians*.

One monk, a brother of the order known as Hanric, spoke up in defiance of the abbot and his brother monks and when his pleas fell upon deaf ears, he himself opened the gates and strode forth, armed only with a wooden crucifix, ushering the local people inside the walls. The Mercanians* closely pursuing the locals and being posessed by a great battle rage, were killing indiscriminately.

Hanric, undeterred and with no thought for his own safety, stalked towards the oncoming Mercanian* raiders, saying defiantly, "Ye shal leve this plas to whens ye cam from. For the Saviour is the protector of the blessed childe. Ye shal notte pas unto this plas, for I do so avow it is forbade unto ye by God himselfe!"

With those bellicose words, he planted the crucifix into the very earth and stood, steadfast against the oncoming barbarians*. The Mercanians* only answer was to loose a hail of arrows at Brother Hanric, so that his flesh was pierced in many places and he was mortally wounded. And yet, Hanric was heard to invoke God's Holy Wrath to protect his flock, despite the fact that his life's blood was leeching away into the ground even as he did so.

Manuscripts from the time, chronicle was happened next, stating that "there cam forth frum the skie 'pon ye britest and faireste of sumer's days, a grate storm of fire whic struck inne at thee savagys, smytinge them wher they stood and burninge ther shyps whiche laye at ancor in thee River Afal."

Other accounts suggest that the only "fire-storm" occurred when the Mercanians fell to arguing over the spoils and ended up firing their own ship in the ensuing chaos, and were trapped against the river by the burning town and overcome by smoke.

Whatever the source of the fire it is recorded that only when the Mercanians* were utterly destroyed, did Hanric fall to the ground, saying with his last utterance, "Oh Father, grant that I shall forego thy Kingdom and may keep these gude people safe, until they shall be delivered from the terror of these ungodly barbarians*." He then lapsed into a deep coma that lasted for more than the normal span of a mortal man, his body continuing to bleed all the while, from the many wounds he had sustained that day. Hanric was cared for by his brother monks, and yet was fated never to regain consciousness.

Mercanian* raids along the coastline of Albion* continued, but the land surrounding the Apple River was seldom threatened by the reavers in the days after Hanric's selfless deed. Monastery rolls finally record that brother Hanric succumbed to death in the year 794 A.S., putting his age to be somewhere in the region of one hundred and seventy years, although his still form never aged one day after the fateful events of the raid.

Local legends abound of Mercanian* longships lured onto the rocks and wrecked by strange currents and sudden storms and of Mercanian* raiding parties led astray inland, to become lost in Faerie Wood or mired in the marshland of the southeast of the present-day Barony of Torsleigh. At each telling, the ghostly figure of a monk was said to be the one leading the reavers to their doom. The last documented Mercanian* raid took place in the spring of 793 A.S.

The story soon spread the length and breadth of Albion* and Cornumbria* and eventually came to the attention of the Selentine* Church who dispatched a party of specialist priests to investigate these apparent miracles. After long years searching through the records of the time, the investigators concluded that Brother Hanric had indeed acted as a direct instrument of God's Will upon the earth on that summer's day. The Selentine* Church decreed that he be Beatified and continued investigating his purported longevity and also the other miracles attributed to his life.

His blood was fastidiously collected by his brother monks, stored in jars that are now to be found throughout all the nations of the True Faith* and are revered as Holy Relics. This "blood of Hanric" allegedly never coagulated and had miraculous powers of healing, particularly versus childhood diseases. Indeed many childrens' lives have been saved by this blood-relic, including the celebrated case of the third son of a Selentine* Imperator, who was famously cured of a respiratory condition. Given the various sources, including the sworn testimony of the Imperator, the decision was taken to Canonise Hanric over fifty years ago.

The current Baron Torsleigh's grandfather commissioned the building of Appminster Cathedral to house St. Hanric's remains and the last of his Holy blood; rumours suggest this was in atonement for some misdeed of said Baron.

The barony's position on the Cantorbridge to Netheford road, ensures it does receive a steady stream of visitors in the form of merchants, travellers and pilgrims either making a visit to the cathedral to visit the tomb of St. Hanric, or further afield to Netherford, Cantorbridge or even Ongus and beyond.

In the last few years, Baron Kern's liege lord, <TBA> has faced a huge tax demand from the court of King Hadric in Ongus, resulting in Sir Kern being asked for ever increasing monies to aid his lord. So far, the extra silver has been met from Sir Kern's own coffers, using treasures gained during his days as an adventurer. However, this year sees the beginnings of increased taxation and higher rents for the citizenry of Torsleigh Barony.

A dark shadow of another kind has also recently fallen across the Barony, as Hadric has gifted an adjacent fief to a cabal of his favourites, inculding the spoiled sons of several infamous robber-knights. Sir Kern is now mightily troubled for the future of his people and is sharpening his weapons and drilling the Fyrd in readiness for the coming storm.

The Town

Appleford's first impression on the traveller usually depends upon which way the wind blows on that particular day. Like so many Albish towns, the lack of sewerage is apparent to the nose from a goodly distance away. Downstream of the town, the River Apple runs thick with the detritus of the town's residents, human waste and animal carcasses of all kinds are left to drift in the current, growing more fetid the longer they are left to decompose in the waters.

Coming within sight of the town, one is struck by its impressive embankment walls, palisades raised from the earth to a height of twelve feet. The embankments are buttressed on the outside by stout logs which are sharpened to resist scaling and are patrolled both by men of the fyrd and by watchmen (although the watchmen usually express that this is preferable to walking the streets knee-deep in excrement). The watch have spotted many a thief and ne'er-do-well from their vantage point upon the walls.

The streets of the town are littered with human and animal faeces discarded either from residences or dropped by the livestock kept by the townsfolk. Rotting middens of food waste lie randomly scattered in the town's highways and alleyways. This is not a place for the weak of stomach... Beggars. hawkers, whores and tradespersons vie for the attention of travellers.

The northside is dominated by the imposing sillouhette of Castle Torsleigh, the seat of the Baron and his family and garrison of the fyrd. The castle itself is a motte & bailey construction, the river forms a natural moat and the elevated hill it sits upon offers commanding views of the surrounding terrain.

Entering Appleford via the Netherford* Road from the north brings the traveller to the prosperous district of town. The finest inn in the town, the Appleford Arms, lies immediately to the right of the Northgate, while on the left lies some of the larger homes in town. Following the road south brings the traveller to the Netherbridge, a stoutly-constructed wooden structure affording pedestrian, cart and horse access to the marketplace at the centre of the town.

The impressive sight of Appminster Cathedral sits at the eastern end of the market square and is Baron Torsleigh's pet project, commissioned to house the sacred remains of St. Hanric (it is rumoured that the construction is also a means of buying favour from the Church).

Features

1. Castle Torsleigh - a motte and bailey castle and home to Baron Kern Torsleigh, his family and household.
2. Barracks - The men-at-arms of Torsleigh's fyrd are quartered here.
3. The Appleford Arms Inn -
4. Appminster Cathedral - an impressive stone structure which houses the holy relics* of Saint Hanric.
5. Livestock Market - Trading in sheep, pigs, poultry, cattle and horses takes place within this enclosure.
6. The house of the Reeve -
7. Salador Craine's home - Torsleigh's tax collector lives in this somewhat more-than modest house.
8. Market-licensing offices -
9. The Guildhall - The guildsmen of Appleford meet here and keep offices to ensure that tradesmen operating in the borough do so within the auspices of the organisation.
10. Watchhouse - the town's watchmen have their headquarters here.
11. The Dock - This is the embarkation and alighting point for the Appleford - Miston ferry.
12. River Freight Yard - This is where goods await loading onto the ferry, transport to the market or further afield.
13. The Merchant's Warehouse - for a fee, merchants may store goods within this building's walls.
14. The Warrenbridge Tavern - the establishment of choice for those for whom choice is not an option.
15. The Saviour's Chapel - The poorer classes of Appleford worship here.
16. Adelard Mason's Residence - This imposing stone building is a fitting home for the head of the Guild of Stonemasons.
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20. The Holy Church of The Blessed Martyr - The middle classes worship here. The grounds also house the main graveyard for the town.
21. Warrenbridge - the stone span affords entry and egress to and from the Warrens district of Appleford.
22. Netherbridge - this stone bridge spans the Apple River across the Netherford Road.
23. Westgate - this gate guards the entrance to the town and collects the tolls from travellers and merchants entering from the west of Torsleigh.
24. Cantorgate - this gate guards the entrance to the town and collects the tolls from travellers and merchants entering via the Cantorbridge Road.
25. Nethergate - this gate guards the entrance to the town and collects the tolls from travellers and merchants entering via the Netherford Road


Map courtesy of Ydars (Stephen Dove)

Famous Residents / NPCs

• Roger Appelton, a jolly, bearded bear of a man, he runs the Appleford Arms inn.
• Adelard Mason. This fellow is the head of the Guild of stone masons and is currently endeavouring to persuade Baron Kern to invest in stone walls for the outer bailey of Castle Torsleigh.
• Cardinal Owyn Hwys - the premier priest of Tosleigh area.
• Robin Afal - the Reeve of Appleford, supervises the work on the baron's property. He is the senior officer of the barony.
• Loke Ferryman - pilots the twice-daily ferry between Appleford and Miston.
• Renald of Appleford - A cloth merchant who has his shop and home near the market square.
• Black Olaf - a Mercanian wanderer who has settled in the town. He is the instrument of Baron Kern's Justice, acting as the headsman.
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Local Customs, Practices and Superstitions

Many of the residents of Appleford still honour the pagan spirits of the land, despite this custom being officially frowned upon by the priests of the True Faith. Offerings are left to The Apple Tree Man in the early spring and in autumn, following the gathering of the harvest. Local legend has it that the Apple Tree Man is the spirit of the oldest of the apple trees in the orchards surrounding the town and, as such, he is the one responsible for the continued fertility of the trees.

Approximation

TBA

Credits:

Thanks to Stephen Dove (Ydars) for suggestions, constructive criticism, the name "Appminster", the use of the term "Ynys Afal" and finally for the brilliant mapping.

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*Appleford's actual population is 935 persons.