On Emberthatch...

Deep within the mountains of Thracia lies Emberthatch, an outpost of quiet infamy. Named in quite the ironic manner by the late William Hedgewick, Emberthatch boasts an...infamous record for the most fires started, houses burned, and lands put to the torch since the founding of Thracia.

As such, Fire has a special place in the hearts of it's citizens. How could it not, after having been shaped by it to such a degree. Unfortunately, this also marks Emberthatch as one of the more...quirky locales of Thracia, as it still plays host to fair number of outdated, bizarre, and sometimes...worrisome practices; such as Crop Burning Festivals, Corpse Burning Funerals and other such activities involving copious amounts of fire and property damage.

"I rather like Emberthatch. The people are wonderfully simple when you tilt your head a bit. Though, those Wickermen are a bit barmy. Love fire a bit too much, if you catch my meaning." - Quoted from one slightly singed and nameless merchant, just before leaving the area.

Concerning The Wickermen...

Which brings us to 'The Wickermen' Who are They? What are they? What is their purpose?

The Wickermen are a strange lot, all told. Drawing from the efforts of the late David Hedgewick to stave off bandit raids, after the death of his father, William. The locally loved, if somewhat...unhinged group has dedicated themselves to keeping the surrounding area of Emberthatch free of bandits, miscreants, and other neer-do-wells.

Renowned for their love of all things flammable, as well as their pursuit of the merits of using such things in combat, the Wickermen have dedicated the few years since their inception to the task of mixing the arts of Alchemy and Combat.

Unfortunately, all they've managed so far is setting their Baron's keep on fire.

"We'll get there! It just needs more fuel!" - Quoted from an Enterprising Wickerman, just before the burning of Baron Hedgewick's keep.

"Why is everything on Fire?!" - Quoted from the Current Baron of Emberthatch, Jack Hedgewick.

Right, A bit more serious then...

If that silly bit of lore happened to interest any of you readers, then good; and if I could make any of you crack a smile, then even better! I'm by no means trying for a group that's too serious for it's own good, after all.

Emberthatch (And the Wickermen themselves) are devices for me to make something fun for people to be a part of, and if those people just so happen to have an alarming tendency towards brash ecentricity and explosions...then this is the place for you!

If you're interested, stick around as I start outlining the basics. And if you're still interested...well, I'd be just as interested in having you join!

Things to keep in mind...

1. Combat. I'm sure I don't need to explain this to you, seeing as this is a Barony; and thus, expected to keep a standing military. There will be combat, there will be both PvE and PvP. So expect (And expect that I'll expect) that you'll get your hands dirty, even if only a little. Otherwise, this probably isn't the place for you; because you're note likely to have fun if you don't like to fight.

2. Focus. Personally, I'm going to be double, triple, and quadrupple doubling down in the fields of Alchemy, Smithing, and Combat. And thus, planning group events centered around these three core concepts. If you don't think you'll be even the slightest bit interested in any of these three things, then you're not likely to have fun.

3. Size. I don't plan on us becomming a multi-kingdom spanning group, filled with hundreds of players. I just don't have it in me to manage those kinds of numbers. Therefore, I'm going to let you all know up front that I'll be actively avoid things like this. If we actually become large enough to reach past Thracia, I'll be surprised.

Positions...

K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple Stupid). With our numbers not being legion, and our bodies not something to utterly blockout the sun, I figure that this can be kept pretty simple. If we need more, then by all means we can make it more complicated; but as it is, positions of leadership will share duties, only seperated by the 'Scope' of that duty.

As such, I feel like a simple Captain -> Lieutenant -> Guard structure works just as well.

• Captain: The Acting Leader of the Wickermen. Expected to work with the Lieutenants to plan events, manage projects, and otherwise keep a goal for the rest of the Wickermen to strive towards. Nominally, this role would be reserved for the Hedgewicks. However, if the role of Baron 'Somehow' becomes so time consuming that I can't, then it would fall to one of the Lieutenants. But I don't see that ever really being a thing.

• Lieutenant: The Officers of the Wickermen, and figurative aids to the Captain. Don't expect to preside over more than 5 Guards, if you preside over any at all. More of a 'On Need' basis. The role of the lieutenant is to help the captain plan events, or lead troops. And in either case, help the captain by providing a small reprieve when needed.

• Guard: A basic member of the Wickermen. Expect to help your lieutenant or the captain with things that need doing when the going gets tough; but also expect to have fun doing other guild activities more often than not. We're all part of the same group here.

And...That's it. No shiny bells, and no extremely shrill whistles. If you're still interested in joining me, or just hanging out in general, give me a PM.

In addition, feel free to join my Discord, just as well. I'll be scheduling team-based games every Friday, with them either being along the lines of 'For Honor', 'Monster Hunter: World', or some other game that enough someones would like to play.

Good Luck, Have Fun.

-- Hedgewick, Nominal Captain of the Wickermen and Baron of Emberthatch

Discords/Forum Details...

Barony: Barony of Emberthatch - Discord

Duchy - Duchy of Thracia - Discord

Kingdom - Kingdom of Kairos - Discord