Chambers of Dunleading

The Chambers of Dunleading are used to govern the Burrows from the town of Dunleading. They are the headquarters of the Quintain Council and much of their associated bureaucracy. The Burrows may not have a large population but with a large cultural emphasis on tradition and history, there is a lot of ritual and ceremony involved in running it.

[top]Architecture

The Chambers are built in tunnels and rooms dug within the Dun, the largest hillock in the town of Dunleading. Atop the Dun is the Great Tree, surrounded by the Thorny Brake. The roots of this tree are seen within the rooms and hallways amongst the Dun, being an intricate component of its architecture and decoration.

The Great Tree grows above the Dun, its branches and leaves shadowing the top but never growing beyond its sides. None are allowed to climb the tree but many a cheeky youth has tried, normally injuring themselves in the process.

The Thorny Brake is a combination of bracken, berries and roses that grows around the Great Tree, right on the the edge of the reach of its branches. While they look colourful and radiant, their prickly nature makes it hard to reach the Great Tree. Efforts to cut back and remove it are fruitless, as it quickly regrows. As such, if something in Dunleading is said to be a thorny problem, then it is something that is hard to resolve, like the Brake.

The main entrance to the Chambers consists of two large wooden doors, but there are plenty of other doors in. Windows can be seen at three levels as well as steps down to basement levels below the normal ground level.

[top]Reception

The Burrows does not have a throne room but it does have a hall within the Chambers in which it can meet and entertain up to fifty guests.

[top]Hale Chamber

The Hale Chamber is where the Quintain Council meet. The room has five walls with five tables and chairs before, each for one of the council members. It is located deep in the center of the Dun, with five thick roots growing down and marking the end of each wall as a symbol of the strength and stability of the Burrows and its council. In the center of the room is a bowl, naturally filled with water from a spring below.

Few of the public visit Hale Chamber, as there is little room for spectators, but many legends have arisen about it. Some say that on a full moon, the five roots glow, enlightening the room.

[top]The name of the Hale Chamber

The word "hale" has many possible links to the Hale Chamber. As a meeting place used for vigorous debates, it is clearly commonly full of council members supporting or hailing opinions and individuals. It is also a symbol of the health of the Burrows, the community being hale and hearty while the chamber is used. Legally, people are also haled to the chamber to learn the judgement of the council as the final magistrates in matters and decisions of law.

However, there are those who believe that the name is linked more to the room itself, than what is done within it. For in the ancient tongue of the halflings the word 'hale' also refers to a nook or hidden place within a building, often in a corner. Some link this meaning to the lack of access provided to the chamber for the general public, but some wonder if more is hidden than that.

[top]The Room of the Standish

The Standish of Ambles is the regent of the Burrows and has large office and living area within the Chambers.

[top]The Office of the Bailiff of the Burrows

From the Chambers, the Bailiff oversees the law and order of the Burrows, including tax collection and agreements with the guildmasters and landholders. They act as both the reeve and the constable. Some of the wealth and gifts to the Burrows are protected and guarded below the Chambers, but any arrested for mischievous behavior are jailed elsewhere.

[top]The Annuls and Library

The Words of the Chambers are kept within the library. They are maintained and curated by the chief historian. This includes the Annuls and Histories of the Folk of the Burrows, which notes the lives, loves, laws and lands of all within the Burrows for prosperity and preservation. As such, they act as the recordkeeper and herald and may be called on to help resolve disputes by providing documentation to the Standish, the Council or the Bailiff.

[top]Kitchen

Of course, with entertaining and celebrations comes food and drink. The Chambers has its own cook with 2 main support staff and numerous additional aides, should the need arise.

[top]The Green

Many of the public events are not held inside the Burrows, but outside on the green in front of the Dun. It includes the five Stones of the Hearth, each coming from a different province.

[top]History

In the early days of the Ambles, the area that is now Dunleading was used by freeholders for grazing livestock. However, with the lack of protection from storms and flash floods, the stockhands needed to look for shelter. One such place was a cave beneath the Dun. This eventually became a more permanent place of storage for community resources as well as a meeting place. The name Dunleading was named for being on the landing around the Dun, but above the normal flood levels.

[top]Occupants

While many work in the Chambers, the main occupants are:

• Edvara Garrelban of Fellrock, Standish of Ambles, chair of the Quintain Council
  
• Troya Surefeather , the chief archivist and historian
  
• Stosen Gildhuder, the bailiff of the Burrows, with a roster of guards
  
• Larna Fulpot, chief cook, assisted by Kayla and Wrayn
  

They are commonly visited by:

• Hollisande Burnlaffen, guildmaster of Burnlaffen, Childe, and Tallrow
  
• Jollid Innkeeper, guildmaster of Breadfruit North-South
  
• Elan Fairbairn, Elder Deacon of the Land's Protectorate
  
• Raedi Ghosaima ibn Samee al-nar, the ambassador from Sendoure
  
• Graysund Fenstone, Penteulu, leader of the Quintain Brigade of Guardians and Watchers
  
• Finley Crelyon, a half-elf who runs the primary courier service
  

[top]Behind the Curtain: Secrets of the Dun

As with much about the Burrows, most of this is not canon. However, it is designed to provide a flavour of what halfling history, culture and bureaucracy may be in Brechtur. Minimal details are given on a number of areas, that DMs may wish to expand and incorporate into their campaigns, like the secrecy of the Hale Chamber, the contents of the Words of the Chambers, and the nature of the Great Tree. A number of the NPCs are also not described so they can adapted to the personalities and genders that suit.