The Burrows is a halfling realm on the southern border of Brechtur. It welcomes visitors and supports trading with its neighbours.

The halflings of the Burrows enjoy memories. They will claim celebrations and ways are traditional because they were practised in the time of their great grand parent's great grand parents. They reminisce about their youth, telling tales of their prowess and success in their endeavours, and fabricating others. Local folklore and news of heroes and villains is shared by story, song, poem, towncrier and a pint or four in the tavern.

Most of all, the Burrows is a halfling community. With no formal system of nobility, a citizen of the Burrows must earn their part in society, through wealth or deed. The landowners have power but need to maintain it through favourable interactions with the populace. While some may sometimes disagree with who is on the Quintain Council, its decisions and directions are normally respected and followed.

Much of the Burrows is a semi-rural environment. There are few grand buildings in the towns and little heavy industry. What manufacturing does exist tends to be in allied workshops, licensed to supply the main guilds, rather than a centralised factory. Of course, there are plenty of small and medium businesses who are independent, but they have a more limited clientale.

A small portion of the population are Brecht or Khinasi. Some elven traders and wanderers are occasionally seen in Westwold. Brecht boats also dock regularly at Bowersend to offload goods that are not normally produced locally.

Ambles-on-Hillsfair is where a lot of the wealth of the Burrows resides. The town of Dunleading is on the lowlands but the rich live on the hills to the south. Most of the administration of the Burrows is managed from Dunleading, including the meeting of the Quintain in the Hale Chamber. Both the main guilds operate from Dunleading.

Traditionally, the name is just Ambles but the fancier name Ambles-on-Hillsfair is preferred as it refers more to where the landowners live, rather than where the workers can be found. Both find it helpful to give them the impression of importance.

Coarsewell has always been a challenge for the halfling farmers. There is some agriculture to the north and south where it borders with the flatter lands of Greenlock and Ambles-on-Hillsfair, but from the crags and forests in the east come wolves and other creatures. The farmers often protest to the Quintain that they need greater protection.

Small hamlets live on the edges of the Fellrock Forest but few will journey into its depth. The sturdy trunks stand tall, resisting any attempts to cut through to the rocky mountains beyond. Tales are also told of trails having dead ends as cliff faces will unexpectedly appear and paths are blocked by boulders.

At Bowersend on the edge of Lake Sonderdeep, Greenlock provides the main port of the Burrows. Burnlaffen, Childe, and Tallrow ship in their produce and stock from Khinasi suppliers and Rheulgard. The lake also supplies a good supply of fish, though the Burrows' fishers tend to focus on the seafood close to the shore, leaving the deeper waters to those from Rheulgard. Inland, the streams provide a good irrigation to the farms, though the marshes on the lake's edge can be treacherous for visitors. It is believed that the town of Ivesham in Greenlock is the oldest halfling settlement in Cerilia.

Westwold is the most industrious part of the Burrows. The major landholders have built up farms and businesses here, buying up their neighbours' lands and expanding their capacity. Villages have sprung up around them over the years, providing other opportunities for entrepenaurs and auxiliary trades. Breadfruit North-South has established a reliable production chain here, with its products travelling east along the tracks and river to Sendoure and Binsada as well as some trade with those in the Coulladaraight and through Greenlock along the river's edge to Rheulgard. There is some logging of the forest to the north but few travel across into the woods of Beuraben.

It is not known how long there have been halfings in the Burrows. No records in Anuire or the Khinasi lands tell of them travelling with humans from Aduria. Sendoure, who for a long time has acted as a protectorate of the Burrows, regards them more as the native inhabitants, recognising their ancestral lineages.

The annals of the Burrows tell of many families that can be linked back to the first farms in the lowlands of Westfold and Greenlock. As the small industries grew, the Burrows expanded into Ambles-on-Hillsfair. With this wealth, came the establishment of the town of Dunleading and the growth in power of the Standish of Ambles.

It was the current Standish of Ambles, Edvara Garrellban, who brought about major changes that help solidify the security of the Burrows. Edvara has held the position for 22 years, a feat only one other halfling has achieved, but it was her actions as a young halfling that established her reputation. Through the years, the Burrows had seen occasional incursions from outsiders that it has successfully dealt with. 40 years ago a young Edvara was part of small group of halfling settlers who moved into Fellrock. This mountainous terrain was largely untouched but its mebhaighl sources had also drawn the interest of the Sayer of Coullabhie. The Sayer sought to add sources in Fellrock and Coarsewell to their network and increase their power. Edvara saw this a major challenge to the Burrows. She gathered a small group of priests and warriors from the Land's Protectorate and travelled to the Coulladaraight to ask the Sayer to withdraw. It is not public knowledge what happened there, but two weeks later the party returned and within two months the Sayer's source holdings disappeared.

Since then, the elves have been peaceful with the Burrows and some trade even occurs between the two realms. There seems to be no evil intent from the Sidhelien. However, as Standish of Ambles, Edvara established a standing army of elite infantry and archers to defend the community. The Wizard of Rheulgard has taken over most of the sources of Fellrock and Coarsewell but has agreed to not expand that. This wizard is also seen a defence against any magical intrusions.

The Burrows is generally a very peaceful area. The local community are fairly accomodating of each other. Any law or bureaucracy is managed by Edvara Garrelban, a much revered halfling who has a reputation for getting things done. Her aim in life is to protect the Burrows from exploitation, whether it be through fortifying it or actively challenging those who would impede on the halfling's way of life.

There are no nobility in the Burrows but the major families and landowners are treated like squires and lairds, often managing the affairs of their lands and those within them. It is important for any halfling to know their ancestry. Even inheritance of family wealth, property and responsibilities is documented.

Culturally, Elan Fairbarin, the Elder Deacon of the Land's Protectorate is looked to for guidance on spirital matters and an understanding of the lands of light and the shadow.

Two guilds compete in the Burrows. Breadfruit North-South has been exporting food since the first halfling families established themselves in the region. Its guildmaster, Jollid Inkeeper, can prove his ancestry goes back to one of those families. However, one decade ago Burnlaffen, Childe, and Tallrow started importing food into the Burrows, starting a gentle rivalry known as the Food Wars. Started by Hollisande Burnlaffen, this guild used her knowledge of the southern fruits and coastal fish to expand the diet and lighten the wallets of the Burrows folk.

The Wizard of Rheulgard is the only source mage known in the Burrows. While they occasionally actively support the Quintain Council, for much of the time they are a silent ally, worrying more about matters beyond the halflings' borders.

Sendoure and Rheulgard are not seen as a current threat. In fact, they may be considered allies, though with their own troubling neighbours they may not be able to be relied on should the Burrows need them. The lands of the Sphinx across the Asarwe River are still a concern however. Traditionally, the river and the chaotic nature of their southern neighbours prevented any major issues, but as the power of the Sphinx grows, so does the fears of those within Ambles-on-Hillsfair that the awnshegh's attention may shift north.

The Quintain Council maintains the Burrows, led by the Standish of Ambles. Each of the five provinces is represented on the council by an elected member. Edvara Garrelban has acted as Standish of Ambles for nearly 22 years. The next powerful member of the council is Corben Haupstahl, the only other scion on the Quintain. For this reason, Corben is commonly seen as Edvara's successor if she does not nominate anyone else. However, Corben does not have the same level of strength and reputation in the community as Edvara.

Edvara Garrelban of Fellrock (FHlf; F6; An, major, 32; LG), Standish of Ambles, chair of the Quintain
Hollisande Burnlaffen (FHlf; R5; Ba, minor, 17; LN), guildmaster of the new consortium Burnlaffen, Childe, and Tallrow
Jollid Innkeeper (MHlf; R9; Ma, great, 38; LN), master of the ancient trading guild Breadfruit North-South
Elan Fairbairn (MHlf; Pr5, Land's Protectorate; Br, major, 26; CG), Elder Deacon
Corben 'Flint' Haupstahl (MHlf; R8; Vo, minor, 12; LN), Quintain Councilman of Greenlock, a brewer and orchardist
Eurphide Smythblade (FHlf; F2; unblooded, CG), Quintain Councilwoman of Coarsewell, a blacksmith and goat farmer
Larla Ronddell (FHlf; B3; unblooded, LG), Quintain Councilwoman of Fellrock, a taverner
Lothar Fenstone (MHlf; N2; unblooded, LN), Quintain Councilman of Westwold, a rich landowner
The Wizard of Rheulgard, a silent ally

Domain Table: Burrows

Province	Law	Temple	Guild	Source
Ambles-on-Hillsfair (5/0)	EG (5)	EF (5)	JI (3)
			HB (2)
Coarsewell (3/4)	EG (3)	EF (2)	HB (1)
Fellrock (2/5)	EG (2)	EF (1)	JI (0)	RG (4)
Greenlock (4/3)	EG (3)	EF (3)	HB (3)	RG (3)
Westwold (6/0)	EG (5)	EF (4)	JI (3)
			HB (3)
Abbreviations: EG = Edvara Garrelban (Burrows); HB = Hollisande Burnlaffen (Burnlaffen, Childe, and Tallrow); JI = Jollid Innkeeper (Breadfruit North-South); EF = Elan Fairbairn (Land's Protectorate); RG = Rheulaan Greencloak (Wizard of Rheulgard);

Little is said about the Burrows except what is in the HotGB, and that isn't much. Most of it is about the significance of Edvara Garrelban in the history of the realm and the general culture of the halfling community. Corben Haupstahl is named as a blooded Thief, but neither him nor any other aspect of the Quintain Council are described beyond the basics. As regents, the two Guildmasters, the Wizard of Rheulgrad and Elan Fairbairn are identified but again, little is explained other than some basic rivalry. Similarly, their guilds and temple are not given NPCs or much explanation. The geography and differences of the provinces are not well described. The depth of canon lore and knowledge on the Burrows is pretty shallow.

Consequently, this wiki expands on what little was said, seeking to complement it, not contradict it. The map has provided some basis for the distinction between the provinces, but the landmarks, towns and NPCs have largely been created by the wiki editors. A bit of liberty has been taken for the province of Fellrock. HotGB says that it is mountainous so the locals carve their homes out of the rockface. The wiki has made this more historical practise rather than a current trend, seeking to emphasise Fellrock as a tough place to live in, but also being historically of great importance to the halfling society.