Not exactly a fic [fill for Challenge 5]
Nov. 11th, 2012 11:56 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
heliopausa.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
nffr_partyI loved the picture -- thank you, songsmith! -- but I couldn't come up with any story I had the energy or time to write. And anyway, it's a party-game, more or less, so this is... well, what it is!
Extract from:
The Complete Narnian Gazeteer, for use in His Majesty’s realm of Narnia
Beaversdam, Estate of. Not to be confused with the Settlement (more lately, Town) of Beaversdam, q.v. This Gentleman’s estate is on the north-western marches of His Majesty’s realm of Narnia, two hundred leagues NNW of the confluence of the Great River and the Murmuring.
History and toponymy: It is of ancient establishment, as the family arrived with the Conqueror, and were rewarded for their services in the War of Conquest with this estate. It was named Beaversdam in recognition that this service was chiefly in and around the area of the Settlement (more lately Town) of Beaversdam. Remarkably, due to the peculiar circumstances of that service (as outlined in Suprimius, History of the War of Conquest with annotations and 37 maps in four colours, Appendix XIV) the estate is lineally passed to both the male and female heirs. It is noteworthy that despite this unusual disposition, the estate has remained intact for two hundred years, though sometimes passing to a male heir, sometimes to a female.
Proprietorship and legal disposition: The family currently in residence consists of two brothers, as yet unmarried. A third member of the family, a sister, is said to have married a self-proclaimed ‘Lord’ (title unrecognised) and to have removed to his very large forest estates beyond north-western Pacified Narnia, and (since that ‘Lord’ does not acknowledge the legitimacy of Telmarine rule over Narnia, and her property in Pacified Narnia would thus have become rightfully forfeit to the Crown on her marriage) to have ceded all rights in the Beaversdam Estate to the brothers aforementioned. The marriage is believed to be without issue.
Economy and development: The Estate has good chalk roads, and three hundred acres of fine ash and oak forest. The soil is good loam, but the land has not been intensively farmed; some tenant-farming (principal crops: barley, flax, oats; crops are planted in rotation, with vegetables grown in non-cropping years). Tenant-farmers are permitted to graze sheep, and the area is known for its very limited production of fine wool. Three manor houses are maintained for use by the family; other smaller farmhouses and cottages in use by tenant-farmers and workers are dotted about the Estate.
Of interest to travellers: There are no buildings of historical or architectural interest. There are no hostelries of any merit. Communications are irregular, but courier is available by private arrangement. The flax-fields are said to be very pretty in spring and summer seasons, though scarcely worth the rigours of the journey to see them.
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no subject
Date: 2012-11-11 05:54 am (UTC)Is that the Lady Rough you are referring to, btw? How does this fit with Resistance world building? I was wondering if this is the listing of the estate once it was forfeited to the crown of Miraz?
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Date: 2012-11-11 07:24 am (UTC)The supposed date of publication is a year or so before the opening of 'Resistance', when the brothers are still in good standing with the Court. Yes, that's the Rough Lady, whose husband is a source of much interest to me -- his background and politics, I mean. I'm not seeing him as a 'self-proclaimed' Lord at all, but with a major title/position predating the Telmarine arrival. (Something like the Lord of the Isles in tenth-century Scotland, say.)
Please don't feel you have to "get to" 'Resistance"! I love, knowing people have read it, and love getting reviews ( :D ) but I would hate to think that anyone was feeling they had to push themselves in a busy life to either read or review!
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Date: 2012-11-11 03:18 pm (UTC)And actually, thank
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Date: 2012-11-12 04:24 am (UTC)(and thank you, snacky!)
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Date: 2012-11-11 07:19 pm (UTC)Awesomeness.
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Date: 2012-11-12 04:32 am (UTC)Yes, definitely for the self-identified discerning travellers (who probably wouldn't bother with visiting, having read this discouraging guide.)
And well spotted, re the brothers of Beaversdam -- though it felt like a shock to hear them described as "bit characters"!! :D
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Date: 2012-11-12 01:56 pm (UTC)And from the picture, I can only think what they're missing out on.
Bit characters? Isn't that what they are? 'Cause I don't seem to recall them ever appearing onstage.
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Date: 2012-11-12 02:33 pm (UTC)As for the travellers, yes, and it would look especially lovely with flax all in bloom (pale blue flowers -- http://www.photoconnect.net/photopage.php?ref=1007278 ) -- but then those particular travellers probably are after a better class of inn!
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Date: 2012-11-12 04:13 pm (UTC)Ooooh, pretty flax flowers! Yes, Narnia needs fields of flax in bloom.
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Date: 2012-11-11 07:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-12 04:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-12 03:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-13 12:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-14 10:01 pm (UTC)I love how it hints at the backstory for the brothers (and sister) of Beaversdam. Those few lines say a lot about their loyalty (or not) to whoever holds the Crown of Narnia at the time.
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Date: 2012-11-15 05:09 am (UTC)