"Chewintin Manor" is free location article for Columbia Games Harn generic fantasy role-playing setting, written by Kerry Mould, author of "Whyce Manor, "Ravin Manor" & "Charmic Manor.

For those not familiar with the setting, Harn is a Madagascar sized island, loosely based on 11th/12th century Britain. It is a place of mystery and strange happenings, on the island are nine states, seven human (Chybisa, Kaldor, Kanday, Melderyn, Orbaal, Rethem & Tharda) and two non-human (Azadmere & Evael).

The article is available from Lythia.com, as a 4.26MB ZIP file that contains the article in the form of a 12 page PDF file and the GM/player maps in the form of two JPG files.

HARNWORLD: CHEWINTIN MANOR, OVERVIEW.

"Chewintin Manor", details a settlement located on the fringes of the troubled eastern Harnic kingdom of Kaldor. While being far from the centers of Kaldoran power has protected the manor from the kingdoms internal problems, it has often been vulnerable to attacks from the barbarian peoples outside the kingdom.

Worse the manor is far from the eyes of its overlord who has to rule through bailiffs, most of whom have proved to be incompetent, the last bailiff was the worst, a man more interested in drinking all day and sleeping with wenches every night than in the running of the manor. Indeed he was so neglectful of his duties that, had barbarian raiders not killed him, he would have been arrested by his replacement.

That replacement, a landless knight, promised Chewintin Manor for his fiefdom, has his work cut out for him, in the long years of neglect the serfs, unable to depend upon the bailiff have been forced to rely on themselves. Some have even taken unto themselves the powers of the nobility; they will not give them up lightly...

The standard Harn article format (see my other HarnWorld reviews) is followed for this article with two exceptions, firstly the list of NPCs also includes the inhabitants of a nearby (but unmapped) settlement that is administered from the manor. Secondly, rather than the manorial budget sheets provided in other articles, "Chewintin Manor" finishes with background information on the circumstances that led to the construction of the watchtower that serves as this settlements manor house.

HARNWORLD: CHEWINTIN MANOR, COMMENTS.

This article is somewhat like the authors later "Charmic Manor" in that it deals with a manor that has been subject to a period of misrule. However the misrule in this case is the result of incompetence rather than active malice.

However both articles do share one important feature, a truly fascinating social situation in which to enmesh the PCs. In this case the manor is in a state of incipient revolt.

As with "Charmic Manor", where the author avoided modern day assumptions about serfdom and slavery, the author avoids the assumption made nowadays that revolts are carried out by oppressed peoples to free themselves from opression. Instead the revolt, should the GM decide to use it, will occur for more selfish reasons. Three of the clans (extended families) that live in the settlement took advantage of the incompetence of the new bailiffs predecessors to gain lands, gain power and to reduce the other two clans that live in the settlement to virtual slavery. They see a revolt as the only way of protecting both their ill-gotten gains and their control over the other two clans.

The article also demonstrates the authors care in crafting the characters, while each of the 29 entries in the main list is really only a thumbnail sketch, the GM is provided all of the important information about the individuals circumstances, personality and any secrets they may have. Most importantly he has avoided making monsters out of the members of the three most powerful clans.

The author has not neglected other threats to the village, the bailiffs household is not as unified as he believes with several individuals quite prepared to betray the bailiff if it will help their cause. The barbarians who killed the last bailiff have not been forgotten either, their chief lost his son in the last raid, believing him to be a prisoner in the manor house, the chief is planning another raid to free him, or recover the body.

"Chewintin Manor" does have a few problems, there are a number of spelling mistakes sprinkled throughout the text and the GM map, while numbered is still labeled as the players map. However these flaws are minor ones, which do not detract from the quality of the material presented. Probably the most serious flaw relates to the other settlement ruled from the manor, it should also have been mapped, as it is, the GM will have to do that themselves.

One particular highpoint of this article are the character portraits supplied by Richard Luschek, each captures the character of the individual depicted. The text and Patrick Nilsson's maps, despite the flaws mentioned above, are all clear and easy to read.

Being stat free, the material is adaptable to just about any fantasy role playing setting and is perfect for a GM looking for a frontier settlement for use in their personal campaign.

HARNWORLD: CHEWINTIN MANOR, VERDICT.

Like the authors later "Charmic Manor", this article presents the GM with both the opportunity for high quality role playing and with a location that should stick in the players mind.