The Rookery

One of the early contributions of Phillip Ternbreth, aka Phillip the Great, to the kingdom of Kern was the establishment of the Rookery. Phillip was fascinated by birds, and spent time relaxing in his garden, watching them as he contemplated some issue facing his new Kingdom. As the city of Kernsee grew, he was disheartened at the effect the builders' voracious appetite for wood was having on the local population of birds, and he wished to do something about it. With the support of his nobles, he set aside 1,000 acres of pristine woodlands for the "Rookery," an area just outside of his palace, as a haven for his winged friends.

Phillip was thrilled when, less than a decade after its establishment, Luckravens were sighted in the Rookery. Rare at first - it seems only a mated pair had taken up residence - the sightings became more common as the birds realized they were being protected and cared for rather than facing exploitation, as was common among most humans and humanoid races. Phillip banned the trade in harvested feathers, and would severely punish anyone poaching any birds. Poaching Luckravens or attempting to remove their feathers from the Rookery carried the penalty of death.

Of course, along with Luckravens, a vast host of exotic and rare birds also inhabited the Rookery. The mild climate of Kern, along with the protection of the King, made it a natural haven for the birds that so delighted the king.

Centuries later, when Geoffrey Mythey (aka Geoffrey the Usurper) came to the throne, he faced rebellious nobles and political intrigue. His tenuous hold on power was secured only through extensive bribes to key noblemen. With the treasury running dry, and Mythey's hold on power slipping, he opened the Rookery to hunters and poachers, taxing the trade in rare and exotic birds heavily and harvesting Luckravens for sale. This lead to the Curse of the Luckravens, under which the Mythey family still suffer, despite the restoration of the Rookery under Petrobus Bolgheri. No Luck Ravens have been seen in the land since the days of Geoffrey Mythey.