The High History of Kel :

The first of the race to reside in what would one day be known as the Barony of Kel were of course the elves. But the elves withdrew south to Lirynn after the race wars. But during AS 502, the year of the Great Plague, they would come again. This time the humans invited them.

The Emperor of Korresh asked for the assistance of the elves who were mostly resistant to the plague. The first settlers to Kel came not from Korresh but from across the seas. They were the outcast/adventurers from Lirynn. The elves crossed the Ahrin Straits in Lifesong made barges. They did not come in droves, but more in a trickle of a couple of families at a time. Some adventurers have been
chronicled as floating in to Kel on large tree trunks.

The first trees were planted by the elves to create their own hamlet at the flat bluff of what would one day become the Village of Kel. A council  of ancient elves also came from across the seas to help them along the way. Elven lifesong was used to directly fight the plague as well grow the medicine needed for the other domains in Korresh.

In AS 503 the first residential tree was planted and grown. They called it Faeterna's home. The elves in Faeterna's home prospered and started a trade route with the city of Maston. They exported medicine, fruits, and wine. Featerna's Home became the gateway for human and elven goods.  Quality lifesong crafted goods like musical instruments and cloth were shipped from Lirynn, while crafted metal goods and human artworks came from other parts of Korresh. The only economy prevalent in Faeterna's home was the barter system. You give some, you get some. Monetary transactions were unheard of much to the chargin of the humans.

Around AS 713 the ravaging hordes of Kharin horsemen had started plaguing the realms close to Faeterna's home. They thundered down from the Flourshen grasslands from the north. Fortunately the first meeting between the Kharin humans and The Faeterna elves was peaceful, and the horsemen quickly found Faeterna's home to be conveniently located where they could stop for rest, victuals and
occasional trading. The elves were fascinated by the Kharin's strange beasts, and quickly began trading for them. Those beasts were the Kharin's riding steeds, what is now commonly known as horses.

Along with this interactions came the inevitable influx of immigrants, but this time they were humans. The first human settlers were quick to realize the importance of assimilating themselves with the elves, as they wanted to settle in the area. The elves on the other hand welcomed the newcomers with open arms. The elves were mindful of the race wars from the past were determined to have the humans as friends.

The humans brought with them the farming technology, and soon the ships going to Lirynn started taking with them, grain and other farm goods. The increase and influence of humans in trading brought about the change in economy. The elves believed in barter, the humans talked nothing else than money. The had quite a few arguments over this, and in the end it was decided to practice dual economy, depending on the buyer and purchaser's convenience. In the end though the elves learned to keep a few coins in their pouches for the odd, necessary purchase from the humans.

In AS 802 the Kharin General Kharg(Sword) fell afoul of his chieftain and he was expelled from the tribe. He was banished with a threat that if he were to be found again in flourshen grasslands he would be executed. Kharg gathered his small band of supporters and wandered down to Faeterna's home. The humans welcomed him and promptly chose him as their leader. The elves naturally did not like the arrival
of a possible warlord within their midst and registered their protest. Kharg assuaged their anger by promising to give up his life of conquest, and settle permanently in Faeterna's home.

Kharg, was by no means, a man who could be chained to one place in peace, but at the same time, he was an astute and patient general. He knew that the elves would always outnumber humans during his lifetime, therefore he trained his son, Khotos (Fist). He taught him to be patient, and bid time and strike at an opportune moment.

Kharg and Khotos started the first roving militia for the security of the growing village of Faeterna's home. For this purpose, they asked for the consent of the elders. Amazingly, the elves did not see any plan in this, or rather they did but took the long view in rectifying the problem by teaching the human children. Kharg immediately, contacted his clansmen and called some of them down to Faeterna's home.

In AS 815, during one of the patrols in the forests around Faeterna's home, Khotos met with an accident and died. Kharg took this incident to heart and started declining. In AS 817 Kharg died, leaving the leadership of humans within Faeterna's home to his nephew, Khatami(Wise). Khatami was by nature a peace-loving man. During his leadership the relationship between humans and elves was at it's best. They shared a common goal, to make Faeterna's home prosperous. Khitami encouraged human farmers to go out towards the present day much smaller Forest of Kel to the north and start new farms there. The roving patrols were made a permanent part of the village's security concern.

In AS 820 the Docks were constructed to meet the ever-growing demands for the grain as well as to make the ferry service to and from the Ahrin Straits a regular feature of the village. Towards the end of his time, Khatami started becoming religious, and he invited the Church of Telgard from Maston to spread the word of Dargotten to the people.

By the time Khatami died in AS 825, the village of Faeterna's home was firmly established, and prospering. Unfortunately at his death, there was no established leader for the human faction of Faeterna's home. For some years, they drifted by. Some inept leaders took over the mantle of leader, now called the mayor of humans. In the year AS 828, the militia mainly forged out of the kharin horsemen,
decided to take matters in their own hands. They overthrew the mayor of humans and had him killed in broad daylight. One of their numbers, by the name of Khaitan(Whirlwind) came over to take the title of Mayor. The elves were by shocked and stunned by what happened, but decided not to interfere considering it to be a human affair. The first act of Khaitan was to take firm control of the reins declaring himself ruler of both humans and elves. Towards this end, he decided to change the name of the town.

In the year AS 831, the village of Faeterna's home was renamed as village of Kel, named after his mother. The elves made no complaint as Khaitan was wise enough not to force the elves to acknowledge him. Trade did not diminish, and life continued smoothly in Kel

The next important task in Khaitan's tenure as Kel's ruler was the opening of a campaign against the marauding bands of Kharin horsemen. The original immigrants had been ingrained so much, that they had stopped terming themselves as Kharin. Now, they belonged to Kel, as much as the first elf who came from Kel. Khaitan traveled to the Sun Hall and there petitioned the empire for mercenaries to help him weed out the threat of Kharin raids.

Maston responded with a lukewarm reaction, some down on luck mercenaries did come to Kel, but they were not effective. The campaign continued to drag on and on. On the home front, the dynasty of Kharin origin took a stranglehold over Kel. On all the important positions throughout the government, Khaitan installed men loyal to him.

Khaitan died in AS 868, at the ripe old age of 73. His son, Khirjan (Dagger)took over the reins of Kel, and started calling himself, Lord Of Kel. He finished the stone wall construction started by his father before him. During his rule, the elves started going into a shell, they barricaded themselves within their protective trees and rarely ventured out.

The campaigns against the Khiran took a nasty turn when a Kharin chieftain massed huge army of horsemen and caught Kel unawares. Khirjan escaped into the forest in the nick of time. Kel was looted and burned, the castle of Khirjan was razed down and a flag planted there to proclaim the victory of Kharin army. Surprisingly the Kharin still remembered the tales of elves that had come from across the sea to fight the great plague and save the humans. The elves were rarely harassed during the 3 years that the Kharin stayed in Kel and in any case the the small forest nicknamed Little Lirynn provided a strong, superstitous deterrent to the horsemen.

Khirjan meanwhile, had fled into the forests. He had not sat silently during these 3 years, he was cris-crossing the country to find mercenaries. At the end of his search, he had amassed a force so large that it stretched nearly a mile. Khirjan struck back at Kel with a vengeance. The partially restored Kel Keep was burned and razed again, this time by Khirjan. The local populace rose against the Kharin lord and rebelled. The Kharin general had to flee Kel to save himself. Khirjan however, followed him closely and after a pursuit of nearly 7 months, finally cornered the Kharin chieftain desolate plains of flourshen grasslands.

On being cornered the chieftain tried to make Khirjan forgive him by invoking the common Kharin blood between them. Khirjan forgave the Kharin but not the chieftain, he had him disemboweled and quartered in front of his troops. He installed a puppet as a chieftain and took a promise from the Kharin tribes that they would not be coming to Kel again, on pain of death, in return their worldly needs would be sufficed by Kel. The Kharin were supposed to patrol the northern reaches of Kel for this. To this date Kharin horsemen can be seen to the north of Kel thundering by on their mounts, while they go about their task.

For successfully, conquering the Kharin threat, the Emperor of Korresh summoned Khirjan to Maston to reward him. Khirjan went to Maston along with his son Knol(Mountain). On the way to Maston, Khirjan took ill and died suddenly. Rumors abound that Knol poisoned his father to gain the favor with Korresh rulers who saw Khirjan as a rival. Whatever the cause, Khirjan was dead and Knol was the de facto ruler of Kel. The Emperor received Knol with honor and to everybody's surprise, asked for his support in times of need, in return for his everlasting friendship. Knol immediately agreed. The Emperor acknowledged his rule in Kel, and bestowed the the tittle of Baron onto Knol.

Knol, the newly dubbed Baron returned to Kel to encounter civil unrest. The people of Kel smelt a rat in the manner in which Khirjan had died, and they were protesting openly. Knol, on assuming charge of the situation, unleashed his chosen guards on his own people. The guards, being mercenary, had no love for the people. Citizens were massacred left and right. At the end of a week's slaughter, Knol came to his senses and stopped the killings. He disbanded the mercenaries and sent them home. The revolt was nipped in the bud, and the House of Severs was established. The name was selected because of the severity of the action taken by Knol.

Once peace regained, Knol resumed the tasks started by Khirjan and tried to soothe the people. Trade was encouraged, Crime punished without mercy. Harsh measures were taken to ensure a crime free town. Rape and manslaughter were punishable by death. A death so gross and brutal that crime immediately went down. Many murderers went in a big pot boiling with oil, many a rapist were sliced to death, one piece at a time.

Unknown to most, Knol harbored a burning resentment within for the elves of Kel. They acknowledged his rule in name only. Trouble finally erupted in AS 921 when, Knol decided to move and eradicate the elves from Kel. The elves decided to fight back instead of fleeing back to Lirynn. Since, they were fighting for their homes, they had nothing to lose. Citizens of Kel were not very happy about the decision but nevertheless had to go along to escape the Baron's wrath.

In the end, the so-called-war with  the elves collapsed when the Emperor of Korresh took a cognizance of the threat. The offense against the elves was threatening to snowball into an inter-nation dispute. The Emperor forbade Knol to attack the elves or else face exile. Knol knew which was the best option for him and backed down.

In the year AS 927 Knoll died, repenting to his death bed about the deeds that he had done, and crimes he had committed. He made his son, Kilnt(Intelligent) promise him that Kilnt would build a church for Dargotten in his name.

Kilnt on assuming the mantle of Baron, took special efforts to heal the wounds created by Knol. He met the elf elders and gave them assurances that from now on no one of Severs family would trouble them again. Trade with Lirynn was booming due to the richness of the sea and their own farmlands. The farmlands north of Kel were considered to be the richest in soil and amongst the safest in the whole of
Korresh.

Kilnt restructured the organization of Kel government and decentralized the running of Kel. A town hall was created which looked after the day-to-day business of governing. Security and Law were kept under a Sheriff and a Magistrate.

Kilnt took pains to encourage the elf population to come out of their self-styled ghetto, which they was now officially called Little Lirynn, and mingle with the mainstream. The elves steadfastly refused for some time, but slowly and slowly they started coming out of Little Lirynn and sharing their lives with the human folk. Mercenaries were routed out of Kel, and a permanent security force was raised from amongst the local folk.

Kilnt, died peacefully in his sleep in the year AS 985 On his death, his son Konstantine Severs took over the reins of Kel. Konstantine has a temper which matches his grandfather, Knol. The common people of Kel are very afraid of him, as he is given to violent temper tantrums. He has a history of killing just because he did not like the way a person was behaving.

Notes:
1.) AS means After Scourge.
2.) The Coming of the Enclaves has been deleted from all official documents.
3.) The origin of The Treasures of Kel, The Lost Sapphire Mine, and the Delfae Temple of Friendship has likewise been removed from all documents for security purposes.