Written by Master Thorfinnr y Elsfiord (2026)
The confluence of three significant rivers demarcates the territory known as the Barony Marche of the Debatable Lands. This locale, being a nucleus of considerable commerce and industry, rendered it a highly coveted possession for both the Kingdom of the East and the Midrealm. Consequently, hostilities to claim the territory became an annual occurrence, and within a mere three years, the Pennsic Fields became the traditional, established battleground. The proximity of this recurring conflict spurred both Kingdoms to establish further settlements nearby.
The Midrealm secured control over the largest river, which flowed deeply into their dominion, being formed by the merging of the two lesser tributaries. Others sought out new territories to claim for the East Kingdom. Journeying upriver from the Barony Marche, the waterway branched repeatedly until one reached the marshy headwaters and springs of the Shenango, a fount of these great rivers.
It was here that Lord Efron le Fey, Inez le Fey, and Kyriell Hawkmoon raised their golden chalices beneath the purple of the setting sun in a pledge of amity, naming these specific lands Bellumora, and claiming them for the Principality of AEthelmearc and the Kingdom of the East and with the sponsorship of the Barony Marche of the Debatable Lands in A.S. XXIII (1987). Lord Efron le Fey was duly acknowledged as its founding and first seneschal of this incipient shire.
The founding members of the Incipient Shire: Bernard Theiss, Linda Fisher, Legend Fisher/Theiss, Tim Lawrence, Randy Bobbert, Julie Gibson, Deryll Bruce, Emily Fisher, Tom Fisher, Steven Fisher, Christopher Fisher, Marc Hall, Louis Taub
Their attempt to establish a settlement upon these moors, however, proved fruitless, as their structures inevitably succumbed to the swampy terrain. The East Kingdom consequently withheld recognition of their charter upon these unsuitable lands.
In the year Anno Societatus XXV (1990), the office of seneschal was passed to Kyriell Hawkmoon. Thereupon, looking slightly eastward, the populace focused on its magnificent sylvan woods, teeming with game and deer. The account of these superior woodlands met with the approval of the Royalty, who formally identified this forested region, situated to the north of both the future Steltonwald (1993) and Sunderoak(1997) regions, as the Shire of Hunters Home still retaining its arms as Purpure, three chalices within a laurel wreath Or.
Over the years of service to our Shire and the Kingdom the The Royalty recognized him and awarded Kyriell Hawkmoon repeatedly. Within one year he was given his personal Award of Arms: Sable, on a plate a hawk close belled azure all within a bordure embattled argent. After eight years of service he was made a Companion of the Millrind. Then in 1999, due to his local leadership, wise mentorship dedicated to welcoming newcomers and helping them integrate into the Society, and his work assisting those with disabilities at the Pennsic War ; he was made a Master of the Pelican.
He listened to the changing populace, who felt the colors and device of our Shire did not reflect its name. After months of deliberation the following device associated with the Shire of Hunters Home was registered in August of 2002: Vert, a deer passant within a laurel wreath and a chief embattled Or.
After 28 years of service, Master Kyriell Hawkmoon, the Enduring, was allowed to retire by the populace as the Seneschal of Hunters Home. During this time of service Constance Waite worked in tandem with Kyriell. She served the Shire as Chronicler, managing the group’s newsletters and official records. More importantly she has been our principal Chatelaine, serving as the primary contact and mentor for new members making sure they were properly fed and equipped. Her services to the Shire, experience as an autocrat and organizer of the Pennsic Hospitality Service made her elevated to a Mistress of the Pelican. Being well prepared for service, It was Mistress Baroness Constance Waite, the Matriarch, who took upon the office of seneschal in 2018.
In Anno Societatis LIV (2020), a great pestilence blew in from the distant East, carried upon the breath of travelers and merchant-men. It was an invisible shadow, a “miasma” that did not rot the skin like the Black Death of old, but seized the lungs of the aged and the weak. This “Crown Plague” descended upon all the Kingdoms of the Known World.
There was a “Great Sequestration”, an unprecedented period where all pilgrimages and wars were halted. As the sickness spread, the Kings and Lords of every realm issued a decree unseen since the days of the Great Plague, the world was to stand still. The bustling squares where men traded wool and spice fell silent. Every person was commanded to bide within his own keep or hovel.
Perhaps the most wondrous and terrifying change was how the work of the Kingdom and Shire continued. Though our bodies were confined to our cottages, our spirits were sent abroad through Scrying Glasses and Magic Mirrors. Great lords did not meet in stone halls. They peered into “Windows of Light” (screens) to see the faces of their advisors and citizens, who were scattered across the four corners of the earth yet appeared as if sitting at the same table. Mistress Constance Waite had difficulty mastering some of these “Aetheric” methods, so Lord Thorfinnr y Elsfiord offered help and took upon the role of Seneschal in 2021.
The Known World recovered relatively quickly, but did not recover fast enough for many. The new customs of the people to survive, left many frustrated. The folk adopted strange habits that baffled our ancestors. Every man and woman walked the streets with cloth bound tight across their visages, hiding their smiles and their sorrows, lest the foul air pass between them. When neighbors met upon the road, they did not embrace or clasp hands. They stood a full two paces apart—the length of a soldier’s pike—fearing the very wind that moved between them. Due, in part, to these customs, the Shires at the borders of Hunters Home saw their numbers dropping in both leadership and civilians.
It was determined that the neighborly alliance between Shires was not sufficient enough and that a merger must be made. Thorfinnr y Elsfiord began his diplomatic work to facilitate this unification. From the north, The Shire of Stormsport agreed, by contract, to become a village of Hunters Home if we honored the tradition of continuing the Three Bears Event. From the east, The Shire of Hornwood informally agreed to become a village of Hunters Home if we honored the tradition of continuing the Scarlet Guard Inn event. From the northwest, The Shire of Riversedge had collapsed before formal agreements were made, but we promised to be a protectorate of their village and citizens.
In Anno Societatis LVI (2022) the merger was recognized by the Kingdom. New By-Laws were drafted and elected upon by the citizens of the new Greater Shire of Hunters Home. At that time, Thorfinnr y Elsfiord was re-elected to continue his work for the Shire. Through his efforts here and his prior years of service in almost every other office of the shire and autocratic governess of events he was elevated to the Order of the Pelican in 2025. Master Thorfinnr y Elsfiord was forced to relinquish his office in 2026 due to the laws that he drafted himself five years prior.
In Anno Societatis LIX (2026) Halfdan Rauthkinn the “Drake” was elected to be the fifth seneschal of the Greater Shire of Hunters Home. The key of office was peacefully passed on by Thorfinnr and Halfdan was presented with an axe that named him the protector of Bellumora, guardian of the Riversedge, Dockmaster of Stormsport and Warden of the Hornwood.