Gold Ridge was a fief in northern Emelan. It was ruled by close relations of Duke Vedris, the ruler of Emelan. By 1035 KF Lady Inoulia, Sandry's cousin through marriage, governed over the fief. Emmit Steward was a servant at the castle and Kahlib ul Hanoh was the local village headman.

The main income of the fief were its crocuses. The saffron crocuses grown there were known as the "gold of Gold Ridge", because the flowers' stigmas were worth more than their weight in gold. To make an ounce of saffron twenty thousand crocuses were needed. Tenth Caravan Idaram often came through the valley on their travelling route, buying saffron there^[1]. However, the plants were mainly dead in 1035, because of the drought, which had been haunting the valley for three years.^[2] The crocus also seems to have been Gold Ridge's emblem, at least did its men-at-arms carry embroidered crocuses on their jackets.^[3]

The fief was also well-known for its copper mines. By 1035 KF the mines were failing, too, making Gold Ridge's situation even worse because the second main income ran out.^[4] In autumn that year a new copper mine was discovered by Daja Kisubo's living metal creation which had put roots down to the copper vein. The mining started directly after the forest fire. Lady Inoulia had the new mine calles "the Firetamer".^[5]

In 1034 KF the inhabitants of the valley pledged the crocus harvest and the output of the mines^[4] in order to be able to survive for another winter. However, the next crocus harvest died, too, worsening Gold Ridge's situation even more.

Notes and referencesEdit

1. ↑ Daja's Book, Cp. 8 (p. 132; Scholastic paperback)
2. ↑ Daja's Book, Cp. 2 (p. 36; Scholastic paperback)
3. ↑ Daja's Book, Cp. 1 (p. 16; Scholastic paperback)
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Daja's Book, Cp. 5 (p. 87; Scholastic paperback)
5. ↑ Daja's Book, Cp. 13 (p. 220; Scholastic paperback)

See alsoEdit