(Taken from: A Guide to Traveling Across Tyrra, by Mme Zara, Guildmaster, Ravenholt Astrologers Guild. Original to be found in Ember's Library of Ravenholt) 

Houppelande

    Crookhaven-on-the-Bay is the name of the capital and principal city of the semi-independent hobling shire of Houppeland on the continent of Minami. It houses one of the most important institutions in that far away land. Here is located the Centenary Collegium of Bardic Arts, (Actually over 600 years old) so named because  every hundred years the collegium's libraries are removed and stored in a great underground archive, and the process of collecting the world's music and folklore is begun again.

    According to the Collegium's founders, the purpose of this ritual is to measure the world's progress, and to keep a record of the evolution of song, story, and skills throughout Tyrra.(The less reverent have suggested that it is also a method of measuring the fortunes of the Collegium itself.) Many of the finest bards on Tyrra have either studied or taught at the Collegium, and most aspirants to that profession consider a sojourn at the Collegium as a desirable ingredient in their education.

    The city of Crookhaven itself is set upon three hills overlooking the magnificent Belltower Bay, so named for the great Carillon on the collegium's main building. Travelers arriving by ship enter the harbor through the Penmarch Channel, and drop anchor at the bustling quay side where people and goods from all over Tyrra may be found, and where it is said that anything in the world may be bought or sold if the price is right. The experienced adventurer will do well to ensure the safety of person and property with a maximum of spell defenses.

    This shire was once a barony in the kingdom of Skara, but two centuries ago their baroness' heavy handed tactics and taxes sparked an uprising among the free-spirited Hobling population. When the Collegium entered the conflict, it unleashed an invective upon the baronial house of such scathing wit and sarcasm that the family was driven in ridicule from Houppelande. Fearing a similar fate, the King of Skara decided to grant a measure of independence to the shire. Today, the Mayor of Crookhaven who is appointed by the Council of Guilds is the nominal regent of Houppelande, although the latter title is rarely used except on state occasions.

    It is interesting to note that next to the Collegium, the Rogues Guild of Crookhaven holds a preeminent position, both in town and shire.