Townships
- The Sorcerer of Tarengael Town, a practitioner of the strange magic of Baron Autumn.
Features
- The Bridges East and West (16.16.03): information on the towns on either side of the river from Castle Tarengael.
- The Last Horses: the only horse market in the land is held here.
- Chelind’s Buns (16.16.06): a baker and her demon lover.
The Bridges East and West
Hex 16.16.03
Connects to: 14.14, 16.16.04, 17.18, 39.23.01, the Bitter Coast and the City of Shuttered Windows.
With Castle Tarengael lying in on an island in its center, two great bridges span the River of Crystal Waters here. They are the foundation of much of the wealth of the Duke of Thring for the Duke charges tolls both on those who cross over the bridges and those who sail under them. The western bridge is made from mundane stone and appears drab alongside the eastern bridge, which is made of a glass-like material that is as strong as steel. This bridge shines radiantly in the light of the sun and almost seems to glow at night but it is slippery when wet and can be difficult to navigate around, which is why some portions of it are often painted with scenes from Thringish history. However, such paintings never last for long as it is difficult for anything to adhere to the bridge and they soon weather away.
At the far end of the two bridges are a pair of simple but sprawling villages, unimaginatively named Westbridge and Eastbridge. They are inhabited by those servants of the Duke for whom there is no room within his castle. By Thringish law they are not true holdings and have the same legal standing as a collection of shed in a cow field. They are also not fortified for no people of value (at least in eyes of the nobles of Thring) live in these villages.
Westbridge is even poorer than Eastbridge since few travellers come west from the Hills of Gore and the desolate lands from the west and, to make matters worse, the men-at-arms that serve the Duke’s steward keep a sharp watch on its people and ensure that none have money that would not be better kept in the Duke’s pockets. From among the poor of Westbridge a few men have been able to rise, notably the Black Duke of Thring (39.23.01), who was born here among the muck and rose to become one of the greatest warriors and greatest tyrants in Thringish history.
Recently a weaver from Shuttered has set up shop in Westbridge and the Duke has granted him a large number of peasant children as apprentices. He claims to have come here to avoid the restrictive rules of the Shuttered craft guilds.
Meanwhile, Eastbridge is a different place altogether. Many merchants come here from the north and east to deal with the court of Thring and all those who are not welcomed into the court as guests stay on the east side of the bridges. As a result, there are a large number of inns here clustered around the main square where the monthly warhorse (16.16.04) market is held. These inns cater to not only travelers who are unable to arrange for rooms in Castle Tarengael itself but Thringish men and woman who seek to enjoy themselves away from the confining etiquette of court.
Strangely enough, the streets of Eastbridge are actually paved, at least some of them. The paving stones that are used have been transported here all the way from the **Bitter Coast **(17.18).
Connection:
- Someone in Westbridge has been supplying sacrificial victims to Shotwick (14.14).
Hooks:
- Why is there an entire bridge made out of glassteel here?
- How heavy are the tolls here?
- Why does it mater that Eastbridge and Westbridge aren’t legally holdings?
- What is the weaver up to?
- Any interesting inns in Eastbridge? What sort of entertainment can be had there?
Chelind’s Buns
Hex 16.16.06
Connects to: 13.01 and 16.16.03.
A great deal of trade is carried out in Eastbridge (16.16.03) and many small traders find it more congenial to carry out trade with the townsfolk than with the court of the Duke. However, like just about anywhere else in the Shrouded Lands, there exists danger that can snare the unwary.
Some time ago a young baker named Chelind had dreams about being held in the passionate embrace of a being of dew and vapor. These dreams lead her to a large boulder embedded in the bank of The River of Crystal Waters. She hired a Skullcrusher orc (13.01) to pry loose the boulder and as it came free, the orc was pitched into the river along with the stone and never surfaced.
Under the stone, Chelind found a strange silvery skull in perfect condition and carried it back to her bakery. Ever since, her buns have been laced wtih strange enchantments and, if eaten fresh (for the magic lies in the vapor) can have curious effects on those who eat them. One of the first such victims was Chelind’s husband, who she misses not at all.
Recently she has begun stewing mule meat to serve over her buns at a very reasonable price which ensures that her customers eat them hot and that the vapor within them does not dissipate before they are eaten. However, the chance of Chelind’s secret getting out is growing. Only a few days ago a local urchin peered through her window at night and saw the baker lying stark naked on a table atop a vast mound of dough crying out and writhing in her sleep. Such a sight he has never seen since he snooped on Tarent the ironmonger.
Hooks:
- Do the Skullcrusher orcs know about what happened to their dead tribesman?
- What exactly is the being of dew and vapor and how is it connected to the silvery skull?
- What effect does eating Chelind’s buns have? What happened to her husband?
- What’s the deal with Tarent the ironmonger?