Ittaben
Ittaben is best known for three famous wineries scattered around the town. The wineries were assisted via magic for over a century, producing competing high quality wine desired throughout the Confederacy. The increasing popularity of the Church of the One Sun in town led to a boycott of the wines produced with magic and the bankruptcy of the winery owners. After the Sypi Civil War, the wineries began operation once again, and Ittaben has thrived in the postwar atmosphere, despite the devastation caused to it during the conflict.
Demographics
Ittaben consists of a varied population with citizens from nearly every tribe in the Sypi Confederacy. The largest plurality of the population are Mineter humans, who are the most common in the region, both in terms of urban populations and migrating tribes. A small amount of other races have settled in Ittaben besides humans, most significantly, goblins and orcs who have come to work in the vineyards. Quite a few humans have left since the civil war, due to the expulsion of the Church of the One Sun, which had previously retained a substantial presence here.
Government
Strangely for the Sypi Confederacy, the town of Ittaben is ruled by a hereditary lord. The town's founder was a clever and ambitious man and retained ownership of much of the land when the town was originally founded. He positioned himself as an absolute leader and avoided the anarchy of elections or democracy. Although the ruling family has changed over the years, the hereditary passage of power has not. The current Lord or Lady of Ittaben therefore appoints her own delegates to oversee the management of the town, as problems occur. The other wealthy of Ittaben typically involve themselves in personal affair and are responsible for keeping the peace on their own estates and holdings.
Defences
During the civil war, Ittaben's crumbling defenses led to it suffering disproportionately to its size. The town wall had crumbled and collapsed, and the individual nobles instead took the effort to fortify their homes instead of organizing a coordinated defense. The constant raiding and fighting that took place during the war destroyed what little strong points remained and the nobles' homes were not spared the torch. Today, the town still lacks any organized defense force or structures, but in the case of an assault could bring to bear around 400 trained militia and levies. Only forty of these people however, are full time guards dedicated to preserving order and chasing criminals.
Industry & Trade
The vineyards are the primary source of Ittaben's modest wealth and economy. Resting along the Smitlaw road between the Shin Empire and the capital of Wofslar, Ittaben receives occasional visitors on their way to lose money at the Conino resorts and casinos to the northeast. This brings in regular trade from both tourists and caravan travelers, who like to peruse the town's spirits before moving on. Other farms exist locally, but mostly just to provide for the town's sustenance rather than creating enough for export.
Infrastructure
Ittaben has had some time to recover since the end of the civil war, but the sad fact is that it is diminished compared to what it had been before the war. The war had waged across the land, and as Ittaben had lacked true defenses, it was sacked over and over by the various armies and tribes. At its lowest, it had only a population of several hundred. Although most of these people have returned home and rebuilt, the roads are still in disrepair and many ruined structures dot the town streets. Entire neighborhoods still lay empty, making them desirable locations for criminals and thugs to hide out from pursuit.
Assets
Ittaben's wineries are its greatest assets, and the bars locally sell the wine over any other alcoholic beverage. The taverns are typically well stocked, but there is only a single inn offering accommodations to travelers and adventurers. Sadly, there is little in the way of other valuable assets for adventuring parties, as the blacksmiths are poorly stocked, and the sad state of the town's streets and infrastructure has led to high demand for all construction materials. There is quite a bit of money in the town, but most of it is in the hands of the wealthy, who live mostly in the outskirts.
Founding Date
484 AF
Type
Town
Population
4,300
Inhabitant Demonym
Ittabener
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
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