Tenford

"In the shadow of the ruined keep..."

Located at the nexus where the South Elimer River (Elimer River, North and South) meets Lake Terant, Tenford is one of the larger farming and trade towns servicing the southern holdings of Wyeth known as "Southend."
As a "major" hub of farming and trade activity in the crown heartlands, Tenford sees more foot and wagon traffic than the average settlement in the region. It sends trade goods down the South Elimer River, and provides food and supplies to larger settlements (with less farmland) such as Hadelton and Lariston.
Tenford is not an independent operation, as it is a holding of the Lord of Sacrament, which in turn falls directly under the sway of the crown of Wyeth. As such, its governor is appointed by outside interests (see below).
The town also supplies (and, in fact, was founded to supply) the neighboring garrison of the Knights of the Spear at Kurnik Keep. Once two battalions strong, the keep now only services several hundred "regular" knights of Wyeth. Still, Tenford presses forth with its duties to supply the soldiers with their basic needs.
Fun Fact: Tenford is named for its abnormally large compliment of river crossings. However these plentiful crossings do not number ten. Perhaps there was once several more fords, or simply the person naming the town couldn't properly count. The sweet mysteries of life!
Sometimes, people forgo calling the town by its proper name and simply refer to it as Kurnik Keep. Those people can't be bothered by the fact that the keep isn't even officially on the same property.

Demographics

The population of Tenford is predominantly human, with a smattering of pikel (5%), grogans (2%), and about 6% "mixed other."

Government

Tenford is governed by a Lord Bailiff (currently Lord Bailiff Elmund Heller) appointed by the lord of Sacrament, who governs the region.

Defences

Tenford has no military force of its own, relying entirely upon support from the king's men at Kurnik Keep.
What the town does have is a citizen watch, consisting of volunteers from amongst the general population, and "deputized" by the local constable.
The constable, in turn, has but a handful of actual, appointed officers to enforce local law. Perhaps there are 80 officers at any given time.

Industry & Trade

For its relatively small size, Tenford benefits from a wide variety of trade goods (mostly food crops and fish from the lake and river), predominantly supplied by the local farmers who come "to market" in town once a week.
Further, the town handles a decent amount of import/export trade. Certainly more than what is typical for a township in the Heartlands.

Infrastructure

Tenford is known for its various water mills, dotting the bank of the river it rests upon. Its buildings are predominantly single story, wattle and daub affairs, but there are also a fair number of two story brick and mortar buildings as well (including Town Hall and the Lord Bailiff's demese).
Tenford also sports a disproportional number of taverns versus the size of its populace. If one desires a variety of libations, one could do worse than to visit Tenford. Some of the most well known establishments include "The Tipsy Troll" and the "Skittering Salamander." Alliteration abounds!
Tenford is supported by the looming stone behemoth known as Kurnik Keep. Once a proud bastion of the king's might, of late the fortification has fallen on rough times and is manned only by a small detachment of "regulars" (knights not of The Spear).

Guilds and Factions

Many of the expected guilds have journeymen working out of Tenford. Most earned their rank through apprenticeships in Sacrament, having later traveled to Tenford to make a name for themselves (or to be a big fish in a small pond, so to speak).

History

Tenford was originally a small farming town established to meet the needs of the adjacent Kurnik Keep. The keep itself was established as a bastion for the king's might in the southern Midderlands. At the time, the seeds of rebellion against the crown were growing in the west, and the king's intelligence suggested spreading his best soldiers out across the heartlands. Thus, two batallions of "The Spear" were detached to Kurnik Keep.
This proved fortuitous, for during the 1st Usurper War ("The War for the West") the outpost served as a critical defensive position, aiding the supply lines headed even further east.
By the time the conflict ended, Tenford had grown more than four times its original size, as regional farmers began to migrate closer to the highly defensive position. They simply ended up staying there once life began to return to normal.
Not wanting to manage interests so far from Markhan, the king "gifted" the town to the Lord of Sacrament, now acting as a liege lord to the settlement.

Architecture

Most buildings are wood or wattle and daub. 80% are single/two stories high. 20% are stone or brick, with the tallest building having four floors.

Geography

Tenford sits at the point where the South Elimer River meets Lake Terant. The region is mostly wetlands, with a good section of arable farm land directly to the east of town. Less than one mile northeast of Tenford lies the undermanned and somewhat unkempt Kurnik Keep. At its height, the keep was a bastion for two battalions belonging to the Knights of the Spear.

Alternative Name(s)

Kurnik Keep

Type

Town

Population

Roughly 8,000 citizens call Tenford home.

Inhabitant Demonym

Southenders