Hammensend

Standing at the junction of three states, Hammensend is a frontier trade town of 8,800 people with ferries leading to Leukish and its rich markets. Hammensend is the most welcoming town in these lands because many Urnst folk live and work here as merchants, traders, boat builders, fishermen and the like. Bastrayne's deputed Town Governor Kryallen Fardashen has managed to keep the town reasonably prosperous by the strategy of under-declaring its population (increased by 1,800 since the war), thus reducing the amount of revenue appearing to be due from it. Many of western Nyrond's richer artisans and merchants have retreated here for this reason and because Hammensend offers rapid escape via ferries to either Urnst state if needed.

The plight of Nyrond is nonetheless emphasized here by the many refugees fleeing the land passing through this town en route to Leukish and then, for many, across the Nyr Dyv. Rich merchants with wagons of produce may not arouse player character sympathy, but the sight of ruined farmers sadly leaving their homeland with little more than bundles of clothing and a well-hidden bag of small coins should.

Located at the junction of the Franz and Nesser Rivers, Hammensend is the place to find people and goods from many lands and a good place to hear tales of woe. It is also, sadly, a city where thieves prey on those who are leaving, and one where some who planned to leave ran out of money or hope, or couldn't bring themselves to set off for a foreign land for fear of the unknown or love of their homeland. These folk have often sunk into debauchery, alcoholism or insanity. The southern quarters of the town have many bordellos, beggars and worse. Hammensend is also occasionally attacked by bandits who fled from the Bandit Kingdoms and settled in the northern Celadon Forest.