Towns & Cities

Maps

• 

  Kilerth

  Kilerth is a northern town that makes most of its profit from the crabbing industry. The fishermen tend to spend half the year crabbing and fishing while taking the other half of the year off. Almost all the fishermen avoid the area of Crimson Domain and for good reason, so most fishing is straight north and northeast of the town. During crab season, you will find plenty of ships coming and going as the crab trade business is fairly good for them. During the off season, there is less traffic going on while the towns folk enjoy a more relaxing style of living.
  There is also a fair number of Tabaxi that call this town home, roughly a quarter of the population are Tabaxi. Even with the unwarranted reputation of their race, they are skilled at fishing and are a valuable part of the community. Not much racial tension is found here as the town is a close sociable group. If a farmer needs to build a new barn, the next morning you will see that most of the community will show up to help without being asked and without expectations of rewards.  
  One of the more interesting aspects of Kilerth is their famous bathhouses. It’s unsure if there is some sort of natural underground hot springs or some sort of magic at work. The owners advertise that the waters have healing properties, make you years younger and rejuvenated. The bath houses are some of the oldest buildings in town as the town was actually built here in the first place because of the amazing hot waters and its healing properties. When visiting Kilerth one should always make it a point to stop at both the bath houses and also try some of the crab dishes at the Floating Otter Inn.  
  During the nighttime, you can always see the red and orange glow coming from the cursed island of the Crimson Domain. It looks like a sunrise coming out over the ocean off the western shores. As it's illegal to be on the island by Imperial Law, residents stay clear of the island and with all the rumors now circulating around about something happening there most folks avoid the area altogether. One fishing captain even swears he once saw strange looking ships with red sails near the shores of the Crimson Domain.
• 

  Gildenvale

  Built on the beautiful Gilden lake and having a more central location has made this a very popular spot. Most of the town's income deals with renting rooms, entertainment, gambling, selling foods to travelers and visitors alike. This large town never sleeps with plenty of folk coming and going at all times. Passing thru, pleasure or business you will find a wide range of people here including a few different races. Imperial guards have a large barracks here and will always ensure the peace is kept which is good for business.
    Want to get away from work, maybe thinking of retirement, desire delicious foods, like trying your luck at gambling or wishing to fully enjoy the night life then come visit Gildenvale! With many shops, stalls and souvenir stands there is always something to spend your coins on here. Also known as the go to place for those looking for the best foods, fine dining and all types of amazing foods. Along with having a repetition of having the best freshwater fish meals in the entire area.
    t's recommended to pay for rooms in advance during festivals, fishing competitions and other major events as rooms will fill quickly. Regardless of season large events are in no short supply, these events pull in huge amounts of money for the town. If you’re the competitive sort, then keep an eye on the Gildenvale Event Calendar as some of the top prizes are huge to insure larger crowds. If you're more the music appreciation type, then check out one of the numerous music concerts that are also held here.
    The mayor is very popular as he is truly a businessman at heart which is always good for the town. Quick with a smile and even quicker with a deal but is known for being a good man to those that live here. Currently a few whispers have been heard about the mayor's daughter has gone missing with no clues to what may had happened. The mayor is trying to keep it covered up as he knows something like this could be bad for business.
• 

  Shivershire

  Built on the lake river, near the base of the mountains in the rolling foothills you shall find this charming little shire. Here hobbits, gnomes, halflings and humans live together in a relaxed lifestyle. This slow moving and carefree place is where people live off the lands fully enjoying what nature has to offer them. There is not much here for outsiders, having only a few businesses to speak of.
    You will however find the Shiver Winery nestled among the lazy hills here. The wine may not be the best nor the most expensive, but it is popular with the common folk which means lots of sales. Wine wagons are a common site traveling to and from here as they are the only supplier of Shiver Wine. Most taverns in the Empire will keep Shiver wines in stock due to it selling so well.
    The drunken frog tavern is the heart of the town, most business dealings, meetings and going on's will be taking place here. It’s the ideal place for social gatherings and seems to always have at least a few patrons here drinking the ever-famous Drunk Frog Ale. The recipe and location of the Drunk Frog brewery is kept a family secret but some whisper that its hidden somewhere within the caverns under the village. There is recent talk of the Drunken Frog making business negotiations for signing export contracts to sell their famous ale to those outside of the shire.
    Walking distance from Shivershire you will find a few places to visit, to the north is the beautiful Crystal Falls, south is some amazing river fishing, then northwest is where all the different vineyards and farms are located. The area is a relaxing environment, beautiful scenery, lazy foothills, with wonderful lakes and rivers. It makes for a nice place to visit and get away from the normal troubles of the other areas.
    Once before in the past, Shivershire was actually part of the Lightfoot Coalition, but the Empire has since expanded their borders as humans always do. It is no secret the folks of Shivershire are still unhappy with this even to this day, longing for the old days of being with the LightFoots. There are some bad feelings still but being passive people, they do not cause any trouble with the Empire. The village does very well for itself based on the sale of their ever-popular wines.
• 

  Tilmere

  Tilmere is Located almost centered between Shivershire, Cullfield and Varei. This prosperous town is an assortment of humans and halflings but mostly a gnome population is found here. Some of the up-and-coming inventors will travel here in hopes to study with some of the master tinkerers that call Tilmere home. Peaceful but far from being normal, as the gnomes have seen fit to improve upon almost everything there is inside of this town. Including transportation, water pressure systems, rapid deployment boats to almost anything imaginable. If you are looking for unique inventions and devices this is a good place to visit, just make sure you read the fine print on the warranties when dealing with the tinkerers.
    During the daytime, the town is alive with busy work as gnomes try to improve on improvements, the halflings tend to their farms and the other races work in harmony to keep up in this lively town. Once the sun sets, there are numerous taverns and restaurants filled with laughing customers. It's a fairly normal routine here to work hard and play hard, plenty of bards and cooks to be found here because of this town’s simple logic as well. Most visitors here are either traveling the land, stopping in for shopping or taking vacation to sample the foods and drinks the town has to offer.
    There is of course an Imperial Guard barrack here to guard the town and to uphold the law but for the most part the Empire does not interfere as much here. There are almost never any troubles here and really no reason for the Empire to get involved too closely with the town. They also have plenty of Imperial contracts involving wines, ales, foods and other supplies which are almost always met ahead of schedule.
    Here is also a gnome college that has many different areas of study from inventing, tinkering, alchemist, engineering, alchemy, gem cutting, music and other trade skills. Many have traveled here to attend this college if their application is accepted into the school. Getting into the school can be a little difficult as there is a waiting list of students trying to get in, the next closest colleges are located in Talsworth and Cirrane. The college board here has been trying for years to recruit Redman from SENDER as a professor for years, this is his hometown.
    It is also one of the two ports which is closest to the haunted islands off the coast, this does attract plenty of tourists that come here to take guided ship tours of those islands. Tourism does account for a small part of the town's annual income, so plenty of places to buy souvenirs, places to rent and other normal tourist attractions to be found here. As the islands are off limits to anyone without processing special permits, they can offer tour guides by boat. These tours take most of the day, sailing around the outside of the islands enjoying a nice meal and drinks while tour guides tell wild tales of the islands past.
• 

  Midhaven

  Being in a central position, Midhaven is home of a large Imperial fort which is used as a base of operations in the northern area. It is fairly common to see large formations of Imperial guards, Soldiers, and personnel traveling to and from Midhaven. The fort also includes a training area where the fresh recruits out of the Imperial Military center in Talsworth continue daily training with more experienced veterans. As one can imagine, life is rather peaceful with the Imperial Military having a strong presence here. Besides the occasional drunken misconduct, not much in the way of crime happens here, and the residents appreciate this.
    Over the years, Midhaven has grown from a military fort into a nice town under the careful watch of the Empire. There are plenty of people, supply caravans, and others that are coming through here. Some of these caravans and travelers will even hire guards and soldiers on leave for protection while traveling the open roads. Because of the normal traffic, there is a large tavern that was built here that is always bustling with activity. This tavern features nice clean rooms, friendly atmosphere, and fun activities. They have one of the best chefs in the area working for them, as well. Most of the population is human, but there are a few off races that live here, as well, including the tavern owners.
    In the last several months, it would appear that the Imperial Military is being way more active than usual for whatever reason. There is now so much military activity going on that they had to clear a large field on the outskirts of the town to make room for a rather large military camp. Last year, the normal troop activity was maybe 50 at a time, but, in recent months, it is more along the lines of a thousand at a time. It seems most of these troops are marching eastwards, but anytime someone asks about the extra troop movement, the Imperial Military says it’s nothing to worry about and that it’s merely military training maneuvers. Some of the town’s residents have been hearing rumors of a mass military stockpile being built at the fort that includes way too much material for the current numbers stationed here.
• 

  Cullfield

  Cullfield is a charming farming community built along the lake, vast open fields surrounding the area making it ideal for farming lands. Here you will find the population mostly human with more than a few halflings living here as well as they do tend to enjoy the farming life. Numerous farms have been built outside of town as their population grew, which turned the farming community into a nice size town over the years. With Cullfield supplying crops and produce to other places, there is an Imperial barracks here to help keep the peace and to insure timely deliveries for the Imperial contacts.     Being in the middle of Mirstone, Tilmere and Belmire the town does see more than its fair share of travelers so provide a few taverns, inns and other shops. Besides the fresh produce brough at the farmers market, there is also plenty of lake fish to be had here as well as the lake was bountiful to the fishermen that also called this town home. There is even one farm that has been trying to grow a new type of pipe tobacco that will grow better in the cooler climates of being northwards. The tobacco farmer is even trying splicing in different types of plant strands to bring even more flavor. At the moment the most popular has been the mint tobacco, giving the pipe a nice cool minty flavor, which seems to be getting rather popular in these parts.     One point of interest for Cullfield, is the old arena that used to hold fights for entertainment back in the old days before the Empire ruled it illegal and unsafe. Now once a month the farmers gather together for the last three days of the month to hold a farmer's festival of sorts. This includes games like the plow pull, sheaf toss, contests of cooking, biggest vegetables grown and other activities that can be rather competitive among the normal friendly farmers. More recently there have been rumors going around that the Empire may be talking about approving a more physical full contact sporting event which is currently being played in secret. Among these rumors, there has also been some strange rumors of a large raise of accidental deaths happening along the river to the south, but the Imperial guards have stated its nothing to worry about and just normal accidental deaths and advise being careful while traveling along the river southwards.
• 

  Riverton

  Riverton is a small out of the way village that doesn't see too many visitors. The people living here like their privacy and are known for being weary of any outsiders that visit the village. Mostly a human population with some different races mixed in, no imperial barracks but the imperial guards do patrol this village occasionally due to rumors of protestors being in this area.
    This simple river village is self-sufficient so not much trade going on with them to the other locations, but they are known for importing cheaper ales from the nearby towns. Besides the river which the town was built on, it's completely surrounded by wilderness, including wild plains and forests. Most of the residents here value their privacy, distrust strangers and prefer being left alone all together. They also don't take very kindly to pro-imperial types, not causing any troubles with the imperial guard that come through on patrol but always happy to see them leave.
    Some of the residents from Shivershire will travel down river, trading wine & ale for Riverton’s pipe tobacco. The pipe tobacco grown here is a strong, hearty tobacco packed with flavor with a rich woodsy aroma to it. The Empire is still working on having Riverton sign contracts with them to export this tobacco, but the village will not agree, simply stating they do not have enough to export. Those visiting here normally buy tobacco and salted river fish from them before leaving.
    Recently there has been some rumors going around that some of the hunters have discovered a lost forest ruin somewhere in the area of Riverton, but these rumors are being heavily denied by the residents. Even without the rumors, it's noticeable in town that residents are starting to buy up mining equipment, gear and other necessities that would be required for underground exploration. It is believed that the Imperial Intelligence division is keeping a close eye on this village, but of course the Empire denies all of that and reminding citizens that there is no Imperial Special Operations and its nothing more than silly conspiracy theories being spread by drunken people with nothing better to do.
    It is cautioned that if visiting Riverton, do respect their privacy and they should not stay any longer than necessary. Residents are known for responding poorly to questions and strangers that they do not know. There is a tavern located here where travelers can rent rooms, but they do not allow rooms to be rented any longer than three days. Preferring that visitors get their businesses done quickly and leave as soon as they can.
• 

  Covenfell

  Covenfell - Small village mostly known for good seafood and offering small port services. Each summer they have a huge festival celebrating the sea's bounty. Mostly humans but known for being friendly towards some of the other races. Strangely enough, the village has not had a baby girl in almost 10 years and some of the locals are whispering that witches are to blame. Could just be silly old bedtime stories as no witch has been seen in these parts for almost 50 years now.
    Life here is good for the most part, most of the business coming from the docks as many would rather come here then heading up the coast to Echo Bay. Enough cargo, passengers and ships passing thru to keep this humble village doing well for itself. With the recent completion of the new dock construction, the town is already seeing a small increase in traffic which means more money for everyone here. With new shipping contracts with Gildenvale in the making, it's possible the sleepy town of Covenfell may have a very bright future ahead of them.
    Things may appear good now or at least on the surface but Covenfell has a long and dark history that it tries to either hide or ignore. In a time before Gildenvale was built, this town was plagued by foul blood magics and witches. Having a history filled with witch trials, mass paranoia and nightmares walking its paths late at night. Somewhere hidden in the forest was a large coven of witches that terrorized the town, stealing babies, performing blood rituals and summoning dark spirits. Finally believing in the rumors, the empire sent military troops and church inquisitors to end the madness. During this dark time, many innocent folks where tortured and found guilty of witchcraft. Even the smallest rumor of blood magic would have your family locked up and awaiting trial without representation. Countless people were burned alive at the stake where the church now stands to keep the ground cleansed.
    Towards the end of these witch trials, a young beautiful woman was found guilty of witchcraft and during her trail she only laughed in her defense. As she was put to the stake to burn, she promised a curse upon the town. In a language unknown to any of them, she shouted and laughed as she bites her tongue off with her blood spinning circles around her burning body. Proving to all that she did use blood magics but for 333 days following this event all within town had violent nightmares until finally they just stopped. There has always been that creepy feeling around town late at night, strange things known to happen when it was dark outside, and the missing person reports are way higher than normal. This makes the towns folk specious, slightly paranoid and jumpy during the night so it's not very common to see anyone out after dark.
• 

  Cromer

  Cromer is a smaller port north of Waldenport, most ships these days head towards Waldenport. With the decrease in shipping traffic to this village, Cromer over the years has become more of a fishing port than a shipping port. Being farther away from civilization you will find a mix of different races here, half of which are human. Racism is not really a thing here, as these villagers live together as one solid group helping one another daily.
    The ocean fishing here is much different than it is south, there are fewer fish, but they grow much larger. Where in Echo Bay the fishing is all about catching as many as you can in one day, here it is all about catching the biggest one you can. The waters are slightly colder so there are actually different types of saltwater fish and life here that will not be found south. One of these fish is a giant bright white fish called Kullo that can weigh up to 800lbs and is widely regarded as a delicacy in most areas which can bring a nice price on the open market. There are also the Harax crabs for those braves enough to sail north, these crabs are always in high demand due to their sweet flavor when cooked. Most of the Harax crabs are caught in large wooden cages that are baited but are more numerous along the northern shores east of Crimson Domain.
    It also happens to be the port which those foolish enough to visit the Crimson Domain use as it's just up the coast from here. The Crimson Domain is off limits by Imperial Law due to safety concerns, but this does not stop the occasional smuggler or adventurer from going there in hopes of finding lost treasures. At night, you can see the glowing red light coming from the Crimson Domain which causes most villagers not to wander too closely to the northern shores nearby.
    Villagers here are mostly looking to be left alone and prefer being in an area that is not visited frequently. The quiet day to day living here is mostly ocean fishing, forestry and the cooler air does allow for farming of certain crops not found south. These farms grow mostly root vegetables and garlic, which is a very good export for them as they take their goods south and sell them at Waldenport. There is also some minor Imperial contract farming here as well due to Talsworth wanting fresh garlic. Because of this, there is always a small patrol of imperial guards here, they stay for 3 months before routing to a different location.
    There is plenty of talk about the surrounding area being great for hunting of all sorts. A large river just east of here makes for good fishing as well. It's fairly common to find rangers in this area so in Cromer is a ranger guild. There are some that will travel to this small village just to be able to train with the rangers that are here in hopes of learning the trade. Some of the more influential people from Talsworth have also been known to come here on hunting adventures, this is where for a good amount of gold they can go on relatively safe hunting parties. The weekend hunters keep the trophies from the hunt, then the rangers donate the leftover food and pelts to the village as a mutual agreement that is beneficial to both sides.
    Rumors have been whispered of a legendary ranger who has retired north of this village and seeks to be left alone after spending so many years working for others. His past deeds and skills have been greatly exaggerated of course but this does not stop a few young rangers from trying to find him in hopes of him taking them as apprentices. So far, the old ranger has refused all visitors and has been known to become aggravated by getting visitors. It's even been said that these days, the forest in which he lives is riddled with traps to stop visitors from reaching him. Matter of fact, the ranger guild in Cromer was originally started by him right before the tragic events that led to the death of his only son. After that, he has never stepped foot back into Cromer ever again.
• 

  Direbluff

  Village at the base of the mountain range, with mining being a big part of this village and why it was built here in the first place. There is a vast network of mining tunnels and shafts built into the mountain behind the village. Over recent years they have built a mining facility to increase operations in order to keep up with the Empire's demand for steel. This part of the mountain mostly provides iron, copper and steel to which the village mines daily.
    Roughly half of the population here are Dwarven. You will also find a few other races, but humans are most of the other half of the residents. Most everyone here either works in the mines or for the mining facility but you will find a few residents that make a good living with crafting the metals. It is also known that a well-known but slightly eccentric gnome metallurgist lives here too providing help while doing his unorthodox research with the mined resources.
    The idle hammer is a fairly typical dwarven inn providing strong ale, bland food, short beds and loud laughter. If you're ever wanting to waste a few hours of your time drinking, then merely ask either owner about the huge rusty hammer hanging on the wall. Besides the dark heavy dwarven ale, this is also a good place to kick back and relax while catching up on all the latest gossip.
    Due to the mining contracts signed with the Empire, there is Imperial Barracks here, so guards are a common site. As they ensure that the precious steel is shipped promptly to Imperial forges to make more weapons and armor. The guards tend not to interfere with the daily operations as long as the steel shipments are leaving on time. They are highly suspicious of any strangers visiting that may look like bandits or the sort that may want to steal Imperial shipments.
    Recent whispers have been heard of a few miners going missing while working inside the mines. The guards have assured everyone that no one is missing, and everything is perfectly safe with the mines. So, it's business as usual here in this mining village of Direbluff.
• 

  Fairbay

  Fairway is a simple shore town that is north of Belmire and life here is simple but a little hard as the trading business has been slowly dwindling down over the years with fewer travelers to the area. With a few farms, fishing and the local forest the town tends to be rather self-sufficient but lower with the normal income compared to other towns of its size. The crabbing industry has been competitive with Kilerth and Lerwick so this part of the town has also slowed down over the years. It's not a bad place to live, just on the simple and slow side of life with lower-than-average income.
  One place to stop by is the small candy shop that is located here, the person that owns and operates the business almost never takes visitors, but their assistant is always more than happy to talk to shoppers. It is said that the owner spends most of his time inventing new positions, new flavors and always working in his workshop in the back of the store. They have a good reputation for giving out free candy to the children during holidays, providing free healing potions for those that have been injured and can't afford healing. This person has been approached many times before by the Imperial Trade Commission about signing a contract to deliver candy to Talsworth, even with the offer of a larger building with employees but the offers are always turned down for some reason.
    The town was originally built here due to the discovery of an ancient druid rockhenge that was here long before the first settlers arrived at this area. Plenty of people have speculated that it is some sort of calendar to maybe keep track of the seasons and when to plant crops. Others have said it's some unknown way of keeping track of the moons and stars in the night sky. Even a few rumors of the rocks being markers as something very large was buried here as it sits on top of the only hill in an otherwise flat area. In order to help preserve the stone formation the town now has a historical preservation guild where any and all research at the site must be pre-approved beforehand.
    There are some recent rumors of seeing higher than usual activity of Northern Tribes ships traveling back and forth between the mainland and their kingdom. With more than a few Imperial Navy ships also being seen patrolling the north shores but the Imperial officials have stated there is nothing to worry about and just merely Naval patrol exercises going on. Of course, if you stop by the local tavern, you will hear more than a few strange rumors going on among the fishermen about some incredibly large creature that is now roaming just offshore. Only a handful of drunken sailors have ever reported seeing such a thing, but the rumors also speak of something being awoken within the last several months, something of great evil and incredible size.
• 

  Norbury

  Norbury is a peaceful, relaxing mountain lake town located north of Talsworth. Originally there was merely an old monk monastery built here but over the years of the monks being well known for both healing and superb ale makers, people started to settle near the old monastery. Now there is a nice size village that has been built at the base of the monastery hill next to the lake.
    Life here is a little on the slow side, some even come here to retire or get away from the busy life of other places. Lake fishing is very good here, the waters being fed directly from the mountains make the water clear and clean. Known for the freshwater, it's not too surprising to see folks travel here to gather water from the lake in large barrels. One of the main ingredients to the monk’s ale is using the incredibly clear mountain water to brew the ale.
    More recently, the monastery requested help from the Wardens Watch with some odd troubles it was having. Now it would appear that everything is back to normal, and the famous monk ale is once again shipping out to the nearby towns. While there have been a few whispers of an underground crypt that the monastery was built on top of, there has never been any proof of this, and the monks deny any such place under their building.
    The monks and villagers work well together, with the monks providing healing and other services to the villagers. In return the villagers are always more than happy to donate fish, wood and other materials to the monastery. Visitors are welcomed but it is advised to be respectful while visiting as the monks don't take kindly to those that would disrupt the harmony of this location. There are a handful of Imperial guards here for the safety of the village but with having the monk monastery in the middle of the village, outside help with defense is never necessary.
    Lyppa can be found either at the monastery working or down at the lake practicing running on water while punching. She is very well liked in Norbury so if any monks or villages witness any disrespect towards her, good chance they will get involved.
• 

  Belmire

  A quaint little lake village down river from Fairbay, Belmire has a quiet, small-town feel to it. Everyone here knows one another, new travels quickly, and keeping secrets is difficult. Most folks here are either fishermen, hunters, farmers, or help run the town as it is very community oriented. A lot of the residents live just outside of Belmire with plenty of cabins and homes built along the lake and in the surrounding forest. The most exciting thing that happens is the yearly fishing contest that the town is well known for as the lake is amazing when it comes to fishing. This could be part of the reason why gossip seems to be the daily highlight with the residents that live here.
    There are no Imperial barracks located here, but it's common to see Imperial guards and troops here as they are traveling through the area often enough. With having little to no crime, there has never been a reason for the Imperial guards to be stationed here. The residents are always friendly to the soldiers and guards that travel through here as it means more income for them through lodging, food, drinks, and other items of trade. All visitors are more than welcome here as long as things are kept peaceful, and the laws are followed. If visiting here, make sure to try the lake panfish which only grows in this lake. They are small in size but packed full of flavor. The town does well sell these panfish salted, pickled, raw, and cooked and are considered a local delicacy.
    The lake which the town is built upon has always had such a wonderful reputation for fishing, swimming and enjoying life on a lake. It's uncommonly deep; the depth of the center of the lake is currently unknown as no one has been able to get to the bottom, yet. As the middle of the lake runs colder in temperature, people enjoy staying closer to the shores where the water is warm, and the lake depth is normal.
    Of course, all of this was before the rumors started up a few months back. Sometimes, late at night, a strange glow can be seen coming from the center of the lake. Also, there are rumors that the lake marine life is slowly becoming more aggressive and not behaving as normal. This was all blown off as small-town gossip until the boat maker went missing a few weeks back. The only thing recovered was half of his wooden boat. The Imperial guards reassure us that it's nothing to worry about and was merely a boating accident of him hitting rocks under the water. This is not exactly what Belmire's rumors and gossip are saying, but the locals do not want to lose business and so are keeping quiet at the moment.
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  Echo Bay

  Echo bay earned the name by the strange and unusual way sound travels over the water, often creating echoes and other bizarre sounds that can be heard on land near the waterfront. The area has many superstitions, legends and ghost stories of its old history. The small village was recently built on top of an old, ruined port that ended in some unknown natural disaster. Its history has stories of pirate raiders, occult fanatics, sea monsters, strange dreams to those that sleep here, hidden tunnels and even about a sleep god on the ocean floor.
    Small in size, only having a few hundred residents and with low income, the area is somewhat run down and in desperate need of repairs. Resident's value their privacy above all else, are not friendly to newcomers and prefer that travelers spend their money and then leave quickly. No guards or law keepers as the residents tend to carry out their own version of 'justice', hence why there are no jails here.
    Due to strong changing undercurrents and unusual tide activities, you will never see any of the locals actually swimming in the waters of this bay. The water tends to run icy cold, even in the middle of summer and sometimes has a slight toxic smell to it. If it was not for the location most ships would never visit this wharf.
    It is a rundown shady wharf that is best avoided but if you're looking for a place to hide or lay low for a long time, this would be a good place for just such a thing. Visitors are advised to not ask questions, not to stay long and to avoid the stone tower where the Master resides. Currently there are many strange and bazaar rumors coming from Echo Bay. About foreign ships, people acting oddly, strange lights coming from the long-abandoned occult ruins, unusual things being seen in the water, centipede infestations and an unknown race of death monks killing people with their bare hands.
    Due to these rumors, the empire dispatched the captain of the guard with a large escort to investigate what was really going on in Echo Bay. New rumors have it that the captain was the only survivor, then was found guilty of negligence, imprisoned and then escaped. The empire has reassured everyone that it was merely a kidnapping of the old wizard and the overseer, nothing more and that they were currently hunting down the criminals so there is nothing to worry about.
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  Falkirk

  Falkirk is nestled into a mountain cove along the north side of the Gannach Mountains and directly east of Talsworth. Originally started as an Imperial mine camp, which grew into a mining village and is now a beautiful town. Mining is still the main export of the town, but the mining company is owned and operated by the Empire which they do keep a close eye on. Along with some smaller silver deposits, there is other metal being mined but mostly steel that is used for the Imperial Military armaments. There is of course the rare find of precious gems that are recovered from deep inside the mines. There are some rumors that have been whispered that a special mining team is searching for something besides gems and minerals within the deepest parts of the mining system.
    In the middle of town, you will find a large, beautiful mansion that is home to a small family of Imperial blood, giving them the rights to such a prestigious residence and status. There is also an Imperial barracks here in order to keep the peace but to also keep careful watch on the mines and miners as no one is trusted with such precious materials. Outside of the gated walls, you will find a small village of sorts which is mostly dwarfs and the working class along with farmers. Inside the walls is tighter security and more of an upper middle-class residents and guards at the gates help keep the undesirables out of the town.
      Most of the drinking water comes from underground lakes formed from the melting mountain ice, the water is always ice cold but refreshingly clean. On the other side of the mansion is a small lake from these underground ice waters. This gives the town cleaner water then what they can ever need or use. Most of the food is either grown, farmed or hunted in the local area but some inside the walls have enough money to have higher quality food items imported for themselves. You will find plenty of metal workers here, either gathering or processing the ores coming out of the mines but also metal workers smelting it down into bars or using it to make items from it. Weapons and armors made here are always above the going public rates but also come with higher quality as well.
    In recent months, there have been unusual caravans heavily escorted coming and going from Talsworth. When asked, the Imperials say it's nothing to worry about and to go back to your normal business. At times in the taverns one can hear whispers of gossip and conspiracies involving these mysterious caravans that have started showing up recently. There has even been a rumor going around about the south most mining tunnels being shut down with strange looking Imperials going into them investigating, searching and carrying out some closed containers with who knows what inside of them.
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  Waldenport

  Waldenport - Merchants, suppliers and buyers across the region rely on the services provided by this busy port. Serving as the regional naval base and regional port, this collection of wharfs has a strong military presence. In addition to the military contingent, this port supports trade from many regions and boasts a diverse patronage. Humans make up the majority of the customers for this port, but some of the more exotic races are seen from time to time. Waldenport is also home to an underwater research center where gnomes tirelessly toil to understand the sea and salvage her hidden treasures. Waldenport is renowned for its military, commerce and research; however, there are other more sinister and seedy uses for the port. It is rumored that this location supports smuggling and hosts a vast underground network of mercenaries. Visitors would do well to be cautious.
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  Nelanki

  Nelanki is a small fishing village founded by friendly goblins that have separated from their normal goblin tribes ages ago. Now this particle tribe of goblins being away from normal goblins for a few different generations are more peaceful, a little smarter, less aggressive and wish to just live in peace. Over the last 4 or 5 generations, they have explored near the dark continent but after one of their exploration teams never returned, they now tend to stay away from that area.
    This tribe of goblins is the only ‘race’ on this small peninsula being a little isolated from the other races. The empire fully knows they are there and do keep a close eye on them, but they are not viewed as any threat, so the empire ignores them for the most part. As they enjoy fishing, eating seafood, dancing, community social gatherings, drinking, playing games and having a good time. In some ways they behave more like hobbits / halflings than goblins. They are keeping with goblin traditions and are proud of their goblin heritage but strongly believe that living above ground in peace is the only way that goblins will survive as a species in this changing world.
    Some of the Ellislin workers do trade with this tribe of goblins. A few goblin traders will come near Ellislin Shores but stay clear of the Imperial troops there. Ellislin workers trade their seaweed for some rather nice goblin crafted items that are truly unique. The workers will also admit that Goblin made fishing lures work way better than human made ones.
    Nelanki offers amazingly good seafood, goblins are amazing cooks, and the food is great. Some people trade with goblins for goblin crafted things like music boxes, blowguns, jewelry, fishing equipment and tribal type souvenirs. One of the few places where goblin items can be bought or traded for.
    They tend to be rather nervous of new people, as their race has been hunted for so long in these lands. Recently they have employed Wardens Watch to help with some matters involving their village. Recruits have seen the goblin emissary, a female half goblin half human that goes by the nickname ‘Hafsie’. The rest of the tribe are content with staying away from the other locations and staying to themselves. Not much else is really commonly known about them or their village as most folks stay away from goblins and don't have a very good opinion of them.