Бремен - Bremen
"I tried me hand at pannin' for gold along the banks o' Bremen, once. Came up with a couple o' clams an' 'n ogre's tooth, but not a bit o' yellow. Seems like a fool waste o' time, if ye ask me. 'Course, me father always used to say the same about caravanin'!"The town of Bremen sits sleepily on the west bank of Maer Dualdon, at the mouth of the Shaengarne River. Those who lack a boat to sail into the town's harbor can reach Bremen only by fording the river, which can be a perilous proposition when the water is running high. In Bremen, travelers are often struck by the sense that they have left Ten-Towns. Even though Targos, Termalaine, and Lonelywood are all visible from the town's docks and Kelvin's Cairn still dominates the skyline, the Shaengarne is like a road, slowly bending its way south and west, away from the mountain and Icewind Dale. In those prone to wander, the shimmering band of the Shaengarne seems to ignite the imagination about what lands lie beyond at the world's edge. On the people of Bremen, the view has the opposite effect, causing them to cling to Ten-Towns like barnacles to a rock, afraid of being washed away in the tide.
Seasonal Floods
The fear of being washed away is no mere metaphor. Early every summer, when the frozen ground thaws, the Shaengarne spills over its banks and sweeps the floodplain clean. Accustomed to the annual cycle, the people of Bremen do not build on the floodplain, but in some years the waters rise higher than usual and wash away boats or even buildings erected too close to the riverside. Travelers are also occasionally swept away when, unaware of the strength of the current, they attempt to ford the raging waters. When the waters recede in midsummer, they leave behind a rich layer of silt along the river's bank, practically the only soil in the area capable of sustaining anything other than scrub grass. The growing season is short, and the people of Bremen make the most of it, planting onions and tubers that can be stored for the winter. Those who aren't busy on the lake often spend their spare daylight hours combing through the silt for whatever the floods might have deposited on the river's banks - fishhooks and fishing rods, broken weapons, bits of jewelry, pieces of raw knucklehead ivory, and even gold nuggets. "Treasure hunting" is a favorite activity among the children, and people from other towns make the trip to Bremen once or twice a year to try their luck on the banks of the Shaengarne.Goods and Services
Buried Treasures
caters to Bremen's visitors, most of whom come from other parts of Ten-Towns to spend a few days panning the riverbanks. Since treasure hunting is a warm-weather activity in Bremen, the inn is sparsely occupied for most of the year, and travelers in the off season might find a dark common room and a cold hearth upon arrival. Nevertheless, the innkeeper, Cora, is always happy to have guests, and she sets her son, Huarwar, to fetching wood for the fire and helping with the baggage while she turns down the fur-lined cots and puts a pot of fish and leek stew on the hob. The common room is decorated with hundreds of objects dug up from the mud of the Shaengarne by Cora's guests and then donated to the inn. Most are of little value - gnarled pieces of driftwood, shards of broken pottery, a battered shield bearing the remnants of a Cormyrean noble's crest - but displayed in a glass case on top of the mantle, out of casual reach, is a gold nugget the size of a man's knuckle. At least, that's what Cora tells visitors it is. In truth, it's a rock that she disguised with a bit of paint she bought from a dwarf trader years ago, but the opportunity it promises to those who see it sparkling above the hearth keeps hopeful visitors coming back year after year.Stones
is one of the taverns on Bremen's infamous Five-Tavern Center. It's known as the place where rough-and-tumble fishers drink their courage before picking fights with locals at the neighboring taverns (sometimes they practice on each other before taking their act across the street). The barkeep, Duff, is a coarse sort himself, and his broad shoulders and broken face attest to his ability to both dole out and withstand punishment. He doesn't usually get involved in the nightly frays unless they happen in his bar, whereupon he delivers a thumping to any patrons who cause property damage. The tavern takes its name from the polished river rocks that Duff puts at the bottom of every tankard of ale. If a drinker drains the cup at a single go, the stone rolls gently down to the lip of the tankard, but patrons who delicately sip at their beer will get a crack in the teeth when they throw back the last of their drink. In keeping with the spirit of the establishment, newcomers are never warned about the stones.Ewin's Trinkets
is a small shop that specializes in buying and selling the items that local treasureseekers find on the riverbanks. The building is cluttered with a miscellany of objects. Some look as if they might have value to the right person, and others look like the kind of trash a child would stuff in her pockets to keep it from being thrown away. The shop is owned by a halfling named Ewin who came to Bremen to pan the riverbanks. In a remarkable stroke of luck, he pulled three gold nuggets out of the river in his first two days of prospecting, and after much deliberation over what to do with his newfound wealth, he decided to buy this store. Some of the collection dates back to its original owner, a wizard named Earvin who came to Ten-Towns from Luskan after the fall of the Hosttower of the Arcane, and who dealt exclusively in magical trinkets. Ewin has spent years trying to figure out which items in his collection are magical and what they might do, but so far the only item whose function he's sure of is a chipped porcelain cup that instantly heats any liquid poured into it. Ewin is happy to buy any gems or jewelry that adventurers might bring him and is willing to part with his trinkets for a fair price, with the understanding that buyers won't hold him responsible for any undiscovered or undesirable magical effects.Speaker of Bremen
Dorbulgruf Shalescar is a dwarf from Ironmaster (see "Shaengarne River" under the "Beyond Icewind Dale" heading) who moved to Bremen after a mining accident convinced him he had spent enough of his life underground. His unflagging efforts helping Bremen to rebuild after a bad flood earned him the respect of the locals, and his sensible, even-handed nature earned him their trust, eventually prompting them to nominate him as their speaker. Dorbulgruf is getting on in years, and a few wisps of gray are visible in the dwarf's black beard. He speaks in a slow baritone that brooks no interruption, and he always treats strangers as friends until they give him a reason to do otherwise. His unflappable demeanor is a welcome counterpoint to the hot tempers that often hold sway at the council meetings in Bryn Shander.Local Landmarks
Five-Tavern Center
is the area in the middle of Bremen where five taverns stand arranged in a circle around a central yard. As the story goes, five brothers had originally intended to build a tavern together, but each had assumed he would be the one to run the business. Since none of the brothers would work for the others, each built his own tavern, and they all competed for customers. Every night would find the brothers in the central yard fighting over who was stealing whose business. Whether the story is true is anyone's guess, but nearly every night in Bremen finds a fight breaking out in Five-Tavern Center.Wet Rock
is a small island located in the head of the Shaengarne River. Jutting up from the river like a miniature version of Kelvin's Cairn, the rocky islet stays clear of the flood waters most years, but in years when the flooding reaches its highest levels Wet Rock is totally submerged. A determined recluse named Thurdenne has rebuilt her little shack atop the island at least six times in the last fifteen years, but no flood can convince her to relocate into town. Rumors around Bremen claim that the old woman is a witch who treats with infernal powers in the solitude of her cabin, but the truth is much simpler: She fled a brutal husband in Waterdeep fifteen years ago and can't bring herself to trust people anymore, especially men.Если вы хотите что то добавить или присоединится к команде редакторов - пишите комментарии
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