The Towns and Villages of Nor'wood
Wandering through the Nor'wood tribelands, the beauty of the Depen is paramount, and the thing you will be most struck by. However though it seems a wild boreal land, folk do live and toil here, and not just in the major cities that are known and well marked on a map. No the peoples of this region are like any, some prefer the risk, and the freedoms, that can come from more rural living, be it bustling towns or quiet villages and hamlets. For you traveler, here is a brief but comprehensive guide to the towns and villages of the Nor'wood Tribelands for your journeys and delight.
Anvolist Gartori, famed gnomish cartographer and cultural scientist and enthusiast. From his extensive manuscripts The Sophisticated Traveller, a Guide to Valerick Volume II, The Depenwood
Towns of Nor'wood
Briar Bay (4803): As one comes up the Braichaifen Road along the west coast of the Sea of Sails, one is struck by the picturesque views, the rolling coastline, and the smell of maple, fir, and white pine fills the nose. As one crests hilled woodlands leading down into this bay, the terrain shifts. It is subtle, but one will notice thicker vegetation of a viney nature. Nettles, briar bushes, wild grapes and tomatoes grow amongst the trees. The further down into the large bay one goes the more such plants dominate the forest floor. Briar Bay takes its name from this feature, and is a quaint harbor town, one where you can sample some of the finest and most unique seafood dishes you might find on your journeys, using all local ingredients. For a smaller town by most standards, Briar Bay is a place where there is much to see and enjoy. The harbor town sees plenty of interesting traffic, and on any given night in either of its finest dockside eateries or taverns one can come across folk from all up and down Valerick's western coastlines and swap yarns, tales and news over fine food and good drink. Its harbor markets are a place of interesting oddities and goods, where one never knows what sort of treasure or bargain they might stumble upon.
Moonwood (5361): This industrious port town is of a different breed to Briar Bay, no less worth the visit for those so inclined. It is a hub of sorts. Its name comes from having some of the highest tides in the region, and the town was built by folk whom take full advantage of this fact. Their dry docks include what they call 'transition docks' a marvel. Ships in need of repairs sail into these locks if you will, at night during the high tide. When the tide flows out, dropping the water level several meters, the ships end up on submerged wheeled rigs, bolted and strapped into stonework built specially for the task. Come morning the rig is unbolted, and through efforts of two steam engine winches, many pack animals, and workers, the vessel is dragged and wheeled up above the tide line into the dry docks for work. It is a marvel to watch. This town's industry is entirely that of naval repair and supply, and a such, many craftspeople make their home and ply their trade here, and raw resources of all kinds are constantly coming in at volumes. A busy industry town, but one where there is always work for the willing, and generally with danger pay attached.
Port Ochre (3946): This port town, located in a selcuded inlet on one of the Nor'wood tribelands many islands off its western coast, gets its name for the ochra flowers that grow wild upon the island. These flowers are plentiful here, dominanting the forest floor in massive quantities. They have a strong, almost spicy scent, a bold yet bitter taste, and are a treasured fragrance, dye ingredient, spice and seasoning all about the northlands of Valerick. Used to make dyes all throughout the spectrums of oranges, yellows and browns, common colors, but giving them a bit of a sheen and shine, a polish, an almost tasteful burnt look that is favored by many. This port town is home to a great deal of interesting delights, being a naval town as it is, not that far by ship from Ougaiceth. This town is well off the beaten path for most travellers, but if you want to experience some of the strangest but most pleasantly surprising spiced beer you will ever taste, then Oui'liam'tyr Van'silve's taphouse, the Ochre Opal, is a must visit place.
Fort Fenwood (6855): This military garrison town is positioned at the point where the various rivers and streams in the Nor'wood Basin all come together through the fens and join into the beginning of the the River Daeouef, feeding into Lake Daeouef, before feeding out of it to the south, on the way to the Sea of Sails. This garrison town is always well defended and well patrolled, and is a dangerous place to visit in a dangerous region. One never truly knows which Fens to the north of this town you may enter to only enter a Void Fen. However it is a place where those of adventurous souls can earn an excellent living, heading out into the wilds of the Basin, hunting bestials, monsters of a startling vareity, or greenskins. There are always bounties being offered for such work, and they pay well enough. Fort Fenwood is a rough and tumble place all around, however with the various bogs and fens of the Nor'wood Basin, one will find a few brewers here, making all manner of delightful and uniquely flavored ales and mead. A final delight to note that may make the visit well worth it. Fenwood Farms, a bee farming Nouedon family whom have been beekeeping for two NOUEDON generations, so over four centuries. Masters of their craft, their honeys and their bakery are well worth the the visit to Fort Fenwood alone.
Millwood (4106): This town is named for its main industry, which is its lumber and paper mills. The town is unfortunately infamous for the smell, as paper mills are...known for the...pungent aroma they produce. It is an industrial town through and through, even with the quaint feature that dominates the Depen, that is the Heart-Trees which make up most of the residential quarters of any settlement within the country. Millwood is a place that for many is likely best avoided, though if one wishes to acquire paper or parchment in bulk, to document their travels through the region perhaps? Well there is no better town, and nowhere with a better price.
Fisher's Point (3821): This small fishing town is a quiet and relaxed place on the west coast of Lake Daeouef. This quiet town is home to a cannery of course, hence the growth recently to get this large. However that is merely one of the major employers and industries. Be it fishing the lake with one of the crews that do it, or working the docks or cannery. Though what is well worth the visit in this town is the dockside fish markets. Be it smoked pike, garlic and onion fire roasted bass, the mallard and eel stew, you will always find interesting dishes made with all manner of local game, herbs and produce, but featuring and starring local waterfowl and fish. A quaint little town well worth the visit.
Pearvale (2493): This farming community, as close as you can really get to a proper farming community in the Depen, is known for the Heart-Trees that house most of the residential parts of the town, are pear trees. Pearvale is also home to Venil'bovi Distillery, a place famous for its pear brandys, which come with a variety of additonal and complimentary ingredients. These brandys delightful, full bodied and full of flavor, a pleasure to drink as one might expect from the Nouedon.
Cheric'vynt (4052): This town is well known for its vinyards and wineries. Grapes and cherries, the dual base fruits of choice here, and the different vinters build their wines with their own recipes and formulas. There are no less than seven vinters running their operations in town, and the cherry trees and grape vines that grow through the region near town are well maintained on their coin, with three magisters of the Emerald Order kept on permanent retainer, accomodations and all paid for, even workshops with special licenses to allow them to take on and teach apprentices outside of an actual Magisterium Collegiate facility. Because of the many vinters here, one should not be surprised to find out that glassblowers are a well represented trade, and this town sees a lot of shipments back and forth from Ulveithal, as soda ash and the other components for making glass arrive via the rails in Ulveithal, mostly from different regions of Suranth, and make their way here. Going the other way of course, are often large shipments of various wines, and brandys from Pearvale. One can make an excellent living, albeit with risk, working as a mercantile guard for hire on the hundred plus kilometer stretch of the West Daeouef Road, one of the longest stretches of road in the region with no settlements. Bandits, highwaymen, and on occassion far worse will pose the risk of having to earn your danger pay.
Villages of Nor'wood
Vor'gyad (1804): This oceanic island village is a scenic and friendly place, the woodlands of the island it is on thick and healthy, with deer and pheasants plentiful, and oysters and crab readily available in the waters along the coast line near the village. This village is well worth the visit. It is a simple, quaint rural place, one that is a favorite destination for summer for many of the regions upper class however, be it for a week or two, or for some of the truly wealthy, for the entire summer.
Tuna Point (1912): This village is one that is growing rapidly, and has a busy 'downtown' feel at its core along its docks, but with the accoutrements of rural living, the space, the ease of access to a variety of food, generally growing right outside your home, the plentiful game. The reason this village is quickly growing and arguably becoming a small town, of course, is the fish that gives the village its name. The tuna fishing industry here has begun to boom, especially with the opening of a cannery on the docks.
Gur'oval (1407): This village, located on one of the smaller islands just off the Nor'wood region's coast, the woodlands here are plentiful as any in the Depen, but the village here is built along the bluffs at the southern tip of the island, the village on the beach, with the cliff at its back. The cliffs are limestone and are quarried here, the major industry in the village.
Syd'orvac (1588): A whaling village on the island just east of Ougaiceth and though a small village, the whaling industry is no less fierce or dangerous in the calmer waters of the Sea of Sails. Syd'orvac is also home to a busy Ghel plant, the major employer in the village, employing over five hundred of its people. With another four to five hundred working the whaling crews and the docks, as one can imagine, this is basically a one industry village. But it is worth a visit, especially in the summer season, for those inclined for mercenary work, the whaling vessels in Syd'orvac oft take on hired hands in case of piracy or worse on the high seas, though this is a dangerous line of mercenary work, to say the least.
Oarbank (1811): This village is well known as a place of thugs, thieves and rough folk. Former and current navy, mercenary sailors oft for hire for anyone for a fee. It is also a place of hard drink and hard folk in the many dockside bars and taverns. A place most would likely do well to avoid.
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GM Note:This village, despite its proximity to Ougaiceth, is, in the appropriate circles, a well known smuggler's cove and stop along the NPA trade routes and waters.
Stobanik (1277): North of Silv'lunis, this village is also disproportiantely Viid, immigrants from Suranth, doing as the Viid are want to do. The mountain over looking the river, upon which this village is built, well a few healthy veins of iron were discovered. So now a small but well fortified village is here, and the iron mine has been opened up, and employs some four to five hundred of those in town, with the processing of the ore, those facilities employing another two to three hundred whom live here.
Cedar Banks (1492): This village of industrious folk, predominantly human, is named for the resource collected here most heavily. The banks of this tributary of the Daeouef are thick with cedar trees, and cedar is a valuable and favored wood in carpentry and some parts of construction. This village is another place however, that those skilled in the profession of arms, of a mercenary or adventurous variety, can find work and make a living. Their are almost always monsters needing hunting, or bestial war bands or other such problems that will lead those whom run the lumber business to always be seeking to hire those skilled in the profession of arms. Magisters of the Emerald Order, like any settlement in the Depen, can also find employment here for good pay, though this far north into the Nor'wood Basin, it is an inherently more dangerous place to live.
Nor'cross (1922): This crossroads village is a bustling localized trading hub, with hunters, foragers, local pedlars moving the wares of local craftsmen from the towns and villages in the area around Lake Daeouef all over the region. One will find a busy local market, with a wide variety of goods available, and new goods are consistently coming and going.
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GM Note: This village is a known spot, amongst the appropriate crowds, for goods obtained less than legally that can't easily be moved within the borders of the Nor'wood lands. Things that may be recognized, and could get someone in a lot of trouble. Stolen family heirlooms from the rich and wealthy as an example. Or art pieces of some fame or note. Objects of that nature. Here is a place you can move such goods, on the right day. Every second Frinze of the month, from morning to late in the evening, set up in the market square one will find wagons labelled 'Nor'winds Troupe' of a band of traveling entertainers. Ask around the members of the troupe for one 'Tomas Hilde' and you will eventually be guided to the person you need to talk with.
Daelin (1044): A small village that has a strong hunter and trapper presence on the largest island in Lake Daeouef. A quaint, if simple place, but with fine and rather welcoming peoples.
Thistledown (944): A small village built on the tiny island in the south part of Lake Daeouef, and is named for the fact that on this island thistles grow rampantly, the most common non-tree flora. A simple little village, a true rural settlement, with no larger industry as of yet having crept in. A tight knit little community.
Squirrel Cove (1306): A village well known for their leather industry, the name a bit tongue in cheek, though red squirrels are a favorite target of trappers, their tails favored to make cuffs on jackets, hats and more. Hunters and trappers make a great living here.
Pomu'wyd (1498): This crossroads lumber village is another settlement growing swiftly, as the timber here is in high demand. Oak, Maple, and White Pine, lumbers used all throughout furniture making, carpentry and construction. This is another village with a disproprotinate presence of the Emerald Order of Magisters living here, with three of them living here and employed basically by the village at large.
Fir Bank (1822) Another burgeoning lumber village, bustling and growing swiftly, this one gets its name from the predominant species of tree harvested here, which is Fir trees.
Of course these are the places marked on map of the Nor'wood, large enough to be marked on such a map. If one counted up the numbers of the cities and towns and villages within this rather comprehensive guide to the region, that the numbers are missing some 5276 people from the census listed total of about 130000. Of course there are smaller hamlets and thorps scattered about the Nor'wood Tribelands, but these come and go, and though local authorities keep some level of track, as best they can, for tax reasons, the reason the population number according to the census is round is by design. It is a thing that most governments in Valerick engage in, because it is to cost prohibitive to do things in any other way. So those in such hamlets and thorps, generally are more or less rounded to the count, because the sheer logistics of such things would just not be cost efficient. And because such places can come and go quite frequently and swiftly, be it violence, a resource crisis, or any other of innumerable pressures and challenges that can cause such places to become suddenly depopulated.
A quote of explanation and warning worth noting at the beginning of each volume of The Sophisticated Traveller, a Guide to Valerick
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