Mettlach
Mettlach
Alternative Name(s): “Town of Shimmering Seas” Type: Large Town Population: 5,000 Owner/Ruler: Burgermeister K Brenner At the mouth of the River Rein, on a large islet, reached by adjoining stone bridges, sits the town of Mettlach. A small town well known for its sparkling bridges and surrounding shimmering sea.
Mettlach’s origins can be traced back to a small mining camp based on the banks of the River Rein. Prospectors came to dig at the riverbed seeking the secrets behind the shimmering water.
The shimmering water, seen at moonlight, was a result of the deposits of quartz in the bedrock. When the Quartz was dredged seeking riches, the estuary was expanded.
The River Rein estuary, now dug deeper, allowed small coastal vessels to travel up to the islet which was established as the main camp in the area. Later as more permanent buildings were established, local Kriegsdame Erna Ziegelberg established a palisade and fort offering further protection and securing the area for her family.
Years later, its position defensible, Burgermeister Orsteil Ziegelberg established a militia for the area, built a stone castle on the islet, and commissioned two stone bridges across to the North and South of the Islet. The bridges were made from the local stone and now many years later, still shimmer in the moonlight. The town's main trade quickly converted to supporting the vessels trading up and down the River Rein, offering a safe stop before heading to the larger cities of Darmstadt and Heidelberg.
The small insular town expanded with sprawling mooring docks, warehouses for storage and taverns for sailors. Chaplain Christine Herzig soon climbed into infamy as they gambled their way to owning a small fleet of river boats. Herzig dropped their role as Chaplain and became River Boat Captain Herzig of Herzig’s Barges. Now, 200 years later, Herzig’s Barges are still a large presence, now seen sailing up and down the River Rein and owned by the Herzig Estates.
Mettlach is a popular destination for courting nobles, hoping to catch a bright full moon and witness the sparkling rivers on the twinkling bridge. Others visit to prove themselves by completing the Herzig Shuffle Pub Crawl which takes you to 24 different taverns in one night, most folk end up drunk and happy at the 3rd or 4th tavern. Yet it is not all barges, boats, and shipwrights at Mettlach. Vineyards, Meaderies and Breweries give a particular fragrance to the town and offer a wide range of sought after drinks supplied to the taverns and surrounding areas. The Mettlach Qualitätslizenz (Mettlach Quality License - MQL), was setup by Burgermeister Timo Lulling to ensure all wine from Mettlach was of high standard. This added a level of authenticity to wine makers from Mettlach who could price their goods accordingly for their exports. Various forgeries have come about since, so an anti-fraud office was established in the local Civil Service offices to combat this.
Mettlach has an open bathhouse to the Eastern side of the inlet, its bathhouse takes water from the inlet and each evening forecasters gather to predict the weather the next day, dictating if the bathhouse will be open in the morning. Bad weather, storms and high tides change the bathhouse experience dramatically.
In the courtyard of Castle Ziegelberg is the Old Tower, a tower built in an octagonal design with a tall arch rise at the entrance on one side. The small stairwell leads up to a flat platform for viewing the surroundings. The Old Tower is owned by the Schinkel Family and rented to the ruling Burgermeister of Mettlach for an honorary 1 silver a year.
Culture
Mettlach is a very typical town to those who visit, but those born on the islet are named the “Mündungskind” (Estuary child) and at a coming of age must be able to swim, dive, fish and hold their breath underwater for over 4 minutes. A common Mündungskind practice is to weave hair with green and blue beads as décor and to have a single painted shells for each minute they can hold their breath.
Mettlach traders will often wear blue or green scarfs to represent the sea and changing of favour in trade deals and negotiations. If the visiting trader fails to offer praise and compliments on the scarf, the trade can, at the last moment, change with prices doubling or tripling as offense is taken. To combat this, traders from the mainland will often wear browns or yellow scarfs and expect the same praise and compliment back, yet if both parties wear their respective scarfs no praise or compliments should be mentioned. This practice can be complex with mixtures of colours and sometimes used as an obtuse reason to lampoon trade deals.
Alternative Name(s): “Town of Shimmering Seas” Type: Large Town Population: 5,000 Owner/Ruler: Burgermeister K Brenner At the mouth of the River Rein, on a large islet, reached by adjoining stone bridges, sits the town of Mettlach. A small town well known for its sparkling bridges and surrounding shimmering sea.
Mettlach’s origins can be traced back to a small mining camp based on the banks of the River Rein. Prospectors came to dig at the riverbed seeking the secrets behind the shimmering water.
The shimmering water, seen at moonlight, was a result of the deposits of quartz in the bedrock. When the Quartz was dredged seeking riches, the estuary was expanded.
The River Rein estuary, now dug deeper, allowed small coastal vessels to travel up to the islet which was established as the main camp in the area. Later as more permanent buildings were established, local Kriegsdame Erna Ziegelberg established a palisade and fort offering further protection and securing the area for her family.
Years later, its position defensible, Burgermeister Orsteil Ziegelberg established a militia for the area, built a stone castle on the islet, and commissioned two stone bridges across to the North and South of the Islet. The bridges were made from the local stone and now many years later, still shimmer in the moonlight. The town's main trade quickly converted to supporting the vessels trading up and down the River Rein, offering a safe stop before heading to the larger cities of Darmstadt and Heidelberg.
The small insular town expanded with sprawling mooring docks, warehouses for storage and taverns for sailors. Chaplain Christine Herzig soon climbed into infamy as they gambled their way to owning a small fleet of river boats. Herzig dropped their role as Chaplain and became River Boat Captain Herzig of Herzig’s Barges. Now, 200 years later, Herzig’s Barges are still a large presence, now seen sailing up and down the River Rein and owned by the Herzig Estates.
Mettlach is a popular destination for courting nobles, hoping to catch a bright full moon and witness the sparkling rivers on the twinkling bridge. Others visit to prove themselves by completing the Herzig Shuffle Pub Crawl which takes you to 24 different taverns in one night, most folk end up drunk and happy at the 3rd or 4th tavern. Yet it is not all barges, boats, and shipwrights at Mettlach. Vineyards, Meaderies and Breweries give a particular fragrance to the town and offer a wide range of sought after drinks supplied to the taverns and surrounding areas. The Mettlach Qualitätslizenz (Mettlach Quality License - MQL), was setup by Burgermeister Timo Lulling to ensure all wine from Mettlach was of high standard. This added a level of authenticity to wine makers from Mettlach who could price their goods accordingly for their exports. Various forgeries have come about since, so an anti-fraud office was established in the local Civil Service offices to combat this.
Mettlach has an open bathhouse to the Eastern side of the inlet, its bathhouse takes water from the inlet and each evening forecasters gather to predict the weather the next day, dictating if the bathhouse will be open in the morning. Bad weather, storms and high tides change the bathhouse experience dramatically.
In the courtyard of Castle Ziegelberg is the Old Tower, a tower built in an octagonal design with a tall arch rise at the entrance on one side. The small stairwell leads up to a flat platform for viewing the surroundings. The Old Tower is owned by the Schinkel Family and rented to the ruling Burgermeister of Mettlach for an honorary 1 silver a year.
Culture
Mettlach is a very typical town to those who visit, but those born on the islet are named the “Mündungskind” (Estuary child) and at a coming of age must be able to swim, dive, fish and hold their breath underwater for over 4 minutes. A common Mündungskind practice is to weave hair with green and blue beads as décor and to have a single painted shells for each minute they can hold their breath.
Mettlach traders will often wear blue or green scarfs to represent the sea and changing of favour in trade deals and negotiations. If the visiting trader fails to offer praise and compliments on the scarf, the trade can, at the last moment, change with prices doubling or tripling as offense is taken. To combat this, traders from the mainland will often wear browns or yellow scarfs and expect the same praise and compliment back, yet if both parties wear their respective scarfs no praise or compliments should be mentioned. This practice can be complex with mixtures of colours and sometimes used as an obtuse reason to lampoon trade deals.
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