Blackpool

Blackpool

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A map of Blackpool.

Blackpool is a small city almost halfway to the western coast of The Kingdom of Sheora, named for the dark lake that sits just on the north-northwestern edge of the town. Blackpool sits within a forest that only sees a few months of summer each year, many of the trees missing their leaves more than half of their lives. The 8,900 citizens of Blackpool (except for the few knights of the kingdom and the Lord Mayor) live modest lives, eking out an existence that rarely includes much food that grows outside of their cold climate. Trade has dwindled since the tension with Eskijan, leaving the city with far fewer luxuries than it enjoyed in the past. Blackpool is over a week's journey away from the capital of Sanlow, though occasional caravans do pass through the city.
While unrest in general has built up throughtout the kingdom in the past few years, there's no open and organized rebellious faction within Blackpool. Rather, dissent seems to surround the Lord Mayor Michail Dirk (given the title of Lord Blackpool with his job) and his recent policy changes since assuming power a bit over a decade ago, including a restructuring of the town guard. Once a unified force, two leaders with opposing philosophies now serve as joint heads, with the relatively respected local Captain Jillian Miriga, known for her focus on protecting the town's citizens from monsters and bandits and ensuring the guard serves the community, now at odds and on equal footing with Captain Dania Shernon, a Lord Mayor appointee who's fiercely loyal to that authority and bent on cracking down on opposition and criminal activity. The state of the guard has suffered as a result, leaving the town less prepared to deal with external threats due to internal political tension.
The size of the town leaves room for several noble families, including the Barnes family, the Bryant family, the Dirk family (the Lord Mayor's family), the Flynn family, The Peacock Family, and the Peters family. The Kinnell Family used to be considered a noble family in the local area, but the revelation of their part in a banditry scheme about five years back left them disgraced and removed from their prior titles. The nobility of the city lives in a small, upper class section in the north near the Lord Mayor's manor, while the majority of commerce happens just south along the main road that runs east to west through the town. The middle class fills in the remaining parts of the city to the northeast and northwest corners, while the lower class squeezes in south of the main thoroughfare.

Notable Locations/Businesses

• (Tavern) The Pondwater Inn. A lower-class inn in the southern part of town, mostly frequented by locals. One of the largest taverns in the area, with a pot of slop always cooking.
• (General Store) Name.

Nearby Landmarks

• Blackpool Lake, a large mirror-clear lake to the north-northwest that's frozen for nearly half of the year and the namesake of the town. Most of the water in the town comes from this lake when it doesn't come from sparsely-placed wells, and the size and depth of the lake lend it well to fishing.
• The Manticore River flows into Blackpool lake from the northeast. It's named for legends of a manticore in the surrounding area, though these are of course entirely legend.
• Blackpool Streamis the name given to the small outlet that runs through the west part of town. Most know to take their water from upstream and wash themselves downstream, but there's a reason that the nobility's located in the north.
• The High Road is the main road that passes through the majority of the kingdom, along which one can find many cities, towns , and villages. It's the safest road in the kingdom, but most still opt to travel in groups for additional security.
• Two Kings' Highway was once a bustling thoroughfare, now reduced to a path to move troops and to pass trade and aid to those close to the border.

Government

The Lord Mayor, Lord Mayor Josias Dirk of Blackpool, was appointed by the last king just before the end of his reign and is extremely loyal to the crown. A few local nobles serve to provide governing assistance when necessary, both in advisory and executive capacity.
The Blackwatch, the local law enforcement and watch, takes orders directly from the Lord Mayor, though it has its own internal structure. It serves the purpose of both keeping the town safe from monsters as well as law enforcement and, occasionally, tax collection. It has two formal leaders, intentionally kept as equals to ensure that neither of the two became a single authority figure on par with the Lord Mayor.

Type

City

Population

8,940 (98% human)