Rubywell

Rubywell is a small town in southwest Jora. The name is owed to a literal well in town that is rumored to draw red wine instead of water on certain days. The truth however, is that an enterprising tavern keeper is actually serving wine from a fake well in his tavern on holidays and festivals.
The town is surrounded by vineyards that produce many widely known vintages, the Rubywell Red being the most famous.

Government

The de facto ruler of Rubywell is whoever has control of the castle. For the past 6 generations this has been House Lochrich. Depending on the disposition of the High Seat of House Lochrich a mayor may be appointed to administer the day to day affairs of the town or the post may be given to a sibling. It is notable that House Lochrich tends to be ruled by its females and boasts a majority of tieflings in its ranks.

Defences

The main defensive feature of Rubywell is of course the castle. Having started its life as a simple keep on the hill above a goldmine, as the years went on fortification piled on. First came a barracks, then a small temple. That created the need for a wall, which in turn allowed for a granary and a stable to be built in the courtyard. Eventually a curtain wall was constructed around the growing town, complete with drum towers and four gatehouses.
As the population grew further another outer wall was deemed necessary and indeed construction on it begun. Unfortunately recent upheaval in Jora at large and also within House Lochrich has led to abandoning the project in a half-completed state. Parts of the outer wall have been finished, especially on the north side of town, but the gaps are extensive and most of the towers are still in the foundation stage.
Farther out, many of the vineyards have evolved into walled communities, akin to small villages, with differing levels of fortification.

Industry & Trade

The town is pretty capable of feeding itself as there is no shortage of arable land. Most of that land is devoted to the production of a few varieties of grapes that are subsequently turned to wine. Some of the local vintages have achieved world class renown and as such are the main export of the settlement. Secondary to that the town exports pottery and art items.On the other hand, the main import is metal items and luxuries.

History

The town started out as a simple castle built to guard a goldmine in the hill underneath it. However the gold vein proved to be much smaller than anticipated and dried out in a couple of decades. The small village that sprung up in the meantime took on a life of its own. Gradually the economy stabilized around agriculture and in time progressed to fine wine production, until Rubywell wines became known throughout the Brawl and beyond. Eventually the population grew as noble houses invested in the area and the settlement expanded and reached the size of a town.

Type

Town