Emmitsburg
Location | 25 Miles east of Brastor Township in Brastor |
Government | Shire - Reeve Castilana Deputy Aaron Wainwright |
Population | Town - 1200 Shire - 2500 |
Languages –Common |
100% |
Taxes – Drinking Tax |
250sp once a year |
River trade | Some river trade west to Charity and Westgate |
Subinfeudation | |
Market town for | Ayrkham, Tallwood, Tombstone, Armonville-le-Sablon, Purity, Oak Heart |
Emmitsburg is a small market town in the Brastor Holdings. It lies east of Brastor Castle and south of the Greenwood. The market town was completely ruined during the Dark Circle invasion of 803 WK. During 804 WK the town and the surrounding lands were abandoned and left for ruin until nearly the start of 805 WK when a simple wooden palisade was constructed around the original site of the town and a small stone house was built in the center.
In late Spring 805WK the existing temporary wall was knocked down and a much larger dike was constructed. The small stone trading post that was the centre of original hamlet is now to the western edge of the settlement. The redevelopment was financed by La Croix Enterprises and in return it has become the local authority.
Today Emmitsburg has grown into a thriving small market township and much of the nearby countryside, mostly to the south and west, is now divided into crofter small holding. While La Croix Enterprises still is the major employer in the town there are a number of independent crafters and professions working in the town and around the area.
Market town for the villages of - Ayrkham, Tallwood, Tombstone, Armonville-le-Sablon, Purity, Oak Heart
Events
Emmitsburg incorporated into Brastor as a Shire
At the start of 815WK Ishamael stepped down as the defacto ruler of Emmitsburg and Aaron Wainwright has promoted to deputy Shire Reeve. The apointment of Castilana Degrado by the Duke to be the Shire Reeve has surprised many as she was not formerly of the Brastor area.
Emmitsburg Irregulars Founded
In the summer of 813 WK the militia force of Emmitsburg has been founded. The militia is formed of local levies and has taken on task of maintaining the peace in the surrounding countryside, releaving the Rangers of this task to focus on wider ranging activities. Initially run by Jedburgh for the first year before being replaced by Aaron Wainwright. The Greenwood Gatehouse has been expanded and a new residence is planned to be built next it.
Spring Break It Aint!
That's right folks, every year the bitter cold from the Sea of Grass recedes and its all hands to the soil. Spring is in the air and the plow must be in the rich soils around Emmitsburg for a plentiful harvest to happen. So all those adventurers who have grown fat, lazy and poor over the winter can now shed the extra pounds and get into shape for summer. With ranger training available for free contact the Fly By Night network now for immediate transportation and into a life of rewarding labour.
Summer Market Festival
This is be a small local event for the Brastor area with a small number of contributors from around Carzala held in the week leading up to mid summer, with a one day festival New Year's day.
Half Decade Anniversary in 810 WK
A new well and water pump was be installed by the monument on the town green.
Starting on the first harvert moon on fall 810 WK the event was exceptional, with all the best the area can offer available.
Places
The town has three gates, officially known as the Greenwood Gate, The Lewiston Gate and the Castle Gate, but more commonly referred to as the north, south, and west gates respectively. A road leads from each gate into the market square, with is currently rather barren. Both the roads and the square are edged with stone but are otherwise unpaved.
- Crashing Considered Harmful
This is a large field with some randomly scattered haystacks about used by the Fly By Night Network. As it is used mostly at night four flares are normally lit, two red and two green.
- Rangers Station
Originally the station was currently a small wooden two room house but a stone tower, including well and cellar, jointly financed by Brastor, Emmitsburg and La Croix Enterprises, was constructed to replace it. At the end summer 808WK the basement and ground floor had been completed but not fitted out. The now completed the tower has stables for up to five horses, a first floor dining area, second floor dormentories and a flat roof with small watchtower on the northeastern corner.
Following harvest in summer 809 WK there was a local stone hauling competetion to help finish the outer walls, with the winning team receiving some prize farmstock. It almost had the tower topped before the first winter snow, enough that the interior fitting can continued over the cold months.
In 813WK the keep was extended by another two floors, the lower now private rooms for the senior rangers and the upper seemingly unoccupied. The flat roof has been replaced by a wooden pyramid roof, elevated above the keep to allow a full view of the surroundings.
- The Town Walls
The town walls have being rebuilt with a earthen rampart topped with a single wooden palisade, having been badly damaged in 807 WK summer raids and the placement of property around the town. Due to the illegularity of the planning approval of the cathedral and the lack of tax revenue from it the authorities inadvertantly left it outside the township.
Future plans build full stone walls have been drawn up but the rapid expansion of the town has rendered them obsolete. New plans have been are now being drawn expand the dike to the north and east and fortify the existing wall instead.
- The Monument
At the center of town, where the three gate roads meet, is a 60' stone column. This is the Monument to the Reclaimation, and commemorates those that died during the eastern offensives against the forces of the Dark Circle following the Battle of Braegon's Gap.
- The Market Square
The Market Square lies to the east of the road intersection in the center of the town. Currently it is a large open area, edged in stone, with young plain trees at regularly spaced intervals growing though the spring grass.
- Emmitsburg Green
This large open area of sown grass to the north west of the Monument. It is currently used as grazing area for horses by those staying at the Burning Heretic.
- The Burning Heretic
The only inn in Emmitsburg currently consists of a large multilevel cellar with a single story at ground level and lies on the south western side of the Monument. The inn has a number of rooms of varying constuction. The original room, situated at the back of the inn, is the brew house. Next to that is the old common room, now the kitchen. A much larger common room now makes up the front half of the site and is built from stone with a slate finish.
The beer is of reasonable quality and the inn is noted for its Hobgoblin Dark Ale. Its other staple is the moonshine, Old Swampy #8. Rather unforunately the inn has yet to attract a chef and so the food served is pretty poor faire. A number of fliers are posted around the inn inviting anybody with decent cooking skills to apply for the job as head chef but currently to no avail.
In 815 a statue of Ishmael was installed in the common room of the Inn, in recognition of him rebuilding the town and his transition to a living ex-dictator. Its is made of air and can only be seen if pungent smoke of the weed pipes fill the room, or beer is poured upon it.
Every year Ishmael releases a new drink at the Inn;
- 806 - Old Swampy #1
- 807 - Hobgoblin Dark Ale
- 808 - Old Swampy #4
- 809 - Seagate Strumpet Scrumpy (aka Slaggy Sabrina's Slurp)
- 810 - Rotten Boot
- 811 - Stomach Rotter
- 812 - Brastor Fire
- 813 - Old Swampy #8
- 814 - Burning Bowls
- 815 - No release due to still explosion
- 816 - Elven brain melter
- 817 - Old Mans Tipple
- 818 - Weak Sauce Water
- 819 - The Inevitable Disappointment
- 820 - Thrice Five Centenary
- L'Arcology
Situated next to The Burning Heretic is a collection of solid stone buildings which make up the La Croix Enterprises headquarters. There is a glass blowing workshop, a mechanician workshop and an alchemist workshop, along with a number of storerooms. The chief operations officer is a somewhat sinister human known as Mr. Eddie, who seems to live out of the nominal boardroom.
- Sebastian Shoots The Breeze
This rather obscurely named building is the local windmill. Designed by noted mechinician Sebastian Silverfoot, the mill towers over other buildings and can be seen for several miles around. Its patented self adjusting contra-rotating turbines are the envy of the region.
- Field of the Fallen
First consecrated in 812 WK the graveyard is situated a mile west of Emmitsburg. Within the graveyard are two shrines, one to the Keeper of Graves and the other to Raphael. The size of graveyard reflects the turbulent events of the area and the work of Ishamael to collect the bones of the fallen and intern them in hollowed ground. The grounds of the graveyard are concerated to Hades in the guise of the Keeper of Graves and is known to be warded against Necromancy.
There is an annual requium held at midnight on Samhain by Ishamael, commending the buried to Hades. It should be noted that this is poorly attended, often with less than a handful of people present. It is rumoured that those that are troubled or ailing and wish to pass on in peace have attended, never to return.
No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency
Establish a two story stone premises in 816. This branch of the office specialises in finding things lost in translation.
- Wytchwater Brewery
Opened in 819WK as a separate business from L'Arcology. Has started out with a new summer session ale called the Wheatshelfs.
Trade
S-Mart
Shop Smart, Shop Sabastian-mart
Purveyor of All Things Good, a prominent merchant house.
Market Day
There is an open market three days a week on the market square. This is mostly a farmers market as there is little independant manufacturing. About once a month a market fair is held, and this attacts traders from as far as Seagate. All traders are required to pay a stall holders fee and at 15% excise on all goods sold.
Enterprise Traders
At the western gate there is a stone trading post, run by La Croix Enterprises, which sells mostly alcohol, pharma, narcotics and glassware.
Our Daily Bread
Since the successful Autumn harvest in 807WK a reasonable surplus of cerials has allowed a full time bakery to open. While most farms bake their own bread the growing number of artisans has created a market for baked goods. The bakery is known for its fine line of pies, both savoury and sweet. The bakery is open from sunrise to midday six days a week.
Crucial Traders
Run by the Holtzman family, this is a new stone building near the south gate, and sells a large assorted of general goods and textiles. Anna Holtzman is a skilled seamstress while her husband Karl is a well respected leatherworker. They carry most basic textiles, including wool and canvas. Because of their proximity to L'Arcology they have access to a wide range of dyes and are known for their vibrant shirts and cloaks.
Now available summer 809 WK is the new range of cold weather plainswear. Styling and colours from genuine plains tribeman, made from the best of Tuscanan hillcountry wool.
Black and Tan
A blacksmith and tannery, started in 810WK byGunter Zollerman and his family from Aladar, who relocated in Spring 809WK to start the business.
Yeasty Boys Bake and Brew
Alfresco dining has come to Emmitsburg in the form of the open air tavern run by the Yeasty Boys, Affelstein and Haddric. Opened in 816WK the tavern features a large coal fired hotplate, where fresh dough is baked on demand into flatbread, and a rickety rack of beer barrels where patrons can pour their own. The seating is unconfortable, the atmosphere either sweltering in summer or frigit, despite the fire, in winter but the prices are cheap, the beer plentiful and of quaffable quality.
Religion
The Western Church isn't particularly welcome but is tolerated. Any affiliates of the Powers of Darkness (or similar ilk) are actively repressed (i.e. they will be subject to execution then burning). The graveyard to the west of the town has two shrines but no regular attendants.
The Emmitsburg Cathedral is under construction but there are no other churchs in the town.
Magic
Most magic is welcome except anything to do with undeath. Necromancers are tolerated but any taint of undead will have them driven out of town. Any undead are destroyed without mercy and anybody caught animated or controlling undead will be executed.
Governance
Emmitsburg is currently a Shire of Barony of Brastor, ruled by the Reeve Castalana Degrado. Local affairs outside the town are mainly handled by the deputy while the Reeve holds court for three to five days every month. The somewhat sinister Mr Eddie is rumoured to be pulling the strings in places but has there no evidence to support this consipacies abound.
Military Levy
All ablebodied citizens between the ages of 12 and 50 are subject to the local levy and must be available to support the Emmitsburg Irregulars for one month per year. This can be avoided by paying a levy fee or providing an willing replacement. Compulsary military training is required from all potential levies for on week per year and this cannot be avoided. This has lead to the dreaded post Samhain Punishment Week, where many of the town's more urbanised members are forced to do pike drills, fortification repairs and dawn runs.
Crime and Punishment
While there is very little crime what disputes do occur as normally dealt with by the local magistrate Judge Jules, a semi retired court official from Bowcourt. He and his assistant also deal with local taxation issues and the keeping of the records. As there currently is no town hall is has the run of the common room in the Burning Heretic between breakfast and dinner.
Mundane Crime
Most mundate crimes are dealt with by the paying of a fine and compensation. The inability to pay will result in the imposition of hard labour until the court has felt that sufficient work has been done to meet the amount owed.
Magical Crimes
Any attacks by magic within the town are considered a major felony and are punishable by hard labour. The use of scying within the town is also considered illegal. Any necromancy or diabolic magic is punishable by death.
Manors nearby
- Oak Heart Village - aka Braegons Ruins on the map
- Bittesby Manor - aka Dalrans Ruins on the map
- Gold aka Mordrins ruins on the map
- Shokas ruins is still abandoned. It is believed by locals to be cursed and haunted.
- Purity aka Liessas ruins on the map
- Half aka Erzsabets ruins on the map
- Bold aka Clementines ruins on the map