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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Eosin the Red" data-source="post: 1279631" data-attributes="member: 168">Woodbridge Located in the mountain passes West of EadonThe town of Woodbridge has served a stopping point on the only land route between Eregon [City state similar to Florence or Genoa] and the Middean heartlands for 300 years. It is strategically located east of the Black Forest on the confluence of two high mountain rivers that form a small mountain lake. Originally, the Kingdom of Vintria built the town to as its western most garrison to deal with raiding barbarians and as a trading station for rare goods coming from the western city-states. The central garrison was constructed in 421, the town naturally grew around it. Early commanders enforced rigid construction standards to prevent defensibly unsound practices. After the independence of Middea, the commanders ignored these rules. There are three distinct sections of the city; the old garrison section, the docks, and the newer East section.The garrison and docks have remained essentially unchanged. Repair is frequently required, but the lord(s) of the city have adhered to the original design. The Eest section was a small collection of houses and shops until the wars in both Eadon and Eregon. It has blossomed into a booming town since. Woodbridge is technically a vassal to Eadon. A former commander from the Fianna, Daeric Belcerian acts as the castellan. The town has seen a number of political changes in the past ten years. Eregon seized it in 1064, along with Redwall Pass but was unable to hold it for more than a year. 1066 brought Kriestal, and her supporters from the distant east. The relationship between Woodbridge and Eadon suffered during the early reign of Kriestal. Warden Levi repeatedly attempted to convince Kriestal to abandon her eastern allies in favor of those who supported him. After a particularly harrowing assassination attempt Kriestal, found herself without allies in the area. After a trip to Taber’s Creek [The capitol of Eadon], Kriestal’s problems disappeared. The Warden created the position of Castilian to run the military garrison and appointed the warrior Argolis to the post.Kriestal and Argolis successfully ran the town for several years until shortly after the assassination of Warden Levi, with the loss of her benefactor several hungry eyes gazed upon the small garrison town of Woodbridge. The fighting in Eadon continued to escalate, into the second Baron’s War and the once prosperous country has turned into a bloody battlefield. Woodbridge was frequently visited by troops from all sides in that war as well as troops fleeing the battles of Eregon. They came here for R&R, weapons, food, and information. They brought gold, lots of gold. Eventually, they came to Woodbridge to take possession of the garrison. The armies were rebuffed with some ease in the high passes but shortly after the armies stopped coming Argolis was found in his chambers, the victim of a hienious murder. The next afternoon Kriestal announced that she had secured peace in Woodbridge by joining the Baron Redwall in an alliance. A new Castilian was appointed, Daeric Belcarian. The new Castilian is a shrewd man; his first order of business was to secure the town against the threats arrayed against it. He brought crack troops from Erenn, and appointed them to positions of power in the city. These men and women enforced new rules, no foreigners were allowed in the old garrison district, the ferry became property of the lord, and fighting in town was brutally punished. The Eest section of Woodbridge has become a sprawling town dedicated to the needs of military campaigns. It is a rough place filled with taverns, shops, smiths, & pawnshops. The prices for goods in Eest Woodbridge are 150% to 250% for most goods, but some harder to come by goods go for as much as 500% of PHB value. Armor up to plate-mail can be purchased here, with a price of 300% PHB for all armor except plate-mail. The good stuff requires a wait of 9 to 24 months and costs 500%.The city defenses rely on a triad. The Redcaps, a constabulary, police the Eest Side. They travel in large groups of 10-25 called a squad, and rely primarily on crossbows. Most folks mind the Redcaps, they have a tendency to shoot first and sort out the details later. These men operate with a high level of fear. They do not care if you are armed. They don’t even bother with surrender. They usually don’t announce themselves, the sudden ‘thwang’ of 25 crossbows will be the first and last clue most folks ever get that they have angered the Redcaps.The second prong of the triad is the crack military cavalry, composed of veterans from the Erenn. Currently, Daeric has 5 lances, each of these is 150 strong. They split the duties of river patrol, town duty, and keeping the road clear through the pass. The lance units are known as the Red Lance, the Grey Riders, the Zephyrs, Ore-aye’s Wind, and Daeric’s own unit called Aran Nizari (Low Elde – my blood).Finally, Woodbridge and Eregon support each other and maintain the Blackwood Riders, a 3,500 strong Calvary unit. The Blackwood Riders were once elite Vintrian troops whose captain found a sudden need to leave the empire, Captain Belsarius kept the unit together and well equipped by taking well planned contract such as the one offered by Woodbridge and Eregon. The population of Woodbridge consists of two parts, the locals and the visitors. The local population has grown to nearly 7,500 people, plus an 800-man garrison. Locals avoid the Eest Side when they can, and nearly all of them have moved to the old garrison section of town. Kriestal governs them well. She avoids taxing citizens by heavily taxing imports to the Eest Side. Goods sold in the garrison district are only slightly above PHB value. The Redcaps and the Garrison soldiers have no authority on the docks or in the garrison; most problems in these areas are handled by Kriestal (local) or Daeric (troops). If a problem arises between locals and troops the two will hear the tale together and then give a verdict. This is rarely pleasant for either side. Murder and thievery is common on the Eest Side and overlooked unless someone is caught in the act. In the Garrison District, it is usually investigated very thoroughly, Kriestal does not relish the thought of assassinations so close to her.The Eest Side has a transient population, mainly of foreign soldiers and mercenaries. The Castilian and Kriestal limit the number of sleeping spaces in the West Side, and sweep the streets after sunset for stragglers. These folks are arrested and escorted to the city gates, where they are ejected and fined whatever the guardsman feel is appropriate. This limiting of sleeping space keeps the number of foreign soldiers small enough to control, if a military confrontation should become unavoidable. Both Kriestal and Daeric have a large number of spies and informants in the Eest Side, and a standing reward of three weapons, one suit of armor, and a war trained horse for information on plots against Woodbridge. OPTIONAL: The Eest Side has a large slave market. The arrangement between slavers and Woodbridge is that Kriestal and Daeric receive 1/10th of the slaves. The two of them alternate picks. Kriestal tends to pick any skilled crafters, while Daeric picks military men, olster’s and learned men. Slaves picked by Kriestal receive a loan to start a business in the Garrison District when the loan is paid off they are free. They are not allowed to leave the District until the loan is paid. Daeric’s slaves must work for 3 years and 3 days to earn their freedom. The townsmen are prohibited from owning slaves, but not indentured servants. The rationale behind this is tied to the security of the Garrison District. The locals and military separate themselves from the often-hostile forces of the West Side, if slaves were held in the Garrison District it would simply be a matter of time before they were betrayed and overthrown.</blockquote>

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