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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 523385" data-attributes="member: 8530">Communities near MengaleThe third community that trades with Mengale is a town by the name of Forest End.   It is situated approximately 25 miles south of Mengale’s western corner, and has a population of around 400 people (approximatley 60% humans, 25% part-elf, and 15% full-elf).   The town gets its name from the fact that it is situated at the interesection of two great forested areas, the old growth forests that surround Mengale and the Kelset Forests, which is a lush forested land, approximately 400 square miles in size that run westward until the mountain range.   Runoff from the ore-filled mountains has created a unique and very fertile land, where a special type of tree thrives.  This hardwood tree is named the Kelset, and has a color and texture that is a cross between an oak and cedar.  While Kelset seeds have been planted elsewhere on the world, none have flourished as they have here.  The wood of the Kelset tree is reputed to be the best on the world for the production of arrows and bows, which is the primary trade good of the town of Forest End.  The town also has a number of poulty farms, to get the feathers needed for the production of arrows.  A few farms that raise unique birds, to get feathers for special arrows.   The town’s other craft persons include several people skilled in the making of dyes, to dye the colors of the arrow shafts and feathers; several leatherworkers to make quivers for the arrows; and a few skilled metalcrafters to produce arrowheads, although most arrowheads used here are actually imported from distant cities.   All of the arrows and most of the bows used by the elves of Mengale come from Forest End.    The town’s main merchant is a middle-aged human known as Potter, who employes 30 to 35 elves two work his caravans.   The Potter Trading Caravan Company was establed 85 years earlier by Potter’s grandfather, and many of the elvan employees have been working for it since that time.  Well over half of the citizens of Forest End sell their products to Potter, as he pays them a better price than they would be able to get otherwise.   Potter also makes trips between caravan runs to several towns and cities on the continent, where he purchases various other goods to trade with Mengale.   Potter also makes these trips to visit various lady friends in several of these cities, each of whom thinks that they are the main woman in Potter’s life. Potter employs two elvan negotitators, one named Artelison who negotiates the sale of arrows, bows and other weapons, and another for non-weapon items named Ren (but known by his father’s name of Aragorn to those of Mengale, as an elvan name works better with negotiations).    Both negotiators have worked for Potter since the time that he inherited the business from his own father, over three decades earlier.   These elves live very relaxed lives in Forest End, only working the two or three times a year that they are on a caravan run.  They are well paid, earning a commission of 20% to 40% on their sales.   Artelison goes off on an extended vacation every year or two between caravan runs, and spends all of his accumulated  earnings on wine, women and gambling.   Ren has all of his earnings invested in banks in several different cities.  He estimates that in another twenty years he will have enough saved up to be able to retire and live in luxury for the remaining half-millineia of his elvan lifespan.  In addition to Potter’s operation, there are around twenty other businesses, each with at least one full-elvan partner, who are independent merchants.  The elves with these businesses will often accompany Potter’s caravan into Mengale.   Each of these merchants specialize is a certain categoy of trade goods, and do all of their own negotations.   At the closing ceremony of the Mengale negotiation they always defer to Ren to be the spokesperson for the combinded group.</blockquote>

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