Cities

Maps

Geography& Population

Food and Water

Industry

Ferthic is home to numerous industries. During the year the piers are bustling areas of trade since most of the major shipping routes across the Lake make a stop here. Most of the outgoing trade is fish and wheat and scented candles with most of the incoming items being wines, steel and coal.

Also Ferthic has a combination of gristmill and lumber mill. Normally local area holding bring food here to be ground into flour and also have large logs cut down for use in construction.

Rounding out the industry is the famous candles of Ferthic. Many years ago a traveler seeking lodging from a cold night traded the local innkeeper the knowledge of making honey scented candles for a warm bed. Every since that day the people of Ferthic have produced the unusual honey smelling candles that can be found in many of the larger cities of the land. While many of the families of Ferthic produce these candles one would be hard pressed to find anyone who would share the secret of the candles since the local lords for years have jealously guarded their secret.

The docks of Ferthic are free for any to come and use. Because of this there is often a waiting line to tie up at the docks. Every year or so there is discussion of charging a dock fee and using this money to extend the docks but the usual ebb and flow of the merchants into town never leaves time for any such planning.

Security

Ferthic despite being founded in uncivilized lands does not have a wall. In addition it only has a volunteer village watch (normally very inexperienced warriors) that patrols the outskirts of the city at night. Making up for these two things are the merchants that make Ferthic their "temporary" home. Ever since the founding of the city the lure of free flowing trade and personal armies of merchants have kept the village safe.

Leadership

Major Sites

1. Hantle's Mill. This building doubles as both a grinder for local wheat into flower and also manages to make a tidy profit from lumber brought here for cutting. Every third day the Mill is set to cutting lumber while the rest of the days sees the grinding stone in operation. Because of this split in functions almost everyone comes here to Hantle's for business.
   The current owner of Hantle's is Boris and Brenda Twill. The Twill's purchased the Mill two years ago from the last surviving member of the Hantle line. For tradition's sake they have kept the name.
2. South Storage. This large stone building houses extra grains waiting to be taken to Hantle's. Normally there is a small fee charge for storage here. This money normally goes to pay for someone men watching over the building at night.
   
3. Temple to Mother Faum. This temple serves as both as a worship house as well as a exchange house for the city. Normally the priests here attend to the Mill everyday acting as money-changers and lenders when the occasion arises.
   A head priest, Marta, serves the temple. Marta has a quick wit and a discerning eye that keeps the temple running smoothly. She very rarely loans money to those whom she does not know and always weighs any coins she exchanges. Along with Marta there are two other priests at the temple Tirlan and Shafer two young men who joined the order some time ago in Halus and have since come to the small village to make something of themselves.
   
4. Northern Storage. This building is constructed in much the same manner as the southern storage shed. Similar to the Southern Storage it also acts as a holding area for the Mill and charges a fee for protection. Because of the farther distance from the Mill it normally holds less grain and more lumber
   
5. The Bitter Wizard. This tall two-story building is made of stone and lumber. It is the only Inn currently in town. It has a large Tankard room and common room on the first floor and also offers additional rooming on the second floor.
   Normal room costs are one silver piece for the common room and 4 silvers for private rooms on the second floor. Food normally is included in the price for lodging but can be purchased separately.
   Currently Jelrick and his brother Mophit own the Inn, two humans who have been attempting to add more rooms to the Inn for some time. Once the new planting season has begun they will probably look into expansion. Jelrick and Mophit are very similar in appearance. Both have a reasonably sized paunch and have receding black hairlines. Neither bathes very much although the Inn does provide bathing services. They both believe that there is no reason to eat up profits by enjoying their own services. This rule holds true for everything save for the cuisine, which they constantly taste.
   
6. The Ferthic Stables: The stables normally house most of the traveler's mounts. At any one time there are normally three or four separate wagons stored here for the day since many traders often lay over for a day or so after unloading onto ships on the Lake. The stables also provide wagon repair and rudimentary blacksmithing. The current blacksmith is a dwarf named Yurik Longshadow. Rudy the town's full time blacksmith is Yurik's cousin.
   
7. Temple to Ephertain: This temple acts as a record house for all the trade that comes into Ferthic. While originally the priests here counted everything they currently take on word what a trader says is coming into port. Normally a fee accompanies this type of counting to Ephertain's coffers.
   Currently the temple is watched over by Sitpenn Silverway a noble from the city of Halus who was forced to do penance for miscounting the number of male visitors a noble woman had. Unfortunately for Sitpenn, the noble eventually found out about his wife's affairs and demanded that Sitpenn be sent away.
   Sitpenn is currently training a young woman Agburr a rotund woman with a huge appetite.
   
8. Honey Row: The houses in this area of the village produce the famous candles of Ferthic. Anytime during the day a pleasant honey smell lofts on the air. To support their industry many of the villagers here have beehives from which they can acquire the honey they need.
   
9. The Stone Halls: Over the years these single story stone buildings have served many purposes; school hall, lumber storage, and wagon repair. Currently the Stone Halls stand empty since Hantle's Mill has been doing such a brisk trade and does not need the space. Talk has been that the Halls should be turned into an academy however no one has been able to spare the time or the coinage to make that dream a reality.
   
10. Rudy's Smithy: This two-story building is the only metal works for miles. Here Rudy a dwarf from the far north plies his craft. Normally Rudy is only called upon to shoe horses or fix wagons although on occasion he takes a piece of metal to the forge and returns with a finely shaped weapon. On these occasions Rudy calls upon his cousin Yurik who runs the Stables to tend to business.