Singleford

A small market village, grown up around a ford in a tributary of the river Wye. Roughly a days travel from Darbatun on the road to Linmore it makes a good trade in travellers staying at the inn, though its primary income is from renting stalls for the friday markets, and just from the farming of the citizens.
Sitting near the small river Norton, the majority of the village sits on one side of the river, on a mild elevation from the surrounding plains. A small forest sits to the south east. The bridge that replaced the ford, a good, solidly constructed stone example, is situated in the path of the road and charges 1 copper per adult.

Demographics

Like most communities in Herulia, Singleford is mostly human, with them comprising around 520 of the population. A community of around 50 halflings lives semi-permanently in singleford, though they will often spend their winters in a different community. There are a half dozen elves, all but one high, and then perhaps another dozen or two people of other races.
At any one point there are likely 20 iterant travellers staying in the inn, and on Fridays there are typically at least 300 visitors buying or selling their wares.
Almost all the population are farmers, but many also are minor merchants or have other side professions.

Government

The village falls entirely within the command of Duke Terence Pauwels, and it is from his manor the town is commanded. While the steward is occasionally in, day to day the village is managed by the bailiff, a well traveled sparked high elf called Henoki Winters-Sorrow being groomed for a higher position. She is 172 years old and will likely hold the position for another dozen years before being moved up to a town.
Day to day the village itself is mostly managed by reeve. While legal complaints will be passed on to the bailiff, the reeve will settle disputes, pay and hire workers, and represent the lord when the bailiff is otherwise occupied. The current reeve is Faban Barsk, a 43 year old man who is well respected in the village and has held the position for 4 years.
A couple dozen times a year a Steward of the Duke will visit the village, where he can hear complaints and deal with administrative matters that have built up in the past weeks. The Duke himself will also visit the manor often, mostly as a resting point on his travels to other parts of his domain. As such the manor is kept in good repair, and is well stocked at all times.
The steward for this area is another elf called Miseart Leaffall

Defences

There are 6 guards employed by the duke, and the village can retreat to the manor if they are threatened. The Manor is crenelated and made of stone, so is well suited to defend from minor attacks. While a knight is supported by the manor, he does not typically live in singleford, visiting only with his lord. His conscripts however do, allowing for an additional 30 soldiers if needs be, with 2/3 being archers and 1/3 being pikemen roughly.

Industry & Trade

The town has a well known fresh half-elven blacksmith, a master smith by any regards , known as Jeoffroi Sia.
The market, run every friday, sells most items a farmer could ever need, and some they would never need. This is the primary outlet for the produce of a couple dozen hamlets and thorps, and is also the largest place many would go to on a regular basis, so most market days it has at least 20 stalls open, selling primarily foodstuffs but also tools, animals, jewlery, clothing, simple magics, dozens of services and even books.
Purchasing a stall costs 1 sp per day, or 2 sp in a fair day. A seller may also just sell on the street for 4 cp.
Every 3 months, 13 days after a solstice, a fair is run over 3 days that brings in craftspeople, merchants, traders and others from the surrounding area, tripling the villiage for a while and allowing people the oppertunity to buy anything that would be difficult to find in the previous market days.
A large inn, capable of housing around 40 people in 12 rooms does good buisness, being regularily full on market and fair days, and half full other times. The main floor of the inn is a well liked pub, serving mostly home made drinks, but a more discerning palate can also be serviced. The inn is run by a quite large man called Deryck and his wife Brunhilda . A night costs 10 sp for a room, 5 sp for a bed or 2 sp for a spot . A meal costs 1-3 sp, and a drink is 6 cp.
The primary industry of the town however is agriculture.

Infrastructure

The titular ford of the village is of course an important part of its charm, the Norton is not easily crossed for a few miles in either direction. However in recent years the Duke built a bridge beside the ford, allowing for dry crossings. In addition, the great Darbatun-Linmore road runs directly over the bridge, allowing for easy travel too and from. This road is maintained by the Duke, and he extracts a toll of a copper piece for each adult over the ford, and 2 coppers for each horse. The ford is free for adults, but a copper per horse, which is seen as a great imposition on free trade.
There is a small church in the villiage, a shrine to Bahamut run by a couple clerics who offer healing to those in need or that can pay. The chief priest is called Brother Tharhuda. A small shrine to nature is maintained in the forest, both of which are managed by a wood elf druid called Adrie.

Guilds and Factions

The only faction with any sway are the few large merchants who steer the flow of trade in the village. Almost all the other control is held by the lord, though this must be managed by a deft hand.

History

Founded some centuries back, this town slowly grew as a natural resting spot, first to dry off after the ford, and then due to its nature as a day away from a major town on a major path. After the road was built, it grew from a rather prosperous hamlet into the village it is today.

Founding Date

There has been a settlement here for at least 800 years

Type

Village

Population

593

Owner/Ruler

Terence Pauwels