Montroulez

An important bridge town marking the border of the County of Dreger and the County of Leon, crossing the Montroulez River.

Demographics

The majority of the population is Bediz, largely drawn from the Bretoned, followed by smaller populations with Norman and Flandrezed backgrounds. The gender ratio is tilted female by a large margin.
Located near the unstable magic of the Pont-Taranis and several minor bleeds, the Boermerzh population of the town is significant, and numerous Korrigan groups make their home here, including notable populations of Teuz, Poulpiquet and Boléguéans. The Gargoul, attracted to the chaotic nature of the Pont-Taranis, are frequent visitors to the upper levels of the structure, but only rarely interact with the main urban center below on any organized level, in part due to the strict oversight of local Boléguéans elders.
Formorians, long feared as raiders and pirates by the local population, are generally not welcome in the town and forced to reside on the outskirts. Some individuals have integrated into local society, but no communal level of organization exists.

Government

Straddling the border between Leon and Dreger, sovereignty over the region is held by either the the Barony of Blackwater or the or the Lordship of High Leon. By agreement of the two Counties, an appointed seneschal alternates on a 7 year cycle, overseeing the seignorial authority of each respective sovereign for that period. Actual authority rests with the Merchant's Council, an administrative body of Juloded that oversees day-to-day operations, the enactment of laws and tithes, and security. So long as tithes and taxes are paid on time, the nobility rarely interferes in daily business. Since the reign of Yann I, this setup has occurred largely peacefully and with mutual support of both sovereigns, hoping to avoid the unrest over the city from previous times.

Defences

The town is a frequent target for pirates from the Kingdom of Logres, Viking Raiders from The Lost Peninsula and Formorians from Tevenn Du, but Taurus Castle, built after a particularly devastating attack from Sidhe pirates, sits on a small island in the bay formed by the aber of the Montroulez river, defending the city. Castle Montroulez, located on the southern edge of the urban centre, defends from the land and provides a garrison for the protection of the city.
The wide rivers are the cities best defensive feature, acting as natural moats, but a stone wall adds to this defense, served by 5 gates, the Gates of Ganymede (North), Mithras (Northeast), Elouan (Southeast), Atlas (South) and Hospital (West).

Industry & Trade

Montroulez is renowned for its textiles industry, specializing in the fabrication of canvas, linen and creez, a specialty linen used in the fabrication of undergarments. The massive demand for these textiles has led to the creation of the juloded class wealthy peasant merchants and manufacturers. These Julod own and oversee the Kanndi, small laundering facilities key to the regional processing of flax. Kanndi are small washhouses between 4 and 13 metres long, usually covered in thatch and paved with flagstones. Located next to streams and waterways, these washhouses are fed with grantie throughs, diverted from the river, where fabric is washed. Skeins of yarn are then plunged into large tanks of beechwood or stone,full of boiling water, where they are bleached to desired whiteness with application of various bleaches and detergents. They are then rinsed and let out to dry on large slabs of shale. These Kanndi, found throughout Leon and Dreger, are prominent in Montroulez and make up the backbone of the industry in the city. These are then spun into sheets and rolls at dedicated weaving facilities, or imported raw out of the harbour.
The sailmakers and Kreez-makers of Montroulez are renowned across Letha, holding a virtual monopoly on regional production, with only the Norman capital of Rouan surpassing production.
This wealth has attracted other skilled artisans, including goldsmiths, furniture makers, architects, weavers and sculptors to Montroulez, supporting both the needs of the wealthy Juloded, but also exporting their craft to elsewhere throughout Breizh. This flurry of activity has made it a crucial stop for all manners of traders along the Northern Ar Mor.
The need for materials, such as flax, rags and cloth have attracted the intinerant Pilhaouer of the Meneziou Aree and inland farmers to establish regular trade routes with the town, creating a sprawling network of villages, way-stations and farms all tied to the industrial economy of Montroulez.
In addition to the production of hemp and flax, animal tanneries have established themselves as an important secondary industry, producing leather using the bark of oak trees as the tannin. Used materials were then formed into lumps that are used for fuel as a secondary product. The smell and chemicals used in these have forced tanners to move further from the central urban core. The Road between Montroulez and Landern is so full of Tan Mills that it has gained the name "Tanner's Row." A stead supply of animal-hides, chemical agents and oak bark has led to the establishment of another network of trade routes into Leon and Kernev.
Fishing, particularly the harvesting of oysters and scallops, is a major industry in town.

Infrastructure

Built at the confluence of two rivers, Montroulez's relationship with the water defines the town's design. 4 bridges cross into the city, 2 on the West, 2 on the East. These bridges generate a good amount of trade for the town. The river is accessed by two Quai's, the Quai Leon and the Quai Dreger, each taking their name from the side they are on. Flat-bottomed riverboats line these quais, which are quite shallow at low tide. The Quais extend along the river and bay after the confluence for a short time, allowing for larger ships to moor in the shelter of the harbor. Barges and small boats navigate this area at high tide, while most sit idly in the shallow water and mud at low tide. This leads to periods of rest and activity based on tidal cycles.
Due to the shallow nature of the bay at low tide, Windships and larger vessels moor further out in the water, where a floating dock services them, transporting goods to smaller ships and into the harbor for distribution. This structure can be moved, and is drawn closer to the city with a series of boats and land-based winch mechanisms, typically for maintenance or in the case of inclement weather.
The town is arranged along two major roads, Uhelstraed (Noble Street) and Leienstraed (Canvas Street), respectively the low and hight streets through the town. Uhelstraed, located along the Northern waterfront, is the home of the wealthy linen merchants of Montroulez, while Leienstraed houses weavers, dyers and other craftsmen in the hills surrounding the city. These are connected by steep staircases and sloped paths cutting through the thick clusters of three story buildings in the urban core.
The town is supported by a loose cluster of villages and hamlets in the surrounding hills, providing animals crops and raw materials for the industrial center.
The town is a hub for several minor Imperial roads, leading deeper into Leon Dreger and Kernev.

Assets

The homes of the Juloded are known for their ornate detailing and displays of wealth in the form of furniture, silverware and objets d'art. Patrons of the arts, fine crafts and garments are obtained by these wealthy merchants. The average pondalez house has a permanent staff of 4-10 servants, usually Bediz or Korrigan, particularly Boudics.

Guilds and Factions

The Brotherhood of the Sacred Four is by far the most powerful faction of merchants in the town, a trade and craftsman guild drawing from the textile industry. Fiercely independent, they have rejected approaches from larger guilds and conglomerations, such as Naoned's Merchantmen and the Frihep Trading Company of Dinan

History

The region was settled as a natural meeting point of several Imperial roads crossing the region. At this time, the town was a small village atop a nearby hill, overlooking the current site.
The region has long been a hotbed of Fae activity, evidenced by several large cairns and tumuli built into the surrounding hills. This has only increased with a particularly strong Wyldstorm that tore through the area, scattering vast amounts of magikal energy and faerie artifacts around the countryside, including the massive Pont-Taranis which looms above the town.
Montroulez grew from a sleepy fishing village and waystation into its current form when the Lord of Leon, during the tumultuous reign of Duke Jafrez 1 (Around 698 SI) established a castle at the confluence. With this added security, the town developed in the valley, abandoning its hilltop location to the wilds. The security and political prominence the castle provided drew in several monasteries to the surrounding countryside, which in turn served as the foundation for several of the larger towns and villages in the area. Industry flourished, specifically linen and canvas manufacturing, taking advantage of the fast-moving rivers and steep waterfalls to power mills along the waters, and the aber to ship the goods outside of the region.
The prosperity of the town earned it the envy of the treacherous usurper, Jafrez II, who sacked the town, bringing it into the Ducal Domain, where it remained in a state of flux until the reign of Duke Yann "Ar Ruzh" I, where the Duke paid a tithe to the Viscount of Leon for the town.
Under Ducal control, the city continued to prosper as a thriving centre of canvas and linen production. The Brotherhood of the Sacred Four, a union of various textile guilds, grew with the town, becoming known for their wealth and civic largess in the forms of their luxurious houses on Noble Street and several chapels with ornate stained glass windows their patronage provided.

Points of interest

Kerfeunteun - Town of the Fountains. Located to the Northeast of Montroulez. Constructed by the Margot, it hosts a stone Nemeton in the center of a network of fountains. It was the site of Maelor Bronzefoot's failed rebellion against his uncle Rivod.

Architecture

The most prominent architectural feature in the town is the Pont-Taranis, a colossal bridge of stone-arches that stretches over the town center across the valley, capped on each end by swirling vortexes of energy. The bridge, part of the Fae-built Lightning Trail , a magical high speed transportation experiment. A powerful Wyldstorm, combined with the already unstable magic of the trail, shunted part of the path through Bedouar. Walkways circulate the bases, heading upwards along the exterior of the pillars with a series of small houses and workshops. Few Bediz trust the structure, which shakes and sparks as the Lighting Trail passes overhead, and so the bridge becomes the primary home of the town's Korrigan population.
The main road in town is Uhelstraed (Noble Street), is lined with the half-timbered houses of wealthy merchants. These are often painted in striking colours to illustrate the wealth of the inhabitants. These structures begin with a small front "building", featuring a storefront and servant housing, before opening up into large, 3 story atriums, housing elaborately carved spiral staircases, called pondalez, which have become a source of both civic pride and a status symbol in the rivalry between merchant families. These staircases lead up to galleries overlooking each floor of the open space beneath, heated and lit by monumental fireplaces. Beyond this interior courtyard is a second "building", housing the private quarters of the Julod and their family. Elaborately crafted Gwele-kloz and Bank-Tossel are lawded features of these homes. Side passageways, concealed from view connect these two "structures" across the atrium.
Along the waterfront of the river, three-story houses sit perched on high stilts above the anticipated floodwaters, a regular occurrence in the city.
The Leienstraed is considerably less ornate than its sister-street, but the simple homes are clean and well built, reflecting a certain amount of care towards appearance that lends the town its reputation as a picturesque destination.

Geography

The town of Montroulez exists as a natural funnel, located at the base of the Meneziou Are foouthills, the settlement sits between steep hills to the East and West, at the confluence of two rivers, the Queffleuth and the Jarlot as they empty into a wide bay on the Ar Mor Breizh. Much of the 15-km aber is only navigable at high tide, allowing lulls between periods of heavy activity. With the rivers flowing in from the South and the tides from the North, the same geography that brings prosperity also leads to severe and regular flooding, as well as a threat from oceanic storms.
The rivers of Montroulez create a natural border between the County of Dreger to the East and the Viscounty of Léon to the West, making it an important border crossing.

Founding Date

698 SI

Alternative Name(s)

Morlaez, City of the Juloded, Weaverstown

Type

Large town

Related Ethnicities

• Pilhaouer

Inhabitant Demonym

Montroulezed

Location under

The Armorican Peninsula

Owner/Ruler

Morgan of Dreger

Owning Organization

Kontelezh Dreger