Thetil

The city of Thetil, its walls rising from the cold plains is a beacon of civilization in the northern reaches. Capital of Hirschtalit’s one of the largest communities in the northern reaches of the Frontier and a rough place as befitting its location near the borders of Fjernhjem lands.

Demographics

Human—8,770,Halfling—999, Dwarf—555, Elf—333, Gnome—222, Others—222

Government

The city of Thetil is run by a Lord Mayor appointed by Wynnstan Scheuer and a twelve member council elected by the citizens.

Defences

The majority of the city is surrounded by walls fifteen feet high and fiver feet thick with both glacis and machicolations. Every two hundred yards there is a square tower fifteen feet wide and thirty feet tall. The tower walls also have glacis and machicolations. The wall has four gates each protected by towers and thick wooden doors plated with steel. The wall surrounding the inner city is smaller only ten feet tall, and lacking towers, glacis and machicolations. The city outside is protected only by a ditch and palisade, although Wynnstan has started another wall being built roughly five hundred yards from the current walls to protect future expansions of the city. So far only a few sections of foundation have been built. In addition there are several well stocked armories throughout the city so the guard can quickly prepare in the event of an attack.

Industry & Trade

The city is the center of what little industry exists in Hirschtal. Most of the industry is focused on providing tools for the many farmers of Hirschtal and the prospectors who brave the Barrir swamp in search of silver and Barrir ceder. There is also a lot of industry built around processing the farm goods and the material that comes in from the swamp. Mills abound both grist mills and saw mills, There are a number of silver refineries and facilities for building boats, both the flat bottomed skiffs used in the swamp and the barges used for transport up and down the Rozux river.

Infrastructure

Thetil has formidable city walls, one wall, around the majority of the city stands fifteen feet high and five feet thick with towers every two hundred yards. A smaller wall surrounds the city center where the old city and Wynnstan’s citadel is located. The city straddles the Rozux river with several stone bridges crossing the river. Streets are paved with cobbles throughout and there is an intricate sewer system that doesn’t connect to the river but empties into sewer yards where magic is used to turn the waste into clean fertilizer. A number of mills line the river using the flow to grind the grain that pours in from the countryside., and a large harbor has been constructed on one side of the river with drydock facilities and a shipyard.

Assets

The city has a number of granaries that are stuffed with wheat and oats, and several vaults containing large quantities of silver. The city also has several well equipped armories for use in the event of a siege, an event that happens every few years.

Guilds and Factions

Shoemakers, furriers, tailors, barbers, jewelers, pastry cooks, masons, carpenters, clothiers, dyers, greengrocers, laundresses, and porters all have small guilds in the city. Apart from the guilds there is little in the way of factions. The exception being the people strongly in support of or opposed to trading with the Fjernhjem. While the majority of the people are waiting to see if Wynnstan can succeed in negotiating trade deals, some people (mostly mangen who have lost family to Fjernhjem raids) are strongly opposed while some (mostly descendants of manneskor) are strongly supportive of opening relations.

History

Thetil was first settled by Wynnstan Scheuer 45 years ago, when he led a band of mostly retired mercenaries who wished to settle down to a quiet life. They didn’t get there wish, establishing a motte and bailey keep and began farming. The land here proved to be exceptionally fertile, and the small community began to grow. Then five years later a band of adventurers discovered deposits of silver in the Barrir swamp, and settlers began flocking to the community. Realizing that his community would need strong defenses from the constant raids, Wynnstan began building a strong wall some fifteen years after the initial settling. The walls took six years to complete, and within twenty years had been filled to capacity with construction spilling out of the walls. Since then Wynnstan has begun building a third wall around the city.

Architecture

The majority of buildings in the city are wattle and daub style building, with a lot of stone and a few timber buildings thrown in. Walls are almost uniformly white-washed to protect from the elements. Building are built with steeply sloping roofs to better shed the winter snow and ice that accumulates. A few of the richer houses have glass windows, with most just having brightly painted wooden shutters.

Geography

Most of Thetil is built on a series of bluffs overlooking the Rozux rover, with warehouses and mills mostly being built in the lower areas. The bluffs are part of the gently rolling hills that makes up the landscape of the area. Despite the hills the terrain is relatively flat with the hills slopes being gentle and short and the majority of the area being generally flat.

Natural Resources

The rich soil allows for a variety of crops to be grown despite the short summers and cold winters. Wheat and oats predominate with a lot of vegetables that can handle the cool summers. Many ranchers make a living raising sheep, the cooler weather encouraging the growth of thick wool.

Type

Capital

Population

11,101

Inhabitant Demonym

Thetilians

Location under

Frontier Lands

Owner/Ruler

Wynnstan Scheuer

Owning Organization

Hirschtal

Characters in Location

• Wynnstan Scheuer