Iascaire'bhaile (yass-ker ball-eh)
Iascaire'bhaile is an elven town in the Sinsear Forest and part of the elven kingdom of Crann Riocht. Outsiders usually refer to it as "Iscar" if they cannot pronounce the full elven name, which translates to "Town of Fish". The town sits in the north-northwest part of Crann Riocht, surrounded by forest and on the banks of Lake Sildar. This freshwater lake provides many boons for the city, but the most abundant is the fish that can be caught and brought back to the town.
The town here has existed since the third century of the First Age, though for most of its existence it was a small, quiet fishing village. Oestbernian and other nations' incursions into Crann Riocht over the centuries forced the kingdom to station more troops in Iascaire'bhaile, which then forced the city to grow to accommodate these forces. Over time, the rest of the town began to grow naturally, and now the military garrison is a fraction of the town's population.
Iascaire'bhaile faces competition on Lake Sildar, as the various lakefront towns in the different kingdoms have become territorial about fishing waters over the last few centuries. Like those of the other towns, Iascaire'bhaile's fishermen employ mercenaries as private guards to protect their boats on the lake. This has proved a lucrative business for mercenaries and adventurers from all over Ayndrinor.
Demographics
Like most of Crann Riocht, Iascaire'bhaile is mostly elven, with the various subraces combining for around 60% of the population. There is no clear second-most populous race, as the rest of the town is a mix of people from all different walks of life around the world. "Iscar" is by far the most open and accepting of the elven kingdom's settlements; travelers and scholars are welcomed in this city - though usually watched closely at first. These scholars and travelers usually do not make it further into the elven kingdom, unless they are headed for Torloch Observatory, but they find at least temporary comfort in this town. Some have even settled down and called the town home, which has contributed to both its population boom and diversity. Due to this openness, the town relies more heavily on gold and silver coinage than the kingdom's other cities, which tend toward bartering and elven cruchmona for their economies.
Most of the citizens here are involved in fishing or logging, as those are the two biggest industries in town. There are also a good number of smiths to help maintain the military equipment and craft arms and armor for the fishermen's guards, as well as shipwrights that make and repair fishing boats. Most of these laborers achieve modest but secure lifestyles, while the shrewdest of mercenaries can talk themselves into lucrative contracts that push them above most in the town. There are a few noble families in town who enjoy a cushy lifestyle by virtue of owning a fleet of ships or several smithies from which they can pull part of the profits or charge rent/lease terms.
Government
The town of Iascaire'bhaile is run by a Reeve, who is appointed by the Council of Druids in the capital city of Fianna'bhaile. This person usually hires several advisors to assist them with running the town, but it is not required to do so. These advisors usually include at least one representative from the fishing industry and one representative from the logging and forestry industries, as those are the biggest industries in the town. The reeve serves for life, unless they are removed by the Council for any one of a variety of reasons - including but not limited to: a new Speaker and new Council take over and decide to re-appoint leaders, mass public outcry from the citizens of Iascaire'bhaile, or not performing the duties of the office.
Defences
Iascaire'bhaile has a small garrison of about 1,000 troops stationed in a keep on the north side of town. These troops monitor the forest to the north and west, preventing foreign troops or agents from getting past to the capital city. When the troops were first stationed here, they made the vast majority of the town's population, but as the town has grown they are now a fraction of the citizens. The keep itself is somewhat small and was built around 600 years ago, when the town needed the previous keep's land for its expanding population.
Iascaire'bhaile has external walls to protect from the forest's dangers, and the aforementioned keep exists on the northern edge of town. It sits outside the formal town walls, but the keep's walls are attached to that perimeter, forming a sort of "bubble" in the city's wall. The town has a few Watch stations scattered throughout the various neighborhoods, which function as small jails and hubs for the Watch to gather between patrols. The harbor also has a small armory that sells or leases weapons and armor to mercenaries and fishermen going out on Lake Sildar.
Infrastructure
The town of Iascaire'bhaile has paved roads throughout town, including the main trade road leading east out of the city toward the capital of Fianna'bhaile. The roads into the forest are paved just a few hundred feet past the city walls, then turn to dirt once they near the tree line. The harbor has a few small drydocks and shipyards which service the fishing fleet but are not built to handle larger craft. In the few areas where canals have been carved to allow the lake to come into parts of the town, simple stone bridges allow carts and people to get from place to place.
Architecture
More than other towns in Crann Riocht, Iascaire'bhaile is a hodgepodge of different architectural styles, due to its openness to visitors and settlers from foreign lands. The majority of the city is built in a traditional Japanese style (shoin-zukuri) using wood from the surrounding forest and occasionally stone brought from faraway quarries. The main temples tend to be distinctively elven, with sleek metal-covered towers and lots of spires and onion domes. Other houses and businesses in town are built in a variety of other styles, with influences from around the world, and some are even a sort of hybrid style between the traditional elven designs and those brought from foreign lands.
Founding Date
284 1A
Alternative Name(s)
Iscar
Type
Town
Population
6,324
Inhabitant Demonym
Iscairi
Owning Organization
Comments