Glistel
When you stop in Glistel, be sure to at least look into the Counselor. It's a beautiful place, for those who can afford it. For those who can't, it's an unattainable view of how success looks. The rest of the town? Who cares about that place, you stop, you have a meal you pay too much for, and then you move on...Located at an old crossroads where Northrun's trade routes diverge, Glistel owes its continued existence to the trade routes. One of the diverging roads runs north to the Frostclad Coast, and the other heads south to Hilgar. Within a few decades, a small inn-and-tavern became a developed village which was known to be a decent stopover for merchant caravans. A few generations later, and it had become a sizeable town serving caravans headed to or from Northrun. Many who visit have tales to tell of the infamous inn, "The Counselor", where almost any pleasures and enjoyment can be bought.
The merchant company known as the 'Copper Coffers' has put a great deal of money into developing the town, and making sure the town guard is sufficiently staffed. This has not stopped an underground group from quietly subverting the leadership and taking control of things. For anyone who just visits, nothing seems out of the ordinary and everything is kept running well. For those who live in Glistel, they keep quiet and avoid doing anything to stand out - as standing out draws the attention of the Clarion Cartel.
Notable Locations
The Counselor
My dear fellow, you are a paying customer of my establishment. Your requests - within reason - are my command, and I happily will provide. Assuming you can pay, of course. Don't look so shocked at what you might see during your visit. Very little is strictly illegal here... just costs more, you understand? Good. Now, what can I do for you?Anyone with money to burn is welcome at the Counselor, and Corin Matson is happy to admit this bias. The owner and manager runs this inn to cater to the rich merchants who travel through the town, and many high-level business meetings take place in private booths. While paying for a table or a room, a customer is entitled to make requests for a wide variety of pleasures or services. When the requests are available within town with a reasonable degree of ease, no extra charges are added. However, requests which take more effort to fulfill cost more, and Matson will never outright deny a request. He may, however, name a price high enough to be unaffordable.
Normally, the Allied Adventurers Guild would operate out of such an establishment. However, Matson is very particular about customers being at ease, and very much prefers all business to go through his staff instead of others. As the Guild was unable to reach an agreement suitable for both parties, operations are run out of the other major inn in town. The reason for Matson's reluctance has changed with the various times an inquiry was raised, but the staff are in no position to worry about such matters.
Another peculiar aspect of the Counselor is one of the regulars, seemingly is a deserter of the Rhyliss Imperial Legion. Mostly there have been accounts of him nursing a bottle of wine throughout an evening from before sunset until the late hours of the night. The Empire holds no authority here, and there is no sign anyone else is present in town to accompany a lone Legionnaire. Yet he remains, and quiet bribes to the staff confirm he is there on more evenings than he is not - and never meets with anyone. Matson seems unwilling to pry, so long as there's money to be made.
The Clarion Cartel
Local to Glistel, the Cartel began as a small circle of merchants who wanted to drive out competition. When this began causing much more friction than was good for business, the plan was altered to instead attempt to funnel the unwary to patronize particular businesses over others. Through various agreements and threats, the Clarion Cartel became the controlling force in the town - with only the Copper Coffers rivaling them for influence over how things are run. The merchant company is more interested in just assuring themselves a safe place to resupply, and so even they have agreements with the Cartel.The primary business of the Cartel is in "insurance" for various businesses. Regular payments to representatives of the Cartel ensure the business is spoken of positively to travelers, and if a payment is missed this assistance usually stops. With competition for business being pretty stiff, and the Copper Coffers more than happy to take on clients, losing the endorsement of the Cartel can force many small businesses to close. If that doesn't work, then there are always accidents which might happen... or might not? With the uncertainty of the world today, who can say for sure it was the Cartel's thugs who robbed the store? The fee is quite small, and the Cartel is more than happy to look out for their 'extended family' who pay for the privilege.
Some years back, the Rhyliss Empire had a problem with thieves' guilds springing up in the major cities. After a few public, and messy, alteractions the bulk of the thieves fled the cities and found other places to set up shop. Glistel is seemingly one such place, and there were some brief altercations before the Clarion Cartel assimilated these new threats as new members instead. Among these was a figure known as "Hawkfeathers", who rose swiftly to a position handling the Cartel's daily routines. Hawkfeathers keeps a large number of their agents busy just keeping track of business moving through the Counselor, and has rescinded the exemption of Cartel members treating it specially.
House of Jubilation
The major temple in town is a curiosity, being dedicated to the Imperial deity of Cedri Jubeli. The Masked Reveler is not known for permanent temples, but in a city where travelers are enticed to enjoy their success there is definitely a draw. Residents who choose to be members of the congregation are not very overt about their choice, and it can be hard to tell for certain who is whom with face-covering masks being mandatory. But the Master of Revels claims this is no cause for concern. What happens in the House of Jubilation is between the individual and the Masked Reveler themselves.Nobody is absolutely certain of the Master of Revels' identity when they are not at work in the sanctuary. However, the Master is quite willing to entertain questions about their deity and faith. Personal questions are often deflected in such a way as to leave the inquiring person unaware their questions remained unanswered. Questions as to the improbability of an Imperial deity gaining traction outside the borders of the Empire are usually met with stories of people overcoming impossible odds, and answered through implication alone. The implied answer is simple: the Master of Revels had to leave the Empire behind, and yet remains faithful to their deity. As their faith remains rewarded, the worship will continue and those who seek to join the congregation are welcome.
It is suspected, though not proven, the Master acts in concert with the Clarion Cartel. Whether this is true or not, few of the residents are in a position to do anything about it. One does not deal with a person favored by a deity with simple or direct measures, even if one was so inclined.
Type
Large town
Location under
Comments