Basafield
Basafield is a moderate-size town, about 16 days travel west of the capital city of Risad, located on the eastern foot of the Darkrock Mountains, in the west of Osmia. The area around Basafield is known as Baylem's Pass - a mountainous region between Darkrock and the Firey Heights, two of the largest mountain ranges in Kaherr. Weather in the Pass is surprisingly mild. Though Basafield is located in a very dry area, receiving almost no rainfall, its elevation into the foothills of Darkrock and the Heights make for a moderate temperature nearly all year round. Further up into the mountains is an entrance to the Crystaldeep Mines – a labyrinthian maze of tunnels and pitfalls that spans the entirety of Darkrock, and links Basafield to its sister village within the Pass, Rakshem, to the south. Basafield is primarily a mining town, whose exports include gemstones and metals of many kinds, building stone such as granite or marble, some high-altitude herbs and mountainous animal hides, and as of recently mountain spring water.
From either the east or south, approach toward Basafield is arduous. Entry into Baylam's Pass is gradual, but the closer to Basafield one gets the steeper the hike becomes. Cutbacks slink through the foothills leading to periodic vistas from ever-increasing crests. Trails will occasionally cut straight through the hills creating steep walkups and hill-climbs. As the hike progresses, the temperature over time gradually becomes thinner and cooler, the air feeling crisp and cool not unlike the freshwater brooks that hide and babble away at the outskirts of town. The dry breeze seems cleaned by some supernatural or divine force and smells of stone and pine. Arrival in the town comes almost suddenly, as the hills give way to the heights of Basafield. A mountain town indeed; commercial and residential buildings perch on the mountainside, some built onto the mountain, some carved into its face, and some teetering on wooden stilts above bustling streets and paths that zig-zag further up and further into town.
In town, citizens are surrounded on all sides by infrastructure. Above the main streets of the town center, rocky mountain roads cross back and forth, winding up and through and past houses and cabins, while below and beside the bustle of industry and trade continues on. The sounds of hammerfalls, creaking wood, and crunching gravel blend with the sharp whistle of wind that winds thorough the rocks to form a beautiful chorus of liveliness. After work hours, clanging hammers and bursting furnaces are exchanged for clanging tankards and bursting laughter from the many taverns in and around the town center.
The power structure of Basafield is locally controlled by a Constable, appointed by the government in the capital, who oversees a local guard. The Guard Force in Basafield has four ranks, from lowest to highest: Recruit, Guardsman, Officer, Capitan.