Coppaville

The only settlement that you would call a town, in the region Duskshore. While there is no count in the county (or duke in the duchy, fot that matter!), the town has a mayor, Toem. The old coppa-orc and his wife (younger they say, fair they say not!) Gurtred rule from the seat of power of the region, the Duskfort.
The couple never leave the fort. Never. Unless they have to announce some news from the capitol (Glarion, the sunlit city, by the Day Coast). More often, they send their son, Raveh, to do the talking at the town's sqare.
The townspeople know, that when the bells call, new laws are to be announced (common), or an execution (rare) is at hand. Or perhaps, on a bad day, some thief is losing an eye (uncommon). There are those in the quarters of ... well, all the quarters, in fact, who would call that a good day.

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‘This is your first visit to Duskshore, isinnit?’ the coachwoman is asking you. ”Then buckle up, friends — for what comes next isn’t for the faint of heart!”
The mare carries the wagon past the hill and well on the other side the cause of the coachwoman’s warning becomes evident. You have but a heartbeat to take in the landscape before the weather shifts and turns too fast to be natural. The shoreline fog overruns the land like the springtime river flows and the sun is swept under an unforgiving blanket of clouds.
Your sight ahead is eight meters, give or take.
‘Praise the little gods, ‘cos daytime lingers, at least. Aint a day without torches already a’burning. So is the custom here in Duskie. ‘Cos no one and their mother knows when dusk invades. You cannot count the hours, you see. Pointless.’
She pauses for a moment, then adds ‘except the Pale Lady can, I reckon. Yah. She has the tellin’ that one.’
Out of the mist the city wall emerges.
‘Watchword or customs’ you hear before even spotting the city gates. The two guards are geared up in spiked helmets, spear and halberd. The tips of their helmets and weapons seem to ape the spires of those tower roofs visible above the battlements.
The coachwoman turns in the seat, raising an eyebrow at you.
‘Customs are two gold coins, but me and my folks take but an ounce of copper pennies for the hayloft a’night!’
She smiles with a gleam in her eye.

Demographics

25% Full blood orcs (coppa-orcs), 25% halfblood and aprox 49% humans. The rest are mostly various nightkin in service, mainly hobgoblins from the south, or saltas (salters), goblin cousins that is, of the Salt Isles offshore to the south-east. Also a few dwarves, trolls and ogres are in service to the Duskfort.
The town is for the poor, the countryside for the daring, the Cliffside, atop the fort, is for the lucky born rich enough, and the Hay Farm is for Solvej's family. A tough lot, taking care of the farm and the town's mill as well (at Mill Farm).

Government

Ruled by Toem, the Mayor and his wife Gurtred. Their son is Reeve (Governor). They are hoping no duke or count gets appointed by the chattering hobgoblins ruling the capitol, ever. Because that would be a challenge to the power, if not an immediate takeover.
Laws are documented and held in order by Toems son, Rafve (also a master scribe, no less!). The town is collecting taxes and most of the townspeople are actually living inside the Duskfort and do their service there. The rest of the townspeople are the poorest, and the less lawful lot, but ironically the pool Rafve is recruiting from to the 'city guard'. That pack ensure laws are followed.

Defences

The Duskfort has a guard force, thick stone walls and towers. There are two ringwalls; the inner and outer, and what used to be a moat in between, but its navigateable today.
Walls are manned day and night, with guards taking shifts. Guards are armed by hand held weapons. There is no machinery. The coppa-orc are civilized enough to not utilize goblin or troll fecal matter, but still murderholes are in place, and burning oil is close at hand.
The town itself has a wall connected to that of the fort, but it is in worse condition and not as tall. It's effective enugh for keeping the good people of Duskshore countryside away.
A password, or in local slang, 'watchword', is needed to pass the gate, unless you are a rich merchant coming to trade. It should be mentioned that it is costly to enter, but you are unlikely to be searched if you have a respected title and an abundance of gold and silver (or copper) to go with it.

Industry & Trade

Merchants are not uncommon, and deliveries of imports arrive through the Mayor's Road that reaches from here to the Crags in the west. From there, wares from and to the capitol are flowing.
The only other real trade route is to the south-east to the Salt Isles, across the Salt Sea.
Toem's own copper mines are along the Sun Shield mountains in the north-west, stretching north. Copper and wood is flowing in, furniture and rare spices, out.

Infrastructure

The Duskfort sit on top of the lip of the Cliffside and has one circle of walls. The outer circle encompasses the town buildings, streets, the Mill Farm and Big Square in the centre. The town streets and copper-roofed buildings of the Mill Farm are kept shiny by Refve, but other major buildings, such as the Bathhouse and the Theatre are in worser condition and occupied by street urchins and other lawless.
Big Square: market daily, and the tax is collected from both townsfolk and farmers once a month.

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Country Roads: the 'City Guard' are also patrolling the slighly elevated Mayor's Road, and keep the oil lamps along it alit at night.

Districts

Cliffside, only reached from the 'Fort itself through the 'hunter gates'.
The Duskfort, one of three seats of power in Meriodarr, the mayor's home but also the more populated district of Coppaville.
Town of Coppaville, inside the town walls. Houses perhaps 25% of the townspeople.
Outside the town walls are Hay Farm and Fort's Bay, where ships to the Salt Isles go.

Guilds and Factions

The 'City Guard', mostly coppa-orcs or human citizens from around Duskshore, and a few troll sellswords. They got where they are because they climb over corpes for a living. If not in the army at the capital, then in the Crags force, or worse, in the slums of Coppaville itself.

The Fort Guard, a tougher kind of military. Properly trained in Glarion to serve as body guards to lords and ladies, priests or dukes. Orcs, Hobgoblins, a few Ogres. They fight with Day Coast Javelins, spears, halberds, or with axe and shield. Led by the fearsome Captain of the Guard, who is part mage-priest, part master at arms, and a sneaky bastard, is the word on the streets.

'Coppas Best', the pool of recruits for the guard. Thieves, robbers, and worse, or just street children. They either grow up to be assassins to the Cliffsiders, guards in the force,

Duskies, commoners in service to the Mayor's seat. Servants, barbers, smiths, grey monks or nuns, tailors, carpenders, bed-warmers, spy in the day - assassin at night, diplomats, you name it.

The Cliffsiders, the richest merchants, old military leaders, and other important people with fanciful titles, but no real responsibilities, who live in the fort and around the the Cliffside.

'Coppa Killas', the rebelious orphan gang of the streets, who mostly fight about their leadsership and rather than gather an uprising, end up in the 'City Guard' as they prove themselves in brawling.

Solvej's family. A few descent folk who live outside the walls, with good connections to the countryside citizens, but work inside the city walls. They are planning something big and I suspcet they are looking to exploit the key they hold to the town walls. But how to get into the fort from there? The walls are manned and the gates guarded heavily.

The Cliff-Hunters Guild, a.k.a. the Mayor's Hunters. Hunters in service to the seat. Have access to the 'Fort grounds, especially it's backyard, and the 'hunter gates' leading into the Cliffside and further to a rift with a rare forest, the Cliff Woods lie. There, the Hunters hunt not only beasts, but also monsters, and bring back to Toem to brag about at his gatherings and parties. Some of the Hunters are feared, and all are held in high regard. Mostly because no one likes a broken nose if it is your own.

The Monsters of the Cliff Woods, or as the inner circle call their little army, the Red Saltas' Pack. Their leader is a rare 'Red Karkion' from the Saltfort at the Salt Isles (in teh Salt Sea, no less!), wing cut and exiled into the Cliffside by Toem (a story for another time). The old sorcerer could leave, but has chosen to stay, and is planning to enslave the vampire bats, Jade Spirits and Plant Things of the Cliff Wood. At a critical point, they can stop raiding the town for supplies and relics of varying magicla importance, and go for the Duskfort itself.

(Solvej's family are posssible allies)

Architecture

The fancy houses all have copper roofs and spires. It is prestigious to live under such a roof, because it shows you are in the Mayor's favour. He owns all the 'coppa mines' of the north, and can change laws, and tax rates, on a whim.
All houses are either have stone walls, on the first floor, or are pole houses, due to the constant mud from the misty climate and lack of sunlight.

Climate

Duskshore region is known as the land of constant wet night. It is not entirely true, but true enoguh. The Sun Shield mountains are covering the sky in a westen angle and the thick Salt Mists pouring in from the Day Coast messes with the natural order, causing daylight to be unpredicatabel and rare.
The oposite is true on the other side of the Sun Shield and the Day Coast.

Natural Resources

Rare spices and plants grow in the combination of dusk and mist.
In the north lies the copper mines, owned by the major of the town.
Stone and gems are cut.

Alternative Name(s)

Town of Fort's Bay

Population

200

Inhabitant Demonym

Coppas, Coppers

Location under

III: MERIODARR