Tanner's Folly

Avoided by most travelling merchants, Tanner's Folly is a run down city to the east of western Winval located within a forest. It is notorious for housing a great number of disreputable individuals and existing largely outside of the legal jurisdiction of the Winval High Council as it has no real established city guard. It operates under a complex honour system, in which the citizens effectively police themselves by punishing crimes that effect them.

Demographics

The 'self - policing' system in place within Tanner's Folly is not for everyone, especially those unable to defend themselves or their belongings, but it does tend to attract both anarchists and criminals alike who want to live life free of rules and restrictions and be able to lead a life they want to lead without the imperial guard chasing them down at every stop. This isn't to say wanted criminals haven't been tracked to Tanner's Folly from Ironcrest or Stormveil and then arrested, it's just far less likely as many imperial guards are weary of the reception they would have in a city so full of scum and villainy.

Government

Whilst there is no official hierarchy or government system in place within Tanner's Folly, a large percentage of the thieves and shops are controlled by The Thieves' Underground, an organisation with it's main office upstairs in The Rusty Tankard and an entire black market of stalls located in the sewer system under the city's streets. This sewer system can only be accessed through entrances marked in Thieves' Cant, the language used by criminals across Winval.

Defences

The Thieves' Underground offer protection to the city should their way of life ever come under threat. Every member has an obligation to defend both their leader, currently Katie De'lacour, and the city of Tanner's Folly should someone seek to conquer it or instate a legal government that undermines the power of the guild.

History

Tanner's Folly was originally a town formed when a group of Tanners arriving from West Olkvast ventured inland to set up their own civilisation in the year 1103 ASO. The unfortunate fate however was that they soon learnt a society cannot operate built only of tanners, something they discovered when they had nothing but leather and no crops to get them through the winter months, hence Tanner's Folly. 
Once the old Tanner's town had fallen into disrepair, a group of bandits on the run from Matlock came across the ruins in 1270 ASO and decided to set up camp there. From this point forward the town expanded and rebuilt as a safe haven from the law under a mutual respect that while in the borders of this city, citizens should not trouble one and other.

Founding Date

1270 ASO

Type

City

Population

493

Owning Organization

The Thieves' Underground

Characters in Location

• Katie De'lacour