Yaelworth

Yaelworth is a town within Durhammel, located centrally, connecting Ortegue through Dizdrul and Marblise on the east with the western towns of Lightfoot and Quolquoth.
Because of its strategic location, Yaelworth Administration spends most of its funds on making this town as traveler-friendly as possible, with many inns and service shops suited to varying budgets dotted throughout the town.

Demographics

Humans, half-elves and elves make up a majority of this town's population, with a smattering of other races. Even though basic income and needs are provided for by the Treasury, this town has its class divide, although not as stark as cities: nobles and aristocrats tend to rub shoulders with and trade with those of lower income here.

Government

Yaelworth Administrative Office
Managed by the Durhammel Pact Leadership, Yaelworth's administrative officers are posted to the town and shuffled every seven years. The Office communicates with the public through town hall gatherings that happen every second fortnight, where people's complaints, suggestions and questions are addressed. 
Yaelworth follows the law, rights and duties as set by the Pact. The town court settles trade disputes, property issues and public controversies that affect Yael residents; criminal cases are handed over to the Pact Court in Quolquoth. 
Administrative officers are also responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing town-specific laws that can help keep the town running smoother.

Defences

Town Guards
The town's guard forces operate from the main HQ located in the Amora district, as well as smaller posts in other districts. The town walls are also guarded, but with Pact Guard forces, who rarely intervene with matters of the townsfolk, but only focus on thwarting external threats such as organized bandits, raiders or invading armies.
The Guard Chief, Chrisqwyne Davyre, has held her post here for just over six years, having being Chief at Speller's Coast before this.
Crime rates in this town are low; any robbery or theft that does happen has always been the work of outsiders. Since Davyre's posting, she has made a vow to rid the town of troublesome outsiders, while also still being welcoming to tourists, merchants and visitors. She acts swiftly and justly, commanding a strong force.
Supporting villages
Yaelworth town guards are often also sent to investigate or solve major complaints at the villages of Mortom's Grief and Irridium, if resources are available.

Districts

• West Mills: Located outside the north-western gate toward Lightfoot, this district is a relatively recent addition. Home to paper mills and grain mills, this is where all the produce from the Yaelworth farms are processed. There are no residences here, except for a small three-room house converted into a modest inn. 
• Ar'brough: This is the largest and most populous part of Yaelworth. With common housing and inns offering poor to modest stay, this district is always busy and crowded. The Yael Market and Meriel's Medicine House are two establishments that famously attract tourists; but locals choose instead to spend time at numerous other little known taverns and hidden markets here. 
• Lewinn: Located on the way to Dizdrul, Lewinn has a squalid inn and a cheap tavern for travellers who cannot afford town prices, as well as a few poor quality housing for longer stays. 
• Farrows: The heart of the town, Farrows has more markets than residences. With an elven garden next to the town square, a festival market, water fountain and cobblestone roads, this area is considered to be one of the most beautiful public squares in all of Durhammel. 
• Caelor: Also known as the Scholars' district or Students' district, this is where the young and learned tend to hang out most often. Caelor is home to a school, the town library, a sporting field, the Yaelworth Mage Hands guild, a modest inn, comfortable residences, as well as a handful of service and supply markets. 
• Amora: This is the smallest district within the town walls, where the market prices are considered to be on the higher side. The town hall, administrative offices and guard HQ are located here. 
• Ruselyn Springs: The wealthiest district of Yaelworth, Springs is home to the town's VIPs, nobles and aristocrats. The inns and taverns in this area are of comfortable and wealthy standard. 
• East Road: A small shanty area located at the south-eastern gate, this was originally a temporary shelter camp set up for people who were affected by the great forest fire near Irridium in NM 1492. While many returned to the village once rebuilding funds came through, a few families continued to stay here. They were able to convince Yaelworth Administration to include them as town citizens in NM 1500; a move not welcomed by some townsfolk. 
• Twillow: On the road to Quolquoth, Twillow is a traders' R&R area provided for by Durhammel merchant guilds. Travelling guilders who don't want to spend on stays within the town tend to make use of the low-priced comfortable inns; they also can avail of discounted stablehand, smithing, postal and storage services here.  

Points of interest

Meriel's Medicine House

Located in the Ar'brough district, this medicine house is a large two-storey building with a back door that opens to a compounded garden. This establishment attracts the sick and injured from all over Durhammel, as they seek healing potions and practices that are highly effective and free of cost.
Because of the number of sick that tend to gather around this building, a lot of people moved out of the block, giving Meriel the chance to make use of the abandoned housing to make space for more sick beds, buildings for medicine apprenticeship and stays for apprentices, and herbal stores as well as a soup kitchen. This has earned this area the colloquial name, Medicine Street.
Meriel Farmalin, a 392-year-old high elf, founded this house when Yaelworth was still a village. As the town grew larger, she came to be known for her medicinal prowess and soon became an influential voice in the Yaelworth administration. Today, her word holds as much power within the town hall as that of the Pact leadership; yet, she often refuses to intervene in political or administrative matters, unless she is convinced that it is for the good of her patients and their families.
Her practice also brings many young healers and do-gooders to the town. Most of them work for her for a nominal fee and modest stay, as provided by the Pact Treasury, if they are vouched for by Meriel.

Juniper's Elixirs

This quiet little magical supplies shop is run by Juniper Tyan Valaris, a noble half-elf, who inherited this establishment from her elven grandfather 13 years ago. The shop spans the ground floor of an old but well-maintained manor at the western edge of Ruselyn Springs. Juniper lives alone with her exotic pets on the top floors, and ensures that everything in the shop looks brand new and in pristine condition. She is known to clean her shop every day, including the street right outside and the corner where her house is situated.
While a stickler for orderliness, punctuality and cleanliness, she did inherit her grandfather's penchant for trading kind with kind, a chaotic trait that many think does not go with her otherwise principle-based personality. Juniper often has the same comeback to those who point this out: she does not consider money or gold to be a fair exchange for what she has in her store.
Indeed, her magical supplies are of rare, unique or legendary quality, with a stock that attracts all kinds of people to the town. She gets her wares through a secretive trading company who has long worked with her grandfather and continues to make deals with her. But there is a key difference between her way of business and her grandfather's: while her grandfather just expected customers to pay in kind with other unique items, Juniper expanded it to also include making deals through contracts signed in blood and spit.
This method of trade has its takers galore, but also a lot of critics. It is not uncommon to see complaints raised during town hall meetings that these deals are unholy and dangerous to society. Some even claim that Juniper has some sort of deal with the town chief, which is why she is still able to keep her store open. She has denied these claims many times, stating that there is nothing unholy or holy about these deals, just business.
It goes without saying that her reputation (or dis-reputation) attracts all kinds of people. The nature of these deals are secret, known only between Juniper and the customer.

Crabs & Crows Tavern

Ar'brough's most popular tavern, Yael locals consider Crabs & Crows a hidden gem, one that tourists don't dare to enter. Run by a tiefling entrepreneur, Dorcia Thenn, this tavern is a dimly lit hole-in-the-wall, with 10 tables, a fireplace and a bar counter.
The tavern is located in a two-storey building. On the ground floor, it shares a thin wall with a tattoo artist on one side and a shaman on the other. The half-elf Rudy Wysahanna works as a contract painter during the day and moonlights as a tattoo artist. On the other end, Lo'rainne, or just Rain to her friends, is a water genasi who works out of her side of the floor as a fortune teller on some days, and shuts shop to peddle gems and pawned items across town on other days. Half-orc Ronokk Toe-Axe assists all three on various errands, and helps with making food for Dorcia on busy nights. The four of them live in shared space on the top floor of this building.
The ale is cheap and available in plenty. Brewed by Dorcia herself in the back alley every other night, it is known more for its high potency than good taste. Occasionally, she manages to stock up on stolen mead or better-tasting ale, if Rain's contacts come through.
There isn't much variety of food available, though. Dorcia rues that her favourite chef, the tabaxi Sparkles (known for her exquisite crab meat and river fish dishes), died in a drunken accident a few years ago. Instead of replacing the chef, Ronokk contributes by whipping up half-decent meals. These meals are often fulfilling in quantity, if you're hungry enough to ignore its bland or imbalanced taste. Most locals are aware of Dorcia's love for her dead friend, and out of sympathy, don't complain about the quality of the food.
Despite its shortcomings, or because of them, the tavern has its regulars. When it gets full inside (which it often does), Dorcia brings out stools and chairs to set up on the street and on the porch. On most nights, the area around this tavern is lively and does not quiet down till a few hours before dawn.

Princess Fey Inn

Situated in Ruselyn Springs, run by Pixdale "Pixi" Ry, a noble high elf, this swanky inn caters to those who like to live in style. With 14 well-appointed comfortable rooms, 7 luxuriously decorated wealthy suites, and a classy tavern to match the crowd, patrons at this inn are constantly reminded of the glory of elven interiors and human art.
Food and drinks are priced slightly above average, while the rooms are reasonable. Famously, this inn always has a rabbit dish on its dailies menu, with a plum wine to pair. Matilda Fairfoot, the halfling who manages the kitchen, is a celebrated chef who was brought to Yaelworth from the marbled halls of Sha'Lenor's palace by Pixi.
The inn is never really fully booked at any time, except during the Yael-ar Festival season, when wealthy merchants and nobles from other towns come to visit. The tavern, on the other hand, fills up quickly in the evenings with locals; tourists best get a table if they befriend a local, or try and get a taste of the food and drink during the day, before the evening rush.

Town Square

Also called Festival Square, this is the centre of the town, where festivals and events happen. Most emergency public announcements from the administrative office, as well as other announcements by other residents, are made at the public platform, next to a giant notice board.
To the west of the square, an elven garden with a small pond, benches and stone-laid paths attracts morning and evening walkers to its serene birdsong-filled setting. On the other end of the square is a market that is always thronging with crowds, merchant chants and market musicians.

Yael Market Trading Hall

Situated in Ar'brough, with underground access to Farrows, this trading hall is an indoor market, spanning two floors above-ground and one floor underground.
Trader halls located on the top floor are catered toward wholesale buyers, business owners and retail merchants. On this floor, there are no permanent "shops"; only rooms or booths where different traders can display their wares, and where customers can see, taste or touch items for inspection. Once a customer signs a contract, the trader will then arrange for a shipment of the items, usually located in bulk elsewhere, within a few days. For this reason, and to avoid contaminating the floor with bystanders and window shoppers, the second floor is restricted to those with merchant guild passes or an invite from a trader.
The ground floor, with an extension to an open courtyard, houses all the towns' commonly required services, such as smithing, carpentry, tailoring, metalworking, etc. It is where most locals go when they need something done for a nominal price and a quick turnaround.
The underground market has niche stores, such as antiquity sellers, gemstone sellers, cartography and scribing, among others. This floor is usually not as busy as the other two floors.
This trading hall is closed during festivals, including the Yael-ar Festival and the five-day New Year celebrations.

The Shattered Stone

An inn and tavern located in Ar'brough, it is run by half-elf Halama Celtigar. A wooden building with a tiled roof, the Shattered Stone Bar stands one story tall. This place is typically bustling with patrons. Inside, the tavern is heavily decorated with old and well-used weaponry and split shields.
The common room is priced at 1sp, while other rooms are between 2 to 5 sp. It is one of the few inns in Durhammel that provides dishes exclusively from human subcultures, including bread items for the table, sour yogurt, rice and so on.

Tourism

Yael-ar Festival

Three moons into a new year, Yaelfolk celebrate the Yael-ar Festival. The seven-night festival brings out all that Yaelworth specializes in. Everyone, whether residents, tourists or visitors, spends the days shopping, eating, playing games and sightseeing, while nights are for drinking, dancing and celebrating.
The preparations for it begin the day after the second moon in the year. A typical festival season has the following attractions:
Displays: Residents make works of art and display these outside their homes. It can be made of plants, paper, fruits and vegetables, stones, sticks, wood, metal or even bones. Some residents make up to seven displays and reveal each one on each day of the festival. While most of them follow a theme decided on collectively, some of them deviate from it to instead tell a personal story.
Delicacies: Throughout the town, small canopies are propped up with a table inside that is filled with food, water and drinks, free for the taking. Residents of each street or neighbourhood take responsibility for the canopy in their area, ensuring that the table is never empty. This is also a chance for people to show off their cooking and brewing skills. Tavern-keepers, brewers, bakers and chefs manage their own canopies, offering a glimpse to their menus and enticing customers to their establishment.
Games: Youngsters and the old alike partake in various games and activities during the festival for cash prizes. Tests of physical skill, strength and balance are conducted at the town square. Races and horse-riding contests are organized along the farms in West Mills, while sporting events are held at the school ground in Caelor.
Spoken word: Caelor, famous for its intellectual temperament, holds an annual debate, poetry and oratory competition, where people participate in verbal jousts. Residents of other towns and cities are also encouraged to participate. Every year, a handful of scholars and masters volunteer as judges. Many a times, the winners and runner-ups are offered a chance to apprentice or train under these masters.
Merchant discounts: Traveling traders and merchants from all over Durhammel set up wagons around the town to sell their wares at discounted prices. Local merchants, on the other hand, stick to setting up canopy shops in the town square, selling to tourists and residents. It's a great time to shop, and merchants have always come off the festival season making more money than they would in a few months' worth of time.

Natural Resources

Yaelworth is landlocked, but is surrounded by lush woods and fertile lands. Through farming, this town cultivates fields of trees for paper, as well as grain crops.

Maps

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  Yaelworth

Type

Town

Population

2,200

Inhabitant Demonym

Yael residents, Yaelfolk, Yael-ar

Location under

Durhammel