Yalendir
Yalendir is a key trade city located at the fork of the Remenos River and the River Eamon and sits astride the Trade Road from Panetoth in the south to Quintas and Broadwater in the north. As a result, a large portion of the goods heading to and from the Northmarches and the Stoneheart Mountains must pass through its gates.
Lady Belestra Vorns was granted the lucrative governance of Yalendir seven years ago after retiring from a highly successful career as a captain in the Rhemish navy. Having had enough of the sea for several lifetimes, she asked for a demesne far from the ocean and was thus vested in lands outside Yalendir and appointed the city’s governor. She is a thoughtful ruler with little experience in administration who relies heavily on her advisors. Perhaps too heavily, as several take advantage of their position, and a bit of corruption now plagues the city. Increasingly, bribery is required to get anything accomplished. There is little doubt that the Lady Vorns would put a stop to this behavior if she knew of it. So far, it is relatively confined and, given the wealth that passes through the city, has not risen to the level where she might take notice.
Yalendir is recognized throughout Reme for the wonderful stained glass manufactured here. While the sand must be brought in via the river, certain plants found on the river’s shore here are processed into dyes that produce magnificent colors in the glass. The secrets of the glassworks are closely held by the glassworkers’ guild here and are never shared with anyone other than another master or one’s apprentice.
The city structures are of Foerdewaith design, though they are thatch roofed due to the great quantities of sturdy blue stem prairie grass that abounds in the region. Most of the residences are two to three stories tall and contain an open common room, a storage room on the ground floor with a hearth, and two to four rooms located on the upper floors. Wealthier citizens also have a root cellar where they hide in the event of tornados that flare up on the prairie during spring and summer. Meals are cooked at the hearth or outside during the summer to avoid the boiling temperatures that can occur. Families are often made up of four to six members of varying ages, with the elderly often living with their children in houses that have been passed down for several generations.
With the arrival of Duloth’s goons, who are managed from Bard’s Gate, a subtle triangle of danger now exists between the various thieves and criminals hidden just beneath the surface of the city. It is probable that the Gastone-Shesheks may pledge their allegiance to the Wheelwrights in exchange for protection from the Red Thumb. The Wheelwrights would benefit from the intelligence that the Gastone-Shesheks have to offer, but they are not strong enough yet regionally to run the table.
Lady Belestra Vorns was granted the lucrative governance of Yalendir seven years ago after retiring from a highly successful career as a captain in the Rhemish navy. Having had enough of the sea for several lifetimes, she asked for a demesne far from the ocean and was thus vested in lands outside Yalendir and appointed the city’s governor. She is a thoughtful ruler with little experience in administration who relies heavily on her advisors. Perhaps too heavily, as several take advantage of their position, and a bit of corruption now plagues the city. Increasingly, bribery is required to get anything accomplished. There is little doubt that the Lady Vorns would put a stop to this behavior if she knew of it. So far, it is relatively confined and, given the wealth that passes through the city, has not risen to the level where she might take notice.
Yalendir is recognized throughout Reme for the wonderful stained glass manufactured here. While the sand must be brought in via the river, certain plants found on the river’s shore here are processed into dyes that produce magnificent colors in the glass. The secrets of the glassworks are closely held by the glassworkers’ guild here and are never shared with anyone other than another master or one’s apprentice.
Description
Nestled on the banks of the green valley of the River Eamon, the city itself is surrounded by a high ditch and levy system to protect against spring flooding. The levy itself is topped with compact, 20-foot-high stone walls quarried in the Stoneheart Mountains to the north and ferried downriver. A large keep sits in the northern half of the city where it keeps watch over the northern frontier and serves to remind locals of the dangers posed by beasts of the Stoneheart as well as the ancient threat of the things that dwell beyond the Wizard’s Wall.The city structures are of Foerdewaith design, though they are thatch roofed due to the great quantities of sturdy blue stem prairie grass that abounds in the region. Most of the residences are two to three stories tall and contain an open common room, a storage room on the ground floor with a hearth, and two to four rooms located on the upper floors. Wealthier citizens also have a root cellar where they hide in the event of tornados that flare up on the prairie during spring and summer. Meals are cooked at the hearth or outside during the summer to avoid the boiling temperatures that can occur. Families are often made up of four to six members of varying ages, with the elderly often living with their children in houses that have been passed down for several generations.
Government
Lady Belestra Vorns fairly recently took custody of Yalendir Keep and the administration of the city.
Sir Froederic Gethe, Lady Belestra’s chamberlain, is the power behind the pennant in Yalendir. The advisor to the former governor, Sir Gethe assumed he would be next in line for the lordship of Yalendir and chafes at playing second fiddle to a sea captain who is unfamiliar with the intricacies of local government and the monetary value to be gained from controlling this bottleneck of overland and river trade. Sir Gethe appointed Sheriff Oelwein as the city’s main tax-collector, an arrangement that allows him to siphon money away from the city. Oelwein is a corrupt lesser noble who purchased the rank of lieutenant in the Waymarch cavalry but found that hard riding across the open prairie produced saddle sores that were unsatisfactory to his comfort. Thus, fines for small infractions pile up, with money flowing from Oelwein’s hand to Sir Gethe’s with only a trickle hitting the tax box assigned to appease Iltobarus in Reme. Such is the current administration of the city.
Sir Froederic Gethe, Lady Belestra’s chamberlain, is the power behind the pennant in Yalendir. The advisor to the former governor, Sir Gethe assumed he would be next in line for the lordship of Yalendir and chafes at playing second fiddle to a sea captain who is unfamiliar with the intricacies of local government and the monetary value to be gained from controlling this bottleneck of overland and river trade. Sir Gethe appointed Sheriff Oelwein as the city’s main tax-collector, an arrangement that allows him to siphon money away from the city. Oelwein is a corrupt lesser noble who purchased the rank of lieutenant in the Waymarch cavalry but found that hard riding across the open prairie produced saddle sores that were unsatisfactory to his comfort. Thus, fines for small infractions pile up, with money flowing from Oelwein’s hand to Sir Gethe’s with only a trickle hitting the tax box assigned to appease Iltobarus in Reme. Such is the current administration of the city.
Citizenry
The denizens of the city are most commonly Foerdewaith with smaller contingencies of visiting Plainsfolk. Very small enclaves of halflings and Half-Elves live within the city, and they typically find themselves working as entertainers, tinsmiths, tinkers, tradesmen, and peddlers who deal their wares to the wagon caravans of the duchy’s tradeways.
Military
The government of Yalendir keeps 200 guardsmen in the city watch, 600 footmen and archers to patrol the prairie around the city (and to guard Yalendir Keep), and an additional 500 cavalry of Waymarch who rotate patrols along the Trade Road, with 200 held in reserve in the city at all times. For many of the troops, these postings serve as training exercises for their eventual deployment in the Stoneheart Valley in the service of Bard’s Gate.Troops are barracked in the towers that surround Yalendir when not out on patrol.
Threats and Adventures
Organized Crime
The greatest threat to the city is the encroaching noose of organized crime hiding under the nose of Sir Gethe and Sheriff Oelwein’s own corruption. Missing criminals are seldom noticed, as their bodies float on down the Eamon River and end up becoming food to river monsters long before they manage the hundreds of miles to the port of Reme. The Red Thumb, the Gastone-Shesheks, and a newly-opened charterhouse of the Wheelwrights Guild all hide safehouses in Yalendir. The Red Thumb leadership in Yalendir chased the Gastone-Shesheks to one of their last remaining strongholds.With the arrival of Duloth’s goons, who are managed from Bard’s Gate, a subtle triangle of danger now exists between the various thieves and criminals hidden just beneath the surface of the city. It is probable that the Gastone-Shesheks may pledge their allegiance to the Wheelwrights in exchange for protection from the Red Thumb. The Wheelwrights would benefit from the intelligence that the Gastone-Shesheks have to offer, but they are not strong enough yet regionally to run the table.
Notable Locations
Docks of Yalendir
The docks thrive with activity. Barge captains sail down from Dun Eamon, while others push up from the shores of Reme as they haul barges of sand for the burgeoning trade in stained glass manufactured in Yalendir for use in the grand temple and glittering towers of Reme.The docks have a rough reputation due to the presence of rival crime organizations of Red Thumb and Gastone-Sheshek thieves. The docks are highlighted by numerous taverns, gambling halls, and bawdy houses that are fit in between warehouses and tenement dwellings of local dockworkers.
The Rathole
Fealie Olein, a halfling who runs a few tables of dice and card games managed by the house, operates this low-stakes gambling hall. A street dwarf named Cordut and a retired human mercenary named Borgo guard the Rathole. Fealie is affiliated with the Gavestone crime organization and has a hideout under the back bar for high-ranking members of the gang who are on the run.
See Encounter 1 in the convenient Reference Guide to Reme for NPC stats, if you need them, for Felie Olein, Borgo, and Cordut.
| Dried Sausage and Cheese Platter | 5 cp |
| Rat Stew | 2 cp (Actually made from hare, maybe. Probably actually rat.) |
| Five Stone Stout | 4 sp (Brought from the strange village of Five Stone.) |
| Tradeway Ale | 1 sp |
See Encounter 1 in the convenient Reference Guide to Reme for NPC stats, if you need them, for Felie Olein, Borgo, and Cordut.
LeCroiy Linens
This warehouse factory is known for making linen sheets, shirts, pants, and other items from locally sourced flax. The shop factory is little more than a sweatshop that serves as one of the last remaining fronts of the Gavestone organization. The work produced here is considered superior to that of many other linen makers and is produced in a massive scale by the industrious fingers of halflings who work here for low pay. Nobles who can afford them throughout the central and southwestern Duchy of Reme use LeCroiy sheets. The warehouse is heavily guarded by Gavestone agents, and a large subterranean hideout is located below the warehouse where operations have moved since the Red Thumb’s purge of Gavestone activities in Reme.
LeCroiy is a respected member of the community and has a well-guarded manor home not far from Yalendir Keep. His underworld ties are known to only a very few, including Chamberlain Gethe who is well paid for his interventions on behalf of the Gavestone organization. Gethe knows that even with the Gavestones in decline, any implication by a high-ranking member of their mob would result in his immediate execution at the hands of Lady Vorns.
See Encounter 2 in the Convenient Reference Guide to Reme for NPC stats, if you need them, for LeCroiy and the Gavestone Rogues.
LeCroiy is a respected member of the community and has a well-guarded manor home not far from Yalendir Keep. His underworld ties are known to only a very few, including Chamberlain Gethe who is well paid for his interventions on behalf of the Gavestone organization. Gethe knows that even with the Gavestones in decline, any implication by a high-ranking member of their mob would result in his immediate execution at the hands of Lady Vorns.
See Encounter 2 in the Convenient Reference Guide to Reme for NPC stats, if you need them, for LeCroiy and the Gavestone Rogues.
Sand and Flame
The Sand and Flame is an upscale purveyor of handcrafted stained glass. Leelio Fathle, a Half-Elf artisan, crafts the glass in panes and plates, and is considered the most gifted craftsman of the trade operating in a city known for its gorgeous stained-glass pieces. She is commissioned by many of the temples in Reme and Panetoth, as well as nobles of the marches to create windows and lampshades. Due to this, she is frequently out of the shop and leaves it attended by her apprentices. Recently, there has been a reduction in lead output and she has lost contact with one of her suppliers altogether.
Leelio pays handsomely for rare foreign dyes and minerals that can be mixed to create new and lustrous shades for her stained-glass works.
Leelio pays handsomely for rare foreign dyes and minerals that can be mixed to create new and lustrous shades for her stained-glass works.
The Red Plumb
This restaurant favors selling pasta made from locally grown wheat with rich tomato sauce and hearty meatballs of beef from the herds that march through the city. A recent arrival to the city, the restaurant has quickly become an upscale favorite of the wealthier denizens who enjoy imported bottles of red wine brought up from the metropolis of Reme while listening to the music of a string quartet.
The classiness of the establishment belies the fact that it is the local front operation for the Red Thumb guild. Ambrosguie Savion is the chapter leader of Yalendir. He is broad-faced and charming and has already made the acquaintance of Lady Vorns, who is thrilled to have a touch of culture here in the high plains and frequently has Ambrosguie cater to her and her courtiers in Yalendir Keep. Unbeknownst to her, her riches and the wealth of the city are being sized up for a variety of planned heists.
Ambrosguie’s entire staff is at least some form of thief with a specialty in all manner of skullduggery and robbery from second-story men, to stiff-arm criminals, to professional locksmiths and footpads.
See Encounter 3 in the Convenient Reference Guide to Reme for NPC stats, if you need them, for Ambrosguie and the Red Thumb rogues.
The classiness of the establishment belies the fact that it is the local front operation for the Red Thumb guild. Ambrosguie Savion is the chapter leader of Yalendir. He is broad-faced and charming and has already made the acquaintance of Lady Vorns, who is thrilled to have a touch of culture here in the high plains and frequently has Ambrosguie cater to her and her courtiers in Yalendir Keep. Unbeknownst to her, her riches and the wealth of the city are being sized up for a variety of planned heists.
Ambrosguie’s entire staff is at least some form of thief with a specialty in all manner of skullduggery and robbery from second-story men, to stiff-arm criminals, to professional locksmiths and footpads.
See Encounter 3 in the Convenient Reference Guide to Reme for NPC stats, if you need them, for Ambrosguie and the Red Thumb rogues.
Wheelwrights Guild Hall
This hall is barracks and home to around 50 members of the Wheelwrights who are within the city at any given time. They have begun muscling in on operations involving wagons moving into and out of the city and are working on taking control of any loading and unloading of barges in town, much to the chagrin of the Red Thumb operatives who did not expect Duloth’s reach to stretch so far into their own claimed territory.
Romblad Marsalle is the head of the local Wheelwrights chapter. He was tasked with bringing three oak boxes filled with dirt from Bard’s Gate and finding a place to hide them within Yalendir once he arrived. He did what was instructed of him by Duloth Armitage and had the boxes placed in the cellar of the defunct River Plains Winery warehouse in the Docks District. He has had no dealings with them since nor does he plan to as nine members of the caravan from Bard’s Gate went missing during the months-long trek to Yalendir.
See Encounter 4 in the Convenient Reference Guide to Reme for NPC stats, if you need them, for Romblad Marsalle and the Wheelwrights.
Romblad Marsalle is the head of the local Wheelwrights chapter. He was tasked with bringing three oak boxes filled with dirt from Bard’s Gate and finding a place to hide them within Yalendir once he arrived. He did what was instructed of him by Duloth Armitage and had the boxes placed in the cellar of the defunct River Plains Winery warehouse in the Docks District. He has had no dealings with them since nor does he plan to as nine members of the caravan from Bard’s Gate went missing during the months-long trek to Yalendir.
See Encounter 4 in the Convenient Reference Guide to Reme for NPC stats, if you need them, for Romblad Marsalle and the Wheelwrights.
Yalendir Keep
The keep is situated at the northern point of the city where it commands a view of the river and the trade roads. It is home to Lady Belestra Vorns and her personal guard detail as well as military barracks and headquarters of the local law enforcement managed by Sheriff Oelwein. Oelwein appoints the guard captains, who may be bribable for petty crimes and infractions if the price is right.
The barracks house 200 heavy cavalry, 300 heavy footmen, and 200 archers armed with longbows made from hedge apple and backed with sinew.
The keep is further defended by a catapult and four ballistae.
The barracks house 200 heavy cavalry, 300 heavy footmen, and 200 archers armed with longbows made from hedge apple and backed with sinew.
The keep is further defended by a catapult and four ballistae.
Yalendir Pitch
The Yalendir Pitch is part of the jousting circuit and holds jousts once per month from spring through fall to provide entertainment and revelry for the locals. The events are attended by Lady Vorns, who is unaccustomed to the display of cavalry excellence but seems to enjoy them very much and feels that they are an opportunity for her to be seen by the public. She pays for several casks of wine and ale to be handed out to the crowd and has children pass out baskets of fresh bread from the castle ovens.
Two styles of jousts are held here: the Foerdewaith tradition of heavily armored knights and a lightly-armored version in which competition focuses on riding skill and more of a “touch” combat. The “touch” combat can be quite dangerous, but it reflects the style of combat found on The Plains where fighting in heavy armor on slow but powerful horses simply isn’t a viable military tactic against lighter and more mobile cavalry.
Two styles of jousts are held here: the Foerdewaith tradition of heavily armored knights and a lightly-armored version in which competition focuses on riding skill and more of a “touch” combat. The “touch” combat can be quite dangerous, but it reflects the style of combat found on The Plains where fighting in heavy armor on slow but powerful horses simply isn’t a viable military tactic against lighter and more mobile cavalry.
Settlement
Yalendir, City of
Type
City
Owning Organization
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