Riverwatch
Located in the Dalarn Lowlands, the small town of Riverwatch is located on the Stone Beck River. Having been an established settlement for hundreds of years, it has provided a safe haven for traders seeking to bring goods from the rest of the Lowlands to the coast. A few hundred people currently reside in Riverwatch itself, with more in surrounding villages that all use the main town as their central hub.
As of 986 AF, the current head of the Weston House is Lord Harold Weston. With his claim firmly secured, he has turned Riverwatch in to a profitable town, albeit this is more for his own gains than to make the locals lives better. Taxes are common, and there is an established hierarchy within the town.
Being above the peasants, much of the running of the town the estate is given over to the Noble Court, headed by the Steward of House Weston. This Court has several prominent members of the community tactically appointed, most of which support Lord Weston and his goals.
Law and Order
The laws and governance of the land are all decided by the Noble House of Weston, and these are upheld with rigid determination by the Town Guard. These include around thirty or so individuals, all led by Captain Aston Watts. It is the responsibility of the Guard to ensure any troublemakers are dealt with, along with any of those breaking the laws of the Estate. Patrols are also sent out to ensure the safety of the nearby villages and other parts of the lands held by the House of Weston.
Despite being mainly for safety and to maintain order, the Guard have a nasty reputation of being bullies in Riverwatch. Locals that often ask for help are ignored, with more time dedicated to ensuring taxes are paid and money flows in to the businesses and to the Weston Estate.
Knights of Weston
As decreed by the Crown, each Noble House must maintain a percentage of its population ready to serve as a military force. This is no different for the Weston Estate, which has a total of 20 Knights in its service. Typically providing a personal guard for the Weston family itself, sometimes the Knights are sent out to deal with potential threats in the area. Fiercely loyal to their liege, the Knights of Weston are the best-trained warriors of the area.
Commerce
Riverwatch has three key areas that provide a steady stream of gold crowns in to the Town: Farming, Fishing and Ale. With the fertile soil and fresh water provided by the Stone Beck River, the Town can provide more than enough for its own population.
Farming
The lands around Riverwatch are given over to a large amount of farms. These are separated in to three groups, with two in use at any one time, rotated yearly. One will be used for summer crops, one for winter, and the third will be left for the year. Many of the common folk in Riverwatch and the surrounding villages will tend the fields, with a percentage of their harvests going to the Weston Estate. Anything left over will be sold at market, often to others in the community, although they may also find some going towards Silver Bay on the coast.
Alongside the farms lies several mills, all using waterwheels in the Stone Beck River for power. These are all owned by the House of Weston, and a toll is put in place for their use.
Fishing
The Stone Beck River enjoys a plethora of fish, which Riverwatch uses to bolster its trade and food stores. A smaller industry than that of farming, fishing rights are decided by the Noble Court, with a set limit on the amount an individual can catch each month. This is tightly watched to ensure that overfishing does not effect this resource negatively.
Ale
A recent addition to the traders of Riverwatch is the Hop Notch Brewery. Using local resources, this brewery has become quite successful for its offering of refreshing and light ales that it has developed over the years. Exports to other regions of Arden are common, with goods often travelling to the city of Southdale, and heading to Silver Bay to be shipped elsewhere.
Recognising the success of the business, the House of Weston enjoys a large amount of gold crowns in the form of various taxes on the brewery. This has led to some resentment from the workers, who have seen little to no pay increase despite the increasing profits of the company.
Nobility of Riverwatch
In recent history, around 60 years ago, Riverwatch and its surrounding territory has been gifted to the Noble House of Weston, one of the Noble Houses of the Dalarn Lowlands. This has been met with both concern and contempt from the locals, who have quickly been bought under the Lord's Estate.As of 986 AF, the current head of the Weston House is Lord Harold Weston. With his claim firmly secured, he has turned Riverwatch in to a profitable town, albeit this is more for his own gains than to make the locals lives better. Taxes are common, and there is an established hierarchy within the town.
Being above the peasants, much of the running of the town the estate is given over to the Noble Court, headed by the Steward of House Weston. This Court has several prominent members of the community tactically appointed, most of which support Lord Weston and his goals.
Law and Order
The laws and governance of the land are all decided by the Noble House of Weston, and these are upheld with rigid determination by the Town Guard. These include around thirty or so individuals, all led by Captain Aston Watts. It is the responsibility of the Guard to ensure any troublemakers are dealt with, along with any of those breaking the laws of the Estate. Patrols are also sent out to ensure the safety of the nearby villages and other parts of the lands held by the House of Weston.
Despite being mainly for safety and to maintain order, the Guard have a nasty reputation of being bullies in Riverwatch. Locals that often ask for help are ignored, with more time dedicated to ensuring taxes are paid and money flows in to the businesses and to the Weston Estate.
Knights of Weston
As decreed by the Crown, each Noble House must maintain a percentage of its population ready to serve as a military force. This is no different for the Weston Estate, which has a total of 20 Knights in its service. Typically providing a personal guard for the Weston family itself, sometimes the Knights are sent out to deal with potential threats in the area. Fiercely loyal to their liege, the Knights of Weston are the best-trained warriors of the area.
Commerce
Riverwatch has three key areas that provide a steady stream of gold crowns in to the Town: Farming, Fishing and Ale. With the fertile soil and fresh water provided by the Stone Beck River, the Town can provide more than enough for its own population.
Farming
The lands around Riverwatch are given over to a large amount of farms. These are separated in to three groups, with two in use at any one time, rotated yearly. One will be used for summer crops, one for winter, and the third will be left for the year. Many of the common folk in Riverwatch and the surrounding villages will tend the fields, with a percentage of their harvests going to the Weston Estate. Anything left over will be sold at market, often to others in the community, although they may also find some going towards Silver Bay on the coast.
Alongside the farms lies several mills, all using waterwheels in the Stone Beck River for power. These are all owned by the House of Weston, and a toll is put in place for their use.
Fishing
The Stone Beck River enjoys a plethora of fish, which Riverwatch uses to bolster its trade and food stores. A smaller industry than that of farming, fishing rights are decided by the Noble Court, with a set limit on the amount an individual can catch each month. This is tightly watched to ensure that overfishing does not effect this resource negatively.
Ale
A recent addition to the traders of Riverwatch is the Hop Notch Brewery. Using local resources, this brewery has become quite successful for its offering of refreshing and light ales that it has developed over the years. Exports to other regions of Arden are common, with goods often travelling to the city of Southdale, and heading to Silver Bay to be shipped elsewhere.
Recognising the success of the business, the House of Weston enjoys a large amount of gold crowns in the form of various taxes on the brewery. This has led to some resentment from the workers, who have seen little to no pay increase despite the increasing profits of the company.
Demographics
Human ~45%
Dwarf ~20%
Halfling ~30%
Elf ~5%
Other ~0%
Dwarf ~20%
Halfling ~30%
Elf ~5%
Other ~0%
Notable Locations in Riverwatch
- Weston Manor
- The Pig and Whistle - Inn
- The Church of the Divine Oath
- The Corner Store - General Goods
- Hop Notch Brewery
- George's Forge - Blacksmith
- Oslo's Outfitter - Tailor
- Odds 'n' Ends - Misc Trinket Shop
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