Vedan
Vedan is a typical mid sized town in Northern Acaria. It is situated on the main trade route linking Tecard and Sturmin, and is a regular stop for many caravanners. The town is several centuries old, and its aging walls have long been overflown by expanding streets. It is the seat of a relatively minor Barony, who sits in the central castle.
The Barony of Vedan includes the village of Tovan, as well as a small military encampment about 10 miles to the north west.
Defences
Vedan has two sets of walls, reflecting its age and expansion over time. The inner walls, now in some state of disrepair, surround the central castle and the upper class district. There are a handful of gaps in the wall where a section has fallen and the stone repurposed elsewhere. Several manor houses use the old wall as a garden wall.
The outer walls remain in good condition, and have working gates. The town guard patrols the walls regularly, using them as a helpful vantage point over the town. That said, around 20% of the town's residents now live outside of the walls, along with many of the inns servicing travellers. There are no plans to create a new perimeter wall, partly because the town has expanded right up to the main road on the western side, so any new proper perimiter would have to include the road.
Industry & Trade
As with all Acarian settlements, the bulk of the industry is agricultural in nature. Sprawling fields spread as far as the eye can see from the town walls, growing wheat, barley and oats, and rearing sheep.
The commercial side of the town is very much focused on the passing trade along the road, through a variety of inns, small eateries and some more direct commercial trading and warehousing. Notable inns in the town include The Chubby Ram and The Bronze Bell (both near the main road, offering good stabling and simple Acarian food), The High Harp (in the central district), and The Spicy Rabbit (a Narlander-owned small tavern in the main town serving Narlander dishes and pointedly not selling beer).
A large brewery stands just to the East of the outer walls, brewing the well regarded Vedan Vertex beer.
Districts
The walls of Vedan divide it clearly into three distinct areas. In the centre, inside the old wall, lies the castle, manor houses of the minor nobility, and a number of other larger abodes. The palazzo-style house with a small courtyard housing the Kapok knight in Vedan is typical of the smaller houses within this area.
The area between the inner and outer walls is more densely packed, with narrow disorganised streets housing varied residences, small taverns and eateries and shops. There is no sense of town planning at all, nor a central market square or clearly defined shopping district.
Outside the outer wall, everything spreads out substantially. Few locals want to love out here, but the bulk of the major inns, warehousing and industry is located outside of the walls.
Architecture
Most buildings in Vedan are made from the local greyish sandstone, with tiled rooves. The town walls and castle are made of similar stone, roughly mortared together. Outside the outer wall, there are a number of cheaper wooden buildings, or small stone buildings which have been extended with wood.
Geography
Vedan is situated firmly within the great plains of Acaria, and as such the local area is somewhat devoid of geographical features to distinguish it from any other area of the plain. A small river flowing north east meanders close to the town, but its wandering course and flat silty channel make it useless for any trade.
Type
Town
Population
3000
Location under
Included Locations
Owning Organization
Comments