Longspear - Party Introduction
The town of Longspear nestles between two promontories on the Eastern
side of the Little Hills. It is built around two mines, one exploiting a rich
vein of silver, and the other high quality iron ore. It's population is several
thousand, and nearly all are employed either in the mines,in transporting their
produce, or in providing services to the workers. The town is also famed for
the uses to which it puts the steel and many weaponsmiths and armourers have
set up shop here, both to take advantage of the nearby Little Hills mines, such
as the famous Iron-Holm valley and to sell their wares to the line troops.
A large, cosmopolitan mining town, Longspear has it all. All the races that
live in the League live and work here, Flan, Suel, Keoland survivors and the
descendants of those who fled from the Wastelands, dwarves from the Little
Hills and from further north even merchants from the Scarlet Banner countries.
The town is split into quarters, first the Outer City where goods are piled
high in storehouses and wagoners sell their services to merchants taking goods
out past the huge stone city walls. On the north side of the river, the old
quarter, where the first miners lived. On the hill above those tight, straight
streets, the abandoned buildings of the first Longspear steel mine, long-since
played out of course. It is whispered that the thieves of the Mockers Guild
haunt the ruins and the tunnels beneath them. In a typical display of Longspear
humour, the nearby cliffs are known as 'Mocker's Hill' because the bodies of
those who annoy the Mocker's Guild are often found at it's base.
The windows of the empty mine buildings stare blindly across the valley to
Nob's Hill, where lie the houses of the rich merchants who control most of the
trade and thus the town. In a cleft between the two peaks of south-hill, the
rich merchants pay for the upkeep of a small tract of park-land where they can
stroll, away from the bustle and vigour of the city below. On the second peak
are the stark buildings that house Longspear's civic centre, a few barracks for
the small standing army, which doubles as city-watch and guards the walls. Here
there are also temples; to the Soldier's Patron Kelanen and to Ulaa,the miner's
patroness. To Istus, Lady Of Fates; to Tritherion, symbol of both the town's
and the League's independence; to Myhriss, goddess of love and to Wee Jas, the
Gatherer of Nets. And of course to Olidammara the innkeep's provider and the
most richest of temples, built by the donations of the town's merchants, a
mighty edifice raised to honour the Emerald Lady of Serpents, Xerbo, patron of
the merchant.
Deeper in the valley is the market-place, a whole quarter dedicated to the
art of buying and of selling, here to there are smaller chapels, to Bleredd the
smith's god and nearer to the outer city a way-station of Fharlanghn, where
merchants can send a last prayer for a safe journey to the Dweller on the Far
Horizon. Of the Longspear market-place, it is said that anything may be bought
for a price and half the merchandise is stolen. Indeed,the careless visitor may
may often find his purse empty despite never having made a single purchase.
At one end of the market-place, there is even a small part of town wedged
between the market stalls and park, which is populated entirely by those Rhenee
who have find the encroachment of the Old One has forced them to give up their
wandering life. Here potions and philters may be bought by the desperate, and
the needy. Under striped awnings, wrinkled old crones tell the fortunes of
those who will cross their palms with a sword, or curse those who will not pay
for their knowledge, it is even said that some of these witches will curse an
enemy for the smallest of sums.
And at the centre of it all, there is a red-light district, to provide
the miner's with respite from their toil an hour at a time, there are many
brothel's, casinos and houses where the mind-clouding Sea-Prince tobacco can be
bought and sold, but the finest of all is the semi-legendary Clouds, a brothel
so exclusive that only merchants are allowed through it's doors and the miner's
tales about the skill of it's occupants are almost certainly true.
Being this close to the front line, Longspear is mine and armed camp
both, for the mines need protection and Longspear is well placed to head of
incursion from Iuz that break through the thin line of Border Watches and
patrols. If the front line is broken, then Long Spear will hold for as long as
necessary before it can be re-established. There is only a small standing
soldiery, but every inhabitant carries a weapon and understands their duty in
times of need. In such a heavily-armed environment, it would seem likely that
fights to the death would be common, but there is an unwritten law in Longspear,
if a thing does not interfere with the production of silver and steel from the
mines, then it is legal here. The miners follow this code and beat each other
senseless rather than reducing the numbers of those who work or fight against
Iuz. In order to avoid bloodshed, the law in Long-Spear is relatively loose
compared to other towns in the League; the miners are a rough lot and need to
let off steam from time to time,so bare-knuckle fighting, prostitution, gambling
and their ilk are all legal here. The only time a semblance of normality enters
Longspear is when an infrequent Keeper patrol comes through town and enforces
their own vicious brand of law-keeping.
Longspear is a free-town and sends it's own representative to the Council
of Princes, usually chosen from amongst the members of the Council of five who
rule the town. The Council is made up of the two most powerful merchants in the
town, a hereditary seat given to the descendants of the town's founder, a seat
for the people's representatives and a seat for the head of the town's sizeable
dwarven population. Of these, the first two are corrupt and self-serving, the
third is a drunken idiot, the fourth tends to be a rabble-rouser and the last
is a dwarven bare-knuckle fighter who once took a pick-axe (handle) in the head
during a council session, and still managed to beat the wielder to death with
his bare hands before himself keeling over. Council sessions are interesting
for the spectators to say the least.
All this and more you have heard from Emerald and Marin, and the drivers,
and from the Grinch's own wild speculation, it seems as though your time in
Longspear will be quite interesting.