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Regions: Womtham, Big Rapids, Cordrend, Pelleur Keep, Shukendale.

Womtham is the heart of eastern Nyrond. Produce from the Gamboge comes south from Arndulanth, and the bulk of the nation's raw metals make their way here, to be pounded into coin in the city's Royal Mint. As the center of eastern trade, the entire duchy is wealthy, more so in the walled city than in the hills or countryside. Despite the threat from Bone March or from North Kingdom through Innspa, Duke Finelann Boomgren rules a stable, lucrative province.

Duke Finelann Boomgren's chief "accomplishment" has been "solving" the refugee crisis, which largely solved itself when the king took over Almor, making it safe for the refugees to return home to their farms. The refugees have indeed sharply reduced in population, but still number nearly 5000. Unfortunately, it was the more honest and hard working elements of the "new" population that returned to their farms. Many of the remainders whom have resorted to crime to survive. Despite this the Duke was and is highly popular with the better sort in Womtham and his loyalty is beyond question.

The royal troops in the area, however, are controlled by Royal General Osmeran. In theory the Duke's subordinate, the chaotic general clashes constantly with the lawful duke. While the king generally backs the Duke, Osmeran's description of Boomgren as a "parade ground soldier who might make a half-way decent captain if he had some experience" is widely regarded as both unkind and accurate by the soldiers he commands. By contrast, Osmeran is acknowledged by all to have precisely the talents needed for his job. Facing frequent combat with humanoid forces, the troops do not hesitate in their choice of who they prefer to obey. Boomgren on the other hand sends constant requests to Rel Mord to have Osmeran removed. These suggestions are filed and forgotten, as Osmeran is a highly competant general and his replacement would cause too many problems. It is fortunate that these two are most often at opposite ends of the province.

Womtham

City Map

Located at the end of the navigable Duntide, the province capital is a highly prosperous city. Metals from the Flinty Hills and produce from the Gamboge come here to be loaded onto ships to be transported South. The Royal mint is also located here and provides profit and employment. The current population of 19,200 is the net of considerable change in recent years. Prior to the war the city held a respectable 13,000. The disruptions and dangers of the demons in Almor caused many to flee here and temporarily raised the population to 24,000. With the return of more peaceful times, many of these refugees have returned to their old homes, but not all of them. The population is still too large for the city to comfortably hold.

The duke insists on an orderly city and gets it, at least in public. Out of sight, there are considerable problems, but all involved know the Duke will be more upset with a public fuss about it than he will be about the problem, so things are kept quiet. This makes for excellent reports to the capital, and often enough to the problem being taken care of.

Those refugees that have not left are the focus of many of the problems of the city. They are poor, and not used to city ways. Despite being fellow citizens identical to the casual view, the city folk look down on them and discriminate against them, calling them beggers and thieves, which many of them have to be. They get the bad jobs, when they get work at all and of course are accused of lowering wages by the city people. The Duke's anti-refugee measures such as martial law and trying to force them to stay in the shantytown a small distance from the city walls are highly popular inside the city. The shantytown is much better now with much of its population gone, but is still the local center of crime, disease, starvation, and every undesirable in the view of the city. However, the area within the walls include some dilapidated housing and there are persistent stories of wererats in the sewers.

The walls themselves are being extended to encompass the growing city, as well as a new moat being added around that wall, with the water being continously fed by the nearby Duntide River. The Duke, quite certain of the impending collapse of the Flinty Hills and the subsequent siege of Womtham by hordes of Orcs (or whatever catches his imagination that day), is preparing the city for anything. This work has the added bonus of employing a good number of the shanty residents, giving hope for the city's improvement.

Womtham also has some docks, as goods come up the river, and then on to merchant caravans. The Duntide is not navigable for larger vessels past Womtham, though smaller sailing and rowing vessels can still progress. There are small rapids but nothing major for another day or two up river.

Big Rapids

About 1.5 days sailing up the Duntide, as it enters the Flinty Hills, you come to the small fort/town of Big Rapids, currently the border of Womtham. This is where easy access up the Duntide ends as right past this small town are the big rapids the town is named for. These rapids stop all boats.

The fort and soldiers within are commanded by Sir Laurel Boomgren, a distant nephew of the Duke of Womtham, Duke Finelann Boomgren. Sir Laurel is a cheerful young knight/cleric of Heironeous with hopes to joust in a tourney in Rel Mord someday. He and his soldiers rarely patrol more than a few miles from the fort.

Cordrend

A fairly large city of 5000 people, with a double stone wall. It is mostly a military town where the soldiers vastly outnumber the civilians. The town has some some other minor trade such as metals from the Flinty Hills, so it would not vanish if the army left, but the soldiers are still its chief resource. Accordingly, it is rather an active town with business booming, day or night. Cordren has all the pleasures desired by the soldier on leave with more gold than is good for him. Osmeran is highly encouraging of this and patronizes some of the better fleshpots at times. This is in contrast to the more somber mood of the town during the War, when the double walls were built just to hold back the threat of ever encroaching chaos, fiends, and humanoid hoards.

Pelleur Keep

A stone keep on the edge of the Flinty Hills. Under constant attack by humanoid forces, it was abandoned in 685. Strangely, the humanoids did not follow up their victory, and indeed did little with the keep. Several theories try to explain this, but none, possibly including the humanoids, know. After some major humanoid raids that destroyed 3 mining towns, it has been re-occupied and strengthened. It is now a major base for Osmeran's attacks into the Flinty Hills.

Shukendale

Schukendale is a fortress town at the South ends of the Snake and Ogrebolt passes. 1000 soldiers garrison the town, with many more in the area. These are well trained fighting men that help keep humanoids at bay.

When the royal treasury was completely empty, and these troops unpaid, they had a pronounced tendency to draw their pay from the nearest farmer, which contributed to the refugee problem in Womtham. But with the king managing to get their pay to them on a more regular basis, and the end of the demon threat from Almor, the soldiers have been spending more time battling the humanoids in the Flinty Hills, where they are much more appreciated by the folks in the hills and the farmers below. While some refugees have returned it is important to note that less extortion does not mean none, and farms are still largely abandoned.

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