Termin
Located on the western coast of the mainland of
Shardar, just below the Northlands, Termin is a frontier town in every sense of
the word. With a population of
approximately 1,500 adults, Termin does not compare to the size of the more
southerly towns but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in
enthusiasm. Many times in its
history Termin has been raided and nearly destroyed, but every time it bounces
back and very time it grows just as quickly as before.
Termin is an
inviting target for those Northerners who seem to forget that the two nations
are now one. At irregular
intervals, hordes of screaming and whooping Clansmen will descend from the
northern forests or land on the beaches close to the town and attack with
mindless ferocity. The Raiders from
the islands that lie to the north of Shardar have often made Termin a target as
well and more than one outlaw band has seen this place as easy pickings.
Currently
defended with a high wooden wall that runs completely around the town and manned
by guards 24 hours of every day, Termin seems to be expecting another attack.
But this time they will be ready for it.
There are always a few Mages in town, employed by the Lady of Termin,
Jayne Coombs, to defend the city in the event of an attack.
This has led to mixed feelings in the town but it is certain that the
town us now better defended that it has ever been in its long and eventful
history.
Many of the
residents of Termin are of northern descent, some of them having been born in
the Northlands and they have the traditional Northerners dislike of Mages and
Magic. They feel very uncomfortable
with the way the Mages parade around the town with the city guard, always on the
look out for trouble and always willing to show off their powers.
The rest of the town is more than happy to have the Mages about and this
has led to many feuds between neighbours. Termin
has always been on the brink of civil war and this influx of Mages has done
nothing to lessen the tensions.
Termin has
always traded with Aitberal, the Northern capital, and there is a constant
stream of caravans running between the two locations.
This, of course, leads to many bandits being in the area and the
merchants of both communities are always looking for guards.
It is the merchants of Termin who suffer the most from the bandit
activities because of all the mercenaries that are
available in Aitberal. Any
adventurer looking for employment would be well advised to travel to Termin but
the risks for such employment are great. Large
numbers of merchant caravans have set out and never been sighted again but this
is just a risk of the trade.
The majority of
the guards and adventurer types hang out in the tavern called The Hanging Rock.
The Rock is owned and run by a man named Jerrof, a boisterous, friendly
man who likes to ensure that things are never dull in his tavern.
There are a few rooms to rent in the Rock, but these are often hired out
by the hour because of the large number of prostitutes who use the place.
Lady Coombs is less than happy with this side of life in her town but she
is realistic enough to know that there is nothing she can do about it.
The underside of
the society of Termin is not as pronounced as it is in many of the more
southerly towns. There is simply no
way that large numbers of thieves, beggars and the like could survive in the
harsh conditions of the town. Very
few people in Termin have much worth stealing and fewer still would be willing
to give their hard earned coin to beggars.
There are
a few warriors for hire available at most times and these can be found in the
Rock. These men and women do not
consider themselves to be like the thugs who come to hire on as caravan guards,
they see themselves more as skilled, professional killers although they are not
affiliated to any known organisations.
There are few
luxuries for sale in Termin, but weapons and armour are relatively cheap.
There are also large horse markets in Termin, markets that sell steeds of
the highest quality. No one is
quite sure why or how this started out, but now it is common knowledge that is
you want the best possible buy in horseflesh, you should travel to Termin.
Many Lords have bought war horses for their cavalry from Termin and few,
if any, have cause to complain.
The best known horse dealer in town is Azrel
Bassington. His animals can reach
very high prices in Camber and the ones that he has personally trained as war
horses are incredibly expensive. The
horses he sells in Termin are much cheaper although they are still
more expensive than any animal would normally be.
Quite a few merchants make a decent living from purchasing fine quality
horses in Termin and then selling them to the Lords and barons of the various
estates in Shardar