Stallanford
by Brian Caraway(Small Fortified Town of the Grand Duchy of Karameikos)
Who Rules: Lord Mayor Brogan Manning (LG hm F6), a retired soldier from the Duke’s Army who came home after serving for eight years and was elected Mayor by the people. He is in his third term and has served the people and town well. Duke Stefan has been recommended by Lady Arteris Penhaligon that he be granted permanent rulership of the town and given the lands around it as an Estate, not unlike her own.
Who Really Rules: Duke Stefan Karameikos III, to whom Lord Mayor Manning has sworn fealty.
Population: Stallanford is smaller than her sister town to the south, Penhaligon. The permanent population is approximately 2,500, swelling to about 4,000 during the height of the trading season. Years ago, Duke Stefan made the town an official stop on the Selenica-Kelvin-Specularum trade run by running the Duke’s Road right past the then smaller town, and Stallanford has grown steadily in those years hence. Orcs and gnolls assault the place a bit more often than Penhaligon, but that is only because the town is smaller and is seen as an easier target. That is not the case, as fresh rotations of troops from the Duke’s Road Keep constantly arrive to man the walls of the town and to keep the peace within her.
Major Products: Cheese, strong dark beer, horses, trade, wagons, leather goods.
Armed Forces: As stated earlier, there is a permanent garrison of troops that reside within Stallanford herself, and those troops rotate between Stallanford and the Duke’s Road Keep once every four months. The garrison is comprised of 100 F1s (armed with chainmail, shield, clubs, longswords, light crossbows, and pikes), 4 F3 sergeants, and is commanded by a F4 lieutenant. Town patrols consist of 10-20 F1 commanded by a sergeant, while patrols outside the walls consist of double the number of F1 troops.
Local Laws: None in addition to the Duke’s Law.
Notable Mages: None.
Notable Churches: There are no churches in Stallanford at present, though there are shrines to Frigga, Sif, Tarastia, and Mirrah. There also is Aralic, a priest of Mirrah who resides in Stallanford and tends to the populace as best he can, along with his small staff of doctors and nurses (see below).
Notable Rogues’ and Thieves Guilds: There are no known thieves’ guilds in Stallanford, but there is a gang of bandits known to roam the countryside, looking to waylay caravans and unsuspecting travelers. This gang is led by Garrick One-eye (NE hem F5/T6), and they operate out of a well-hidden base in the hills to the northeast of town.
Equipment Shops: Partial.
Adventurers’ Quarters:
The Hungry Halfling (good/moderate); Run by Brandykalen Sunstrider (CG ½m T6), this establishment is always busy and caters to a wide variety of clientele.
Important Characters:
Aralic (LG hm C6 of Mirrah): A retired adventurer, Aralic made his home in Stallanford several years ago and has served the populace ever since, by tending injuries and providing moral support. He is held in high regard by everyone who lives in Stallanford, and his word carries almost as much weight amongst them as the Mayor.
Important Features in Town: Stallanford is still growing as a town and such, it has its share of growing pains. Some amongst the populace feel that Penhaligon is intentionally holding back the growth of Stallanford. Nothing is further from the truth as Lady Arteris, though superior in rank to the Mayor, chooses to work alongside him rather than in command of him.
To the north of town is the Duke’s Road Keep, home of the 4th Division, Duke’s Road Battalion (or the Goblin-Crushers, as they are called). They are charged with holding the road into Darokin open (or closed, should Karameikos find herself at war with Darokin), and patrolling the border and lands around the keep and Stallanford. There are 400 F2s (armed with chainmail, shield, clubs, longswords, light crossbows, and pikes), stationed here, along with 20 F3 sergeants, 5 F4 lieutenants, commanded by Captain Devlin Armstrong (NG hm F10). Here, the troops are well-trained and are of moderately high morale, because of Captain Armstrong’s ingenious idea of rotating out one-quarter of his garrison to Stallanford for guard and watch duty every three months. Boredom does not set in, and there are enough sights and distractions in town to keep his men occupied and happy.
Local Lore: Just days before the King’s Festival holiday, the town was raided by orcs, and Aralic was taken by them. Adventurers are needed to get him back! (Module B11; King’s Festival, to segue in Module B12; Queen’s Harvest: Levels 1-3 or rewrite for a higher level party)