Some years ago I started to work on a write-up of Emsel, the small village that lies on the east bank of the Teb opposite Moleryn which appears on the kingdom scale map of Tharda but who's stats are merged with those of Moleryn.

For various reasons I lost interest in the project and thought that I had lost the notes as well.

I've subsequently rediscovered the notes and have started getting them into some kind of order. One thing has improved this, I now have a working scanner which I've used to make copies of the Emsel map that appears in the Thardic Republic module.

In a couple of days I'll repost the background I created for the village so the more experienced forum members can comment.

As a start, here is what I so far have determined in relation to the buildings.

Buildings (Notes)

What I consider to be the village of Emsel is surrounded by a wooden palisade about twice the height of a standing man and in reasonable condition.

Inside the palisade are three 'clumps' of buildings and a single isolated structure (Nº.3). From north to south the 'clumps' are as follows:

One. This is a two building 'clump' which is comprised of building Nº.8 on the linked map and a structure sharing a common wall to the NW. This is the Peonian temple/infirmary. For my article I intend to have the structures joined by a door in the common wall. Both buildings were donated to the Church of Peoni.

Two. This three building 'clump' contains buildings Nº.1, Nº.2 & Nº.5 on the linked map. Building Nº. 5 is one of two candidate structures for the village inn.

Three. The final 'clump' is again of three buildings and comprises buildings Nº.4, Nº.6 & Nº.7. Building Nº. 4 is the other possible site for the inn.

The structures themselves (with the possible execption of Nº.3) are not typical rural village structures but 'city' structures like those in the Eastside City Block article of no more than three stories (above the ground floor) in height. The tallest building is the inn. As to why, the background will explain.

Graham

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'Westron wynde, when wilt thou blow,
The small raine down can raine.
Halea, if my love were in my armes
And I in my bedde again!'

Trad.

Here is the history of Emsel as it was worked out the last time that I started this project. As the original has probably been lost when the site was reset I'm reposting it here for comment.

More to follow as I sort it out.

Graham

<Begin History>

HISTORY

Emsel was founded in 493 TR (1) shortly after the construction of Moleyrn as a bridgehead across the river Teb for the Corani Empire and a bulwark against the Gozyda. While it avoided the Red Death, Emsel suffered along with Moleryn under the Theocracy of Teknos. Under the Republic of Moleryn it became the eastern terminus of a ferry that crossed the river (2), linking Moleryn with the Salt Route and Kaldor.

As a result of its strategic position Emsel was comparatively prosperous with several wealthy mercantylers owning houses in the village for use during the caravan season, thereby getting first pick of the merchandise before it crossed the river to Moleryn. This prosperity ended shortly after the annexation of Moleryn by the Thardic League in 666 TR (3), eager to improve access to the Salt Route, the League constructed a permanent bridge across the Teb.

This caused Emsel to become a backwater virtually overnight as the mercantylers relocated their operations to Moleryn. One bright spot during this slide to oblivion was the establishment of a Peonian Temple/Infirmary in a former mercantylers residence. During this same period, whenever a member of the Chebelos clan held the position of Marshall of Ramala (4), they granted Emsels land to ex-legionnaire clients who then sold the land to the Chebelos at cost, a move, which, over time, gave them control of much of the farmland and the land inside the village walls. (5)

For the next 32 years Emsel existed as a quiet farming community in the shadow of Moleryn, its inhabitants indebted to the Chebelos clan for their very homes. A major change occurred in 698 TR (6) when the Chebelos clan established their clay pit under the auspices of the Miners Guild. In a clever move the Chebelos Clan reopened Emsels’ former inn to accommodate the workers, charging the Miners Guild rent for the privilege. The most recent change to Emsel came in 708 when Torlosa of Sordirin an ex-Ramala Legionnaire arrived to take up his land grant, Torlosa, a client of the Elernin Clan (7), so impressed the inhabitants that for the last five years he has acted as village Firstman, much to the consternation of the Chebelos Clan.


GOVERNMENT

The village is considered to be part of the town of Moleryn, the main landowner (Jorak of Chebelos) leads the Merchants council (8), however to all intents and purposes the people of Emsel are left to themselves, the only support from across the river comes from the detachments of Checkered Shield knights sent to guard the Peonian Temple.


RELIGION

The population is predominantly Peonian, with but two exceptions, Morenelë of Ochomel, the Innkeeper is a devout Halean, and Andis of Syrth (9), the village Secondman is in fact a follower of the Cult of the Midnight Dancer.

ECONOMICS

The economy of Emsel is dominated by the presence of Moleryn, grain and other crops grown in the village great-fields is sold across the river in Moleryn, flour from the Moleryn mill is used in the homes of Emsel and locals use the Moleryn market for their shopping (10). Another dominant feature of the economy of Emsel is the clay pit owned by the Chebelos clan, located (distance) south of the village. The village inn exists only because the Chebelos clan uses it to accommodate the workers and provide them with drink. Morenelë of Ochomel, the innkeeper is a client of the Chebelos clan.

The reopening of the inn has had another effect on the economy, every night at sundown the Salt Bridge is closed (11), previously parties would stop at Serissus between Taztos and Moleryn so as to avoid arriving at the bridge after nightfall. Now individual travelers and some small parties have chosen to make use of Emsel as a stopping point instead. This has lead Jorak of Chebelos to consider having the swamps that line Emsels’ shore drained to provide room for an Ostlers establishment and attract the patronage of the smaller caravans.


Footnotes.

1. This is based on the fact that the Corani frontier is shown as being slightly east of the Teb in Harnview, also Emsel is perfectly placed to act as an additional obstacle to anyone planning to attack Moleryn Castle from the East bank of the Teb. One idea I have considered but not used is that Emsel was the location of the new fortifications aborted by the actions of Autarch Aglir, this could explain why Clan Chebelos was so interested in obtaining land on the east side of the river.

2. I am here assuming that the ferry came into being after the end of the Theocracy, with the salt route having to come into exisance only after some form of stability returned to both Kaldor and the former Theocracy, it could of course be that the ferry existed earlier but stopped during the Theocracy.

3. I have assumed here that the Republic of Moleryn with its smaller resource base was not able to muster the wherewithal to build a bridge, preferring instead to use a ferryboat. The Thardic Republic on the other hand with several very good reasons to need good communications with the east bank of the Teb. Alternately, the bridge could have been built under Aglir as part of his preparations for the Salt War.

4. I am assuming here that the Chebelos clan, one of three (Chebelos, Elernin, Ostardas) struggling to control Ramala Province and apparently the only ‘local’ clan, would attempt to take advantage of the low land costs to get a hold on part of Moleryns food supply. The principle struggle between the three families is over control of the position of Marshall, this enables them to give lands to clients.

5. This idea seems to be in the spirit of the Client/Patron relationship outlined in the ‘Tharda’ kingdom article. What I am assuming here is that the Client sells the land to the Patron who then supplies tools/startup cash to the client.

6. The canon texts do not provide any information on just when the Chebelos clan opened the claypit, so I decided on 22 years, which should provide enough time for the reputation of their potters to spread across Harn & possibly beyond.

7. I wanted to establish some intrigue in Emesel and by having the village Firstman indebted to the Elernin clan and quite possibly the Eidel Provincial Marshall/Magistrate seemed to be the perfect way to do it. Especially given the means that the Chebelos clan have used to gain control of Emsel.

8. This is a reasonable assumption, given the importance of the Chebelos clan in the Ramala economy and the ineffectiveness of the various members of the Ostardas clan involved in the running of Moleryn. Also if there is a strong rivalry between the Ostardas and the Chebelos then it would be quite reasonable that Jorak, the apparent Chebelos clanhead would be the driving force behind the council and its petition.

9. While the canon strongly implies that all members of the Cult of the Midnight Dancer live in Moleryn, it does not forbid the possibility that one or more members may live in the surrounding settlements. One idea I am toying with for this character is that he has had many daughters, but no sons (not without lack of effort). His desire to provide the cult with a successor has become a dangerous obsession, leading him to start inducting his eldest daughter into the cult, without the knowledge of the other cult members.

10. This is a reasonable deduction, Moleryn with its larger economic resources should dominate both the village of Emsel and also the village of Korth, it is equally likely that the mill at Moleryn handles grain from both villages.

11. Given the fear of the lands east of the Teb described on Moleryn:1, it would seem very likely that the Salt Bridge is closed to traffic by guards during the hours of darkness. Most travelers would therefore try and arrive at the bridge before that time.

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'Westron wynde, when wilt thou blow,
The small raine down can raine.
Halea, if my love were in my armes
And I in my bedde again!'

Trad.

I have nothing to add-you've provided a mass of plausible detail. Excellent work!

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43 sessions, 183 hours 'at the table' in a Harn containing the much-feared potâtoe!

12th Knight, 8th Constable, 2nd Baron of Harn(Forum)

This looks like a nice addition. Have you marked up a map with the locations of the various homes etc. or developed any of the buildings in the village?

I look forward to seeing this (with my Thard centric campaign don'tyaknow) on Lythia or somewhere when you feel it is, ready for further comment, or in a finished form.

Wm

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There is a chair and an NPC for visitors on Saturdays. We play most weeks. PM me. "You will always be my friend. You know too much."

I know it's been six years since this thread was last posted to. However I plan to relaunch work on this little project as soon as I can relocate my notes.

_________________
'Westron wynde, when wilt thou blow,
The small raine down can raine.
Halea, if my love were in my armes
And I in my bedde again!'

Trad.

Thank-you for the necromancy! My players are in Ibonost and probably Moleryn bound...now they will have more to see

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Plots and schemes are the same thing..

I've managed to locate the backups of the notes I kept on computer, but I'm still looking for my offline notes. The map below shows the numbers I assigned to the buildings and below that is the unfinished list of inhabitants, it looks like I hadn't finalised the building assignments when I stopped work on this and there is one character mentioned who I have not provided details for.



1. Torlosa of Sordirin: Ex-Ramala Legionaire, currently Village Firstman He is a client of the Elernin clan and occasionally sends information on the doings of the Chebelos clan in Emsel on to the Elernin clanhead. Currently unmarried, he is attempting to press suit with the widow Jerdath. He also owns an ox which makes him somewhat independant of the Syrth family.

2 & 3. No characters assigned at this point.

4 (or 5). Andis of Syrth: Village Secondman, wealthiest family in Emsel. This farmer is actually a member of the Cult of the Midnight Dancer, his increasing absences during the current caravan season have made his wife, Larisilë, suspicious. He has many children, but no sons, his desire to provide a successor to his position in the cult has become an almost insane obsession, he has started to initiate his eldest daughter, Merella, into the cult without the knowledge of the other cult members. An act that could doom his entire family.

This building along with the Inn, is the largest structure in Emsel, it has a cellar and a ground floor level. Part of the structure is used as a stable for Oxen, which the Syrth family rent out to the other inhabitants of Emsel.

5 (or 4). Morenelë of Ochomel: Innkeeper of "The Jugged Ferryman(?)", she is a client of Chebelos Clan, originally from Higgon, she and her children were were 'asked' to take over the Inn. When her drunken husband died in 705 with massive debts, she has been threatened with enslavement if she cannot pay them off. Thanks to 'careful' accounting on the part of the Chebelos Clan she is unlikely to do that soon. A fact that has lead her to desperate measures. She has struck a deal with the Moleryn Lia-Kavair, which allows them to store smuggled goods(?) in the Inn.

The inn building itself has four levels, the cellar, a ground floor, taproom/where the innkeeper lives, a first upper level (Clay pit workers) and a second upper level once used as storage, but now some rooms have been cleared out for use by travelers.

6 & 7. No characters assigned at this point.

8. Peonian Temple/Infirmary. Head priest: Irgal of Ardussel

The temple is constructed in building donated to the Church by the former owner, a weathly merchant, who gave it to the Peonians to keep it out of the hands of the Chebelos clan. It is guarded by knights from Moleryn Temple of Larani.

Priests are all typical of such a temple and serve not only the farmers of Emsel but those of the other villages near Moleryn. Patients at the infirmary include wounded from Salt Route caravans (in season), injured locals and possibly Gozyda.

The building itself is shaped roughly like an ‘L’. The arm of the ‘L’ facing the river has two above ground floors and was the Merchant’s quarters, but now contains both the Temple proper (ground floor) and the sleeping quarters/offices (upper floor) of the priests, one room is set aside for the Knights from Moleryn.

The arm of the ‘L’ facing the Salt Route is the hospice, where the arms join there is a cellar used for storage.

_________________
'Westron wynde, when wilt thou blow,
The small raine down can raine.
Halea, if my love were in my armes
And I in my bedde again!'

Trad.

I still have not found the off-line notes yet. But here is one possible idea for an adventure from Emsel.

Patient gives the Peonian priests information on treasure, including a Peonian artifact/icon, buried west of Taztos. Priests ask PCs to retrieve artifiact/icon.

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'Westron wynde, when wilt thou blow,
The small raine down can raine.
Halea, if my love were in my armes
And I in my bedde again!'

Trad.