Wellisbury
- [ Location ]
- Wellisbury is a small town to the southeast of the capital. It is farther east than Oldcastle and is not part of the visible area on this map. Wellisbury is four days' ride away from Oldcastle, three going east along the Kingsroad and one turning due south away from the main road.
- [ The Town ]
- Dominated by an agricultural economy, the town is actually a sizable one in terms of land coverage, but most of it consists of farms and ranches. The center of town is one street lined with shops that begins at the ornate communal well and simply ends when the shops do. Blacksmiths, carpenters, butchers and the occasional merchants tend to set up shop along this one road, which bustles with life (relative to the rest of the town, anyway) during the day. Farmers tend to bring their produce into town once every week or two, and it is not uncommon to see temporary booths set up for the sale of guaranteed fresh fruits and vegetables. Gypsies and nomads are also known to pass through the town during the winter months and early spring, hawking their wares and stunning children with their shows.
The only inn in town stands with its door facing the communal well directly. A wooden sign emblazoned with a curved sword and a military hat hangs from the doorway and identifies it as The Admiral's Sword, an establishment almost as old as the town itself. Catering well to the town's close-knit community, The Admiral's Sword boasts cheap ale, cheap food, free entertainment and outrageously expensive board. The inn has to earn a profit somewhere, after all, and where better than from unwitting visitors?
The communal well is something of a town treasure, and legend has it that the town actually grew up around the well itself. It is said that Old Jon Matherly, the founder of the town, built the well to give his family a source of water. But the mason's handiwork and craft were so fine that people began to visit from all around just to see it, and before long, people began to settle down right around the well. Old Jon was nothing if not a father and welcomed them all to share his home.
- [ People ]
- The population of Wellisbury is around 2,000 with most of the people residing on farms spread around the center of town. About 20% of the town's inhabitants reside permanently in the town's center, most of these tradesmen who make a living from their skills.
The town is led by an unofficially elected mayor, usually simply the most popular man in town. The mayor has few official duties, but is often deferred to in times that require decisions to be made. He also usually has considerable influence on what happens in town and when, and a good mayor will always know the rumors going around the well.
The most common method of commerce is the barter system. Few of the town's inhabitants ever stray too far from Wellisbury, and the community as a whole places little value on money. Coin is used to purchase from The Admiral's Sword and the passing gypsies, but most of the townsfolk are content to trade their skills or produce for anything else they require.
In terms of beliefs, many of the townsfolk are still rooted in the Old Ways and tend to be, on the whole, quite superstitious. They can also seem resistant to change, which can make them suspicious of newcomers. The townsfolk have a strong sense of community and have few qualms against taking advantage of unwitting visitors, and in a town in which everyone knows everyone else, visitors are easy to spot.
- [ History ]
- Founded by Old Jon Matherly in the early 1500s, the town has been home to many of its families for several generations. Wellisbury is, for the most part, a quaint and idyllic town that has not been touched by change or war for almost 200 years. Its people lead simple lives and are glad, for the most part, for what they have.
- [ Customs ]
- At the turn of every new year, it is tradition to gather by the communal well for a hearty celebration. A feast is hosted each year by The Admiral's Sword, and each family tends to bring its own contribution to the feast as well, symbolically sharing its good fortune with the rest of the town. Ale and wine flow freely and entertainers perform all day and into the night. The mayor leads the festivities and is often the first one drunk.
The townspeople's inherent mistrust of outsiders has also created a custom of sorts, in which newcomers are left to "pay their dues" by living at The Admiral's Sword and paying exorbitant amounts for board until someone takes pity and invites the newcomers into his home, at which point everyone else's suspicions seem to break down simultaneously and the visitor is welcomed into their midst.
