Old Weir

Old Weir, Town 

• Population: 5,675; Size: 250 acres
• Wealth: 2,487,500gp; Max value for sale: 5,500gp; Max pawn: 30,000gp
• Demographics: Human (50%), Half-elf (15%), Elf (10%), Halfling (10%), Dwarf (8%), Half-orc (5%), Other (2% gnome, tiefling, dragonborn)
• Local leadership: Brosker Dale, preceded by Kella Bens, first speaker on council of peers; and Balus Mason, male dwarf, dissenter on council of peers. Qolan Sell, secretary. 

An excerpt from Lesser Regional Histories: The Greypeaks and The Vostewylde by Sagarak Benthem

Old Weir has always been untamable. Iconoclasts to the extreme, the town was founded by veterans of a protracted war between the Dalelands and Cormyr that ended 250 years ago.

The war had gone on for 30 years and it got to the point where no one really remembered what they were fighting for or the differences between their side and the other. The town gets its name from a memorable episode towards the end of the war that was central to the founding. Elite reconnaissance forces of the two sides were camped out near the remote dwelling of a reclusive hermit called Old Weir—who had built a beautiful whitestone bridge over a brook near his cabin. It was the night of the big Feast of midwinter and it was freezing and snowing in this quiet corner of the world. The Cormish were camped out on the East side of the brook, and were planning an ambush raid at midnight on the Dalish, camped on the West, who were unaware of their presence. As the Cormish sneaked across the bridge under the cover of darkness their noise dampened by the falling snow, the men, armed to the teeth, bows drawn--they stopped they in their tracks. They heard a song. The Dalish men of the west were singing a haunting old melody often sung on midwinter, to commemorate veterans from some other long forgotten war returning home in time for the feast. It’s a beautiful but sad tune and the voices of the men of the west were choked with emotion as they sang loudly, proudly. The men of the east were stricken by the tune. They looked at each other on that beautiful bridge with the snow falling quietly around them and the melody filling the frozen air. Without a word they tossed their weapons into the brook below and took up the song—for they knew it as well. The words were slightly different but it was the same song they sang with their families at their homes during their Midwinter celebrations. They sang loud and with abandon, announcing their presence defiantly as they walked into the firelight of the enemy camp.

The Dalish men of the west were frightened, their song faltered, they jumped to their feet…but the men from the east kept walking, unarmed, into the center of the camp, solemnly raising their voices to the sky, tears freezing mid stream down their faces. The men of the west looked uncertainly to their lieutenant who was still seated in the center of the camp. He hadn’t moved, he hadn’t stopped singing, and he was still staring at the fire through battle hardened eyes, a wild beard, too many scars to count. He slowly stood, leaving his sword belt at his feet, and without breaking the gruff tune squared himself to the enemy leader. The two grizzled men stood staring at each other, mere feet away, singing loudly the same song in different dialects as the voices of their brethren faded around them and only the voices of the two lieutenants remained. When the song reached its haunting peak the men’s song broke off, choked with emotion as they took hold of each other in a brotherly embrace.

The men of the west and the men of the east didn’t say a word—they looked across the campfire at their enemies and embraced them as well. Tension left the camp as the snow kept falling and the men cried quietly into each others arms—years of stress and anxiety melting away. They relaxed for the first time in years.

After a time the men collected themselves. The lieutenant from the west offered the mulled wine and sparse food they had to the men of the east, and some men from the east ran back across the bridge and brought the rations they had. They ate together. As they were sharing the paltry meal, speaking in their different dialects but understanding each other, a jostling noise came from the edge of the fires’ light and Old Weir emerged from the woods joined by two giant dire badgers, each with two large cauldrons strapped to their sides. “Have ye room for my cookpots?” is all he asked. The men cleared some space, and Old Weir got to making the traditional stewed game meats with root vegetables.

The feast wore on until the dawn by which time the men had allied themselves together, abandoning their sides. With Old Weir’s blessing, they resolved to build a community at the very site of the camp. They spoke with Old Weir and learned the secrets of his hilly forest valley—for he was a druid and a protector of the area.

In the proceeding months they faced numerous forays from either side trying to kill the deserters but these were elite troops and with Old Weir’s druidic magic and local area knowledge, they prevailed. They slowly smuggled their families out of the warring territories and eventually outlasted the war. The town built up around the brook and became known as Old Weir. Now the town is large and prospers on the strength of its community and the hardy folk who populate it.


Other town details

 ·    Government: Council of Peers with 15 members, PR across races/genders (6 human, 3 half-elf, 2   elf, 2 halfling, 1 dwarf, 1 half-orc, 1 other) nominated by anonymous submission (no  campaigning) and elected to 5 year terms with a winter class and a summer class offset such that  half the council replaced every 2.5 years. First speaker and a dissenter are chosen among the council and they don’t vote.

·         Defense: “The Weir Watch” professional body of soldiers charged with defense of the city and surrounding area

·         Economy:

o   Small farms, hunters, fishermen sell their food into town

o Peat bogs in the area are farmed for major heat source

o   Druids in the woods help teach the town to sustainable wood harvesting and also help locate iron deposits in the foothills of the Greypeak mtns

o   Craftspeople are fairly skilled…some minor magickers

o   Tourism around Midwinter is big for inns and fills the town with coin

o   Scouts / rangers hired for travel in the region        

o   Business income is taxed progressively at 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 percent with no exceptions and used to fund public works, the guard, etc.

·         Organizations:

o   GreyPeak School of Ranging (GPS)

o   Temples to following gods:

§  Deneir (NG): Lit Candle Above an open eye

§  Selune (CG): Pair of eyes surrounded by seven stars

§  Tymora (CG): Face Up Coin

§  Silvanus (N): Oak leaf  in Old weir’s original dwelling, and adjectn shack built around massive oak by the brook and the old stone bridge.

§  Gwaeron Windstrom (NG): Paw Print with a five pointed star in center

§  Mielikki (NG): Unicorn’s head

§  Auril (NE): Six Pointed Snowflake

o   The Hibernal: semi-secret old order of self-proclaimed town guardians descendant from the men who came together with Old Weir to forge peace and found the town

·         Race relations: Harmony

·         Notable traits: Hurricane Mountain Stream bisects the town; Midwinter is a big celebration, dating back to founding; notable Ranger school

·         Known for its jumping off point for adventurers leaving civilization heading to:

o   The many ruins in the Marsh of Chelimber

§  Keep of the Drowned Prince

§  Taskor’s Crag

§  Dunkapple Castle

o   The Lonely Moor and Aumvor’s Castle

o   Evereska

o   Greycloak Hills and all the tombs that abound there under the mists

o   Myth Sveldin…

Names of Inns and locales

• The Wandering Wolf Inn (fancy Inn)
• Ashwood Tavern (fancy tavern)
• Three-Copper Annie’s (cheap inn and tavern)
• The Badger’s Den (moderate inn and tavern)
• The Lonely Stag (favorite of bachelors)
• Gilded Lamb (simple farm fare and modest rooms)
• Lloyd’s Apothecary (potions, healing)
• Myrtle’s Wondrous Items (magical items, etc.)
• GreyPeak School of Ranging (GPS) rangers school
• Eastwood Outfitters (gear, armor, weapons)
• Weir’s Wares (General Store)
• Mildred’s Moneylending and Pawnshop (Various Items, high-interest lending)
• Bridge Street Smithy

Temples

• Deneir (NG): Lit Candle Above an open eye
• Selune (CG): Pair of eyes surrounded by seven stars
• Tymora (CG): Face Up Coin
• Silvanus (N): Oak leaf...Old Weir’s original dwelling, and adjacent to shack built around massive oak by the brook and the old stone bridge
• Gwaeron Windstrom (NG): Paw Print with a five pointed star in center
• Mielikki (NG): Unicorn’s head
• Auril (NE): Six Pointed Snowflake