The Duchy of Daggerford
Daggerford
Situated on the flood plains of the Delimbiyr and built against the side of a low hill, Daggerford is a small, walled community dominated by the small castle of the local duke. The city is sparsely inhabited but strategically located where the High Road crosses the Delimbiyr River on the south side of the ford.
This self-styled city is a town of about 500 folk. The town is the largest stop on the High Road between Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate. It's home to human craftsmen, a few halflings, and a handful of folk of other races. There are about 20 farming hamlets within a day's walk of Daggerford (15-20 miles), each of which is home to around five families. Each hamlet has a fortified building where the residents retreat in case of raids. There are also isolated farms and a few estates of minor nobility. In all, about 1,200 people depend on the Daggerford market for goods they can’t make themselves.
Daggerford has three major geographical divisions. The first area is the town itself, which fills the western half of the walls. The second region is somewhat higher than the town and is known as the Commons, which is nothing more than a large pasture. The third area, located at the center of the Commons, is the castle of the Duke of Dag- gerford. Much of the castle has been recently rebuilt by a family of dwarves, making it somewhat more majestic and splendid than might be expected of a town the size of Daggerford.
Most of the town's buildings are built on the low ground below the hill holding the castle. The area surrounding the castle is almost entirely given over to the Commons, where horses and cattle graze in times of siege or river floods.
Most of the buildings are made of wood and thatch, but since Derval Ironeater's family brought their stone working skills to town a century ago, a number of people have built in stone. The duke, for instance, replaced the last wood in his castle with stone, the wall towers were rebuilt in stone, several important town buildings have been built or re- built in stone, and the protective walls that surround Daggerford are all of stone.
Most of the residences in the crowded living areas are still made of wood, and placement of these wooden structures is sometimes rearranged due to the occasional fire. Fortunately, proximity to the river allows the Watermen's Guild to quench fires quickly.
Duke Pwyll Daggerford is seldom seen in town. He’s either out hunting, in the castle planning how to defend his land, or discovering new ways to enrich his family and his people by shrewd investments. There are recurring plans to dredge the river and make Daggerford an important harbor in order to compete with nearby Waterdeep.
A lot of travelers stop in Daggerford at one time or another, using it as a base to explore the whole north. The bustle of Waterdeep seems far too distracting for the average adventurer, meaning that a smaller, more accessible town is desired. Daggerford strives to meet the demands of catering to adventurers, which both keeps its surrounding lands safe and keeps local merchants happy.
When a crisis is at hand, the town has two elements to defend itself. The first is the local militia. Because of the occasional menace from the Lizard Marshes to the west and the eastern High Moors, this militia is fairly large and reasonably well-trained. Still, this group is only the second line of defense.
The main force that can be directed at an enemy is the 3rd Company, the High Guards of Waterdeep. This band of 100 skilled warriors is stationed in Daggerford but spends most of its time patrolling the countryside. The 3rd Company is theoretically under the command of the Duke of Daggerford, but it owes fealty to the Lords of Waterdeep.
Defenses
By agreement with the duke, the town maintains its own militia, trained by Sherlen Spearslayer. Every healthy human resident of the town between the ages of 15 and 35 is required to be a member of the militia. Halflings between 22 and 60, dwarves be- tween 35 and 120, gnomes between 50 and 250, and elves between 150 and 500 must also serve 20 years in the militia. Only pregnant women and mothers with young children are excused, and then only until the children are five years old. The territory around Daggerford is occasionally besieged by evil invaders, and everyone must be ready to defend their homes and lives.
Transients of the right age find themselves either training with the militia or asked to leave town. If a person stays longer than two weeks, a soldier shows up to induct him. Of course, the person can try to evade this duty, but this is difficult in a town the size of Daggerford. Anyone can avoid the duty by paying the expenses of another militiaman, but most residents spend the time rather than the money.
Those living in outlying areas are also expected to have militia training and duty. This is mainly accomplished by local musters, usually at the estate of a local baron or nearby fortification. Representatives of the Daggerford militia ride out to the muster and help with the training.
New militia recruits are taught to ride and to use a spear. Each militiaman is given one spear and one suit of studded leather armor. If the armor is ruined in any way, the militiaman must replace it. Spears are replaced free.
Militia duty is actually quite light, except in times of trouble. Militia members must show up for training at least one day per month. Some come more often and gain profi- ciency earlier than their peers. The militia is split up into various troops, and these troops meet on different days. Generally, an inexperienced soldier trains while more ex- perienced ones are on guard duty. Militia troops must stand guard three days out of the month, acting as both a street patrol and wall guard. Usually, at least two veteran troops are on duty on any given day, while the new troops train and help the veterans.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:50, Mon 08 June 2020.
