Westbank is the largest town (population 876) in the Northlands and is located at the region's southern edge. As its name implies, it is perched on the west bank of Lake Stronghammer, named for Staal Stronghammer, a famous barbarian who founded the city ages ago. The lake is actually a widening of the Misty River, which flows from the mountains in the north.

Due to its size (the lake is several miles in length), the lake never freezes over, in spite of the frigid weather. There is a ferry that runs across the northern end of the lake, leading from Westbank to a trail which turns north and terminates at the tiny village of Podu.

Notable Westbank establishments include three taverns (The Trollop and Troll, The Rusty Blackbird, and The Big Sturgeon), two inns (Stronghammer Inn and Polly's Puffy Pillow), an armory, a blacksmith, and temples of various deities as well as an all faiths church. In addition to a mill and associated logging industry, the lake provides enough fish to support a good number in the fishing industry.

The city leader is the mayor, a frail man by the name of Taylin Naar. He is about 50 years old and is generally well respected by the townsfolk because they feel he is fair, listens to their concerns, and has an unconventional but effective approach to solving problems. For example, when townsfolk complained to the mayor that crime was on the rise, he appointed a local cleric, Sister Gwendelon Gilkrist, to be the town constable. Although Sister Gwendelon was harsh on more than one occasion, she delivered what the townsfolk wanted. In less than a year, word of "Gwendelon's Wrath" spread across the town, leading many potential criminals to more upstanding pursuits.

Other notable Westbank citizens include:
Samuel Fletcher, owner of the Trollop and Troll.
Brother Walword, leader of the all faith's church.
Elkas Barrington, occupation unknown. Barrington has a reputation as a bit of a wheeler and dealer, though details on his dealings are limited, at best.
Traitlin Uthudar, the town's only goliath and by far the most impressive member of the guard.
Gar Greyshield, dwarven blacksmith and armorer.
Emilia Lighthammer, innkeeper.
Janella Songsteel, stable keeper.
Lucious, the ferryman.
Blackwing, a strangely silent raven that perches for hours each day atop the statue of Staal Stronghammer in the town square. The raven has sat there for years, spending nearly all of its time on this notable perch. Some think Stronghammer himself was transformed into the raven. Others suspect it is the familiar of a mysterious wizard. No one knows for sure, and the raven isn't telling, either.

To the west lies The Wildwood, an enormous forest of poplar and pine and home to several bands of elves. The elves of The Wildwood make occasional visits to Westbank, but few stay there long. There are a few permanent elven residents. Most are either married to one of the townsfolk, or in some way estranged from their woodland home.

To the north lies The Spine of the North, a mountain range that is the home of dwarfs, gnomes, and many other, less friendly races. The mountain range separates The Northlands from the barren, icy wasteland known as The Icelands, where there is little to find other than frozen emptiness. The dwarves of the mountain still do a lot of trading with their human counterparts. As a result, it is not unusual to see dwarves in one of the many caravans that come to Westbank quite regularly. Less frequent are the deep gnomes, who are generally more secretive and as a result far less likely to show their faces anywhere on the Northern Trail, let alone in the Northlands most densely populated town.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:30, Sat 25 Mar 2017.