Athlone

Ten miles to the south east of Roscommon, just south of Lough Ree, the English control a large stone bridge that spans the River Shannon and joins Leinster and Meath to Connacht.  This provides a valuable foothold in Connacht for the English.  The bridge stands on the site of an ancient and much used ford.  To the south the river is impassable to Clonmacnoise.  The site has been of significant geographic and strategic importance since ancient times.  Indeed for all of known history there has been a settlement on the site.

The stone bridge is roughly a century old, as was the original ringfort that stood guard over it and the developing town of Athlone.  The ringfort has been replaced in recent years by a stone castle which has come to be in the possession of Walter de Lacy.  Lord de Lacy has put the castle and township under the control of Sir Geoffroy with a sizable garrison.  The loyalties of Sir Geoffroy have thus far been untested in the political maneuverings of the conflicts of Ireland.  Yet many English who come to hold lands in Ireland have come to end up asserting power directly themselves and even coming later to fight other English.  Ireland’s conflicts are many, varied, and difficult to predict.  Geoffroy however is noted for making the markets of Athlone open to all peoples of Ireland so long as they pay the market taxes and keep the peace.  Another policy relating to the town has been aggressively expanding the scope of the lands it claims and offering generous tax agreements and land grants to encourage growth.  His rule if anything is seeing the healthy town of Athlone begin to transform already into a small yet bustling and energetic city of nearly four thousand souls.

The central importance of Athlone as a trade hub does not appear to be lost on him.  He also however has a growing reputation for treating any disruption of the peace or challenge to his rule exceedingly harshly, as any child might indicate via the bodies of condemned criminals that hang from the walls.  Or the fearful rumors of those who genuinely displease him and simply vanish.  The prosperous yet not to be defied in any way rule of Geoffroy is something that at least appears to be largely well accepted by the people.  As well it might?

The market, traders, and craftsmen of Athlone provide ready access to finished goods that are otherwise hard to acquire in the region.  Being a natural intersection of the north to south flowing river and the major bisecting east and west overland route, not to mention being positioned almost directly in the center of the land, it is a natural and significant hub of trade.  The aggressive growth policies, and indeed some say significant direct personal investment, of Geoffroy have seen this already significant market expanding.

The many and varied trades and dealers in Athlone are dominated by Guilds.  The Guilds oversee the regulation of each trade as well as assist in the collection of many taxes.  If there is a third axis of power in Athlone, beyond Sir Geoffroy and The Church, it is the Council of Guildmasters which conducts many of the administrative functions of the city (such as they exist).

There is a criminal underbelly in any population center of a size like Athone.  There is unquestionably such an element here.  Yet despite his efforts to keep an orderly and peaceful atmosphere in Athlone Sir Geoffroy appears to be having difficulties with eliminating this criminal element.  Indeed it is an open secret that if you seek men of a certain character or skillset that Athlone is the best place to being your search.  And to be careful that you know what you are seeking.  The streets of Athlone can be dangerous, especially at night.

The people of Athlone are known to have a deep and pervasive respect and fear for the Night Goblins, appeasing them with various acts of propitiation and offerings as an act of daily life, to an extent that former Bishops have expressed concern.  Yet thus far to no avail.