Daggerford And Its Pepole:
The town of Daggerford has many pepole and is located on the northern banks of the Delimbiyr (or shining river). It is connected with Waterdeep some 80 miles to the north by means of the High Road. South of the village, on the opposite bank of the river, the Trade Way runs south past the famous Way Inn and the dreaded Dragonspear Castle, connecting at last with the cities of Baldur’s Gate, Elturel, and Scornubel on the banks of the river Chionthar.
Daggerford is a walled city of Pepole with 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. This is a large pasture intended primarily for the grazing of animals during times of trouble. The third area, located at the centre of The Commons, is the Castle of the Duke of Daggerford. 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.
Daggerford and its Pepole are trying to be a busy metropolis, but is still basically a frontier area that lacks many of the advantages found in a big city. It is just not large enough, for instance, to support very many craftsmen. What’s more, some of the Daggerford craftsmen aren’t quite as proficient in their chosen trade as their counterparts in larger communities.
Prices for simple items in Daggerford are the same as those given in the Players Handbook. More complex items, such as crossbows or chain mail armour, are not manufactured locally. These items may be purchased from passing merchants, but the mark-up is considerable: typically 100%. A suit of chain mail, for instance, which normally costs 75 gp, will cost 150 gp in Daggerford, if it is available at all. As a rule of thumb, any item costing more than 50 gp in the Players Handbook costs double in Daggerford.
There is no Alchemist available in Daggerford. All potions are double price when available, which is not often. Potions offered for sale must be brought in from Waterdeep or from the other end of the Trade Way, which gives Daggerford another excuse to kick up the price. Rare components for spells are even rarer in Daggerford and again cost more than usual. The only Apothecary in town is a priest of the Chauntea temple, and his sales are part of the temple’s income.
What goods are available to Pepole in Daggerford?
All types of clothing are for Pepole are foe sale, although garments made of cotton or silk are high in price. Most clothing is made of wool, provided by local sheep, and leather. Forget about exotic furs, unless the purchaser is willing to pay through the nose for them.
There are several blacksmiths in Daggerford who can provide simple weapons, such as Swords andAaxes, and household equipment. Should either Weapons or Armour be damaged, the local craftsmen can mend them. There is much mended finery and weaponry on the streets of Daggerford, mostly dependable and mostly at a reasonable price for all Pepole.
Since Daggerford residents and other Pepole largely live off the land, many farming and fishing products are available. Produce, vegetables, and meats are not hard to come by at affordable prices. Animals are common in Daggerford; animal care services and facilities abound. Daggerford jewellers are always on the lookout for the occasional odd jewel that might find its way into town. Because these come to Daggerford so infrequently, jewellers lucky enough to snag one can ask and easily get twice their normal selling price.
Magical items are quite rare, also selling for twice the price. There are a lot of Daggerford merchants who are unfamiliar with magical items and may inadvertently under-price them if they can’t figure out what they’re supposed to be. A fortunate buyer may walk away with a treasure at a ridiculously low price if he happens to visit the marketplace at the right time.
When a crisis is at hand, the town and its Pepole has two elements for defending itself. The first is the local Militia made up from the Pepole. Because of the occasional menace from the Lizard Marshes to the west and the High Moors to the east, this Militia is fairly large and reasonably well-trained Pepole. Still, this group is only the second line of defence.
The main force that can be directed at an enemy is the 3rd Company, High Guards of Waterdeep. This band of 100 skilled Warriors can be summoned to Daggerford, but spends most of its time abroad, patrolling the countryside. The 3rd Company is theoretically under the command of the Duke of Daggerford but owes fealty to the Lords of Waterdeep itself (a fact known by all).
Daggerford: History and Political Structure of the Pepole
The city of Daggerford got its name from an incident that happened about 400 years ago. A wagon master sent his son ahead of the family wagon one evening to locate a safe passage across the Shining River. The boy located a ford, but was surprised and attacked by a party of Lizard Men. The lad slew six of the creatures with his only weapon, a dagger, and held off the rest until reinforcements from the wagon arrived. This may be pure fancy or exact truth or something in between. The Dukes of Daggerford claim to be direct descendants of that boy on the ford. The arms of the Duke are represented by a bloody silver dagger on a blue field.
When the Elves of the Fallen Kingdom left for less crowded spaces, a new kingdom sprang up, and this is now known as the Kingdom of Man. It was during that period that the Dukes of Daggerford gained their titles and rights to all the lands bordered by the estate of Floshin on the North, the Lizard Marsh on the West, Dragonspear Castle on the South, and the Misty Forest on the East.
At times, the Dukes have actively controlled the entire area, but these days they do not. About a century after the dynastic war which destroyed the Kingdom of Man, the duke’s subjects began building their shops and homes outside the castle proper, closer to the Delimbiyr (Shining) River. After a couple of problem-free centuries passed, the town became essentially independent from the castle, although a common wall surrounded them both. For hundreds of years, the Duke of Daggerford still controlled the town, but it was given its own charter by Duke Conan 50 years ago.
The current Duke, young Pwyll Greatshout, seems to have no inclination to revoke the charter. The town itself is run by the Council of Guilds. In a self-conscious imitation of the Lords of Waterdeep, the members of the Council of Guilds attend meetings in masks and never reveal their identities to the populace. However, the population of the town is too small for true secrecy. Everyone knows that the Guildmasters are the members of the Council of Guilds.
The guilds of Daggerford are not as formal as those of larger cities. There is the Smith’s Guild, Merchant’s Guild, Tanner’s Guild, Farmer’s Guild, Waterman‘s Guild, Riverman’s Guild and Taverner‘s Guild, among others. The chief priests of the town’s three main religions (Chauntea, Lathander, and Tymora) are also members of the Council of Guilds. By the wording of the town charter, the Duke is not a member, but the head of the militia, who happens to be the duke’s master at arms, is a member.
Daggerford: Population and Pepole
About 300 residents live in the town and in the duke’s castle. Most of them till the fields outside the town walls. There are about 20 farming hamlets within a day’s walk of Daggerford (15-20 miles), each of which has about five families of around 20 people. Each hamlet has a fortified town house to which the residents can retreat in case of a raid. There are also some isolated farms and a few estates of minor nobility. In all, there are about 1,000 people dependent on the Daggerford market for goods they cannot make themselves, and who would retreat to Daggerford in case of an invasion.
The racial mix in the Daggerford area is predominantly human. Less than 15% of the population are demi-humans. A few of the dependent hamlets consist entirely of Halflings. A couple of Halfling families live in Daggerford. There are very few
Dwarves, Gnomes, and Elves (aside from the elves of Laughing Hollow), but the ones who do live here are rather prominent in the community.
DAGGERFORD TRAINING FOR PEPOLE
Training in Fighting (The Militia):
Militiamen who participate in combat or other hazardous missions are entitled to split any loot they obtain among them. The town is entitled to buy any magical items deemed necessary for the wellbeing of the town. Militiamen who train other militiamen are paid a fee of 5 sp per day of training times their level. Note that 1st level militiamen cannot train other militiamen.
By agreement with the Duke, the town maintains its own militia, trained by Duke Pwyll’s soldiers. Every healthy Human resident of the town between 15 and 35 is required to be a member of the militia. Halflings between 22 and 60, Dwarves between 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. Even transients of the right age find themselves either training with the militia or asked to leave the town. If a person stays longer than two weeks, a militia soldier shows up at his residence to induct him.
Anyone can avoid the duty by paying the expenses of another militiaman, but most residents would rather spend the time than the money.
New militia recruits are taught to ride and to use a spear. Each militiaman is given one spear and one suit of studded leather armour. If the armour is ruined in any way, the militiaman must replace it. Spears are replaced free.
Militia troop’s duties include standing guard three days out of the week, 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.
Any militiaman who can afford such weapons as maces and swords is trained in their use by the duke’s master at arms, Sir Llewellyn Longhand. He also provides advanced training in swords and riding to the minor nobility. The duke’s master of the hunt, Kelson Darktreader, gives instruction in bows and other hunting weapons to those with talent.
All militia equipment aside from spears and armour must be supplied by the militia member. The militia has the use of medium horses owned by the town. The town must be repaid for the loss of a horse, either with money or with extra militia service. Militia members who die in the line of duty will be raised from the dead if possible, but there is only one priest in Daggerford with this ability. Veteran militia members have priority for raise dead.
Training in Magic:
The main teacher of magic in the area is Delfen Yellowknife, a mage who lives in a small tower on the wall of Daggerford. Delfen takes in apprentices, and generally has three or four at any one time. He is contracted to the town of Daggerford to provide training in magic and to provide special spell casting. He also trains his apprentices in knife fighting.
Duke Pwyll’s personal magic user, Gwydion Pen Dafwyd, teaches magic to a couple of the younger sons of minor nobility, as well as to the duke’s older sister, Bronwyn.
Training in Religion:
There are four places of worship in Daggerford. The largest is the temple of Chauntea, the Lady of the Harvest. Priestess Maerovyna presides over this temple. Those who worship other deities also worship at small shrines maintained by Merovyna and her acolytes. Merovyna instructs novices in the ways of religion and the soil.
The Temple of Lathander is on the hill next to the Duke’s castle, The Duke himself worships here, as does most of the castle‘s residents. As the highest ranking priest in town, Liam Sunmist ministers to priest in town, Liam Sunmist ministers to all who need him and trains anyone who comes to him for instruction.
The shrine of Tempus is a new addition to the town, and its priest, Baergon Bluesword, is a recent addition to the community. He is there mostly for the Waterdeep troops, but many other militia members and adventurers who had to fight in the Dragonspear invasion have developed an interest in Tempus, and his small shrine is becoming crowded.
The shrine of Tymora has been a part of the town for centuries. This patroness of adventurers has a regular number of worshipers, but not enough to warrant construction of a temple. The current priest/attendant, Bando the Lame, has tended the shrine for the last five years.
DAGGERFORD CLASSES, PEPOLE AND RACES
Human Pepole:
Most human Pepole in the area come from one of four regions: Waterdeep, Daggerford, Secomber, and The Way Inn. Human Pepole who don.t actually reside in these regions tend to depend on one of them as a marketplace.
Elves:
Since the demise of the Fallen Kingdom, Elves have been in short supply around Daggerford. However, a few chose not to leave with their former associates, and they and their descendants still live in some of the more isolated areas. Because of their love of nature, they are particularly at home in the forests and plains. Although they are seldom encountered in the cities, their fascination with fine Jewellery and Magic may draw them to populated areas on occasion.
Gold (High) Elves:
One noble family of Gold Elves held on when the others left. Sir Elorfindar and his family maintain a High Elf presence in the Daggerford area to this day.
Moon Elves:
Normally, this type of elf is in much shorter supply than the Gold Elves. This is not the case in the Daggerford area, mostly because of the great number of Gold Elves left with the Fallen Kingdom. Some Moon Elves stayed with Sir Elorfindar after the Fallen Kingdom broke up. Others stayed in the area for reasons of their own. If not with Sir Elorfindar, the Moon Elves can be found in the Misty Forest or the High Forest. They can also be found in the Waterdeep Woods, and some may be found in Daggerford.
Wild Elves:
These elves never considered leaving their ancestral home. They are found these days in the Laughing Hollow and the Misty Forest. Misty Forest elves do interact with humans and other races on occasion, while the Wild Elves from Laughing Hollow keep to themselves.
Dark Elves:
Dark Elves are said to reside in the bowels of the mysterious Dragonspear Castle. Whether actually there or not is not truly known, it certainly is their sort of place.
Dwarves:
What’s left of the Dwarven population is mostly represented by Derval Ironeater’s extended family in Daggerford. A few live in Secomber, a few more live in Waterdeep. There are not many left, but among the ones that remain, many long to regain some of the lost glory of the vanishing Dwarven race. Owing to their love of drink, a tavern is a likely place to encounter dwarves. Talk of gold or other precious metals is also sure to attract the attention of any eavesdropping Dwarves.
Gnomes:
There are a few Gnome merchants in Daggerford, Secomber, and Waterdeep. Like the Dwarves, Gnomes are fond of drink and wealth, but they also enjoy the pleasures of nature. Look for them in a local tavern or near a beautiful meadow.
Halflings:
Halflings Pepole are not very common in Daggerford, though the ones who live there are quite prominent. Secomber, however, is very much a Halfling town. Almost 50% of the population of Secomber is less than four feet tall. A few Halflings can be found in Waterdeep and in some of the farming hamlets around The Way Inn. They are more open and outgoing than either Dwarves or Elves and get along well with most other races.
Cavaliers:
These worthies Pepole mostly come from Waterdeep and Daggerford, though a few come from Secomber. Most Cavaliers Pepole in Daggerford are the scions of the petty nobility that rule various holdings around the town. The Duke of Daggerford is a Cavalier, as is his Master of Arms.
Barbarians:
The Barbarian Pepole population resides on the High Moor and are reluctant to stray far from this area. They are Pepole who are nomadic herders in constant warfare with the Goblin-kind on the moor.
Monks:
There are no local training areas or monasteries for monks in Daggerford. Some may come to Daggerford from the Waterdeep area or from larger cities to the east and south.
Assassins:
Assassins tend to frequent big cities and aren’t much in demand in these regions. Any assassins in Daggerford have come from further away than Waterdeep, which has also rid itself of organized assassins. These days, most assassins come from Amn or Westgate on the Inland Sea.
Rangers:
The Ranger population is mostly found in Daggerford, Secomber, and The Way Inn. The relatively cosmopolitan Waterdeep is not conducive to a Ranger’s Pepole way of life.
Magic Users /Illusionists:
Magic Users of all spheres can be found everywhere, though they tend to prefer residence in more densely populated areas. Waterdeep is the centre of magical activity in these parts, with a recognized guild of low-level Mages. The ruins of Dragonspear Castle are reputed to contain high level Evil Magic Users.
Clerics:
Like Magic Users, Clerics are also common throughout the Forgotten Realms, though farming villages such as Secomber have little to do with the main religions of the region, aside from their resident Druids and priests of Chauntea. Most adventuring Clerics come from Waterdeep, Daggerford, and Dragonspear Castle.
Druids:
The primary centre for Druid activity in the Daggerford area is the Misty Forest. Around Waterdeep, the Elf Wood supports a large number of Druids.
Thieves:
Daggerford is too small to support a real Thieves Guild. Everyone knows almost everyone, and serious thievery is virtually unknown. At the same time, there is a fondness for the heroic Thief who uses his talents to plunder ruins and fortresses of evil. Therefore, Daggerford does have a few ex-adventuring Thieves. Thieves from a more traditional background come from far or are self-taught. There is no Thieves Guild in Waterdeep as it’s bad for business.
DAGGERFORD MAP AND PEPOLE LOCATIONS
Daggerford is a walled town built against the side of a low hill. The town wall also surrounds the castle of the Duke of Daggerford. The wall protects the town and castle from periodic flooding. Most of the town’s buildings are built on the low ground below the hill holding the Duke’s castle. The area surrounding the castle is almost entirely given over to the commons, where horses and cattle graze in times of siege and when the river floods the lowlands around the castle.
Generally, most of the buildings in the town are made of wood and thatch. However, 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 replaced the last wood in his castle with stone, the wall towers were rebuilt in stone, and several important town buildings have been built or rebuilt in stone. Most of the residences in the crowded living areas are still made of wood. Placement of these wooden buildings is sometimes rearranged due to the occasional fire. Fortunately, proximity to the river allows the Watermen’s Guild to quench fires quickly.
DAGGERFORD – NON-RESIDENT PEPOLE
Daggerford is trying to be a busy metropolis, but is still basically a frontier area that lacks many of the advantages found in a big city. It is just not large enough, for instance, to support very many craftsmen. What’s more, some of the Daggerford craftsmen aren’t quite as proficient in their chosen trade as their counterparts in larger communities.
Prices for simple items in Daggerford are the same as those given in the Players Handbook. More complex items, such as crossbows or chain mail armour, are not manufactured locally. These items may be purchased from passing merchants, but the mark-up is considerable: typically 100%. A suit of chain mail, for instance, which normally costs 75 gp, will cost 150 gp in Daggerford, if it is available at all. As a rule of thumb, any item costing more than 50 gp in the Players Handbook costs double in Daggerford.
There is no alchemist available in Daggerford. All potions are double price when available, which is not often. Potions offered for sale must be brought in from Waterdeep or from the other end of the Trade Way, which gives Daggerford another excuse to kick up the price. Rare components for spells are even rarer in Daggerford and again cost more than usual. The only apothecary in town is a priest of the Chauntea temple, and his sales are part of the temple’s income.
What goods are available in Daggerford?
All types of clothing are for sale, although garments made of cotton or silk are high in price. Most clothing is made of wool, provided by local sheep, and leather. Forget about exotic furs, unless the purchaser is willing to pay through the nose for them.
There are several blacksmiths in Daggerford who can provide simple weapons, such as swords and axes, and household equipment. Should either weapons or armour be damaged, the local craftsmen can mend them. There is much mended finery and weaponry on the streets of Daggerford, mostly dependable and mostly at a reasonable price.
Since Daggerford residents largely live off the land, many farming and fishing products are available. Produce, vegetables, and meats are not hard to come by at affordable prices. Animals are common in Daggerford; animal care services and facilities abound. Daggerford jewellers are always on the lookout for the occasional odd jewel that might find its way into town. Because these come to Daggerford so infrequently, jewellers lucky enough to snag one can ask and easily get twice their normal selling price.
Magical items are quite rare, also selling for twice the price. There are a lot of Daggerford merchants who are unfamiliar with magical items and may inadvertently under-price them if they can’t figure out what they’re supposed to be. A fortunate buyer may walk away with a treasure at a ridiculously low price if he happens to visit the marketplace at the right time.