Westenford

Westenford
Information
Type	Port Town
Description	Parochial township
Region	Amasynian Province
Subregion	Amasynia
Population	3,600
Demonym	Westenfordians
Government	Ruling Council
Ruler	Acting Chief Magistrate Jonathan M. Lincoln
Currency	Trae Kelsan Shilling

Westenford is a middling-sized port town best known for its shipping trade and its notoriously corrupt Ruling Council.

Location

Westenford is situated on the edge of Fisherman's Bay and centered around Westenford's most ancient structure, a largely ruined stone plaza known as Armadon er Domedthron to the locals. This plaza is where the twenty-eight members of the Westenford Ruling Council (with the presiding Chief Magistrate making twenty-nine) meet each morning and most nights to discuss current political issues. The town itself generally divides into two halves, split strongly by economic lines of poor and rich, with the richer denizens generally living closer to the cliff overlooking the sea below.

Facilities

One notable location of interest is the historical site of Herford's Tavern immediately beside the central plaza. This particular tavern has stayed mostly within the Herford family's ownership since 30 AR, and it is one of the oldest standing buildings in the town.

Each of the elected officials on the Westenford Ruling Council, even the absent Aloisius Treadwell, maintains a mansion estate somewhere in the city, thus maintaining control of large chunks of land that the lower classes are simply unable to access. Thus, these splendid estates are, to an extent, noteworthy tourist locations for the higher-end visitors.

Another noteworthy facility, unparalleled in many smaller towns in the region, is the asylum near Herford's, officially known as The Beckham House for the Lunatic and Infirm. Once owned by Oliver Beckham, first Chief Magistrate of Westenford who died in 14 AR, this monumental three-story stone building maintains rooms for up to fifteen patients, with five per floor in rooms that have long since been redesigned from their original purposes. The House also maintains on-site living quarters and an office for the Warden who works there, as well as the house's original, large kitchen and dining room.

A fairly large, respected university covers a noteworthy portion of land along the northeastern edge of town. Like much else in the city, its services are priced well out of the reach of the lower classes; by contrast, the upper classes can potentially afford to take courses, and the immediate families of the members of the Westenford Ruling Council, including the Councilors themselves should they so wish, may attend at an extremely reduced rate of about ten to fifteen percent of regular fees for courses and books.

Otherwise, there are the docks below the town on the actual coast; while the majority of the town sits atop the cliff overlooking the bay, a road from the town loops down to the shore. It is from this port that Westenford does its considerable business as a port city to the northern coast of the Amasynian Province.

Authorities

The authorities in Westenford fall into three categories: the Magistrates of the Westenford Ruling Council, lesser judges, and the town guard. Barring a few rare exceptions, the highest ranking and most influential members of all three groups are notoriously corrupt, visibly and garishly wealthy, and immensely heavyset. Generally speaking, hope for a fair trial under the Council or judges or for fair treatment under the guard, without a notable bribe or promise of a favor, is often hope unfounded. Of course, there has to be some occasional leniency and a show of justice; otherwise, there could be consequences in the form of public rebellion or interference from the Crown.

Defenses

Although Westenford maintains a reasonable naval force at its coastal port and docks for a town of its size, and although there is the existence of the town guard to deal with more immediate threats inside the town, much of the town's defenses from any outside threats involve the facts that the town is considerably out of the way on land and is on a cliff overlooking the bay when dealing with threats from the sea. The last time that Westenford faced outside invasion was in 35 AR, when invaders from the Red Caps besieged the town until later in 36 AR. Since that point, life in Westenford has largely been fairly tranquil by comparison to what it could be.

Economy

The economy in Westenford is based on the Trae Kelsan Shilling. Taxation rates for the 3,600 citizens remain high on the lower classes and low on the rich, keeping the poor under the thumb of the wealthy, who own much of the residential land and a number of the longest surviving, largest businesses. In addition to already lower taxes, the twenty-nine members of the Westenford Ruling Council, with Aloisius Treadwell being a member largely absent, exercise a number of freedoms and privileges that the rest of the town cannot access, such as the reduced tuition for them and their immediate families at the university. These elite members also receive similarly reduced costs at many merchants around the plaza where the Council meets to work, foremost among them being Herford's Tavern.

Travel

Westenford is some considerable distance from many of its closest neighboring towns, although the roads to and through the city are in good repair with regular maintenance. There is also a steady business in ferrying people along the coast to their destinations, although such services are certainly not the cheapest of options.