Tesmius
Tesmius is a city of northern Cerlain. It sits on the road north from the capital Tamish, on the feet of the mountains of Jorlinum further north. It sits upon the River Dolma which flows southwards through the capital and on to Port Epinum.
Background
Tesmius sits to the side of the main trade route from Jorlinum through to Tamish, and is a relatively new city. It was not until the heyday of the Empire that the small mining town grew beyond a staging place where ore and oil were loaded onto barges bound for the Capital.
It was in these times that the stone available to the north and east of the town was identified as being of particular beauty. Its stone was quarried and used to build many of the buildings and monuments in Tamish, an honour that saw its population grow along with its reputation for fine stone. Its position on the River Dolma also allowed it some small exports of stone to Antaurus for building works in the heart of the Empire itself.
During the long years of Empire the town thrived with its stone and oil exports, but never grew large in population. It became spread out, and the stone of the quarries to the north, while expensive elsewhere in Cerlain, was far cheaper for use locally. It was used to build the foundations of the city. As a recognition for what it had contributed to the Imperial wealth over the years, King Thomas assented to a petition from Tamish in 1350 to have the town elevated in status as soon as a the religious infrastructure was constructed. The Church of Anbartae finished construction of its stone cathedral in the town in 1352, thereby elevating the town's status.
Political
These days, the city falls within the lands governed by the Count of Tamish. It has a Viscount of its own, Viscount Conrado Medina, but the role does not hold the political bite of some of the other viscounts, especially his peers the Viscounts of Mellinara and Saclos whose territories span the major trade routes with Jorlinum and the rest of the former Empire. It also has a smaller population, which also devalues the influence of her ruler. Medina is assisted by his two city Barons, Baron Horado Mendez, who is responsible for the north and central districts, and Baron Tomas Diaz who is responsible for the southern part of the city.
The city has 20,000 inhabitants, making it one of the smallest cities in the small nation, and has far fewer farms and outlying areas, although the lands spanning the road to the south produce a particularly sharp grape, used to produce a fresh clear wine. The Viscount of Tesmius is proud to declare his city's reputation, boldly proclaiming that his land built the palace of the Prince and wet his tables with its wine.
City Facilities
Travellers used to the comfortable life in the decadent cities further south in Cerlain may be surprised by the sparse, bare welcome that greets them here. The town is open to the elements, and is built from solid stone taken from the mountains away northwards. It can seem a little bare, and somewhat cold as it is city with the highest elevation above the sea in all of Cerlain and among the furthest north too. This cooler climate is often something of a surprise to visitors.
The cool weather contributes to the quality of the grapes grown in the city's lowland slopes away southwards. A most unusual grape and very popular across Cerlain as a refreshing, almost citrus drink. Locally, the wine has long been the most popular drink of choice among the guests of local inns.
The city is spread out too. Having only been a town during most of the recent warring it never needed proper defences. All that have been provided now are a series of banked defences facing north to the mountains, where any attack would be expected during times of excess cold or famine from goblinoid creatures that dwell there.
Places to Stay
There are three big inns in town, catering to the burly stone workers, dock workers and miners that pass through frequently. These are:
Melussa's Inn - a dockside inn, which is popular among the dock workers, but is perhaps a little too close to the docks for those that don't need to be at work before first light of day. The docks are a notoriously noisy place, and this inn is right in the midst of that noise.
Sably Balgarricks Inn, a large and sprawling inn with special facilities for Dwarfs (which is unheard of among other towns and cities of Cerlain, and maybe the whole Empire). Balgarrick is a former trader who used to load and unload his own carts and (later) his own boats. He is a big man, and has set up quite a sprawling inn that appeals to miners and stoneworkers on their way to and from the quarries of the north. The inn butts up to one of the defensive dikes at the northern edge of the city. The Inn has stood here since the city was a small town of miners and traders, and has been called many names down the years. Balgarrick has extended it considerably, although sometimes wishes he hadn't taken it quite so far with the fall off in stone trade recently.
Collamina Duferris's Hotel - the smallest of the three large inns. Tries to cater for the regular traders rather than directly appealing to the dockers or stone-workers, but it is not the cheapest of the three and so is rarely as busy as the other two. A clean and pleasant place, right in the heart of the city, but always seems colder than the surrounding landscape and the town itself.
Alongside this these three, there are another dozen or so small inns and boarding houses that pick up any overflow of visitors around the city. Some of these are transient, appearing for a while and then closing just as quickly as the workers turn up and then flow away in times of hardship.
In addition to the inns, there are many small taverns and bars used by the working population. A hard days work is quenched with local wine or cider. There are even imported beers from Hebria and Antaurus available.
Religious Establishments
In its earlier guise as a town, the religious needs of the inhabitants were met in a humble manner. Small congregations met with just a few leaders of the main faiths, and the town was long split between followers of Anbartae, who seemed to relish the sparsity and order, and Pendaroch who brought a warmth and openness to town proceedings. The Anbartaean followers were also joined by an order of Monks who seem to thrive in the cold but simple lifestyle that the town encouraged.
Since the incorporation of the old town into a city, however, the attention of some of the other major religions has thrived. The perceived threats of goblinoid monsters only a few miles to the north has brought paladins into town. Anbartae were the first to do this, but (not to be outdone) both Danethrae and Suldurn soon followed - albeit with smaller followings. The humble dwellings at first seem at odds with the glorious image of the paladins, but some take to humility better than others, and the paladins of Danethrae have a garrison in town of some thirty knightly individuals.
The other religion of note is that of the Druids, whose presence is also a surprise in this cold, stony place. Originally they arrived with their elfish brethren who were the first to establish vineyards, growing unusual grapes in the cool slopes. It is long since the elves moved on - the wines from here appeal to them far less these days - but the Druidic grove, still close to the vineyards south of the city, continues in its own small way.
Danethrae
The church facility here is little more than a well built home, close to the middle of town. The local stone has been used, but it seems a very small building to those who are used to facilities in other parts of Cerlain. It was established in 1351, just as the town was ready to become a city, but in many ways Danethrae were trumped in this endeavour. Anbartae's cathedral was already nearing completion, and the small church this faith had built was already too small for its congregation.
It has struggled on since then making the most of its all-too-small church by adding other buildings close by. A refectory for Paladins is twice the size of the church building itself. A monastery was also established, initially shared by both monks and the clergy, but the monks didn't really become established, and most have moved away south to Tamish.
In 1412 the Church of Danethrae is run by Marcel Savantaux, a citizen of Tholain who has lived in this part of the mountains since he moved out of his parents home in Cargius more than twenty years ago. He is assisted by two deputies, a young preacher from Eclomus, Juan Sedillo and an older matriarchal Priestess Chalina Guerra who is originally from Saclos.
Anbartae
All things Anbartae have tried to achieve in this city have been aimed at glorifying their church over the others. Before the construction of the cathedral began in 1347 as part of the unification celbrations, they already have a large church building. It sat in the centre of town - even trumping the location of Pendaroch who, no doubt, were filled with envy at the dominance of their building. The old church was pulled down, though, and a daunting cathedral built in its place. Its old foundations formed the centrepiece of the church where the main worship hall now sits, but it is now surrounded by a cloister and a knights refectory.
Many of the buildings of the city, particularly in those earliest days following the crowning of King Thomas, were low but spread out. This new cathedral reached high in to the sky, towering over the others buildings around it. Things have moved on a little, and many other buildings are slowly catching up, changing the skyline of the city. Those familiar with the architecture of Anbartae may find the cathedral somewhat sparse in decoration, and smaller than many similar buildings across even Cerlain, yet it has been enough to pull the other constructions of the city centre into its shadow for more than sixty years.
The paladins share a large extension built to the rear of the cathedral with the monastery, which has more monks dwelling within than at any time in the past. The paladins themselves are dwindling in number now, though. There are only seven of them based in the city full time now, the rise in Danethrae's numbers in this field seems to have attracted more of the locals who have a calling to join this kind of religious order.
In 1412, the cathedral is operated by Fausto Rael, who is now advanced in years and may be looking to step down from this post in the coming year or two. He may be succeeded by one of his three capable assistants, Galeno Duarte, Victorino Centeno or Flavio Rojo.
Pendaroch
The church of Pendaroch is an old establishment in the city. Its church sits across the main square from that of Anbartae, and is dwarfed in height, but not in scale. The building itself is only a single story, yet has a balcony and veranda on the roof where open-air mass is heard weekly, even in the freezing frost of winter.
Being in the shadow of Anbartae in this way seems to do little to quell the enthusiasm of the church for its celebrations. It may even have the opposite effect, building in character to withstand the glorious presence of paladins and architecture glaring at them from the cathedral to the east. The church has a reputation locally for being a warm and welcoming place among the cold and the flagstones in the centre of the city.
The church is run by a competent, yet plain-looking, priestess, Paquita León, whose five years (in 1412) at the head of this church operation, have seen her extend its warm, friendly hand far and wide. Pendaroch may be in decline in other parts of the former Empire, but here in Tesmius it's still growing thanks to her work.
Nature
The small grove near to Tesmius is rumoured to be an ancient site, surviving intact from before The Great Disaster, protected by Mother Nature herself. This is just a story, of course, it is a fantasy concocted by some of the locals who do not want to lose their precious grove.
The reality of the presence of Druids is altogether much different. Any who spend time here soon come to realise that the grove is now squished between the vineyards; it may have been pleasant, even quaint, in bygone years, and would certainly have been in a good location when it was first established. But whether by erosion of the hillside or by the expansion of the vineyards around and about the grove taking more of the open land than they should, the grove is now little more than a small rise in the grass, 'surrounded' on one side by a tree, and closed in by brambles and nettles. The ground is boggy and gets very muddy in the winter when rains arrive with some gusto. The life of a druid for this city is one of cold, damp numbness.
The grove is operated by a bear of a man, Gustavo Huerta. His huge bushy brown beard and eyebrows make him something of a spectacle in town, and his personal presence seems to reflect the overgrown nature of his grove. Beneath those dark eyebrows, though, twinkle bright blue eyes and a willingness to laugh. Which he does both frequently and loudly. The druids have a congregation here of some fifty or more people, yet Gustavo is the only ordained druid among them.
Suldurn
Those looking for the church of Suldurn in the city are frequently disappointed when they stumble over it. The church building is a stone built home, smaller than that of Danethrae. Many expect to see glory encapsulated in the church's property, and don't find it here. The building is off the main square, and is situated next door to the refectory for the church's 'paladins'. Speaking to any of the dozen or so knights that live here soon reveals an uncharacteristic shyness perhaps brought about by the humble dwelling they all share.
The senior priest is Montrell Tovar, who inhabits a couple of rooms at the back of the church building. He has no formal assistants and relies on help from the laity an the paladins for help in keeping the church ticking over. There is the constant promise that this building is a temporary arrangement, and that it will be replaced in due course.