Nesmé

This fortified trading town is a circular settlement of 6,000 inhabitants. It’s a well-defended haven for honest traders and adventurers who seek out fame and fortune in the abandoned dwarven holds to the north and east. On its west, Nesmé has a fortified bridge over the Surbrin River, fortified stables, paddocks, and stock pens; to the east, beyond the city walls, lie roughly 40 farms under the protection of the Riders of Nesmé. In the center of town is a spired building that once housed the temple of Waukeen and now serves as a boarding hall for merchants. The town inside the stern and ready fortress of the Citadel of the Riders is a busy, bustling place of square stone houses with roof gardens. The gently sloped roofs leak in wet weather and have meltwater cisterns for gathering ready drinking water.

First Speaker Tessarin welcomes adventurers to her town. Those who wish an audience with her can expect to be told the latest news about orc, barbarian, and troll activities, and the locations of known abandoned dwarf holds, mines, and ruins. Tessarin is particularly concerned about recent reports of beholders and undead eye tyrants hunting around the long-abandoned village of Andalbruin. This is the place known for a former school of wizardry, the Dungeon of the Ruins.

Armed non-barbarian human bands wandering about Nesmé make Tessarin a happy woman. She wants her town to impress its traditional enemies as much as possible, and she wants Nesmé to be known in Waterdeep and along the Sword Coast. Some suspect she’s behind the latest rumors, such as the one stating new veins of ore and gems were found east and north of Nesmé. Unforunately, the events of the past few years have served to give Nesmé a different reputation: that of a city nearly under siege by the constant outpouring of trolls from the Evermoors.

Miners who might have been lured to the city to search the Evermoors for ore have been sent back to their homes, unless they feel confident enough to withstand a troll attack. This has helped the reputation of Nesmé’s militia, as they’ve proven themselves quite capable at defending the city from surges of trolls. It’s also provided plenty of opportunity for adventurers to make names for themselves (though a running joke in town is how impressive can a title of "troll-slayer" be?).

There is one definite goal for adventurous types operating out of Nesmé. Somewhere in the broken country north of the Surbrin River are cliffs where daring prospectors can chip free the valuable, exceedingly rare, black, oval gemstones known as chardalyn. Chardalyn is known for its property of entrapping spells and unleashing them later. Of course, adventurers searching for these gems have to do it between battles against orcs, trolls, giants, and other predators of the area.

Nesmé lives by its trade as well as farming, horses, livestock, and barge making; its citizens can’t attack everyone who approaches, so they’re often caught in ambushes by false caravans. Adventurers and merchants have been attracted to the security of Nesmé; the town is a base for trade and for exploration of the remote and perilous upper Surbrin River, where abandoned dwarf holds are said to be numbered in the dozens. Natural clefts in the rock and the plateau yield rich iron, so Nesmé is an important center for smelting and smithing. Blades made in Nesmé are solid, dependable swords; even more important to the local economy, vast numbers of pick heads and shovel blades are exported to just about every nondwarven community in the North.

Nesmé was ruled by the priests and priestesses of Waukeen in a spired temple, until ten years ago. With the apparent death of Waukeen during the Godswar in 1358, the priesthood lost its power and its hold over the city. With the dissolution of the temple and priesthood, the native adventurers and council used their riches to refortify the city and keep the Riders of Nesmé active in the protection of Nesmé. (Today, Nesmé has the best stone walls between Mirabar and Silverymoon. The fortifications bristle with arrow slits and heavy catapults.) Meanwhile, Tessarin "Longtresses" Alaraun (LN hf W4) administered new elections. Adventurers in town at the time led the townsfolk in voting. The citizens decided to reorganize the council.

Tessarin took over rule of Nesmé as First Speaker of the Council. She brought in Jygil Zelnathra, the former highpriestess of Waukeen, as her apprentice. Two seats were left open: one seat represents merchants, and the other adventurers. These positions are filled at random by a different person at each council meeting.

Jygil Zelnathra has a say in city politics, though she now holds a minor seat in the council. Former political enemies, the strife of the Godswar, and constant troubles with the Uthgardt forces them to set aside their rivalry and forge a strong, respectful partnership to aid the city (their magic often turns the tide against orc raiders). This process is sorting itself out; visitors to Nesmé are advised to hold tongues, keep weapons ready, and stay alert.

The Riders of Nesmé, based in the stables on the west bank of the Surbrin River, have adventurers counted in their members (including priests of various faiths). Unless the town is actually under attack, one-third of the 400-strong Riders patrol the Evermoors for two days’ ride on either bank around Nesmé. They police the population of the city (having higher attrition than most settlements due to the dominance of traveling trade), defend the city when the orcs come (at least once a decade, though the raids have occurred three times in the past 10 years), and defend against the Uthgardt of Griffon’s Nest who covet the prosperity and riches they see in Nesmé and have organized a number of unsuccessful sorties against Nesmé in the past few years. The new strength of Nesmé has made Kralgar, the Uthgardt ruler of Griffon’s Nest, even more determined this town will be his.

Nesmé is poised on the brink of action. For good or ill, great events lie ahead for the folk of the Bridge Town. For now, this is a place for merchants to make money. Tomorrow it could be swept away, or it could be the next great city of the North - if nearby Mithral Hall flourishes, if the barbarians of Griffon’s Nest are defeated, and if the strength of the trolls and orcs is broken. As sages in Waterdeep say, "My, but ye have a lot of ifs there."

Visitors planning a long stay can find rooms to their liking in dozens of rooming houses; everyone with space to spare rents their upper rooms. Of course, these are the ones that leak the most in wet weather. There are also forges, blacksmiths, finesmiths, scroll-crafters, locksmiths, engravers, and other metalworkers.

Places of Interest

Citadel of the Riders: A fortified bridge links the circular, walled town with a castle on the Surbrin River’s west bank. This, the stronghold of the Riders of Nesmé, encircles the town’s docks, paddocks, and stockades. In the event of a river attack, boulders and flaming oil can be dropped through sliding panels in the bridge floor to sink river barges (a lesson recently learned by a band of orcs). The docks can be cut off from the rest of the western fortress, which can in turn be isolated from the town.

The Citadel is double-warded. The inner ward circles the armory; the outer ward is in the dock area and on the bridge. The ward tokens can readily be seen, hung high up beside wall lanterns. They are too high for a human to reach without standing on the shoulders of another. In the event of attack, the tokens are removed so attackers face the monsters linked to the ward. Spare tokens are locked in an inner room of the armory. The outer ward is intended to route the superstitious. The monsters in the wardmist are animated skeletons of the largest monsters of the North available to the mages who created the wards. The inner ward hurls one lightning bolt at each intruder and unleashes burning skeletons, known as blazing bones, to defend the armory.

The Fallen Temple: The upper levels of this meeting house are rented out as worship areas by nondangerous faiths. (The definition of nondangerous is stretched to allow Loviatar and Malar followers to use the facilities.) Horse Ranches: The west bank is home to four horse ranches. Here, high-country horses are bred to withstand damp summers and harsh winters. In times of trouble, these ranches have the right to drive their stock into the safety of the western fortress. South of Westbridge, Nesmé horses are regarded as inferior stock, but in the North they command higher prices than other horses.

The House of the Wise Unicorn: The Unicorn is a quiet club where folk gamble, talk, or read, but no sleeping or spellcasting is allowed. The club is run by Nistlor the Undying and his staff of 16 armed guards and three apprentice wizards. The Pride of the North: This festhall’s motto is "Every night’s a wild party, with jesters and minstrels aplenty!" For a fat sum, one can feast in the hall and spend a night with a companion. Minstrels and Jesters can find steady work at the festhall, though the clientele hurls eggs and worse (this results in a high turnover rate).

Taverns: Nesmé has seven taverns. They’re poorly lit, crowded places full of mercenaries. Weapons are checked at the door and priests or wizards aren’t allowed inside, as they do too much damage when drunk. There’s a limited selection of drinks, and the prices are the same across the city. Competition is nonexistent; there are more drinkers than taverns. On dry evenings, drinkers stumble out into the streets to carouse under the stars under the watchful eyes of a detachment of Riders. The taverns are: the Cat on the Post, the Duke and the Hunter, the Embattled Dwarf, Five Gold Crowns, the Northwind Arms, the Ringing Anvil, and the Sundered Shield.