Esterhedge Haven

settlement name	duchy	district/province	type	population	founding year
Esterhedge Haven ¶	Toreen	—	free city	7,964	4375

Fangkelder Observatory.

The rarest potion in existence, owned by Yarl Dunneman of Esterhedge.

Esterhedge lies between the Baro Hills and the Barban Highlands in eastern Toreen. “Anything at Esterhedge” is a truism known across Kalderesh, as this free city is famous for its large and busy markets, where anything can be bought or sold. It is said that even dragon’s eggs are for sale in the city, if you know where to enquire.

Esterhedge is known for its Market Festival that is held in May. The town elders have legislated that each seller of goods or services in the city has to offer a certain fraction of their wares at half-price. During the week-long festival, the city’s population doubles in size.

Esterhedge is also famous as the home of the kingdom’s incredibly wealthy citizens. The richest person in Kalderesh, Yarl Dunneman, lives here. Yarl’s magnificent mansion occupies several city blocks. In the grounds of his home is a lake in which a fully-rigged galleon is anchored.

The city was granted free status in 4375 by King Federic. Records from this time are hard to come by, but it is believed the special status was conferred in exchange for a donation to the Royal Treasury. The original excorporation papers state the city’s name as “Esterhedge Haven”. Most Kalderani simply know it as Esterhedge, while locals call it Haven.

A massive wall surrounds the city and its five hills, and it’s silhouette from the only approach road is impressive. Three massive gates allow access to the city: Upper Gate, Morning Gate , and Lowgate.

The city lord is Reede Armand, known as the Viceroy of Esterhedge. His stock in trade is information. The City Council is governed by Senior Councillor Ysabel Wood, who rules from the Red City, a complex located on one of the five Hills of Esterhedge.

Esterhedge makes, buys, and sells, everything. Even the extensive city sewer system has been converted into market places and warehouses (see p 202).

The highly efficient Esterhedge Guard Corps is supervised by Kaelia Silver, supported by an elite team led by Grand Arcane Kaelia Doe and Razimite Grand High Priest Ridyr Forrester. Members of the Guard Corps wear distinctive orange armour and robes, in a shade said to be midway between the colour of gold and blood.

While there are no temples in the city, there are chapels to Razim and Sahir, and chantries to each of the Seven.

The Razimite chapel is managed by Lord Hynroe Bird, a devout combatant believed to be from Malanthea. Two Grand Arcanes oversee the Saar chapel: Julyo of the High Tower and Anker the Hooded.

A Qidranian Arch Priest, Bertus Burger, tends to the modest chantry which stands outside in one of the city’s splendid parks.

The Aadite Arch Priest Horgus Waterman looks after the D’Aad chantry attached to the Judge Hall. Holiness Sardius Vane, a member of the Circle of White Adepts, also supports the chantry. These places of worship are busy and functional but not particularly decorative or splendid – architecturally, that’s the preserve of the market places and craft quarters.

Most guilds are represented in the city, but since Esterhedge is a free city, they operate under different regulations and are only loosely associated with the official Kalderani guilds. There is even a representative of the Royal Guilde of Artists in residence.

Fangkelder, the Wizard Guild’s impressive complex, houses laboratories, alchemical test sites, and a well-appointed observatory. The Guild’s extensive library is a complex of individual libraries, with a dedicated library for each school of magic.

A retired judge, Senior Justice Hon. Victorus Bigg (EC) oversees a busy court system, mostly dealing with contract law, from Judge Hall in Long Street. Justice Bigg was previously the private legal counsel of the Duke of Krethes.

Foreigners are often encountered in Esterhedge, going about in their foreign ways doing foreign things.

Notorious criminals and outlaws walk its streets, including the likes of Eryck “Knife” Wood, Eva Deathsinger, and Robett Rockman. However, they are (usually) wise enough to know to not cause trouble, as the Esterhedge Guard Corps has a reputation for being ruthless with miscreants.