Winterhaven
| settlement name | duchy | district/province | type | population | founding year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winterhaven ¶ | Krethes | — | free city | 14,240 | 4353 |
The free city of Winterhaven lies in a remote part of Krethes, along the Raven River where it flows through the Black Valley.
The nearest settlement is Dromfor, 145 km to the north-west. A 79-km long secondary road connects the Royal Road to Winterhaven. It is 10 days by road to Strongfield in the north, or 13 days to Asafor in the south.
Winterhaven is not a pleasant place. It has been described simply as a hell-hole.
The city is tightly controlled by the self-styled Eminent Honourable Sir Lord Blaise de Leur the Third, who rules by virtue of both his iron-strong muscles and his razor-sharp mind.
Many gladiators, cut-throats, criminals, psychopaths, murderers, rapists, outlaws and capitalist pigs infest the city. Demons are reported to visit the city regularly, and its inhabitants are hideously disfigured and eat babies.
Mercenaries are readily available for hire, for any task. “Your coin, our duty” is the leitmotif of Winterhaven, although some say it should be “Our coin, your life”.
The military makeup of the city’s defences is unknown. The city guard is known to wear green armour, based on recent reports received from our affiliated publication, the Donnalaich Courier, which has an office in the city.
The largest temple within the city is dedicated to Arawn, said to be maintained by the undead. There are several secret temples in the city, including a temple to a dark god, managed by the Sorcerer Espan Crispanian.
Guilds are no doubt operating in the city, but none are affiliated with the regular Kalderani Guilds. The much-rumoured Hidden Guild is said to have its headquarters here, led by the legendary Grand Enchanter Savaric Beneyt.
The city is surrounded by large tracts of farmland, particularly between the Black and Raven Rivers. Most commonly-found crops are grown here. Several extensive livestock runs are located north of the city.
The Dark Knight Camerus Aler is believed to be based out of Winterhaven. The assassin Silk, said to be of the Circle of White Adepts, offers his services within the city and beyond.
Winterhaven started out as a farming community, founded in 4302 by settlers who desired a less-regulated life typical of city living. The settlers were really more like a war band, because in those days, large parts of Kalderesh were infested by monsters. How they survived the beasts that roamed freely across the mountains and valleys, is unknown.
During the harsh winter of 4302 the near-starving travellers stumbled across the sheltered, fish-rich confluence of the Black and Raven Rivers. They survived the winter, and decided to make this their new home. Over time, the settlement developed and attracted other like-minded folk.
During the construction of the Royal Road (4272–4306), a trail was constructed to meet up with the road. It is unknown how the trail was made, since its 79-km distance would have taken labourers many years to build. In later years, the trail was upgraded into a decent secondary road. A recent account by a traveller mentions groups of grey-skinned giants repairing and resurfacing the road.
During the last years of the reign of King Ebrardus, in 4353, Winterhaven was granted its status as a free city. The writers of this Guide were unable to determine why the King decided to do this; only the official Record of Tenditious Release could be located. Curiously it seems that in 4616 Queen Samytha sought to have the free city status revoked, but the matter was never concluded.