Westpine
| settlement name | duchy | district/province | type | population | founding year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westpine | Daern | Royal District of Parnogrust | village | 3,500 | 4608 |
Westpine lies astride the Broad River, near the western extent of the Broad Valley. It is a small ranching village known for its seasonal cattle auctions. It is located in a copse of red pines, which the residents maintain with pride.
Large fields of horse barley are tended; this is used as cattle feed, and is also exported as prime horse feed.
Vast herds of cattle roam the valley, and the village supplies the herders and wranglers with their supplies and other needs.
Stables, inns, cheap lodgings, cattle pens and showgrounds are numerous. Beef is a staple diet here. Large quantities are preserved and transported to distant markets. The largest inn is The Horse's Fiddle, a multi-building multi-purpose establishment which forms the heart of Westpine’s social life. It is owned by Jasmyne Roasterman, a skilled bard who regularly puts on elaborate entertainments, including the yearly Meat Festival. Probably the most expensive dish served in the Fiddle is eel, which is farmed in the Broad River where is flows through the small shady forest.
A very active leather market exists in Westpine, and it is home to the Great Hall of the Guild of Skinners & Tanners, overseen by Guild Master Ezekio Lodge. The Guild sponsors the annual cattle drive festival, in which cattlemen compete for prize money and honour.
The village is also known as the home of Aemma Gardner, a master cartographer and crafter who produces beautiful maps, on leather, as works of art.
Amongst sages, however, Westpine is famous for the extensive botanical gardens of exotic plants cultivated by the wizard Layla Bakeler. Her building complex lies just south of the village. Curious scholars often visit for extended periods to study and work here. Within its sprawling partially-covered gardens is a geyser, which erupts regularly and spectacularly.