Longspear
Overview
Longspear is a small-to-medium sized walled city located on the eastern frontier of the Yeomanry, near the Keoish border. It sits on a relatively flat plain on the banks of the mighty Javan River to the east. On its other three sides, Longspear is surrounded by the Little Hills, referred to as "little" only to the comparative size of the nearby Jotens. Longspear is protected by a thick stone wall some 20 feet in height that is interrupted by even higher towers at regular intervals. There are two primary gates that provide entrance into the city (although construction of a third is being planned), and each of these is protected by high towers, heavy portculli, and well-armed soldiers. A towering citadel overlooks the city on a high hill to the northeast. Longspear serves as the primary port for the Yeomanry and is the headquarters for the Yeoman navy, which is a small but formidable force that patrols the Yeomanry's border along the river.
Despite its formidable appearance, however, Longspear is a relatively friendly and open city. It rests at the crossroads of two active trade routes, and merchants from all directions make Longspear a regular stop. As such, the city is dependent upon trade for much of its prosperity. The first route is overland, from Loftwick into Keoland and points beyond. The second trade route is north-south via the Javan River, which is both wide and navigable as it passes by the city. Merchants bring their wares southward from Cryllor through the Hold of the Sea Princes and to ports beyond the Azure Sea. Political unrest to the south has slowed this commerce down somewhat in recent years, however. Due to its strategic location, Longspear has become a melting pot of cultures, ideas, and beliefs. However, such activity makes the city difficult to control at times, and it has a much "wilder" reputation (and rightly so) than the capital, Loftwick, which is almost antiseptic in comparison.
History
Longspear was not always such a bustling town. In fact, before Yeoman independence, Longspear was little more than a small fishing village with no strategic importance. However, independence created an eastern frontier in the Yeomanry that was susceptible to attack. While the Yeomanry was protected by natural barriers to the north, south, and west, there was little, save the river, to prevent a hostile force from approaching from the east. It was decided by the council that Longspear, the only sizeable settlement in the region, be fortified and serve as a sort of 'gateway' into the Yeomanry from the east. The town thus was walled, and a citadel was built outside those walls to protect its citizens.
The threat of invasion brought many citizens in the surrounding towns and villages to Longspear for the relative safety that came with the city's walls and the soldiers protecting it. By 400 CY, the population of Longspear had grown from 600 to nearly 4,000, and the existing city walls could no longer hold the people. Sprawling, chaotic neighborhoods sprung up almost overnight around the walls, and by 450 CY the buildings inside Longspear's walls became Old Town, while the area immediately outside the walls was christened New Town. Old Town was a place for the older, more established, more orderly parts of Longspear society, while New Town was a wilder place that served as a home for the city's "new guard." The city's population settled at around 5,500 and remained as such for many years. However, in the last decade, the city has experienced tremendous growth again, due primarily to the unrest within the Hold of the Sea Princes and to the chaos in the surrounding lands that brought a number of new refugees to the Yeomanry and Longspear in particular.
Population
According to current tax roles, Longspear has a population of about 7,700 citizens, and that population grows daily as refugees come in from the south. In fact, at its current pace of growth, Longspear will surpass Loftwick as the largest city in the Yeomanry in only a few short years. Unlike Loftwick, which is primarily human, Longspear serves as the home for a number of different races. Of its 7,700 residents, some 1,500 are dwarves, about 1,000 are halflings, and there are small numbers of gnomes and elves scattered about. There are also a number of half elves in Longspear, many of whom have migrated west from Dreadwood.
Commerce
As stated earlier, one of the primary sources of income for the city is trade. Merchant trains and caravans from numerous regions, including Keoland, Dreadwood and Loftwick, sell their wares within the city walls. However, the lands surrounding Longspear are rich in resources, and as the city has grown, its people have been more able to utilize those resources. The Javan River is very fertile and provides an abundant source of fresh fish both for local consumption and for export. Areas of the Little Hills to the south and west are rich in minerals, including iron, silver, and semi-precious gems such as Onyx, Zircon, Quartz, and the occasional Amethyst. A number of dwarven families that live in and around Longspear are the primary miners of these minerals, and they have grown quite wealthy as a result.
The relatively warm, humid climate in and around Longspear is ideally suited for the growing of cotton, and there is no shortage of cotton farmers in the region. Not surprisingly, there is also a relatively high concentration of weavers within Longspear who convert the raw cotton into beautiful cloth that is in high demand throughout the region. As a result, the weaver's guild is one of the most powerful and influential guilds in the city.
Government
While the Yeomanry as a whole is considered to be a representative democracy, government within Longspear itself is somewhat less organized. The arms-bearing citizens of the city elect a spokesman who represents them in the Yeomanry League in Loftwick, and it is his responsibility to espouse the wants and needs of the city to the League. The city also has a mayor who is elected by all landowners within the city. He is in charge of overseeing the city's internal affairs, armed forces operations, the paying of taxes, and maintaining other city services. However, in Longspear, the mayor is a mere figurehead with little real power. He is a mere personality that the people of the city can identify with. Instead, city operations are dominated by an unusually strong and well-organized guild system - a rarity in a small city. Loftwick and the Yeomanry League tolerate the existence of the guild system in Longspear for the simple fact that it works - the city is prospering and its people are happy. While it is tue that many of the more influential guildmembers are self-interested, a majority of them truly care about the success of the city and its people.
Armed Forces
Longspear maintains a garrison of approximately 600 soldiers which can be doubled in times of great need. The soldiers are divided into two groups: The Watch, which patrols Longpear's streets, and The Riders, who guard the city's environs. A typical Watch patrol consists of 10 men armed with chainmail, shields, spears, and crossbows, including a sergeant. A Rider patrol is similarly armed (albeit mounted on light warhorses) and usually accompanied by a wizard. Riders are well renowned for their ability to fire their crossbows accurately while in full gallop, and the garrison stables are stocked with some of the fastest horses that money can buy. There is much rivalry (most of it friendly) between the Watch and the Riders. However, when the city is threatened, both the Watch and the Riders unify their forces to thwart the common enemy.