North Reach
Overview
North Reach rests at the meeting point between the Jotens and the Little Hills in the northern part of the Yeomanry. The city originated as a dwarven mining town centuries ago. These dwarves discovered a rich vein of mithril in the nearby mountains that they quickly began to harvest. As word spread of these bountiful mines, dwarves from the surrounding regions migrated towards them in hopes that they would benefit from this newfound wealth, and the sponsors of the mines decided to protect it with walls and soldiers. Thus North Reach was born, although the original dwarven name for the city has been lost in antiquity.
Despite being a relatively large town in the Yeomanry, North Reach is small and compact in area. Its citizens are tightly packed together within the relative safety of the city's high, formidable walls, which can reach 30 feet in height in some places. Houses and lofts have been built atop one another, and three-and-four story buildings, unusual in other cities, are commonplace in North Reach. A side effect of such construction is that there are a number of dark, winding alleys scattered throughout the city, and a newcomer to North Reach easily can become lost without assistance. It's streets are steep and hilly, further contributing to the city's rather ramshackle appearance.
Unlike Longspear, North Reach is a relatively quiet and conservative town. Centuries of invasion have made citizens quite cautious - even paranoid at times. They are slow to trust others, and they prefer to depend upon themselves and their family first and foremost. While there are exceptions to this rule within the city, the constant stares of the town watch keeps most rabble-rousing in check.
History
North Reach prospered as a mining boom town for nearly 300 years. While much of the town was visible on the surface, a considerable portion of North Reach's original inhabitants lived underground in vast networks of tunnels and caverns that were constructed to protect citizens from the occasional orc, ogre, or giant attack. During this period, the city became very rich, and a number of elegant buildings were constructed in and around North Reach due to the prosperity of its citizens. Furthermore, the city's vast wealth allowed it to maintain a highly skilled militia that kept these aforementioned invaders at bay.
Eventually, however, the mithril mines dried up. Once the supply of valuable metal had become depleted, most of the dwarves left for more profitable work. What remained was a relative ghost town where only a few hopeful souls continued to hope for another "mother lode." Shortly thereafter, the city was seized and occupied by a tribe of orcs, the Iron Fangs, who preceded to destroy much of the beautiful dwarven art and architecture contained therein. Fifty years later, the restless orcs left North Reach in ruins.
The following decades witnessed an increase in humanoid activity in the surrounding areas. Giant and ogre invasions became much more commonplace, and the farmers and artisans in the region could do little about them. After years of harassment, the tribal leaders of the human settlements decided to flee north, towards the mountains, to escape the humanoid presence. They reoccupied the abandoned ruins of the dwarven city and rebuilt it, naming it North Reach. The high walls and stone caves of the ruined city provided considerably more protection for the humans, and shortly they had established a moderately successful community based on quarrying and mining.
Peace does not last in North Reach for long, however. The city has been razed a number of times, but its steadfast people always manage to rebuild her. In fact, many sections of North Reach have been built on top of older, destroyed sections of the city. This process of rebuilding has resulted in a vast system of catacombs and chambers beneath the surface of the current city, many of which have been forgotten for centuries.
Population
North Reach serves as the home for some 3,700 hardy souls, most of whom live within the confines of its walls. Of these 3,700, some 800 are dwarves - remnants of times long past. Many of these are members of clan Boldcudgel, a large and influential family who controls much of the mining in and around the city. Besides a small scattering of halflings, very few inhabitants of other races live in or near North Reach.
Commerce
As stated earlier, a portion of North Reach's economy comes from mining. However, mining within the city is not what it used to be. Instead of mithril, the dwarves of Loftwick mine copper, iron, and some silver. Stone is also quarried from the surrounding mountains. The primary source of income within the city, however, is agriculture. The land south of North Reach is rolling and the soil is rich - perfect for farming. Hundreds of farms and a number of small villages are scattered within a day's ride of the town; thus North Reach serves as a hub for these farmers. They sell their wares in a huge market outside of the city's permanent walls, and not surprisingly the farmer's guild is quite influential here. The primary crops grown by the surrounding farmers include rice, barley, tobacco, fruit, and vegetables.
Government
Similar to most of the larger towns and cities within the Yeomanry, North Reach possesses both a Grosspokesman and a mayor. The Grosspokesman, who serves on the national council, is responsible for representing the city's interests in national affairs while the mayor is more concerned with internal affairs.
Laws within North Reach are quite rigid. Insubordination is not tolerated within the city's walls, and the spreading of propaganda or false rumors is tolerated even less. Punishments tend to be harsh to avoid repeat offenses. Patrols and the town watch are ever-present, and the crime rate is quite low as a result. However, it is quite likely that clandestine activity of all sorts takes place within North Reach, because it is impossible for the watch to patrol everywhere, especially within its extensive network of underground chambers and tunnels. As such, it is rumored that there is a well-established thieves' guild within the city that has quite a bit of political pull.
It should be noted also that the temple of Hieroneous is very influential within the walls of North Reach. Its priests are well-respected and have considerable political power in the city. Worship of Hieroneous is limited, at best, in the rest of the Yeomanry.
Armed Forces
North Reach boasts a professional garrison of approximately 300 soldiers, armed mostly with chainmail, shield, spear, dagger, and light crossbow. They patrol both the interior and exterior of the city and are often mounted in latter cases. They are known for their lack of a sense of humor and their harsh treatment of lawbreakers. They are also joined by some 75 dwarven irregulars armed with chainmail, battle axe, and heavy crossbow. It is also relatively common for a cleric or acolyte of Hieroneous to accompany patrols on their rounds, especially outside the city.