Kethira-720TR-Harn-Kaldor-Eliten

From "In Genin's Footsteps" by Julian Verdreth, 715 TR:

Two miles further (from Varlin) is Eliten. It is one of the wealthiest fiefs in Kaldor, and produces some of the best nuts and berries. Many bushels of Eliten fruit are sold in Tashal every season. Many caravans stop here for a day to trade and to relax at the Smiling Boar Inn. The food is excellent, the pies are justly renowned, and the beds surprisingly comfortable. Lord Larquste is one of the wealthiest knights in Kaldor, and his military force is formidable; it is a good thing that he is friendly to travelers. There is a limit to his friendliness, however; because Eliten is at the crossroads going to Qualdris and to Sirendel, there is a royal tollhouse. As is usual, Lord Larquste is allowed to keep a portion of the proceeds as his fee for administering the tollhouse. Fortunately, only the standard toll is charged and the guards are fair.

Lord Larquste has a reputation for fairness and is well-loved by his people; he plays the game of court politics well, and seems to have many influential friends and few enemies.

Although it is common for caravans to tarry here, I prefer to travel and prefer to overnight in Chantal, a long league down the road. About halfway to Chantal is the small village of Zarbizan…

The road curves in from the northwest, passing between extensive fields and sections of more concentrated homes. The manor itself is an impressive sight up ahead, 2 stories plus a tower. The stone walls are fifteen feet high and well-cleared of vines and moss, revealing how strongly-built they were.

The royal tollhouse is on the road crossing the river, hard by where a number of local roads came together. It is only natural that just before a tollhouse there would develop a wide gathering spot. From the wide section, one road leads west to the manor, an easy bowshot away. Off to the east, another road heads between fields and woods. To the west, on both sides of the stream, local paths headed off to other fields.

The manor’s gate is an actual pair of towers with a drawbridge to cross the moat, water drawn from the nearby stream.

Places

The Smiling Boar Inn

Like many Kaldoric buildings, it is fairly low with stone walls and heavy timbers holding up the roof. Unlike most buildings, the roof is shingled rather than thatched. The shingles look old but certainly weatherproof, an expensive process, suggesting the inn has been prosperous for some time. Inside, it is pretty shadowy. The open windows help but they are smallish and don’t eliminate all of the dark spots in the room. They also don’t ventilate the air much, giving the room a heavy feel amidst the aromas of cooking, ale, and old sweat.

The food is good, but pricy, and they’ve a commons for the animals. They have both ale and lager for 1f, and make pies (handspan across and 1½" deep) of nuts and fruits for 1d. They also serve fish, river trout (about 1' long), fried in bacon grease and served on a trencher, for 1d per half-fish.

The innkeeper likes to make a show of serving the fish, stripping the bones out with an expert flick of his knife, capping the loaf with the bottom half and flipping it over, then quickly stripping off the fish skin from the other side. Bones and skin, and very little else, goes onto the extra platter with a flourish.

The pie is also excellent. Tender crust with berries that still hold some of their own texture, cooked into a thick jelly that isn’t overly sweet: fresh berries with a bit of honey.