MarkOliva

05/19/2013

1393

With the 109th Map of the Week we take a look at the town center of North Junction, county seat of the Slovanian River County. The town extends beyond the map's boundaries. The unnumbered buildings on the map also can be assumed to be residential. However, the game master should feel free to identify these structures in any manner that he or she chooses.

Count Arnošt's Castle Complex:

1. Servants' Quarters.

2. Stable and Coachhouse.

3. Castle Building. The residence and offices of Count Arnošt are in this building. The 68-year-old count and his wife, Countess Vlasta, a 66-year-old human female sorceress, dwell alone here. Arnošt's county minister Bonifác, a 58-year-old human male merchant, and his wife, Lada, a 54-year-old human female scholar, also live in the castle. Arnošt's court mage, Dalimil, an unmarried 72-year-old human male wizard, has exclusive use of the castle tower. Dalimil is the only publicly know spellcaster of higher level in North Junction.

Distant Trails Trading:

4. Administrative Office. The manager of Distant Trails in North Junction is the 51-year-old Emanuel, a human male merchant. Who or what owns this trading company is uncertain, but it seems certain that Arnošt has a substantial interest in it. Ostensibly, the company transports ore and coal in heavy duty wagons from Mine Docks to Newhouse and bronze products and other wares back to Mine Docks on the return trip. However, there's more to operation than that. Distant Trails also runs illegal caravans up the Leipt River to the North Kingdom, trading merchandise from Slovania and Windland for goods from the lands of the vampire draugs. It then smuggles the North Kingdom's goods into Slovania, hiding them in false bottoms of the ore wagons. Emanuel employs two clerks and a bookkeeper, all human male and female merchants; three laborers, all human male and female commoners, and a stable boy, also a human male commoner.

5. Wagon House.

6. Warehouses.

7. Stable.

Royal Trading Co.:

8. Administrative Office. Slovania's largest trading company is a national transportation operation jointly controlled by the crown, the four counties and the Border March, with the king, the burgomaster, the counts and the margrave all having a say in its dealings. The manager in North Junction is the 37-year-old Vilma, a human female merchant. She employs three clerks and a bookkeeper, all human male and female merchants; two laborers, both human male and female commoners, a stable boy, a human male commoners.

9. Stable and Wagon House.

10. Warehouses.

Windland Overland.

11. Administrative Building. This is a foreign operation that claims to be based in the small coastal town of Dark Mountainsin northwestern Windland. The company's manager in North Junction is the 32-year-old Metoděj, a human male merchant. He employs a clerk and a bookkeeper, both human male and female merchants; two laborers, both human male and female commoners, and a stable boy, also a human male commoner.

12. Stable and Wagon House.

13. Warehouses.

Northeastern Quarter.

14. Bořek's Butcher Shop. Master Butcher Bořek, a 45-year-old human male artisan, slaughters local cattle, pork and poultry and boar and venison brought in by hunters. Bořek sells over the counter in the shop and delivers to all of the town's culinary establishments. He employs the journeyman butcher Renáta, a 32-year-old human female artisan, and an apprentice butcher, Tadeáš, an 18-year-old human male commoner. He also employs a salesperson and a laborer, both human male and female commoners. Bořek and his wife, Albína, a 44-year-old human female commoner, live with their 17-year-old daughter, Ingrid, a human female commoner, in an apartment on the shop's second story.

15. Cobbler Jitka. Master Cobbler Jitka, a 50-year-old human female artisan and widow, shoes and boots the civilian and military population of North Junction. She employs two journeyman cobblers, human male and female artisans, and two apprentice cobblers, human male and female commoners. Jitka lives alone in an apartment above the cobbler's shop.

16. Julie's Maps. Master Cartographer Julie, a 44-year-old human female artisan, is Slovania's leading map maker. She pays several traveling merchants and skáldar for the reliable and detailed information that she uses to make her maps. She can reasonably reliable maps of all of Slovania and Windland and generally useable maps for the North Kingdom, southern areas within the ruins of the Æsir Empire and the Fjörm River Valley between Auðarhome and the desert ruins of Æsir Sands. SJulie employs two journeyman cartographers, human male and female artisans, and two apprentice cartographers, human male and female commoners. Julie and her husband, the soldier Aleš, a 46-year.old human male warrior, live in an apartment above the studio.

17. Bernard's Candles. With tallow from the rendering plant northeast of town and beeswax, Master Chandler Bernard, a 33-year-old human male artisan, makes candles for much of Royal County. He employs two journeyman chandlers, human male and female artisans, and an apprentice chandler, a human female commoner. Bernard lives along with his wife, Sabina, a 28-year-old human female commoner, and their two juvenile children in an apartment above the chandlery.

18. Diana's Bakery. Master Baker Diana, a 44-year-old human female artisan, is the sole provider of commercial bread and other baked goods in North Junction. She employs two journeyman bakers, both human male artisans; an apprentice baker, a human female commoner, and two salespersons, human male and female commoners. Diana rents out the two small apartments above the bakery. She lives with her husband, Master Miller Ambrož, and their two teen-aged children in the house of the Northflood Grain Mill (Location No. 25).

Mill Quarter:

19. Millpond.

20. Lenka's Textiles. In this sizeable textile mill, Master Weaver Lenka, a 52-year-old human female artisan, weaves linen from flax and wool and makes a wide variety of clothing sold throughout Slovania and exported to Windland. She employs two other master weavers, her son Josef, a 31-year-old human male artisan, and Luboš, a 40-year-old human male artisan. She also employs five journeyman weavers, all human male and female artisans; two apprentices, human male and female commoners; a bookkeeper, a human male merchant, two salespersons, both human male and female commoners, and a laborer, human male commoner. Lenka lives with her husband, the retired soldier Valentýn, a 60-year-old human male warrior, in an apartment on the textile mill's top story.

21. Northflood Smithy. This operation is owned and operated by Master Smith Heřman, a 61-year-old human male artisan. His chief aide and second master is his 39-year-old daughter Eliška, a human female artisan. They employ four journeyman smiths, all human male and female artisans; two apprentice smiths, human male and female commoners, and two laborers, both human male and female commoners. The smithy does all types of work, from making and repairing weapons and armor to the manufacture of farm implements and the shoeing of horses. The garrison is the smithy's biggest customer. Heřman lives with his wife, Soňa, a 60-year-old human female commoner, in an apartment on the smithy's second story. Daughter Eliška lives with her husband, innkeeper Mikuláš, in an apartment in his Island Inn (Location No. 31).

22. Marcel's House. This building serves as the house of Master Carpenter Marcel, the 48-year-old human male artisan who owns and operates the River Woodworks carpentry and joining operation (Location No. 23). Marcel lives alone in the house with his wife, Adriana, a 44-year-old human female merchant who keeps the company's books and handles the business side of the operation.

23. River Woodworks. This is a combined carpentry and joiner operation. Master Carpenter Marcel, a 48-year-old human male artisan, is the owner. The company does on-site carpentry and makes a wide variety of wood products including furniture and barrels. Marcel's employees include the Master Joiner Johana, a 37-year-old human female artisan, and Master Cooper Havel, a 41-year-old human male artisan. He also employs three journeyman carpenters, four journeyman joiners and a journeyman cooper, all human male and female artisans, and two apprentice carpenters, two apprentice joiners, an apprentice cooper and two laborers, all human male and female commoners. Marcel and his wife Adriana live in the house on the woodworks' grounds (Location No. 22).

24. Drunken Apprentice Tavern. One could say that owner and barkeep Vařinec, a 42-year-old human male commoner, named this public house after himself. More than 20 years ago, Master Miller Ambrož threw Vařinec out as an apprentice miller in the Northflood Grain Mill (Location No. 25). The reason was that Vařinec regularly returned to the mill somewhat inebriated after the noon lunch break and then tended to fall asleep on the job. Within a week after losing his apprentice's job, Vařinec inherited the tavern from his father, who died unexpectedly. Rather than being a miller, Vařinec decided to become a barkeep. Despite the fact that he always has a bit of a buzz, he runs the Drunken Apprentice successfully. He has the support of the town's master artisans, because – in agreement with them – he keeps the tavern closed during the noon hour. At 18 bells in the evening (6 p.m.), when the workday ends, customers quickly fill the tavern. The masters, journeymen and common laborers who have wives at home usually leave after a tankard or two of beer. Those who are single and the young apprentices tend to stay until later in the night, when many drunken apprentices make their way at last to bed. Vařinec works the tap, serving lager beer from the Island Inn brewery across the street at three copper pieces per pint/half-liter tankard. Shortly before opening hour, his wife, Aneta, a 39-year-old human female commoner, buys dark rye bread from Diana's Bakery (Location No. 18) and cold cuts from Bořek's Butcher Shop (Location No. 14). She then makes bread boards, adding butter and dill pickles. The bread boards sell for a bronze piece each. Vařinec and Aneta are childless. They live in an apartment on the tavern's second story.

25. Northflood Mill. Master Miller Ambrož, a 46-year-old human male artisan, owns North Junction's grain and vegetable oil mill. He charges farmers a milling fee of 10% by weight. Ambrož employs the journeyman miller Ivana, a 26-year-old human female artisan; the apprentice miller Mojmír, a 17-year-old human male commoner, and the laborer Aleksandra, a 24-year-old human female commoner. Ambrož lives in his house on the north side of the mill, together with his two teen-aged children and his wife Diana, who is his best customer as owner of Diana's Bakery (Location No. 18).

26. Millstream and Dam. The millstream has been channelized with a stone wall.

27. Antonie's Wagon Works. Master Wainwright Antonie, a 49-year-old human female artisan, builds the rolling stock used in the North Junction area. Her main products are wagons, coaches and wheelbarrows. She employs two journeyman wainwrights, human male and female artisans, and two apprentice wainwrights and two laborers, all human male and female commoners. Antonie's husband, the 48-year-old human male merchant Radek, runs the business side of the wagon works and he keeps the books. Antonie and Radek live in the house on the east side of the complex, which also includes the wagon works' business office.

28.-29. Pavlina's Sawmill. Master Sawyer Pavlina, a 46-year-old human female artisan, took over the sawmill after the death of her husband in an accident. She is the sole source of lumber in the greater North Junction area. Pavlina employs a journeyman sawyer, human male artisan, and an apprentice sawyer and laborer, both human male and female commoners. The mill's office and Pavlina's dwelling are in the building to the left (No. 28) within the complex.

30. Northflood Creek.

Inn Quarter:

31.-33. Island Inn.

31. Inn. The innkeeper Mikuláš, a 41-year-old human male merchant, owns and operates the only North Junction inn that accepts regular overnight guests. His single rooms cost 8 bronze pieces per night. The public room serves the inn's own lager beer at 3 bronze pieces per pint/half-liter tankard. Meals run between a silver piece and 9 bronze pieces per entrée. Mikuláš takes care of the inn's business affairs. His younger brother, Záviš, a 36-year-old human male commoner, is in charge of the beer tap. Záviš' wife, the 34-year-old Master Cook Agáta, a human female artisan, is in charge of the kitchen. Their daughter, Olga, a 16-year-old human female commoner, is the only waitress, but Mikuláš will double as a waiter when business is heavy. None of the family members who work in the inn offer after-hours services. Mikuláš, his wife Eliška, their daughter, Irma, and his mother. Romana, live in an apartment on the inn's third story. Eliška is a master smith who works in her father's Northflood Smithy (Location No. 21). Romana and Irma are the brewwives in the inn's brewery (Location No. 33). Záviš, Agáta and Olga live in an apartment on the 4th story.

32. Stable. Guests' coaches and horses can be kept here. Three stable boys and girls, all human commoners, are on duty in three different shifts 24 hours a day. The daily stable fee is one bronze piece per coach and two bronze pieces per horse.

33. Brewhouse. Mikuláš' mother, the 62-year-old human female artisan Romana, is the master brewwife. She is training her granddaughter, the 17-year-old journeyman brewwife Irma, a human female artisan, to be her successor. The two brew a dark golden, well-hopped lager beer.

34.-37. Junction Inn.

34. Inn. The inn is owned by Count Arnošt. He bought it 10 years ago. Since then, one can only nominally consider it to be an inn. Public guests are not accepted. Some of the rooms are rented on a permanent basis to important persons from elsewhere who come frequently to North Junction. Others are let as guest rooms, but only to those who are guests of or visitors to the count, usually in town for business reasons. Room bookings are made by the castle (Location No. 3) staff. Arnošt's innkeeper is the unmarried, 54-year-old human female merchant Eleonora. She works only on the business side of the inn and in service to the guests who have rooms there. The guest rooms all are on the second story. An armed guard controls entry to the stairway. The ground floor includes the public room, a fest hall that can be reserved, the kitchen and jakes and Eleonora's office and quarters. Eleonora and almost all of the inn's staff are immigrants from Windland. That, in turn, is the result of Arnošt's desire to make his inn an elite house with gourmet dining. To that end, he recruited experienced and talent members of the Windland gastronomy. Meals in the public room are the creations of the master cooks Vladan and Karina, a husband and wife team, both 37-year-old human artisans, also lured by the count from the finest eatery in Tmavústí to North Junction. From the same inn, he hired master brewwife Izabela, a still-single, 32-year-old human female artisan. She brews a dark golden light bock beer that is unique in Slovania, blending the sweet taste of malt made from the finest brewer's barley with a strong bitter hops and a small portion of aroma hops from the forbidden but high quality hops gardens of the vampire-ruled North Kingdom. However, those who can afford it tend to prefer the premium wines from Arnošt's own vineyards on the River Storming east of Desert's End in the south of his county. After eating, many guests tend to dash down their food with a shot or two of the excellent schnapps and fruit liqueurs made in the inn's distillery. That many guests prefer wine is no problem for the brewery, which Arnošt views as being not only a part of the inn operation but also a booming business. Meals run from 1 to 6 gold pieces, wines cost between 3 and 200 gold pieces for a liter bottle, schnapps and liqueurs cost between 1 silver piece and 5 gold pieces for a shot/100-cl glass and Junction Bock goes for 4 copper pieces per pint/half-liter tankard.

35. Stable. Guests' coaches and horses can be kept here. Three stable boys and girls, all human commoners, are on duty in three different shifts 24 hours a day. The daily stable fee is included in the price of the room.

36. Brewhouse. The most popular brewery in Tmavústí in Windland belonged to the Salty Sailor inn there, until it and the entire inn complex on the waterfront were destroyed in a strange fire whose origins never were investigated. Arnošt hired the ashen brewery's brewwife, Klára, a 63-year-old human female master artisan, who came to North Junction with her journeyman brewwife, her daughter Izabela, now also a human female master artisan at age 32. In North Junction, Klára began brewing special light bock that was a legend on the high seas of Blárheim. She passed on her recipe to daughter Izabella, and when Klára died a year ago, Izabella succeeded her as brewwife. The brewery also employs two human male laborers. After 18 bells (6 p.m.), locals can buy Junction Bock at the brewery for 7 copper pieces per quart/liter. Customers must bring their own tankards.

37. Distillery. Arnošt has orchards and berry farms west of North Junction. Master Distiller Alois, a 51-year-old human male artisan from Tmavústí, distills the juice of the fruits and berries into schnapps and liqueurs. His employees include the Slovánski journeyman distiller Karel, a 30-year-old human male artisan, and three laborers, all human male and female commoners. Officially, the distillery is a part of the inn complex, but it really is more of a commercial business in its own right. Alois' distillates are available throughout much of Slovania. They even are sold at marketplaces and by wandering peddlers.

South Quarter:

38. Inland Clothier. Master Seamstress Anastázie, a 55-year-old human female artisan, is the best local customer of Lenka's Textiles (Location No. 20). Her shop makes all kinds of clothing including military uniforms for the garrison. Her tailors and seamstresses make both ready-to-wear clothing for the market and custom, made-to-order-and-fit clothing. Anastázie employs three journeyman tailors, human male artisans; two journeyman seamstresses, human female artisans; eight apprentice tailors and seamstresses, human male and female commoners, and four salespersons and laborers, also human male and female commoners.

39.-40. Town Hall Complex. The complex consists of a coach house and stable (Location No. 39) and the administrative building (Location No. 40). The town jail is in the cellar of the latter. The town rule is in the hands of the count's appointed Burgomaster Liliana, a 52-year-old human female merchant. The city hall staff includes the burgomaster, eight clerks, all human male and female merchants; the six members of the town watch, all human male and female warriors and fighters; three jailors, all human male and female fighters, and eight laborers, all human male and female commoners.

41. Amalie's Pub. The 67-year-old retired human female ranger Amalie owns the popular pub. Amalie opens each day at 16 bells (4 p.m.). She serves Junction Bock beer from the Junction Inn brewery at 7 bronze pieces per quart/liter tankard. When one considers that the bock beer has nearly 7% alcohol, one tankard already is pretty heady fare. It shouldn't be surprising that bar brawls break out now and then. When they do, ceramic tankards begin to fly. However, when the battle is over, the brawlers usually avoid visiting the jail beneath town hall (Location No. 40) by paying Amalie for the damages. She offers nothing smaller than the quart/liter tankards. Beginning at 18 bells (6 p.m.), the pub begins serving fish boards – filets of smoked trout from the Northflood on rye bread with creamed horseradish. They cost 5 bronze pieces each. Amalie has two employees. Sabina, a 19-year-old human female commoner, works as a waitress. Karolína, a 32-year-old human female commoner, makes the fish boards and also helps Sabina with waitressing when it's busy.

42. Garrison. Commandant Anežka, a 44-year-old human female warrior, heads a company of 32 soldiers and two middle-level war wizards. The garrison is more involved in police work than military operations. Anežka is responsible for maintaining the peace in the settlements in the surrounding area, but the burgomaster also can call her to duty in North Junction if the town watch needs reinforcement. Another lesser known duty is guarding the large store of reserve weapons that Arnošt has stored in the garrison.

43. House of Healing. Two human healers, the 46-year-old Vlastimil and his 47-year-old wife Milada, operate this herbal clinic. Vlastimil is the chief healer for patients. Two other healers, both human females, the 29-year-old Antonie and the 36-year-old Kristýna, also heal patients. Milada is in charge of the apothecary operation. She and the 33-year-old human male healer Vašek make the herbal medicines and remedies that area used in treatment and sold over the counter. Milada has no herbal farms of her own. She buys raw herbs from peddlers. Valstimil and Milada live in an apartment on the second story.

44. Market. Both locals and traveling peddlers offer an ever-changing assortment of wares on the market square. Not all of them are legal, but Count Arnošt has ordered Burgomaster Liliana to not control the matter too strictly. Anyone who wants to set up a stand on the market square needs to buy a permit from town hall. A permit costs a silver piece per day, three gold pieces a week or 10 gold pieces for a month.


You can get the map in two versions:

1. The Fractal Mapper (TM) 8 version in FMP format, fully editable, from our Jörðgarð web page (33 MB).

2. As a JPG flat map of 1360 Pixels x 1088 Pixels (680 KB), available with the hyperlink below.

Both versions are released for personal and commercial use under the Open Game License Version 1.0a, which you can read on the Jörðgarð website at:

www.vintyri.org/joerdhgardh/joerdhgardh.htm

Next week: Drunken Apprentice Tavern

Mark Oliva
Webmaster, the Vintyri Project (TM)
www.vintyri.org
info@vintyri.org
Celebrating 20 Years of RPG Freeware