Coggershall stands on a spur of higher land where the marshy River Shale can be more easily forded and ancient trackways converge at this point.
The thriving town boasts a solid defensive position, with the Shale being diverted a couple of times to form a river around the outskirts of the community as well as a moat for the castle.
On the Coggershall side of diverted river - to the north and east (bottom of picture and right) - the earth that was dug out to create the tributary has been piled up to create an earthern defence called The Fosse.
The River Shale winds off to the south, eventually emptying into Meredoc Sea, having risen in the east at The Great Lake, which is almost an inland sea at the heart of the island of Tekralh.
With a population of around 500 (including the player-characters and their families), Coggershall - which covers about nine acres - is able to support one tavern, The Rising Sun, in the centre of town, and an inn called The Yeoman's Rest, on the main Coggershall Road (outside of the town) to the north, which has a half-dozen, very basic, rooms for rent to travellers.
Other establishments found within the environs of Coggershall include:
- a baker
- a barber
- a beer and wine-seller
- a blacksmith
- a bookbinder (most of his business is for the castle and the area's other noble families)
- a carpenter
- a chandler
- a chicken butcher
- a cooper (who also makes buckles and harnesses)
- a fishmonger
- two furriers (one of whom also makes purses)
- a hat-maker
- a hay merchant
- a jewellers
- a mason
- an old-clothes peddler
- a pastrycook
- a rugmaker
- a saddler
- a scabbardmaker
- three shoemakers
- two tailors
- a weaver
On the eastern side of town is a reasonable sized church of Mythra (which also celebrates Mother Issus and Arh the Sun God). The road to the church, as is traditional in both Tekralh and Vallon, is adorned with shrines and statues to the various other gods - both major and minor - in the Mythraic Pantheon.
Security in the town is provided by a three-man "watch force" who patrol the town in eight-hour shifts (supposedly - although more often than not you can find one or two of them drinking in The Rising Sun).
Should there be any serious disturbance in the town, the troops of Ravenmoon Castle may be sent down to intervene - although this hasn't happened within living memory.
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| Tiberius Ravenmoon |
His two sons, Dane and Corum, went off to fight in Duncan's last war with the Delosians and haven't been heard from since.
Although a widower, Tiberius does have his young daughter, Sabrina, for company (along with his servants and troops).
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| Sabrina Ravenmoon |
Tiberius loves his daughter, but really misses his sons.
The actual day-to-day running of the castle is left in the hands of Tiberius's trusted castellan, Greyjoy; a familiar figure around town at market time - known for his passion for fine wine and busty women.
Certain gossip-mongers would have it that he is skilled in the "dark arts" - but the chances are it is only cuckold husbands who make these claims.
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| Greyjoy |
The de Montforts and Hawkers are not fans of Tiberius and do little to conceal their tacit support of neighbouring Baron, Cenred - a staunch ally of King Osric.
Cenred, whose lands lie to the north and east of Coggershall, is fortunately usually too involved with keeping the Malte Volk at bay (as his lands border the Malte Volk's western lands of Scotia) to bother Tiberius.
However, the younger Cantus family is less interested in politics and more interested in hunting and has no issues with Tiberius and can, usually, be relied on to support him when needs be.
Half a mile to the south (off the top of the map) is the small religious community of Caddonbury, home to a priory run by The Sisterhood Of The Holy Word.
These dozen or so ladies are devout followers of Mother Issuss and, as well as tending to their gardens and prayers, offer a small healing centre for those suffering various (non-contagious) ailments.
Sabrina Ravenmoon is a frequent visitor to the priory, not only because she is very pious but also because she likes to entertain any patients the Sisters are tending to, with her singing.
The priory, and its grounds, are located on the edge of The Great Forest Of Caddonbury. Between Coggershall and Caddonbury sits a damp, marshy and generally unpleasant area that isn't suitable for habitation and is prone to seasonal flooding.
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| Approaching Ravenmoon Castle from the north |
Seen by King Duncan as an important, strategic site, before he went off to war he drew up a charter allowing for walls to be built around Coggershall, a market and court sessions to be held and two members of the town to attend parliament in the capital, Kaerlud.
The walls have yet to be built because as the town stands at present its entire population could easily be accommodated - in times of strife - within the Ravenmoon Castle's large outer bailey.
* Should a player roll "son/daughter of a lord" for their character's social status, he must immediately roll again (on 2d6) to see which of the Valyard families he comes from (the odds for each family are mainly dependent on their likelihood of producing a free-wheeling, adventuring type of personality) :
- 2-5: de Montfort (gains an automatic basic skill in diplomacy)
- 6-9: Cantus (gains an automatic basic skill in hunting, including +1 to hit with bows)
- 10-12: Hawker (gains an automatic basic skill in bluffing)
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