1. Town entrance features a single bridge and a small cabin. This is the only safe access to town; otherwise it is only approachable from the lake. One might try wading through the river (it's not very deep... most of the time) or descending the cliffs (a hazardous enterprise indeed). The cabin houses a guard, who keeps track of comings and goings. During the market days he is aided by a guildsman, and together they charge a bridge toll (1sp per cart or horse, 1cp otherwise, free for the residents).
2. "Riverside Inn" offers lodging and meals for 1gp a day. The common room is usually empty when nobody is in for lunch or supper. Working people come for a few drinks as night falls, and it is the busiest time, but half of them proceed to the tavern where they can get a more varied range of beverages.
3. The Town Hall is one of the few stone buildings and a place where the local Merchant's Guild holds its meetings. It also serves as the courthouse and the sheriff's home.
4. The Playground is a spacious grassy clearing near the river, called so for the local children who often play there, but also as a destination for courting couples.
5. Other services are available, but hardly useful to adventurers. The local smith and leatherworker can make only rudimentary armour and weapons, and there is a 200 gp limit to what they can do at all.
6. The Marketplace before the temple holds many tents and booths where the tradesemen ply their goods. People usually gather for a weekly market; otherwise the square is deserted.
7. The Windmill grinds corn, of course.
8. The Temple is dedicated to the Olympian pantheon, and houses a dozen priests.
9. The town's Alchemist can brew up some concoctions and potions, but nothing over 100gp of value.
10. The Barracks house the sheriff's deputy and a couple of guards. There are 18 regular guards who help out with the bridge and patrols during the market days; otherwise most of them work the farms. In case of an emergency (bandits and such), the barracks can arm up to 80 militia men (with mostly shoddy equipment, however).
11. The Lord's Manor is where the local noble lives. He is impoverished and the manor is in disrepair.
12. "Otherside Tavern" offers a variety of wines and beers of neighbouring brewers, 1sp per mug of ale and 2sp for a glass of wine. It does not offer lodging, however, and people are rushed out at closing time (around midnight).
13. Boats can be rented at the harbour, as people sometimes travel across the lake to other towns.
13. Boats can be rented at the harbour, as people sometimes travel across the lake to other towns.
14. The Lake Katmara is a large, landlocked lake. Upon its shores lie three other towns of approximately the same size as Berem, as well as dozens of fishermen's and hunters' cabins.
15. The Monastery is a home to an order of reclusive, self-sufficient monks who only open their gate once a month to receive new supplies. The locals are used to it by now, though brighter heads might wonder where the monks get their money for the supplies, since they are never seen earning it.
16. The Tower is cut off by monastery walls and steep cliffs. A bright light shines perpetually from its top, and can be seen even during the day. During the night, it has half the strength of a full moon. Needless to say, the locals are quite used to it, and call it 'The Torch'. Most rumours agree that a wizard inhabits the tower, and that the light is part or result of one of his experiments.
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Illustration and text by Domigorgon.
