Millstone
Millstone has quite a large population, however, they do not intend to expand their walls or numbers as Ne’haer did. This town is governed by the Lord and/or Lady that is elected into the political seat. Residing in this town are a number of wealthy individuals that are able to trade well beyond Ne’haer and even hire their own military. Though it’s small, the military within this town is enough to keep it safe from outside enemies. The town itself focuses on a number of things, though the center of their skills revolve around crafting items like clothes, jewelry, weapons, and armor. This town is not lacking entertainment, nor shops or rest spots for travelers. They do tend to raise prices for things rather high and if one isn’t too careful, they may end up getting ripped off. A number of people come to settle in Millstone, most of those people being nobles from the Kingdom of Rynmere. If they don’t settle, they may tend to buy housing in the town. There are a number of large, finely built houses that sit empty due to this.
Being a town that is small in size compared to its neighbors, the privilege of living here tends to be somewhat exclusive. Besides the nobility and the wealthiest business owners, the only people that live in the town proper are those who work for the nobility and business owners. In this way, access and privilege is distributed by the strict control of a select few. This allows the city to function almost as a sanctuary from the surrounding region. Within its stone walls one will find expensive restaurants, fine goods, skilled tradesmen and women, and a well trained, well fed, and well paid private military- The Millstone Battalion. The streets are clean and gardens abound, providing a pleasant fragrance to the air. In many ways, it is a private paradise, and is often used as a place for nobility to escape the troubles of life elsewhere.
But Millstone is not simply a locked away sanctuary. It is also a place of immense opportunity for anyone with the right skills. Nobles will be nobles, and the nature of the upper class has not changed despite being moved about to different places in Idalos. There are many noble houses in Millstone, and all of them vy for power, prestige, and wealth. Almost every noble in Millstone is on constant lookout for remarkable individuals to serve as vassals- a job that can pay very well for one who knows how to earn their keep. Still, such opportunities are not given to everyone. The poor and the beggars of Millstone live in shantytowns outside the walls, a place known by locals as The Outer Ring, entering when they can to find work or hoping to catch the eye- and the purse- of a sympathetic noble of philanthropic merchant. Some nobles actively oppose the exclusive nature of their city by offering work and housing to this lower class. Others see it as a great opportunity to find help for less scrupulous needs. In the end it boils down to this: In Millstone, everyone is either a pawn or a player, and all would do well to keep that in mind.