Location: Imrum District, Gerium Province, Thardic Republic
Status: Legion Outpost
Population: 96 people

Documents: Ritzen, Ritzen Overview, Ritzen Village, Ritzen Outpost, Raven in Ritzen, Howling in the Darkness

Ritzen is a legion outpost at the edge of the Imrum District, on the Neshell Downs. It is less than ½ a league from the Rethem border. Surrounded by forests, this outpost is just over a league (5 kilometers) from the Imrium road. The small town receives its fresh water from a deep well that touches an underground stream.

History

Ritzen's name originated from the rich merchant who founded a villa in the area in 653TR. The merchant, Ritzen Meldrez brought his family from Imrum and founded a villa amongst the newly cleared trees. A few peddlers traveled up the rough-cut road from Imrum to Ritzen once every month to deliver supplies, and take back freshly cut timber.

In 667TR the peddlers arrived to find Ritzen aflame. The bodies of the merchant, his family and servants were buried in a mass grave at the edge of the settlement. The peddlers reported the massacre to the local authorities who, in their wisdom, declared the act to have been of vengeful tribesmen. The murder was never officially investigated.

Ritzen Meldrez had many enemies, and few friends. Even his family was glad of his passing. The inheritor to the Meldrez estate sold the land back to the newly forming Coranan Republic for 2,450d. The paltry sum raised many new questions; but most believed Ritzen's death probably was the result of bandits, or perhaps bad luck. The goddess of opulence, it was said, took umbrage at Ritzen's vanity in naming the villa after himself.

In 678TR the legion was put to work rebuilding the overgrown road that led from Ritzen to the Geishtei-Imrum road. Six years later, the senate recommended building a legion outpost on the Tharda-Rethem border. Ritzen, a half a mile east of the official site, was used instead since a road and a clearing already existed. The “oversight” was not officially noticed until the outpost's completion in 684TR.

Bandit and gargun frequently raid the outpost. Few freedmen are willing to live in the area. Its population consists mostly of slaves and a few freedmen too poor to find new land. In the year 720TR, the outer stone wall was completed. The poles from the wooden palisade are being reused as sharpened stakes set in the bottom of the two ditches that surrounds the new wall.

Legion Outpost

The legion now holds what once was the villa of Ritzen.

In the year 720TR, the Senate is examining the land claims of legionary veterans in return for 21 years of service. If no solution is found in the senate, a majority of the unused land north and west of Ritzen will be claimed by the legion and given to retiring legionnaires, with or without the senate's approval. Currently the land is unclaimed. The legionnaires are kept busy trying to protect the locals and deter bandits from encroaching on the Geishtei - Imrum road. Patrols often take several days to comb the local woods looking for bandits, gargun or, in the rare case - tribesmen.

There are no tribal settlements near Ritzen, so the few tribesmen seen in the area are either nomadic, or following a herd. Despite public opinion, the tribesmen rarely bother Ritzen or its citizens, preferring to hunt the local wildlife instead of trying to steal one of the settlements tough-skinned goats. There is neither inn, nor tavern in the area. All the alcohol comes from the legion's mash house. Merchants and the occasional visitors are welcomed into the outpost for a free bed and meal. In return the visitors are expected to entertain the troops with gossip and tales from beyond Ritzen.

Merchants are rare in Ritzen, usually only a few brave peddlers walk the distance from Geishtei or Imrum to Ritzen. Often they take orders and goods from the locals and return within a few months with the requested goods. Peddlers with blood ties to the settlers are preferred over those without.

Gargun raids occur once every 2 to 3 years. The locals are only rarely attacked, as in the past decade, the gargun have shifted their attack to center on the outpost first. This change of tactics has led to long, bloody skirmishes. The legionnaires of Ritzen are slowly decreasing the wild wooded area by about 2-3 acres a year.

Economics

The senate lists the Legion outpost of Ritzen as the following:

Holding of the Thardic Republican Legion; outpost as now held by Algilir Wytel, Commander of the 4th company of the Gerium legion. Answers for land for 10 ploughs. In lordship 3 slaves and 14 small holders. Included are the guilded services of a millwright, a woodcrafter, a metalsmith and a timberwright. The land owes one yeoman to keep the local peace and a chapel to Peoni is provided for the populace.

As of 720TR the land is divided as follows:

Tenant Acres	680
Demense Land
Cropland Acres	186
Pasture Acres	25
Meadow Acres	25
Orchard Acres	12
Unused Acres	12

The legion is currently thinking of dividing most of the unclaimed land beyond Ritzen into 4 to 6 villas for retiring legionnaires. A decision will not be made on this subject until after the spring of 722TR. The pasture acres are part of the demesne holding, and is used to help feed the small herd of goats which provide the community with milk, cheese and in rough times - meat. The remaining hay goes to feeding the legionnaire's horses and donkeys. The outpost has neither the land, nor the wealth for cows.

There are two dozen egg-laying chickens in the outpost settlement, and a dozen pigs. Of theses all but 1/4 will be slaughtered in the fall for winter meat. Small local game provides over half the meat requirements for both the legion and the settlers.

A small orchard stands just north of the outpost. It's not faring very well, returning about ½ it's possible yield. Local lore claims the tress are plated atop the graves of Merchant Ritzen Meldrez, his servants and his family.

No caravans visit Ritzen, and the outpost tries to remain self-sufficient. The cost of transporting goods to Ritzen is prohibitive.

Taxes:

Property (private/business) 5% /6%
Hawking 12%
Bonding 2%

Strangers In Town

Other than the odd peddler or legionnaire messenger, stranger are very rare in Ritzen. Distrust if often offset by a show of wealth on the stranger's part. The only thing Ritzen can offer the traveler is a set of rough trails leading into the wilds along the Rethem border and the foothills of the Rayesha mountains.

The Surrounding Lands

Ritzen is in a small fertile valley. The ground beneath has only 3 inches of top soil before striking a combination of shale and limestone. The wells in the Ritzen connect to an underground stream that seems to originate somewhere in the Rayesha mountains. The water is cold, and slightly mineral-ly in taste.

The wild forests that surround Ritzen have 50-100 year old trees. The region was destroyed roughly 100 years ago by a great forest fire. Signs of that fire can still be found in fire-scared trees, and stumps deep within the forest.

The outpost is at the center of Ritzen, with the cottages scattered to the north and south. The outpost's fortification ditches were previously used as an addition to the village commons to the west. According to local rumor this was the primary reason for planting stakes in the ditches.

The Commons provide grazing for the horses and donkeys of the outpost. Whatever rabbits can be trapped nibbling the rich clover of the commons is often salted and saved for times of scarcity. Pelts and furs are prepared and shipped to Imrum twice a year (late spring and late fall.)

The settlement has three common fields to the east of the outpost. Their land is worked for the legion by the farmers of Ritzen. Settlers have the right to gather herbs and dry wood all year round. Scything is a chore reserved for legionnaires who acquire 3 or more demerits. The straw comes mostly from the common lands, and the ditches around the outpost.

The orchard's apples (to the north -east of the outpost) are mostly used by the legion's mash house to create a light cider. At least one barrel of apples is traded yearly to the local farmers and craftsmen for additional supplies (eggs, meat, or grains.)

Guildsmen in Ritzen

Bonded Woodcrafter [1]
Bonded Salter [2]
Yeoman [4]
Bonded Miller [7]
Bonded Metalsmith [8]
Bonded Timberwright [11]

Religion in Ritzen

Peonian Shrine [3]

The Village

The Legionnaires

The legionnaires work and live in the Outpost. Their interaction with the villagers is limited mostly by the lack of an inn or tavern or merchants in the settlement. The legion is trying to attract an innkeeper into the area, but the guild of innkeepers has yet to be assured of a profit in the area.

Algilir of clan Wytel leads the legionnaire forces in Ritzen. He is assisted by two squires, Mikeal and Joseph ages 16 and 18 respectively. Mikeal and Joseph look after their own horses as well as Algilir 's, and can often be found cleaning and caring for Algilir s armor and weapons. The boys act as messengers and perform odd jobs for the legionnaires as well as their master.

Rethior is head clerk in the Outpost. Since the Outpost is mostly manned by reservists, Rethior keeps track of the rolls and pay records. He and Algilir are the only two full time legionnaires at the Outpost. Rethior is disliked by most of the legionnaires stationed here. He is cold and calculating, and has been known to deduct a days pay from a soldier's wages just because he was a few hours late arriving in bad weather.

Maliktha and Johnus are the cooks and chief brewers (respectively) for the legion. They, with the assistance of a few children from the village, fix the meals and the alcohol for the legionnaires. Maliktha's cooking is renowned, and often villagers come into the Outpost to share one of her special dinners (cooked each Peonian holy day.) Johnus has a unique recipe for little ale that he calls Ritzen “road weary”. Drunk usually by men on the march, the ale has an odd taste that often makes men smack their lips. The legionnaires claim the ale will give you the energy to walk those last few kilometers in the patrol.

Master ostler Ritthar is an aging and quiet man who relies on local assistance to care for the beasts in the Outpost stables. In his late 60s, everyone in the Outpost calls him grandfather. While not spry, he is wise - and both his wisdom and tales of yore are cherished.

The soldiers come from throughout Imrum district. When not serving their term as a legionnaire, the majority (85%) of the legionnaires are farmers. The rest are poor guilded freedmen who are too poor to pay scuttage, or are fulfilling their Lord's legion requirement.

The remaining legionnaires are reservists. They serve 3 months each beginning in the months of Spring, summer, Autumn and Winter.

The Outpost

Key:

Names with a # reference beside them refer to a building in the Village Map.
Abbr Titles in the Alternate Army Titles in the
Hârnic Army
ML Milities Lianri Reservist Soldier
mf Milities Fabirca Reservist Soldier/Engineer-Sapper
maa Milities Auxiliari - Archer Militia -Archer
mas Milities Auxiliari - Skirmisher Militia - Skirmisher
c. Compartes Militia Leader
mp Milities Primus Reservist Leader
le Manus Legatus Officer Clerk
p Milities Primus Reservist leader
le Manus Legatus Officer/Clerk
mes Milities Linari - Messenger Soldier-Messenger

Introduction: Rizen (Overview) | Village | Legionnaires
Adventures: Raven in Ritzen | Howling at the Darkness

T77: [Ritzen] [A Raven in Ritzen]

This page was last updated on August 28, 2002
Questions/Comments should be directed to the Webmaster.
All works are Copyright their respective authors, 2002.

Pax Tharda

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