Sitarny Overview

Location:	Geishtei District, Gerium Province, Thardic Republic
Status:	Legion Outpost
Population:	29 families

Sitarny is a legion outpost less than a quarter league away from the Rethem border, on the Sitarny River that flows from deep underground sources to the river Thard. The Sitarny is a forgeable river in all but the worst of the spring and fall floods. Still there is a small stone bridge that crosses the river and leads into the town. The river provides the locals a plentiful supply of fresh water that runs throughout the year.

A relatively new outpost, Sitarny sits on the Rethem border along the High Coranan Road. As the first defense against bandits and raiders, they are slightly over manned. Locals are all either retired legionnaires, or family of retirees. Sitarny has an inn and one very small temple, but neither would hold visitors' interest for long. Ruins in the area only add to the ghost tales that are, no doubt, used by raiders to hide their real activities.

History

The town was founded sometime during the Corani Empire as a farming village. The small river running into the Thard provided some fish, muscles and other crustaceans, and the land was fertile. During the Balshang Jihad the village fell quickly into the madness and suffered no more, or less, than any surrounding village. What few survived the horrors of the Balshang Jihad and the Theocracy died during the Grey Blight in 598TR.

In 602TR clan Baral resettled Sitarny. They hoped to create a profitable manorial system. Indeed it was profitable, the town became renowned in the surrounding area for its chowder recipe and its fertility. Its small population provided many sons and daughters to the legion serving at Fobin and Themeson, the two nearest keeps. When the Thardic League was formed, locals hardly noticed the change of government. The same could be said when the League formed into the Republic. For the border, eventually established at the Gomesen river is five leagues away.

Everything changed in the spring of 708TR. In a surprise raid the Red Shadows of Herpa seized Themeson keep thus shifting the Tharda-Rethem border by almost five hârnic leagues. The senate refused to sit and thus no war could be declared. The forces bushed back by the surging Agrikans reorganized themselves just west of the river. More than just loosing the Outpost, they also lost three iron mines and one tin mine as well as a dozen or so manors.

The surviving forces of the Themeson route remained at Sitarny until assistance arrived. But without a formal declaration of war, and without the senate in session there was very little the legionnaires could do except help those fleeing the Agrikans to safety. The area around Themeson was populated with Agrikan devout. The survivors said there had been ample warning that the raid was coming. Some even blamed the loyalty of the Agrikan legionnaires, many of who were assumed dead. At the time the folk of Sitarny thought such stories were bitterness with the clarity of hindsight. Now some are not so sure.

The Baral clan held the lands of Sitarny. In return for Horik Baral receiving the rank of District Legar in Fobin, the clan donated the land to the legion. It also won Senator Horib Baral sufficient allies that he was able to gain a seat in the senate a few years later.

Shortly after Themeson fell, Sitarny was overflowing with legionnaires, laborers, masons and engineers. It took merely two years to reinforce the bridge over the river Sitarny, and build a legion outpost at the western most edge of the town. Officially, even though the border is ½ a league distant, the Outpost of Sitarny marks the edge of the Thardic Republic.

In 714TR the Red Shadows of Herpa at Themeson splitting off from their parent order to form a new order. The new order, called the Orders of the Eight Demons and the Cohorts of Gashang, of clerics and terhani seemed more open to discussions of returning to the Republic. Only the senate was interested in such a deal. Locals still feel the taking of Themeson was a betrayal by local forces. If anything this one incident has damaged the Republics general tolerance of all religions almost as much as the Balshang Jihad and the horrors that followed. As negotiations continue the local populace has stopped caring. Little is known about the workings and conditions within Themeson keep. The rumors swing between telling tales of atrocities and horror, to tales of peaceful co-existence.

Legion Outpost

The legion built the outpost from scratch between the bridge over the river Sitarny, and the western most building of the town. A killing field of a fifth of a league stretches between the outpost and the town. While not founded by retiring legionnaires, there are a fair number in the population. The majority of which remember a particular day in the summer of 708TR with sparkling clarity.

Tasks include examining caravans for the appropriate papers and marks proving they have paid the necessary taxes to export goods to Rethem. Those entering from Rethem are politely told that they should exchange their coin for equal weight of Thardic currency at the outpost. The rate of exchange is fair, but there is a 1/10^th surcharge for the transaction.

There are no tribal settlements near Sitarny, but the area is filled with ruins of manors and keeps from the days before the Theocracy. These ruins are the preferred camping area for bandits, Rethem raiders and the occasional gargun hunting party. When not so occupied they are used as grazing land for the local sheep herds.

Merchants are common year round at Sitarny as trade goods flow to and from Coranan along the road as equally along the river. It is very rare for river traffic to tie up next to Sitarny, but it is the only landing point in Tharda west of Fobin. Caravans may stop in Sitarny, but it is more to wait for their escort than on account of the local population.

Economics

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

Holding of the Thardic Republic Legion; outpost now held by Sanianatos Baral, Commander of the Sitarny cohort, the 9th cohort of the Gerium legion. Answers for land for 200 ploughs. In lordship 30 slaves and 18 small holders. Included are the guilded services of a woodcrafter, a salter, a miller, a metalsmith, a weaponsmith, a hideworker, a clotherier and an ostler. The land owes 6 men to keep the peace and a chapel to Peoni is provided for the populace.

As of 720TR, the land divides as follows:

Tenant Acres	381
Demesne Land
Cropland Acres	44
Pasture Acres	44
Meadow Acres	166
Orchard Acres	0
Unused Acres	125 1/3

The legion uses the unclaimed land as woods and pasture, which it sells the rights to the smallholdings. There are three dozen sheep and two rams in the keep. A local herdsman, who in return gets a reduction on his rent, tends them with the smallholding flock. The legion also owns a dozen chickens and half a dozen pigs. The wool from the sheep is used to purchase supplies. The outpost could be self-sufficient, but because of the regular flow of trade the outpost's stores often fluctuate wildly between dangerously low and overstocked.

Taxes

Property (Private/business)	5%/6%
Hawking	8%
Bonding	4%
Wharfage	4%

Strangers in Town

Strangers are common in Sitarny. Only those few who come in with caravans leaving Tharda are treated fairly. The townsfolk do not appreciate having to take Rethem coin and they are far more aggressive about insisting the travel get his coin transferred than the legionnaires ever could be. The town with a celebratory atmosphere greets caravans. Unfortunately for the caravans barter appears to be an innate Thardic skill.

Travelers who travel alone are always warned (perhaps a bit to exaggeratedly) of the dangers of Rethem roads. If they are travelling on Thardic roads, many recommend waiting for the Corani High road patrol. The legionnaires never mind company, especially if the company at least buys the manus a drink at the local inn before setting out. Locals are reasonably friendly, and certainly talkative. The main points of gossip still revolve around Themeson keep, and what goes on in Rethem. The locals know most of the gossip of western Tharda, but haven't a clue as to the goings on in eastern Tharda.

The Surrounding Lands

Sitarny sits on the edge of the quick flowing, but usually shallow, Sitarny River. The land has seen raids, wars and petty states rise and fall. Their remnants, in the form of ruins, are found to the north and east of the town. These ruins are home to bandits, raiders and the occasional gargun scouting party. Locals use the ruins for grazing their sheep flocks during the day.

The same ruins are the source of numerous ghost stories. In 716TR Agrik's stones (meteors) were seen falling from the sky. Since then the locals have begun speaking of the shadows as if they were alive. These stories are often told to the newest legionnaires to come to Sitarny. Designed to scare, they all seem to have the same core element of truth … that something has been walking in the darkness near town. As large as a man, it walks on four feet instead of two and howls at the moon. To date nothing more than a few sheep have gone missing.

The land is fertile, but wood is scarce. What little does grow in the immediate area is regularly scavenged for fuel. Wood, charcoal and stone are shipped in from the north by caravan as demand requires. Hunting in the region is poor due to the vast amount of farmland throughout the region. Some rabbits are trapped regularly in and around the farmland, but there are few animals larger than foxes in the region.

Guildsmen in Sitarny

With the exception of the Innkeeper, the guildsmen are all retired legionnaires who received their shop and the majority of their tools from the legion. This strange situation has assured that there is virtually no competition in the small town and mercantylers have found a population hungry for goods and luxury items from other craftsmen. The townfolk will approach any caravan or travelling merchant who stays over in the Inn or the Outpost to purchase, or at least look at, their wares.

Bonded Woodcrafter [1]
Bonded Salter [2]
Bonded Miller [3]
Bonded Metalsmith [4]
Bonded Weaponsmith [5]
Bonded Hideworker [6]
Bonded Clothier [7]
Innkeeper [8]
Bonded Ostler [9]

History | Legion Outpost | Economics | Taxes | Strangers in Town | Surrounding Lands | Guildsmen | Religion | Legionnaires | The Outpost

Religion in Sitarny

As with all of Tharda, there are no proscribed religions in town, although Morgath and Naveh are actively shunned. Morgathians have never been forgiven for the Balshan Jihad (567-588) and the chaos that followed. Naveh and his link to theivery makes any lawful citizen nervous. Due to the town's recent past even Agrikans are treated coldly. Halea, Peoni and Larani are treated equally well, as are other religions. Followers of Sarajin are tolerated, but distrusted not because of their religion, but rather because of their common profession of mercenary.

Peonian Shrine [10]

The Legionnaires

The legionnaires work and live in the town primarily. Every free farmer owes 3 months service to the legion, as do each of their children over the age of 21. The other legionnaires come from the surrounding villages. The legionnaires tend to be a friendly lot. They socialize frequently with the other townsfolk. Those few who do not owe service are not usually welcome in such socializations.

Triberties Sanianatos of clan Baral leads the legionnary forces in Sitarny. He is assisted by a squire (Legrus M;19) from his wife's side of the family. Unfortunately the boy is not well liked. Sanianatos performs the majority of the clerical work himself, deligating what he cannot handle to Legrus.

The bonded craftsmen in the village of Sitarny owe service to the legion year round. In return for offering legionnaires a discounted price, the bonded craftsmen receive a wage and their shop from the legion. None of the bonded craftsmen have served more than 4 years in the legion, and the Miller has never served.

Tadia and Malachai of Usern are the cooks for the legion. They purchase ales from the local Inn, but everything else is made on the premisis. The town receives its bread from the miller, while the legion relies on its own kitchens.

Kromis, the ostler, lives outside the Outpost. His son, Rethu, works within the Outpost as its ostler, calling on his father whenever a horse needs shoeing, or doctoring. Otheriwse Rethu (M:12) is quite capable. The legionnaires have come to call him Young Kromris.

The Outpost

The Outpost is built to legion standard. It has room for 58 men to eat, work and sleep; although there is rarely more than 30 legionnaires and 5 staff here at any one time. One Compartus (9 men) and one Maniple (12 men) are regularly out on patrol while the others remains at the fort.

Service Periods

Rank	Spring	Summer	Fall	Winter
Maniple, Regular		X	X	X
Maniple, Reserve II	X
Maniple, Reserve III		X
Tala Gravis				X
Comparus Skirmishers			X
Comparus Archers	X
Triberties	X	X	X	X

The Outpost is a collection of three square buildings surrounded by a 16' tall square stone wall. The outpost lays atop a slight rise in the ground. Beyond the walls is the river Sitarny to the north and the village to the south. The road leads directly by the double-iron bound doors of the Outpost. The doors are 10' tall and are capped by a stone archway that connects to the wall.

Introduction: Sitarny (Overview) | Village | Legionnaires
T-72: Index : [Scribe's Gripes][Clan Weijik][Faith][Sitarny][Warriors of Mameka]

This page was last updated on June 8, 2002
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