The Village Proper

The Gatehouse of Kel:
Kel's eastern side is guarded by a stout stone wall leaving the two-story
gatehouse as the only point of entry. Due to the current troubles the gate house is usually closed, and a group of 3 to 5 guards always accosts new visitors.

Newcomers are usually asked their names, business in town and what they saw in the mist if any. Apologies are then made by the guardsmen who then direct travellers to the town's inns or wherever else the newcomer wishes to go to. The guards have also been drafted as the town's criers and they quickly inform strangers as to who's hiring what and where.

The Wharf and Docks: 
Kel is the closest spot in Korresh to the elven lands of Lirynn. So Kel is the
primary link from the lands north of the Ahrin Straits to the lands south, especially for caravans and those who travel by land. The Lirynn coast can be seen from Kel.

Large oared barges await patrons on both sides of the Straits, while some ships may actually pull up to the recently built Wharf. A second wharf is in the process of being constructed, but is now partially usable.

The Keep: 
Extensive modification is being done to this very old keep. Inside the keep's outer courtyard, can be found an immense hedge maze that basically spanned the entire area of the keep. It would take even one familiar with the maze about 10 minutes to reach the castle proper.

There is a small moat surrounding the castle, supplied by an unknown water source. The castle's large walls reached higher than six men standing on each other's shoulders. Panes of glass had been retrofitted to fit the ancient windows. It is warm inside the castle. A large red carpet outlined several walkways to other entrances in the hall. The castle is normally lit by torchlight except during the brightest parts of the day.

Little Lirynn:
This circle of trees and houses, just downwind of Craftsman's Corner, has been raised in something similar to the elvish style, with homes and shops somehow grown into the trees themselves, with walls and doors of branches woven and melded together. But different from other villages of the Elves, all these homes touch the ground... and all these doors have locks of metal. The Terai, sianne, and
ketan so familiar to the Elvenkind is absent here... or perhaps this entire quarter is ketan.

What is not grown or woven, has been constructed, creating a mixture of elvish and human techniques. Smaller trees and shrubs have been planted where once long ago was road, making travel by wagons and carts impossible here. A canopy of branches from four particularly large trees makes this area shaded, and the leaves and flowers somehow seem to dismiss the harsh smells of manufacturing. Very little human is spoken in this Elvish circle, and those buildings that are shops have their wares not displayed as pictures so common in the human lands, but solely in the cursive Elven script. In the center of the circle of the trees is a gentle grassy glade with a lone glimmering sapling of a tree, though on occasion rumor says
a crystal-clear spring appears here, or a brief sparkling rainbow. Exotic harping can be heard day or night from one ground-based inn. On occasion, a person comes wandering away from Little Lirynn muttering that they travelled around the circle of trees for fifteen minutes, and never could find a way in.

The Watchtower: 
This tall lighthouse was erected on the southwetern tip of Kel just after the Scourge. It is believed that its light could reach both Maston and Na'el... had there not been intervening forests in the way. Within the last few years, a strange hermit has taken possession of the Watchtower, at Baron Severs's permission. He did maintain one provision, however. Two of his Guard must still maintain the Tower Watch.  It is mumbled that the presence of the hermit has actually caused the guards to keep a
constant watch over the boring Straits, where before the duty had been known as 'Nap Watch.' Three shifts of guards enter and leave the tower, and that is all that is ever seen coming or going to this ancient watchtower. There is a sign by the door, in many languages, Go Away!

The Sheriff's Office and the Guardhouse:
The Magistrate's Office and the Guardpost is located just off the Village Square. Sherriff Strand, the older brother of Lord Severs, and his man Guard Master Moot, maintain the garrison and the peace throughout Kel. Strand is well-liked and respected in Kel, and is known for his swift but even ideas of justice. The same is not said of Moot, who, rumor has it, was appointed Strand's assistant as a political favor by his brother, Baron Severs.

The Graveyard:
This is a quiet, deserted place at the back of the church. The southern edge ends in a
cliff facing the sea, while the rest of the cemetary has been sealed in by black steel fences, with the only entrance being a chained gate. The place is filled with tombstones and mausoleums. Only the plain, stone house near the gate has room for the living. Something from the ground causes mist to form easily, hugging the surface, making footing treacherous.

The Undertaker is a heavily built man clad in black formal clothes except for wide brimmed brown hat. Physical exertion seems to have no effect on the man or his clothes. He was never seen to sweat. officially known as Mr. Selias Osthorne. Most people have taken to calling him Mr. Deadguy as he likes to be called. From a distance a morose and grim man, Mr. Deadguy is actually quite pleasant to talk to,
and with an odd sense of humor due to his random giggles and his comments that spirits talk to him. The Graveyard has a reputation of creepiness and is generally avoided by most common people. Strange flowers can sometimes be found growing inside.

The Elven Herbalist:
Kel's most famous healer, Lyssa it is rumored, is much more than a mere grower
and seller of herbs. She is rumored to be a witch, rumored to be a defaulted Elven queen, and even rumored to be an assassin. But she doesn't tell. But she is well known as the best healer in Kel, able to bring life back to those knocking on the doors of death. Her shop is a short distance away from the village proper, and is surrounded by a garden.

She has a sign by her door....

Wanted: 
Apprentice. No pay, long hours. 
Must know Human and Elvish. 
Female preferred. 

........No one knows what happened to her last apprentice.

The Church:
The church of Telgard in Kel is situated in the southwestern corner of the village square. It is an imposing structure rising about 40 feet into the air, the steeple holds a bell which is kept there to rung in case of emergency, as it had rung, when the council was convened. The doors to the church are also huge affair. The doors are wooden reinforced with metal plating, so thick that normal spear or sword would not make even a small dent into it. The doors are kept open to people from dawn till dusk.

Questor Goodall is nominally the acknowledged as the the Traphar, the head of the church in Kel, while Brantar Foden, one of the priests is the acknowledged school teacher for the town, teaching to different students every day how to read and write.

The Slums:
The slums is a tightly packed group of houses where the less fortunate residents of Kel live. The place is poor but not squallid. Nobody starves. There rumors of the the presence of a strong but unobtrusive thieves guild here who often masquerade as residents here. The guild is said to be generous and helpful to longtime residents here. Passageways are rumored to lead underground to a secret docking
area known as Neverland Cove.

The Forgotten Statue:
This twenty-foot tall weather-worn statue tops a cliff overlooking Kel. The
statue, of northern granite, is a helmed man brandishing a broken axe while casting an open palm towards the sea. He is surrounded by six six-foot crosses that appear to be sword hilts. This statue is a mystery to the folks of the present day , but it is still carefully preserved by the orders of the Barons of Kel.

The Village Square:
The center of Kel is a vast market, as goods both local and distant are sold from
stands or by independent hawkers. In the center of the square are a set of gallows and a hangman's platform, all showing signs of recent use. Next to the noose a ring has been corded off, and villagers test their skills against the travellers using either their bare hands or padded/rattan weapons. Nigleck, a small man with a loud voice, is the master of these fights.... and more importantly, the odds. All in all, the village square is the place where most of the rumours originate and fester. This is also one of the place where people of all origin and creed rub their shoulders together, forgetting their differences for a while. Off the square are the Sherriff's office, and the Inn of the Fallen Star

Craftsman's Corner:
The craftsmen of Kel have huddled together into their own quarter. A variety of
strange smells and colorful sights abound as the craftsmen seek to outdo each other's displays.... all of which are pulled inside and locked up at nightfall. Apprentices run from one building to another, borrowing a strip of leather for glass beads, and so on.

Unlike elsewhere, Kel's craftsmen tend to work two to a building, the two crafts usually differing by great degrees. Blacksmith Bronsen shared his shop with Master Kelvar, the leatherworker. Dame Riddellow, the glassblower, shared her shop with Master Vennieo, the gemcutter. Tanish Mason, Master stonemason, shared his shop with Greig Wood, the master carpenter. The Masterfletcher, Vinn Fletcher shared his shop with the dwarven inventor, Grumpy Benj the Engineer.

The Unicorn Hunt Inn:
Unofficially known as the Mage's Inn. It is run by one of the magic enclaves,
The Brotherhood. A bluerobed watchman at the door makes sure that only special people(mages) are allowed entry. The owner of the inn is Adept Grell who is fascinated with combining magic with machines with often painful success. He is arrogant but respects people who show class. He has an assistant, a motherly dwarf known as Mrs. Roggart or Apprentice Roggart.

The Saucy Siren Inn:
This inn easily made its name as the best of the inns in the area. The tables are
clean, the service quick, if not always friendy, and the entertainment of high quality. At the door a bouncer can be found monitering the individuals who enter. For those who would rather have direct service, there are seats at the bar. it is a rather pricey inn. If you have the cash, the Red Order has the spell that you want. Adept Kassandra Lyle, a beautiful woman with a blue dragon tatoo on her left cheek owns this inn. Her assistants are Lady Stella, an apprentice with a notable singing voice and a gift for information gathering, and Solemn Steele, a harsh, and cold mage with mysterious motives and much knowledge.

The Inn of The Fallen Star:
This is not one of the nicer inns in the area, being prone to a rowdy card games and the source of much of the gossip around Kel. Too much blood has been spilled here lately. A one armed bouncer by the name of Kost stands watch at the entrance usually, although there are other bouncers are around every once in a while to give him a break. The inn is owned by Kost's wife, Mrs. Celene Shane who is notorious for her bad teeth, a ready crossbow and excellent harp playing.

Inside, one will find the inn to be pleasant, in a noisy sort of way. The tables are not entirely cleaned, but the floors do seem to have been mopped clean recently. Stairs lead to rooms on the second floor of the building. This dimly lit large inn was once the most popular in Kel. It features fair food modestly overpriced, as well as nightly entertainment on a decent stage. With its generous custom of never denying
a performer the chance to show their skills, it once was a gathering place for bards, mistrels and storytellers. Now, only armed folks visit.

Town Hall:
This solid, white building is made of carved stone in a classical style. Head Clerk Jedrel is in charge here. The day to day Bureaucracy of Kel runs through here. By law one is required to answer any questions dealing with numbers to a goverment clerk here. The amount of information the clerks glean here is surprisingly large and well indexed. Unfortunately the amount of work here tends to place great stress on the individual. Citizens keep a respectful and wary eye here as more than one clerk in the past has suffered a violent breakdown.

The Bakery:
There are two well known bakeries in Kel, both owned by a Mistress Gretel. One caters to the resident's of the Residential district, the other to the slums. Regardless of location the smell of delicious freshly baked goods can be found here. The bakeries are both two stories tall, although only the first floor is used for business.

The General Store:
Owned by Silas GoodFlint, this shop has acquired a mixed reputation. Standard
goods can be bought here without difficulty. It is goodflint's specials wherein he offers supposedly rare or unique items for sale which have more than once brought grief to the buyer. Silas is related to a Arguelles Goodflint, an alchemist of dubious reputation residing in the residential district. Silas cheerfully sells whatever concotions Arguelles cooks up without bothering to check if the item works as promised.

The Residential District:
Here Kel's well-to-do reside. The streets are clean. Your neighbors are your
employers or fellow craftsmen. Guard Patrols make it a point to visit this area often. The houses here are well maintained and the roads well spaced. Boarding Houses of good quality can be found here. This is probably one of the safest places to be live in.

The Stables:
Eseverance Lyss is the Stablemaster of Kel. Aside from his stablehands few people have meet this strangely dour elf. Only the Baron and The Head Clerk are known to speak with him regularly. No human remembers any other stablemaster aside from Lyss. Not ancient by the standards of elves, and shunned by other elves, he is most often seen unexpectedly watching from the shadows of the stables when any trouble brews, glowering at the miscreants.

The Horses raised and bred here are almost the equal of the warhorses of the Kharin of the plains. Consequently most of them are sold to outside buyers making the Baron a tidy profit leaving only a rare few for the Baron's family and his chosen few. Once a year Eseverance makes a trip to the plains to trade horses with the tribes there. He often hires guards then. A lucky few have earned magnificent
steeds in this way.