Thunn's Garden

## Westgate's Mainland Gateway

Thunn's Garden is a village on the western edge of Westgate's sphere of influence – and the one reason that neither Cormyr nor Sembia encroach any further.

About 30 miles inland along the **Grand Ride**, the main trade highway, Thunn's Garden was the outer perimeter village for a patchwork of hamlets and farms that support Westgate. With the civilian village built up around a heavy four-story tower and battlements, a Westgate Municipal Authority garrison guards what is a comparatively idyllic farming and support community.

Named after the rich diversity in farms at the headwaters of the River Thunn, the agricultural portion is largely floral, the source for the perfumes that Westgate is known for exporting. This colorful and divinely aromatic perimeter stands in stark contrast to Westgate itself.

### Trade Route Rest Stop

An even 30 miles between Hillsbrier (to the west) and Westgate (to the east), Thunn's Garden marks the beginning of Westgate's sphere of influence. From "the Garden" toward the coast is a gradually-increasing density of settlements and activity that marks the busiest port on the Inland Sea and the city Eastern Faerûn calls "The Gateway to the West."

Thunn's Garden is comparatively safe from banditry and a go-to rest stop for merchants make the overland run either to or from Westgate itself. There is a wide selection of merchants in the area that cater to the travelers, from food and lodging to blacksmiths, tanneries and wainwrights.

### History

At one point, Thunn's Garden was enough of a logistics base to extend Westgate's direct influence as far as Hillsbrier to the west and Redwater to the south. As of 1489, those towns are under the suzerainty of Cormyr and Sembia, respectively – another reason that Westgate is non-plussed with those northern kingdoms.

## Visiting Scenic Thunn's Garden

On approach from either direction, three seasons out of four, travelers note the aromatic atmosphere around the large village/small town. The closer to the urban area, the more the fields are actually planted with cash-crop flowers intended for perfumes over the usual subsistence crops. In addition to the fragrant breezes, the sea of vibrant colors make Thunn's Garden visually stunning.

Also notable is the 7 massive rows of stables on the Grand Ride, there on the south side of town. Each stable is run by a different proprietor, but competition keeps the prices and service comparable between them. There is usually available space to park the mounts, including cartage, where basic security is included in the low cost. Merchants routinely park their wagons, along with their mounts, in the stables.

On the north side of town, and high enough to be visible from the Grand Ride, are a pair of hills with crenellated manor houses on the top, overlooking the valley of Thunn's Garden.

The main castle, Thunn's Keep, is the residence and offices of the local aristocracy (House Powys), a baroness who serves as the municipal authority and the seat for the town hall. In addition to the baroness, four other local baronets maintain manors and lords' positions within the Westgate hierarchy.

## Demographics

This is a self-sufficient settlement that also happens to cater to the heavy merchant traffic to and from Westgate. As such, this includes food and lodging for travelers and associated logistics to support both a heavy agricultural sector and a travel hospitality sector.

 **Races**
 Demonym
 **Local Services**
* 1 doctor
* 1 beer-seller | 1 wine-maker
* 2 blacksmiths
* 1 saddler (+ leather repair)
* 1 wheelwright
* 1 cartwright
* 4 tailors
* 1 butcher
* 1 cutler
* 2 masons / bricklayers
* 2 carpenters
* 1 chandler
* 1 Baker
* 4 Furriers
* 1 Pursemaker
* 3 Barbers
* 2 Harness-Makers
* 1 Ropemaker
* 1 Hatmaker
* 1 Hay Merchant
* 1 Saddler
* 1 Scabbardmaker
* 3 Inns
* 1 Bookseller
* 3 Jewelers
* 2 Tanners
* 7 Shoemakers
* 1 Buckle Maker
* 2 Lawyers/Advocates
* 3 Taverns/Restaurants
* 3 Inns
 **Religions**

## Travel Logistics

Thunn's Garden marks the beginning of a denser level of civilization as travelers approach the major port city of Westgate. For some time, Thunn's Garden was the logistics staging point for influence that stretched as far as Reddansyr. As of the last couple years, it is the staging area that keep Cormyr and Sembia from annexing the port city.

* **Eastbound**: **Westgate** is about 30 miles overland. That might be a day's ride for couriers or light cavalry, but that averages 2 day's ride for most travelers, especially the merchant crowd hauling cargo.
	+ There are well-traveled roads that head north to Karthaut (in the coastal highlands, by the Cliffs of Karthaut). It's also possible to swing past by bypass Westgate and head directly to Accardi (the minor port city on the south of the Dragonmere's "Neck").
* **Westbound**: **Hillsbrier** is about 30 miles overland, with **Morningmyst** and **Reddansyr** in roughly equal-distance increments after that.
* **West,** *then* **Southbound**: about five miles west, there is Nordale (a minor thorp) and a major **Grand Ride** T-intersection. This well-traveled road heads south to Redwater. As of 1489, that's at the edge of an extended skirmish line between Cormyr and Sembia. Both sides usually they take care to let merchant traffic pass, but in a war zone, anything can happen...