Yitsmal

Yitsmal is techincaly part of a larger nation, although it is so far distant from the capitol that it recieves little notice. It is a small town of about 1, 200 inhabitiants. The nation it is connected to is a Human nation so the towns population is largely human, but Yitsmal's location on a major trade route brings members of every race into town.

The main thing one notices about Yitsmal is that is is usually full of travelers. It is frequently the jumping off point for caravans going through the desert. The Great Desert is full of bandits in large groups. But since no nation controls the desert, none is willing to do something about them. Because of this, robbery on the trade route is common. Thus merchants form caravans with other merchants and hire guards to help protect them from the bandits. Many adventurers can make a good living by guarding caravans across the desert. A caravan generally consists of 20-30 wagons and 10-15 guards. The trade route across the desert is avoided as much as possible, due to its danger. However, it can also be very lucrative as it is much faster than going around the desert through civilized lands. One caravan leaves about every 3 days.

Yistmal itself thrives on the money of merchants passing through the town and organizing their parties before departure into the desert. However, because of the constant bustle of travelers and the town's comitment to them, the law is a little lax. Most people are alowed to pass and few questions are asked. Because of this, it is somewhat easy to find shady characters in Yitsmal, especially those linked to the bandits in the desert. Sometimes the bandits need to bring in more food than they can just seize from the caravans, so most groups of bandits have an operative or two in Yitsmal. Some bandits even have somebody pick out a weak caravan in Yitsmal, and then get hired as a guard. Finally, the operative will disapear in the desert and bring the bandits down upon the caravan he had accompanied. However, this is not a very common practice as the merchants soon catch on to such people are also careful to avoid picked guards who might betray them.

The town has a decent market for goods, but most merchants are bound for deeper within the heart of the nation where they can get more for their wares. The simple caravans are formed here, the ones carrying the most extravagent goods and the wealthiest merchants come from cities deeper in the civilized lans. Yitsmal is also a jumping off point for adventures into the desert. Treaseure seekers and grave robbers look for adventurers to bring on dangerous missions into the desert. There is a saying in Yitsmal: "money drives the good and the evil, and we are in the middle" Fights are not uncommon, a varity of disputes and robberies occur in the town, but nothing too bad. Inns are everywhere. Nobody does anything for much besides money. There are no guilds or helpful clerics only those hard enough or greedy enough to go into the desert.