Gralton
The inhabitants of Gralton consist almost entirely of people who have fled the ongoing revolution (some would say anarchy) in Galt. Many of those who have fled to Gralton are the old nobility of Galt. Deposed and fallen from grace, they desperately seek any means to regain what they have lost, be it by sponsoring counter-revolutionary activity, or sending parties of hapless adventurers back into Galt to search for family heirlooms left behind in the rush to escape the guillotine’s blade. As the desperation of the deposed nobility grew, Gralton began to attract con-artists and tricksters. These tried to hustle the desperate nobility by offering quick fixes and false hope. The town has two notable temples: one to the drunken hero deity, Cayden Cailean,the other to the Vengeful Sting, Calistria. In fact, many suspect the people of Gralton to be possessed by some spirit of Calistria. Certainly, the priests of Calistria are always present, preaching revenge, even on the steps of the temple of Cayden Cailean. So bent on vengeance against Galt are they, that many see divine intervention in their hate-filled eyes.
Locations
Barracks
The city barracks house many of Lord Halidan Tarne’s would-be soldiers. It started as one building— which had been a playhouse—and spread gradually to the surrounding buildings, shoddily attached to each other by makeshift passageways, the soldiers tearing down some walls and erecting new ones. The barracks is situated in Gralton’s southwestern corner, near the river, and is surrounded by small, shabby residences for the soldiers for whom the barracks itself has no room.
Black Gardens
When bandits burned large portion of Gralton’s farmland, a man named Elizious Baraclor claimed a small plot of land where a house had burned (as the family who owned it had perished the fire), took the shell of the house, and cleaned and rebuilt enough of it for the structure to be safe to enter. He then turned the entire property into a garden, which the public calls the Black Gardens for the charred exterior of the building. The yard outside the house is mostly vegetable gardens, and the vegetables that Baraclor sells at the market are locally famous. Inside the house, herbs and f lowers are planted anywhere they can fit: on shelves, hanging from the ceiling, in windows, and in trenches in the floor. The Black Gardens are a famous visiting spot for travelers, and Baraclor charges a small fee for guests to explore its interior. It is also rumored to be the clandestine meeting spot for one of Gralton’s secret societies.
Preacher’s Way
While Graltoners generally keep their political beliefs quiet, a few are very vocal about their opinions and strive to convince others to adopt their point of view. These outspoken Graltoners tend to flock to the street called Preacher’s Way, the most socially acceptable place for such talk. A small avenue that runs between two of Gralton’s main streets (Market Street and Bank Street), Preacher’s Way is littered with notices and other documents aimed at persuading whoever might read them to follow a certain course of political action. Spaced along the street itself are public speakers who hope to catch the ears of passersby, calling out their ideas and beliefs and urging those around them to follow suit. Though it is commonplace for listeners to ask questions, it is considered exceedingly rude to insult or openly disagree with a speaker