Vesper
More Than the Honey is Sweet In VESPER
By Penn-Hedley III
Vesper, like the hives, is a busy place. I must admit, I had no idea that it was such a complete, well-conceived town until I began this survey. Although there only about three-fourths the number or merchants of bustling Brittain, the service coverage is actually BETTER, but without the crowds and chaos.
The biggest negative about Vesper is the difficulty in getting around, running the maze between islands. The town is so spread out that I had to use a whole different scale to map the city. For those willing to walk a bit, however the rewards are many.
Two fully-equipped tailor shops contain 4 tailors on a beeline to serve you. There are 3 alchemists, 2 mages, and 2 scribes are swarming to supply your needs for magic paraphernalia, and 3 provisioners and 2 cobblers for your more mundane requirements.
If you want something a bit fancier, visit the banker first, conveniently located in the mint, and then buzz on over with your gold to the carpenter, tinker, decorator, the 2 jewelers, the leatherworker, or one of the two architects (one specializes in boats, the other buildings).
Vespertians love their food, and they have plenty of variety. 2 fishermen comb the bounty from the sea and you can add it to the products of the farmer, baker and butcher. Finish up with something sweet from the bee-girls. There is only one barkeep, but he is centrally located (a good thing, since navigating the narrow bridges after a few pints of "nectar" can become tricky). If you fall in and drown, swim North to find the apothecary and healer. The local bard is semi-retired to giving music lessons, but still performs at the pub on Tuesday evenings and weekends.
The natural defenses provided by the water have made Vesper a bit complacent in regard to military defense. There are 2 armourers, but only 1weaponsmith and no bowyer. Do-it-yourselfers will be disappointed to find only one public forge (and only one oven). The only other shortage is a "pet" peeve to locals- the absence of stabling services.
Not to drone on incessantly about the virtues of this City of Bridges, suffice it to say that you can count on Vesper as a sweet place to live or visit or shop. You won't get stung.
