Welcome to another Community Spotlight! These spotlights are dedicated entirely to community content, usually about a player town and presented by a single individual or an entire guild.
This week we return to the snowy peaks of the soon-to-be Municipality of Beran’s Reach. Home of The Bear Tavern and waypoint for many who venture out into the frozen wilds of Regalis and North Paladis. Beran’s Reach earned a reputation as being a sanctuary for all from the wilds beyond its high walls. We catch up with Vallas Tellen, Tavernkeeper of The Bear Tavern and Governor of Beran’s Reach, to find out more.
Can you tell me a little about Beran’s Reach?
Beran’s Reach has a long and distinguished history, growing over the years from a sleepy farmstead to the gateway to the northern reaches. Dominating the local countryside and overlooking the main road leading south to Britanny, it acts as a vital way station for both merchant caravans and those seeking fame and coin the wilds beyond. Indeed, Beran’s Reach has become a sight of veritable pilgrimage for newer adventurers looking to make a name for themselves like the heroes of old, a bastion that separates civility from savagery. To go beyond Beran’s Reach is to begin a journey to paths unknown, indeed perhaps best left untread.
As a consequence, Beran’s Reach has developed a unique culture that is surprisingly welcoming to all. In the northern reaches where survival presents an almost daily challenge, divisions and the complexities of life at court are luxuries that few can afford. Within the inns and markets that sprawl within ‘the Reach’ as it is more affectionately known, grim north men rub shoulders with wealthy travellers. Amid the hubbub of the central market square, merchants can often be seen vying for trade, with gold changing hands for valuable furs, wood and ore. All manner of adventurer can often be seen seeking food and provisions among the many shops and bazaars that dot around the city, providing last minute supplies for their journey.
Rising up from the centre of Beran’s Reach, the keep of The Bear Tavern shines night and day with the warm glow of a multitude of candles, torches and open fires. A Beran’s Reach tradition, The Bear Tavern provides a home-from-home for all as well as a venue for travellers and locals alike to eat, drink and seek respite from the outside world.
How do you get to Beran’s Reach?
Despite its seeming isolation, Beran’s Reach is a relatively short ride from central Britanny. Most travelers take the northern road that lies along the coast of Spindrift bay, turning right as the road forks within the Serpent’s Spine Foothills.
Crossing the bridge that spans the confluence of the Fortus and Sanctus rivers, the road leads on to the town and its prominent position on a hill within the Sanctus Forest.
What major landmarks are there in Beran’s Reach?
Within the walls and environs of Beran’s Reach are a diverse range of shops, businesses and locations, each contributing to the its rich and unique culture. Here is a selection of just a few that can be found, with many more yet to be discovered by the discerning visitor:
The Bear Tavern