Once, during the time of conflict and civil war that followed the death of the Sunderking in 183AS, the site of Bellswatch was not a town, but a fort: it consisted of what is known as a ‘loose fort’: three towers, placed on the north, south, and east banks of the river to watch for incoming forces. The towers had signal fires to provide an early warning for the capital, but each had a bell – twenty feet in diameter at the mouth, of solid brass. The towers, and the bells, are long gone, but the town that grew around them never forgot the purpose of the site.
Bellswatch now functions as a trading town: rather than hosting a steady population of labourers and industry, the locals work as fishermen and ferrydrivers for the caravans and traders that pass through. Many of the produces sold in the shops of the capital are bought wholesale at the market in Bellswatch.
On Arrival to Bellswatch
"Years of hard travel, and thousands of feet, have compacted the roads leading to the small town called Bellswatch. The worn cobbles lead through an open gate in a crumbling wall, and out into the wide town beside Lake Wyndamire. The still water glitters between the fishing boats pulling nets and ropes from the depths, and along the wooden waterfront comes many a cry of ferrymen and barge workers."
Ferries of Bellswatch
Bellswatch, perhaps remembering the sense of caution that lingers long after the watchtowers fell, has always refused the construction of bridges or causeways across the river. Or perhaps it is the population of ferrydrivers who dislike the prospect of losing their means – their tolls across the water are steep, but are currently the only way.
Ferrydock of Bellswatch. The source of a recent tax-funded project, the docks beside the waters of Lake Wyndamire are expansive and well-made, and a reassuring sight to the ferrymen of the lake against the future possibility of bridges. There can be found ferries willing to take travellers as far as Shallowport.
Travellers Aplenty
Being, as it is, a town of passers-through, Bellswatch is rife with taverns, inns, and hostels, competitively priced for the travellers who wish to buy a room. There is a great difference in quality, however, and rumours abound about some establishments tricking their customers and fleecing them of their valuables.
Bell Hall. The central town hall of the settlement, Bell Hall is a gathering place for contract givers and seeking, and is reputed to host the largest noticeboard in the Kingdom.
Ringing Chapel. A small church perched beside the clear waters of the lake, it provides a safe haven for travellers who have been fleeced by the local innkeepers.