Prandok

Southwest of Sassarras, where the foothills of the Gynardan Mountains give way to the low valleys of the Pran Run, lies the small riverside town of Prandok, or, as travelers call it, Docks on the Pran. Though home to only a few hundred souls, the settlement serves as the vital river port for the Archducal capital, providing Sassarras with timber, grain, and waterborne trade. The town straddles the Pran Run by way of a sturdy stone bridge: on the southern bank rise the Village Hall, the Sharp Saw Tavern, a church of Pedas, and the creaking watermill whose wheel never rests. Here also stand the sawmill and lumber camp that give Prandok its lifeblood, their scent of resin and sawdust carried on the wind. On the northern bank, smaller and quieter, stand the Saw Shack Inn and the Lodge of Aditin, where riverfolk and mages alike come to pay tribute to the God of Magic.   The town’s ruler, Lord Assoran of Prandok, is a minor noble and direct vassal of the Archduke of Sovar. His forebears served the late Archmage Inofander, and though Assoran maintains close ties to The Academy of Sassarras, his relations with the current Archduke are marked by thinly veiled rivalry. Many whisper that his loyalty to the old magisters outweighs his duty to the ducal throne.   Prandok’s beauty belies its dangers. Nestled between wooded hills, it is often plagued by the aftermath of magical experiments gone awry, strange creatures that stalk the night and vanish by dawn. Villagers have learned to keep their doors barred and fires burning bright when the mist rolls in from the river. Still, life goes on: the saws hum, the mill turns, and barges laden with timber and stone drift down the Pran toward distant markets. For all its hardships, Prandok remains the lifeline of Sassarras, a humble outpost caught between trade and turmoil, faith and fear, river and mountain.