Womford

Womford was a tiny village on the banks of the River Dessarin in the late 15 century DR. It was formerly known as Ironford, a bridge that crossed the Dessarin. It was a part of the Iron Road.

History
The ford was once the site of an old wooden bridge, which was later destroyed. Exactly how this happened wasn't well known, but it seemed that a band of adventurers were assaulted by a pack of trolls charging out of the water, and emptied a wand of fireballs into their midst, incinerating the bridge in the process.

A new bridge was constructed at the ford by 1370 DR.

The later settlement of Womford, according to local legend, was to have originally been called "Ironford". The name supposedly changed to "Wyrmford" after a dragon was defeated in the area. Due to the accent of the locals, the pronunciation of Wyrmford was altered, hence the name "Womford".

In 1491 DR, smugglers from Womford allied themselves with the Cult of the Crushing Wave, allowing cultists to get materials and food while setting up a base in Rivergard Keep.

Some time after the War of the Silver Marches of 1485 DR, a nocturnal predator known as "The Womford Bat" hunted near the village, terrorizing the locals. This predator was in fact the vampire Arik Stillmarsh.

Notable Locations
The Bargewright Inn was located at Ironford circa 1357 DR. While not truly a village, it was a collection of businesses serving the needs of travelers, farmers, and ranchers who settled along the western bank of the Dessarin.

Economy
Womford's economy was based on the grain from surrounding farms. The village had several granaries and a gristmill. Womford relied on the river for importing grains from nearby farms.

The dock allowed for the grain and flour to be shipped to other communities along the Dessarin River. There was an under-culture of bandits, smugglers, and river pirates that used the dock for nefarious purposes.