Ghars

Ghars was a small farming village turned market town in the Eastern Plains of Cormyr, near the Vast Swamp, in the mid–14 century DR.

Geography
From Ghars, a trail ran east-north-east to Besert and then to Thunderstone. Roads around Ghars linked the local farms to the town.

Lying hidden in a valley some 10 miles (16 kilometers) to the southwest were the so-called Golden Ruins.

Government
Ghars was governed by a mayor; in the mid-1360s DR, this was Mayor Tobald. He seemed to do little more than kiss babies and cut ribbons to open new stores.

Trade
Ghars was a market town serving the surrounding farms. Local farmers came to sell their produce here. From there, to ensure they could be sold fresh, fruits and vegetables such as radishes were taken on fast coaches with frequent horse changes to have them arrive in Marsember or Suzail. In Suzail, they were often marketed as "Hultail's best", despite never going through there. Barthelm Meadowbrock, the wealthiest merchant in town, owned a fleet of swift of wagons for this trade.

Barley, oats, and wheat were milled in Ghars and transported more slowly to Hultail, and then to Wheloon via barge. The grist mill was driven by oxen, owing to the limited water supply. It was also owned by Barthelm Meadowbrock.

Ghars was also home to the skilled smith Aunsible Durn, who forged agriculture tools like horseshoes, plowshares, and scythes, and even various polearms. People traveled for miles to purchase his wares, or at the least the tools.

There was a messenger service for delivering messages.

Defenses
Owing to the threat of raiders out of the nearby Vast Swamp, Ghars was garrisoned with a sizeable force of the Purple Dragons. They also served as a police force and were considered unbiased and uncorruptible.

Local farmers with a bit of wealth to spare liked to outfit their workers with bills, halberds, and pikes from Aunsible Durn. Purportedly, this was to have a militia in the event of attack, but many folk in the area thought this just an excuse to have a rough-and-ready honor guard to parade around while the would-be squires wore their fancy armor at weddings and festivals.

Inhabitants
Circa 1367 DR, Ghars was home to around 1,200 people. They included a butcher, greengrocer, chandler, clothier, and tailor.

History
Once a village threatened by raiders from the Vast Swamp, the arrival of a Purple Dragon garrison and sundry other services helped Ghars grow into a market town by the 1360s DR.

In the, the retired War Wizard Benelaius moved into a cottage outside Ghars, becoming a subject of much speculation.

By the start of autumn in the, Ghars was suffering a drought, having gone tendays without rain. Many wells dried up, crops were meagre, and farmers worried about their finances. What water remained was stored in a newly built public cistern managed by Khlerat. Meanwhile, Cormyr's Merchants' Guild was set to hold its Grand Council there, which puffed up local merchants and drew agents of the Iron Throne and Zhentarim; the Purple Dragons arrested one of the former and two of the latter in two months. Furthermore, townsfolk were reporting sightings of the axe-wielding ghost of the bandit chieftain Fastred. It haunted the land east of the town, northwest of the Vast Swamp, and was sighted by farmers returning late from market and patrons leaving the newly opened Swamp Rat tavern. It was the talk of the town; some though it real, others a fake.

Finally, during Eleint, a series of murders occurred in Ghars. The murders were solved by Benelaius, a retired War Wizard of Cormyr and sometime armchair detective, and his servant Jasper.

Ghars still stood in 1479 DR.

Description
The town lacked a good supply of water, instead getting what it needed from wells. During the 1367 drought, a cistern was built on the west side; a huge barrel raised on stilts, it was the tallest structure in town. All available water from wells was taken here.

Jasper described it as an "unspeakably weary little town" and "the dullest spot in Cormyr".

Notable Locations

 * Inns
 * Sheaf of Wheat • Silver Scythe • Swamp Rat


 * Taverns
 * Bold Bard

It had a tavern, the Bold Bard; an inn, the Sheaf of Wheat; a library; and a smithy.

There was also a dive bar, The Swamp Rat, outside of town abutting the swamp. It was between the town and Benelaius's house.

Notable Inhabitants

 * Benelaius, a retired War Wizard
 * Jasper

Appearances

 * Murder in Cormyr