This self-styled city is really a town of about 300 folk that stands in the shadow of the castle of the Duke of Daggerford. Daggerford is named for a brave boy, Tyndal, sent ahead of his family wagon to find a place to ford the Shining River one evening some 400 summers ago. He was set upon by lizard men, and, armed only with a dagger, slew six of them and held off the rest until reinforcements arrived. The dukes of Daggerford claim direct descent from Tyndal, and their arms display a bloody silver dagger on a deep blue field. The dukes of Daggerford claim all the lands from the estate of Floshin, south as far as the Dragonspear fields (the lands of Dragonspear Castle), east to the edge of the Misty Forest, and west to the verges of Lizard Marsh and the coast. They actually control far less, from about a halfday’s ride north of Daggerford, where their forces meet up with road patrols from Waterdeep at a little pond called Waypost Water, east to the hills around the Laughing Hollow, and south to the hamlet of Bowshot. These lands take in about 20 farming hamlets. The ducal lands are home to about 1,000 folk in all.
The walled town is the largest stop on the Trade Way between Waterdeep and Soubar. Its largely wooden buildings huddle in the lee of a hill crowned by Daggerford Castle, which is surrounded by a grassy commons and guards a bridge across the Shining River. (The old ford’s still there, beside the bridge.) It is home to human craftfolk, a few halflings, and a handful of folk of other races. The townsfolk have a charter from the duke that allows their own Council of Guilds, a masked council styled after the Lords of Waterdeep, to govern the town. All able-bodied townsfolk must serve in the militia, although only a small number are normally on duty. They spend most of their time on road patrols, though a close watch is kept on Lizard Marsh. Daggerford has temples to Chauntea and Lathander, and shrines to Tempus and Tyrnora. Chauntea’s temple is called the Harvest House, and it is governed by Lady Priestess Merovyna. The temple of Lathander, Morninglow Tower, is under the supervision of Lightlord Liam Sunmist.
The militia is always busy patrolling the claimed ducal lands, and many youths and adventurers down on their luck have spent a season fighting brigands, lizard men, and the occasional predatory monster. Daggerford is also home to a retired adventurer-mage, Delfen Yellowknife, who dwells in a tower on the town wall and always has at least a trio of apprentices. He’s content to make a good living tutoring every wealthy Waterdhavian youngster who dreams of becoming a great mage. The youthful duke, Pwyll Greatshout Daggerford, is seldom seen in town. He’s either out hunting or in the castle planning how to defend the land he has and enrich his family and his people by shrewd investments. There are recurring plans to dredge the river and make Daggerford an important harbor, but I suspect the duke, like me, thinks there’s no point in trying to compete with nearby Waterdeep.
