Duirtanal
Duirtanal is a sad and ugly town, isolated from others in the middle of Semphar. To all appearances, it is a stinking, filthy den. Sitting on the banks of a small river, the water that flows from Duirtanal is fouled and smelly. A brown smudge hangs over the town and the air is constantly filled with a powerful stench. But this is not what makes the town famous, although it certainly is memorable. Duirtanal noted for its tanneries and leather works, the source of all this pollution. Smelly and foul, the dark, stinking shops of the town produce the finest leather goods in all of Semphar. Duir leather, as their handiwork is known, is prized throughout the Central Area. Secret processes known only to the guild masters result in leather that is stronger, softer, and more supple than that found elsewhere. Using these processes, the townsfolk make pouches, bags, book covers, breeches, saddles, scabbards, wineskins, and armors. These are tooled and dyed in a distinctive style, each family having its own patterns and colors. Those familiar with Duir work can identify specific craftsmen by the patterns used. Forgeries are easy to detect, since no one has yet matched the quality of the leather produced by the tanners here.
Duirtanal holds a semi-annual fair known as the Leather Market. For one week in the spring and another in the fall, merchants from Phelzol and places further distant come to inspect and haggle over the leather wares. The merchants, many who’ve been in the leather trade for decades, visit each tannery and shop, sip sweetened coffee, and inspect goods. Bids are made and orders are placed. Every day, the Tanner’s Guild posts the current prices, based on the previous day’s trading. By the end of the week, the merchants load their caravans and leave, carrying tanned hides and finished goods for sale elsewhere. With such a concentration of sales, the Leather Market has attracted more than just leather dealers. Herdsmen come from the surrounding countryside to sell wool and lambs in the spring. In the fall, farmers bring their grain to sell in the Wheat Market. Entertainers and rogues of all stripes arrive to make the fair a lively and slightly dangerous occasion. The Phi of Semphar has been forced to send a troop of cavalry to police the streets during the days of the fair—a service he taxes the Tanners’ Guild dearly for. During the Leather Fair, Duirtanal becomes a wild and almost lawless town.
