Legends say that Xter’s founders traveled north along The Bound until they discovered the Tower of the Ancients, harnessed its powers, and settled there. The modern town of Xter is built around a tall, thin, metallic shaft, over 26 meters tall, raised by the Ancients. The Tower is visible everywhere within Xter, and it is the town’s symbol and standard (black Tower next to a curved black line, representing The Bound, on a blue field). The Tower sits on a low hill, and the hill itself is surrounded by wall of earth and stone.

Within upper Xter live the Citizens (700+), including selected Artisans and Farmers, Militia, Mystics, and the Ministers. Most of the Mystics and Ministers live within the Tower itself; some inhabit important community buildings. In the Marketplace, numerous tents, carts, stalls, and shabby stands and buildings provide unofficial homes to transient traders (400+), merchants and farmers of lower standing (non-citizens). Merchants primarily sell to other transients and merchants, but a sizeable percentage of goods and services are also exchanged with Xter’s citizens.

Citizens are primarily artisans that provide some kind of important service to the community (farmers, blacksmiths, engineers, weavers, botanists, etc.). Some of the Citizen craftsmen are further organized into artisan groups. The “Smithers of Xter” are revered within the city and have a reputation beyond Xter for their work with iron and steel. Citizens sell their services and/or wares to the city (Citizens, Militia, Mystics, or Ministers), and pay taxes to the Ministers. The Militia acts as a police force, judges for crimes within the Marketplace, civil defense, and executors of the judgements of Mystics and Ministers. The day-to-day work of the Militia is run by various Captains at the direction of, and paid-for by, the Ministers. The Mystics serve as judges, councilors, technicians, interpreters, psychics, historians, knowledge repositories, and advisors, primarily to the Ministers, but also to Citizens. Almost all community-wide projects are handled under their supervision as “knowledge masters.” The Mystics are known to have a repository of Ancient artifacts somewhere within The Tower. The Ministers are charged with the overall safety and well-being of Xter, most notably providing generalship and leadership in major emergencies. The Ministers rarely appear in public except for major annual festivals or emergencies, but usually dispense their will through their servants (called Arkers) or through the Mystics. The exact powers of the Ministers and Mystics, and the details of their relationship, are not known, but are the subject of much gossip.

Within Xter, non-citizens are considered transient and have noticeably few civil rights. Non-citizens of adult age must have permission to stay longer than one week. Marriage is a service provided by Mystics to all, but has no effect upon citizenship. To become a Citizen, one must apply to the Ministers (almost always through Arkers); usually they do not accept new citizens unless the applicant has some skill needed by the city (and money), or is the child of citizens. Because of Xter’s reputation of protecting its citizens (at the expense of non-citizens), citizenship is highly sought-after.

Xter is also known for its unusual food product: small boxes of “BastDawn Honey Suns”, a sweet and crunchy food substance given to citizens and sold to outsiders. This bounty appears at least once a year from the Ministers, and is distributed from a warehouse in upper Xter, but the source of its production is a mystery. Some say that The Tower somehow creates these for the Ministers, others speculate that the Mystics found the secret to their creation within the Tower and clandestinely produce them somewhere, while others say that an outsider discovered a cache of these from the Ancient times and traded this secret in exchange for citizenship. The boxes themselves seem to be of the Ancient style of manufacture, and their design elements feature prominently in Xter’s art. A small local religion (of mostly non-citizens) has sprung-up around this product.

Also, Xter is reportedly as close as one can safely come to The Great Migration. Over a four-day period in the spring, animals move northwest past Xter in larger and larger groups. By the third day, there is a wall of creatures moving southeast to northwest. Grazing animals seem to appear first, with the largest predators appearing on the last day; occasionally, both types can be seen moving together. Since these creatures rarely bother Xter or its inhabitants, the regular event is treated as a natural cycle and is the focus of a thanksgiving-like celebration each year. Near the end of spring, the creatures return by the same route, but in smaller groupings and much less concentrated. Interestingly, the Great Migration must somehow travel through The Deep Swamp to pass so close by to Xter.

Xter is the largest town in the area; its nearest rival would be Sowthtown five days south, or Firehead six days north and west, but no direct contact between either has occurred as Xter’s forces are normally husbanded within its walls. On several occasions, a nearby settlement has become incensed with Xter for one reason or another and unsuccessfully attacked the town, but Xter’s forces have rarely carried the fight to neighboring towns or villages. Most conflicts with Xter end with the opposing side signing a new trade agreement (heavily in Xter’s favor).

Xter trades in both Gold and Yuros; Gold is the preferred currency and is normally traded 5-to-1 in favor of Yuros.