Friendly Towns
These are places currently held by the Forces of Light, where adventurers can rest, buy and sell equipment, and meet other heroes without fear of being attacked by monsters.
Baralza (BAR)
Baralza is a tiny, nearly deserted hamlet located smack between Jalzabad and Valadia, accessible via a passage in the Jalzabad knights fortress. Local stories hold that when those two kingdoms fell to the evil advance, Baralza was too small to bother with. Still, most of the poeple have fled to safer places, leaving only a few brave souls to aid adventurers on their way through.
Baralza has little to speak of besides a pub and a large arena, which used to be the site of many gladiatorial games; they are still held here, though less often now.
Clysmort (CLYS)
One of the more remote towns, Clysmort was founded by survivors who fled from the town of Minton (now Old Minton) when it was overrun by undead. It can be found far to the southwest of Haven, along a long road and and even longer path along the river, bordered to the south and east by the rivers and to the north by a nearly impenetrable swamp (more on this later).
It is a small, friendly town of farmers with little to recommend it to adventurers. Of note, however, are the trading post, where heroes can swap items of equal craftsmanship and/or enchantment; and a shop where heroes can buy barkskin, bless, enlightenment, and valor potions. Clysmort, like most of the other towns, has an arena where heroes can battle for gold and glory; a pub/theater, and a set of docks, where (soon) one will be able to hire a boat to go up- or downriver. Just to the west of the docks, one can find the teleportal to the Badlands
Among the people of note are two brothers, Jethro and Jimbo, who live in small cabins near the edge of the swamp, on the north end of town. For the right price, they can show heroes through the swamp to the Old Minton Ruins or the Inn of the Undead, respectively. There is only one path through to each of those locations; anyone straying from either path could fall victim to the swamp monsters, who drag hapless victims under the murky swamp waters and drown them.
Haven (HAV)
The first town where all adventurers start, and a focal point for heroes in Alhanzar. The Haven Inn provides free rooms for all adventurers; the rooms also have desks and lockers for them to store items and equipment. The Pub is a popular place for heroes to gather and swap stories when they are not hunting, and a common place for higher-level heroes to give out vits, as it is accessible to everyone. It also boasts a common room for heroes to grab a quick nap and recharge health without having to go to their rooms. For those unfortunates who die in the course of adventuring, the priests at the Resurrection Church are always available to transport them back to the church and raise them.
The Haven Market has all the necessities for beginning adventurers - armor, weapons, pouches, sacks, and bags, etc. (For more information on these items, see the Items section). The bank is located right next to the market for easy access to those requiring funds. Right next to the market is the Crazed Rabbit Pound, where new adventurers can test their combat prowess against weak monsters.
Haven is also the home to all the class trainers, as well as Endurance, Stamina, and Karma trainers (these three are conveniently located in one building). For spellcasters, there is a small area to the east of town where heroes can practice spellcasting without endangering anyone else.
Salazad (SAL)
The furthest east of the friendly towns in Alhanzar, Salazad can only be reached by taking a raft across the river from The Last Chance Pub, then following the path through (or around) Anthill Mountain. It is second only to Haven in the number of shops that cater to adventurers - almost any basic item that can't be found in Haven can be found here (see the Items section for more details), and many types of arms and armor can be found here, too.
Aside from the arena and pub, places of note include: the elemental potion sellers (where one can find potions of protection from the elements); the royal historian (he gives information on attack and defense values, as well as combat advice); and the royal alchemist (who, for a price, can combine two potions, scrolls, or amulets of equal level and give back a potion, scroll, or amulet one level higher). Visitors to the city should be warned: the plaza around the main teleportal is itself a series of teleportals that send those stepping on certain spots to random locations around the city.
Sanctuary (SAN)
Sanctuary is most likely the second town new heroes will find, after Haven. It is located northeast of Haven, separated by only a small, rocky hill and the town wall. Sanctuary is noted for its town market, where heroes can find most potions. Here, also, are the magic and holy stores, which sell items for wizard classes and cleric classes respectively, as well as the First Aid trainer and the item personalizer. Sanctuary has an entrance to the Breedery, a long path that runs just south of the market.
Uswick (USW)
Uswick is unique among the friendly cities in that it is laid out in a perfect circle, with paths radiating out from from the teleportal in the center of town like spokes. It is located north of Sanctuary, and can be reached by following a path from The Last Chance Pub, but first-time visitors must have the Krell Warden's badge (found in the Breedery) to pass the rune square guarding the path over the river.
It is largely uninhabited, as close as it is to the Valley of the Krell, but it still boasts several useful shops, as well as the amulet imbedder (he can imbed or remove amulets from armor or clothing), the enchantment transferer (he can transfer magical enchantments from one weapon or piece of armor to another), and the hero potion trader (trades a hero potion 3 levels lower for any two hero potions of the same type).
Verbonic (VER)
Last but not least in the list of friendly towns is Verbonic, a small, sleepy town located southwest of Haven, on the road between it and Clysmort. It is little more than a wide spot in the road, notable mostly for the Hall of Heroes and Heroines (wherein one can find lists of the greatest heroes of the land), Marcel the Hero Quest guy (who gives out Hero Quests), and a shop where one can buy prot mind, nature, delusion, and illusion potions. Verbonic also has the one-way teleportal to Greenwood, located in a building across the street from the pub, and the entrances to two of the Goblin Caves and the Goblin Tunnel nearby.