A map of Artois
Larret, the largest town in Artois, is almost a city. It is in the southwestern part of the dukedom, near the old border between Mousillon and Lyonesse. Whilst it is distant from any competing cities, it is too far from major trade routes to become a major settlement in its own right, something that Earl Larret, the town's ruler, recognizes. Larret is a remarkably pleasant place to visit or to live. Many streets are paved, and almost all of the remainder are cobbled. Underground sewers take waste to a river, dumping it some distance from the walls.[1a]
Most houses are well built and maintained, and the City Watch is active in preventing and investigating crime, no matter who the victim is. The town is also extremely friendly to entertainers and scholars. The Earl tolerates almost anything, and even those who cross the line, by actually inciting violence, for example, get a friendly warning the first time. This status is maintained by a ruthless policy of deportation. The lazy, incompetent, and persistently criminal are simply removed from the town and told never to come back. When the population grows to the point that the town’s economy cannot support everyone, the poorest people are rounded up and exiled in the same way. Any exile found within three hours’ walk of Larret after sundown is subject to summary execution. Visitors do not know about this, and residents try not to think about it.[1a]