Faring Ford

The party has arrived at the small town of Faring Ford. Crowning the top of a small rise near the ford, the town serves as a meeting place for all the mines in the eastern hills, and a link to the river running deeper into the mining territory.
Quick addendum to yesterday's post: the town will have a dock for ships. This means the abutments can be part of a bridge, most likely a drawbridge, allowing for a wider gap between them.
The mines in these hills are more recent than the ones upriver in Aron's Bowl. They are much rougher and cater to a wild assortment of vagabonds. Many of these mines are operated by half-orcs and "reformed" bandits of all kinds. They tend to operate in rather shady conditions, often hiring bands of mercenaries to serve as security. Only very select wagon drivers and crews are permitted to come to town, and they do so under guard.
This makes the entire town a strange mix of civilization and secrecy. The needed conduit provided by the river, linking mines with suppliers and markets, keeps the town operating with a modicum of order (at least during the daytime).
I've got nothing today... I hadn't expected a town yet. I'll need to figure this out. On the one hand, it seems too close to the wilderness they just left. On the other hand, they are meant to start encountering civilized territory (gradually, to be sure) as they near Aron's Bowl. It should be a stretch to call this a town. The dock and a warehouse can work, as well as a drawbridge. The rest I need to think about.