gambler1650
Explorer
Background:
Five years ago, the ruler and protector of Ascadar, a large town in a valley next to a solitary mountain, disappeared. Eliaesel was a young silver dragon who had lived for centuries in the mountain – an ancient, dead volcano – the caldera at the top from which she would fly. She had lived for centuries, and after a long sleep woke up 300 years ago to discover a small community that was attempting to eke out an existence – founded by a knight named Ascadar. The empire he came from is called “The Empire of Mankind”, and while technically the town that bears his name is part of it still, the Empire’s only involvement is a tax collector every year. While those who lived in the new community were frightened by Eliaesel’s first appearance, she soon convinced them she meant them no harm, and even provided assistance in defending and strengthening the outpost which soon became more prosperous as the lumber from the rare hardwoods in the forest around the valley, and minerals in the foothills were exported back to the Empire.
Eliaesel visited regularly in the form of a silvery skinned humanoid, and listened to complaints and worries of the citizens. She would sit in on the hearings to decide on matters concerning the town. She passed laws, but allowed a ¾ majority vote of the council to overrule any law. She required equal representation on the council by poor and rich, and by each race in the town. These races were mostly halflings and humans, but there were a smattering of elves and even dwarves. Her reasoning was that no group would be discriminated against based on numbers, and it worked. This was due mainly because she proved to be a wise ruler, and the town flourished. Many tried to strike up a personal relationship with her, but she never revealed personal details or became more than a friendly acquaintance to anyone.
Raids by nearby lizardmen communities, and the goblins and giants of the nearby hills, were beaten back with Eliaesel's help. But then she vanished. Those who tried to enter her lair to either determine what had happened, or for more selfish reasons (such as finding her treasure), discovered that a lower portion of the caldera had caved in, and her lair seemed to be buried under hundreds of feet of stone. No other entrance has yet been found that connected to her lair from the outside of the mountain. The town is rapidly giving up hope that she is still alive. Fortunately Ascadar is large enough to defend itself now against smaller raids, and the local humanoid monsters appear to still be wary of the return of the town’s protector. Of late, however, they appear to be becoming more bold.
Larger groups of guards are required to protect the workers who mine the hills and cut lumber, and to follow the caravans that trade with the outside world. Within the town, tensions run high as the council can rarely agree on anything without the guidance of their former protector. There have been calls to put one leader in her position to have the same powers, but no one can agree on who that person should be. The council has decided to call for a vote of the populace within 90 days of the present time, but the politics caused by this have created bitterness among former friends and neighbors as racial tension begins to simmer to the surface. Some Humans, and Halflings to a lesser degree, believe that they should have a greater influence on the direction and governance of Ascadar due to their higher percentage in the population.
The Empire of Man has fallen on hard times, beset from outside and within, and can seemingly provide no help to a town so far from the center, even if taxes are still collected every year. Ascadar’s independence, once something that most of the residents were proud of, now feels more like isolation with threats from all sides.
Caravans need guards, the town's threats need to be scouted, and there are rumors of items in ruins and caverns in the mountain which could be used to protect the town. Within the town itself, factions try to dig up dirt on those who wish to become the leader of the council. There are opportunities aplenty for those who would style themselves a hero... or for those who just wish to change their lot in life and level of income.
TIMELINE
0 EMF (Empire of Man Founded): Empire of Man created from loose grouping of human cities.
80 EMF: Ascadar, a legendary adventurer, founds an outpost in a valley in the shadow of a lonely mountain.
98 EMF: Eliaesel makes her first appearance to Ascadar. She quickly becomes its ruler and protector.
163 EMF: Ascadar becomes a full fledged village. At this point Eliaesel creates the council that rules the town to this day.
198 EMF: A discovery of coal and gems in the nearby foothills increases the income into the village, allowing it to increase rapidly in size and wealth, becoming a town within a few years.
221 EMF: The town reaches more or less its present size.
226 EMF: A coordinated assault by Lizardmen on the mines is beaten back by soldiers and Eliaesel.
235 EMF: Goblins, led by a pair of Hill Giants attempts to attack the town itself. Again, they are no match for the town defenses as augmented by the Silver Dragon. Rare raids continue, but never again do the humanoid races attempt anything large.
350 EMF: The Empire of Man has grown decadent and weak. Strife within, and invaders from without, begin to expose its weaknesses. It demands more money from taxes.
395 EMF: Eliaesel vanishes. Attempts to find her reveal only that the caldera at the top of the mountain has collapsed, presumably burying the entrance of her lair.
400 EMF: Present
Events in Ascadar this Year:
Month 1: A heavy snowstorm fills the valley. Colder than any in recent memory, much of the wood cut for export has to be used. Much of the food storage is also depleted as the hunters can’t easily find game to bring down.
Month 2: Fortunately, warmth returns to some extent, and the food stores remain level. The council, not having a strong leader and getting little done during the harder times in the previous month, realize they need to appoint a leader. They decide to hold a vote by the town, and they set the vote for the first day of the seventh month.
Month 3: An early thaw, and the cutting of trees begins again – attempting to make up for the wood burned. A house burns down: the young couple who owned it are never found – presumed burned to ashes in the fire. Tensions start to rise further in the town as people vying to become the leader, or those who would profit from someone specific becoming the leader, spread propaganda that becomes more and more bitter.
Month 4: At the very start of the month, reports of another Lizardmen raid, this time on the workers cutting down trees, come back to the town. The guards were overwhelmed, and only a few returned. There are other woods that can be harvested, and so for now, the effort has switched to them – but this has caused delays. Combined with the events of the first month of the year, the income from exporting lumber this year already appears likely to be significantly less.
Mid-Month 4: The present. Spring is well under way, but the town is restless at best, and at times the tensions feel much higher and ready to break through the surface.
The Town of Ascadar:
Population: 3500
Racial Proportion: Human (51%), halfling (30%), dwarf (12%), elf (7%)
Government: Council of members divided equally among the races and wealth levels. ¾ agreement required on any law.
Major Exports: Wood, bows, arrows, coal from the mountain, some gems.
Major Imports: Food, drinks, metal weapons and tools, wool, clothing.
Five years ago, the ruler and protector of Ascadar, a large town in a valley next to a solitary mountain, disappeared. Eliaesel was a young silver dragon who had lived for centuries in the mountain – an ancient, dead volcano – the caldera at the top from which she would fly. She had lived for centuries, and after a long sleep woke up 300 years ago to discover a small community that was attempting to eke out an existence – founded by a knight named Ascadar. The empire he came from is called “The Empire of Mankind”, and while technically the town that bears his name is part of it still, the Empire’s only involvement is a tax collector every year. While those who lived in the new community were frightened by Eliaesel’s first appearance, she soon convinced them she meant them no harm, and even provided assistance in defending and strengthening the outpost which soon became more prosperous as the lumber from the rare hardwoods in the forest around the valley, and minerals in the foothills were exported back to the Empire.
Eliaesel visited regularly in the form of a silvery skinned humanoid, and listened to complaints and worries of the citizens. She would sit in on the hearings to decide on matters concerning the town. She passed laws, but allowed a ¾ majority vote of the council to overrule any law. She required equal representation on the council by poor and rich, and by each race in the town. These races were mostly halflings and humans, but there were a smattering of elves and even dwarves. Her reasoning was that no group would be discriminated against based on numbers, and it worked. This was due mainly because she proved to be a wise ruler, and the town flourished. Many tried to strike up a personal relationship with her, but she never revealed personal details or became more than a friendly acquaintance to anyone.
Raids by nearby lizardmen communities, and the goblins and giants of the nearby hills, were beaten back with Eliaesel's help. But then she vanished. Those who tried to enter her lair to either determine what had happened, or for more selfish reasons (such as finding her treasure), discovered that a lower portion of the caldera had caved in, and her lair seemed to be buried under hundreds of feet of stone. No other entrance has yet been found that connected to her lair from the outside of the mountain. The town is rapidly giving up hope that she is still alive. Fortunately Ascadar is large enough to defend itself now against smaller raids, and the local humanoid monsters appear to still be wary of the return of the town’s protector. Of late, however, they appear to be becoming more bold.
Larger groups of guards are required to protect the workers who mine the hills and cut lumber, and to follow the caravans that trade with the outside world. Within the town, tensions run high as the council can rarely agree on anything without the guidance of their former protector. There have been calls to put one leader in her position to have the same powers, but no one can agree on who that person should be. The council has decided to call for a vote of the populace within 90 days of the present time, but the politics caused by this have created bitterness among former friends and neighbors as racial tension begins to simmer to the surface. Some Humans, and Halflings to a lesser degree, believe that they should have a greater influence on the direction and governance of Ascadar due to their higher percentage in the population.
The Empire of Man has fallen on hard times, beset from outside and within, and can seemingly provide no help to a town so far from the center, even if taxes are still collected every year. Ascadar’s independence, once something that most of the residents were proud of, now feels more like isolation with threats from all sides.
Caravans need guards, the town's threats need to be scouted, and there are rumors of items in ruins and caverns in the mountain which could be used to protect the town. Within the town itself, factions try to dig up dirt on those who wish to become the leader of the council. There are opportunities aplenty for those who would style themselves a hero... or for those who just wish to change their lot in life and level of income.
TIMELINE
0 EMF (Empire of Man Founded): Empire of Man created from loose grouping of human cities.
80 EMF: Ascadar, a legendary adventurer, founds an outpost in a valley in the shadow of a lonely mountain.
98 EMF: Eliaesel makes her first appearance to Ascadar. She quickly becomes its ruler and protector.
163 EMF: Ascadar becomes a full fledged village. At this point Eliaesel creates the council that rules the town to this day.
198 EMF: A discovery of coal and gems in the nearby foothills increases the income into the village, allowing it to increase rapidly in size and wealth, becoming a town within a few years.
221 EMF: The town reaches more or less its present size.
226 EMF: A coordinated assault by Lizardmen on the mines is beaten back by soldiers and Eliaesel.
235 EMF: Goblins, led by a pair of Hill Giants attempts to attack the town itself. Again, they are no match for the town defenses as augmented by the Silver Dragon. Rare raids continue, but never again do the humanoid races attempt anything large.
350 EMF: The Empire of Man has grown decadent and weak. Strife within, and invaders from without, begin to expose its weaknesses. It demands more money from taxes.
395 EMF: Eliaesel vanishes. Attempts to find her reveal only that the caldera at the top of the mountain has collapsed, presumably burying the entrance of her lair.
400 EMF: Present
Events in Ascadar this Year:
Month 1: A heavy snowstorm fills the valley. Colder than any in recent memory, much of the wood cut for export has to be used. Much of the food storage is also depleted as the hunters can’t easily find game to bring down.
Month 2: Fortunately, warmth returns to some extent, and the food stores remain level. The council, not having a strong leader and getting little done during the harder times in the previous month, realize they need to appoint a leader. They decide to hold a vote by the town, and they set the vote for the first day of the seventh month.
Month 3: An early thaw, and the cutting of trees begins again – attempting to make up for the wood burned. A house burns down: the young couple who owned it are never found – presumed burned to ashes in the fire. Tensions start to rise further in the town as people vying to become the leader, or those who would profit from someone specific becoming the leader, spread propaganda that becomes more and more bitter.
Month 4: At the very start of the month, reports of another Lizardmen raid, this time on the workers cutting down trees, come back to the town. The guards were overwhelmed, and only a few returned. There are other woods that can be harvested, and so for now, the effort has switched to them – but this has caused delays. Combined with the events of the first month of the year, the income from exporting lumber this year already appears likely to be significantly less.
Mid-Month 4: The present. Spring is well under way, but the town is restless at best, and at times the tensions feel much higher and ready to break through the surface.
The Town of Ascadar:
Population: 3500
Racial Proportion: Human (51%), halfling (30%), dwarf (12%), elf (7%)
Government: Council of members divided equally among the races and wealth levels. ¾ agreement required on any law.
Major Exports: Wood, bows, arrows, coal from the mountain, some gems.
Major Imports: Food, drinks, metal weapons and tools, wool, clothing.
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