Avanfiaran

Small Town: Population 1,050 (43% letheni, 19% lynoxi, 18% human, 10% vesperkin, 10% other)

History

Avanfiaran is a small mining town east of Mythwell that was founded during the Upheaval period, and has been a primary source of iron and a handful of other metals for Mythwell for a very long time. Their mines lie along the northern side of the Hestanfiaran mountain range, opposite where settlements such as Baltacanath and Landuwenian have their mining operations. The town has never expanded much beyond its current size and does not have all of the amenities of other towns its size, as its residents are almost entirely miners or those involved with processing the ore that the miners deliver. The town was far more prosperous during the rule of the Kingdom of Derunadel, who paid them well for their services and ensured their safety. However, ever since the formation of the Synodical Republic, things have slowly gone downhill, with the town receiving fewer and fewer amenities from the magistrate of Mythwell, and their wages shrinking.

This has come to a climax in recent years, as magistrate Tordynnar Veverell of Mythwell has shown no care for the miners, nor their livelihood, paying them less than ever and pulling support from the Enforcers leaving the town largely undefended. Locals and residents of Mythwell have had a mixture of confusion and dismay over these developments. Residents of Avanfiaran who remember the time before the Synodical Republic speak nostalgically about the Kingdom of Derunadel and there are even whispers of sedition among the miners who are fed up with their poor treatment. These whispers of rebellion and strike have not escaped the ears of Tordynnar in Mythwell, and most recently, a large contingent of soldiers was dispatched from Mythwell to quell this rebellion and keep the miners in line. For the last year, these soldiers have been forcing the miners to continue working, going so far as to use physical force to break up strikes. Tensions are reaching an all-time high, and many outside the town believe this can only end in blood.

Something that Avanfiaran has always historically struggled with is its youth, particularly with more and more of them wanting to leave the town for grander pursuits, not wanting to be relegated to one or two singular professions in a town with crumbling infrastructure and poor defenses against attacks from wild creatures. Part of the reason the Fiaran Licani gang has become such a problem is because of their rejection of the town's livelihood, wanting to be more than just "the mining town". Merchants rarely stop in town, knowing that the folks there can't afford what they have to offer, so the youth do not have access to education or tools to pursue other things. A number of the Fiaran Licani members who have "aged out" have gone on to attack merchants on the road, not out of greed, but out of a desire to leave the town or learn something new. The town is slowly realizing that if they don't find a way to broaden their horizons, it won't be long before Avanfiaran disappears entirely.

Government

Avanfiaran is under the jurisdiction of magistrate Tordynnar Veverell of Mythwell, a Letheni man who has always shown a lack of interest in the people of the town, allocating resources towards magical pursuits in Mythwell and towards infrastructure in Cothunor instead. This has resulted in many of the townsfolk not only openly criticizing Tordynnar, but entertaining talk of seceding from Mythwell and perhaps seeking to join Baltacanath. As a result of this open revolt, Tordynnar has placed a large force of soldiers in Avanfiaran to keep them in line. Avanfiaran has been under martial law for the past year.

Economy

The town's primary source of income is from the production and processing of iron. It is not the most valuable metal, but it is very abundant and relatively easy to mine compared to other materials. However, as a result of the town's poor relations with Mythwell, they have not been paid a fair market rate for their iron for a very long time, and their economy is suffering for it. Besides the mountains, the surrounding landscape is mostly featureless hills with very few trees in sight. The town has two rock quarries that they use both for mining and for extraction of stone and coal, which they use for their buildings, as well as commerce. The mountains also have a handful of useful plants and minerals that supplement the iron and stone trade, such as quartz, magnetite, various herbs, and berry shrubs, including juniper. These berries are often used to produce alcohol, which is used more by the townsfolk than for trade. There is a local blueberry ale that is very popular among the townsfolk, but has not seen much export.

Notable Locations

• Lofareth Nistavan Teldeni - The largest iron mine used by the miners of Avanfiaran, they are so named for the periodic drafts of air that can come from deep within the Deephollow which the miners have likened to "breathing". It is extremely unnerving to newcomers, especially given that the miners have yet to find the source of this draft despite the mines now stretching down nearly two miles. The miners have had to be cautious not to expand too far so as to avoid causing a catastrophic collapse that could bring the town down with it. There are many surveyors that explore the Deephollow near the surface in groups to map out caverns in order to understand the structural stability of the area. Surveying teams have reported that they are rapidly approaching the point where expanding outwards would be too hazardous, and that deeper is the only option; but the further down the miners go, the more hazardous the environmental conditions become and the more creatures they encounter there. The surveyors and miners are not nearly well-equipped enough to deal with the dangers of the Deephollow, so they have expanded to nearby quarries in order to continue operations.
• Keranir Afranecas - These hot springs located at the base of the Hestanfiaran mountains, not far from Lofareth Nistavan Teldeni, are artificial hot springs made by the residents of Avanfiaran by carving out streams from tarns that come from natural hot springs deep within the Deephollow, creating several large pools. The water is far too hot for bathing in the tarns, close to boiling; but by the time it runs down the mountainside to the hot springs, it's the perfect temperature. The miners and blacksmiths come here to relax after a hard day at work.

Culture

Despite Avanfiaran's singular focus on mining, the people there would have abandoned it long ago if that was all that it is. Like most places, Avanfiaran's culture was shaped around the town's purpose. The time that residents have to themselves is often spent relaxing, given how brutally taxing mining can be on the body. The Hestanfiaran mountain range has a number of tarns connected to natural hot springs coming from deep within the Deephollow. The townsfolk have carved out drains to bring the hot spring water down to the town so that public baths could be created where the miners could relax. These baths are found not far from the mines, and though not considered "sacred", they have rules of etiquette for those visiting; mostly that one must bathe with normal water first to avoid dirtying the waters of the hot spring. After relaxing at the hot springs, there are a number of leisure activities that the residents participate in. With so much focus on mining and blacksmithing, there is plenty of scrap metal lying around that is not suitable for forging. The residents have taken to making art sculptures out of this scrap metal, with statues and odd art pieces decorating the town. Scrap metal has also been used in a number of creative ways in the town's architecture. The Vesperkin residents of Avanfiaran brought with them the Orator tradition from Myr, telling stories to entertain in large gatherings; but with the town's isolation, the number of stories the town's Orators have to tell has begun to stagnate, and on the rare occasion travelers stop in town, the Orators have had to get creative in finding a way to barter for new stories. Some Humans and Vesperkin have even found ways to make crude musical instruments with the materials they have.

As many of the locals aren't terribly wealthy, the town's celebrations typically don't involve big noisy festivals, but strange traditions that have developed over the years. One tradition that they keep to themselves is that once a month, when the townsfolk need to get rid of rotting food, someone will parade themselves through the town in "fancy" clothing, in the supposed guise of Tordynnar Veverell taunting the crowd, as the rest of the town pelts them with their rotten food. In the Lofareth Nistavan Teldeni, there is a particular mine shaft that terminates in a hole that drops straight down, too deep to reach the bottom. The locals have taken to tossing coins down the hole and making wishes; and some claim they can feel a sudden gust when they do so, which they believe is confirmation their wish will be granted. During Esten, when it becomes unbearably cold in the mines, the locals will set up a large cauldron and cook stew for the miners to keep their spirits up, and bring them hot drinks throughout the day. The most anticipated celebration in Avanfiaran, however, is Am Reka ith Hahomethi, during which residents put on comedic plays, often parodying uncomfortable situations. This day also involves a lot of public intoxication as people let the cares of the world around them disappear for the day.

Defenses

Due to Tordynnar Veverell's seemingly malicious neglect of the town, they have few Enforcers to defend them, and have had to train their own militia to keep threats such as Goblins and other creatures of the night at bay. With so many blacksmiths in residence, and the few Enforcers there being sympathetic to the town's plight, there are almost no residents of the town who do not have a weapon or two on their person. The few Enforcers they have available have given the citizens basic combat training so that they can defend themselves. No resident of Avanfiaran goes anywhere without a sword or similar weapon on their belt. The locals have formed a night watch that they all take turns serving on, patrolling the streets and watching the town borders for signs of hostiles. The town does not have walls, and there is not enough wood nearby to build palisades. As a result, the only defenses they have managed to build are various pit traps and trip lines connected to bells, which aren't too hard to spot for the occasional Goblin that makes their way into the town. The Emerald Company has but a single group of mercenaries stationed in town who are working hard to try to find ways to use the local resources to build basic defenses for them, but spare money is scarce, and they can't simply work for free.

After the arrival of the soldiers from Mythwell who came to quell the rebellion brewing in town, they have some 500 soldiers stationed in town; all highly trained, but loyal to Mythwell. Though they are able to keep creatures of the night at bay, they devote most of their attention to ensuring the miners and blacksmiths continue to work. News of this has spread to other areas of Arak and has raised the question of whether Tordynnar's actions in sending these soldiers to force the town to work constitutes slavery. The magistrate of Tellanorr, Tamon Ebonindir, as well as the magistrate of Vardanorr, Emris Amakiren, have both called for Tordynnar to be deposed and arrested.

Crime

Avanfiaran doesn't really have much crime to speak of. There is occasionally theft, but that's mostly out of necessity rather than greed, and it is not really pursued as there is no real law enforcement. What it does have are the Fiaran Licani, a gang of youths with nothing better to do who have made it their goal to harass the miners in the Hestanfiaran mountains. They like to prowl the mountains and throw rocks at the miners, and occasionally steal their equipment or food. The miners mostly see them as a nuisance, even sometimes viewing them as amusing. Nobody paid them much mind until the soldiers from Mythwell arrived, who viewed their antics as a serious offense, and began placing them in confinement when caught. However, after one soldier escalated things and killed a Human teenager for throwing rocks at the soldiers around the mines, the Fiaran Licani became much more serious, realizing that the situation was no longer just a way to alleviate their boredom. After this event, a number of the town's residents went to the mountains and joined with them, offering them weapons, and they began to stage surprise attacks against the soldiers in the hopes of liberating their town. Their numbers are few, but using clever traps and hit and run tactics, they are the town's only hope of emancipation.