Esharreth

Small Town: Population 1,391 (37% letheni, 22% lynoxi, 19% human, 12% vesperkin, 10% other)

History

Esharreth is an ancient town dating back to the Age of Creation, founded originally for the abundant resources found in the river south of the town, as well as the mountains to the north. However, those resources have long since been used up, with new resources being too far from the town to be practical to reach. With the town being so old, many have lived and died here; and now the town is known not for its resources, but for the dead who have remained there. These days, the town is somewhat of an attraction to travelers and faithful who consider the area the town is located within, and especially the giant willow tree at the town's center, to be sacred. Not a single resident of the town has lived there without having some sort of spiritual experience, as the spirits of the dead are a common sight here. However, unlike the town of Mospen in Myr, Esharreth has no fear of the spirits within its borders, as despite its extreme age, no corrupted spirits have ever dwelt within, and the spirits the locals are familiar with are passive and even friendly.

The town has faced a number of dangerous situations throughout history, one of which cemented the locals' belief in the site being sacred. In the Upheaval period, when the Wellspring anomaly known as Tibranumior resulted in a fissure opening to the southwest from which creatures native to the Deephollow emerged and assaulted Dedenatorr to the west, the creatures also passed by Esharreth, coming within close distance to the town. However, despite making visual contact with the creatures, they completely avoided the town and continued east towards Vardanorr. Many in the town believe that they were protected by Bantuxis and the many spirits of the town.

One of the defining events in the town's history was during the Reckoning period, during the event known across Arak as The Rift, when the boundaries between life and death broke down and thousands of malevolent spirits returned from The Vortex to invade Aellorah. While the rest of Arak was in a panic and racing to close The Rift, Esharreth was shielded from these malevolent spirits by Bantuxis, which pacified malevolent spirits that came near the town. This brought Esharreth into the public eye, spreading the belief that the town was sacred, and bringing faithful travelers from far and wide to pay respects to Bantuxis.

Government

The town falls under the jurisdiction of magistrate Emris Amakiren in Vardanorr to the east. However, unlike most towns of its size, Esharreth sees a disproportionate amount of travelers which require local oversight. As such, there is a local steward; a Human man named Ashar Muzani, who handles the day-to-day administration of the town to offload the burden from Emris. His duties include tax collection, commerce oversight, maintenance of town infrastructure, supervising local Enforcers, and record-keeping. He also coordinates emergency management in the event that the town is attacked or is subject to a natural disaster.

Economy

Esharreth once had a thriving economy that was based on a number of resources found in the river to the south of the town and the mountains to the north. Though those resources are not completely gone, they have dried up considerably to the point where they are no longer sustainable as a method of keeping the town alive. As a result, these trades have begun to die out, which has caused many laborers to move on to other places. The town has had to shift their focus to find ways to bring in money to keep themselves going. One constant in the town is the many spirits that gather and Bantuxis, the whispering willow tree. The town has begun to spread stories of their history to draw more attention, hoping to further establish their reputation to try to bring faithful from around the world to visit them; hoping to use the increased incoming travel to stimulate their economy.

With the town leaning into their spiritual reputation, they have begun to transform the town to appeal more to visitors of all kinds, not just the devout. Visitors can expect to find a number of shops catering to those looking for spiritual protection, guidance, or even to contact their lost loved ones. More than a few of these businesses are scams, but the town is not without its legitimate spiritual services. Plenty of charms, potions, and crafts can be found in the town catered to the theme; with the most popular item in town being so-called "spiritual anchors", said to be the tether for one of the town's benevolent spirits. They are bought under the belief that the spirit attached to the item will protect them from all manner of dangers; but none of them are legitimate.

The most popular service in town is those who claim to be able to contact the dead to help grieving families to make peace with their loved one's loss. There are only two legitimate practitioners of this in the entire town; a Letheni cleric named Seshenna, and the town's sole Ettinor inhabitant -- a woman named Idera. Idera is far more talented in the art, and is able to contact the dead without any remains or personal belongings; but she is intimidating, so many are more drawn to Seshenna, despite his relative inexperience.

Notable Locations

• Bantuxis - This large willow tree at the center of the town is the most important figure in Esharreth. It is considered sacred by the locals, as it predates the founding of the town, and spirits in the town seem to congregate there. At night, spirits gather around the tree, creating an ethereal light show that is considered to be something many believe needs to be seen at least once in a lifetime. The locals swear that they can hear voices coming in whispers from the tree at night, but many travelers seem to be unable to hear them. The tree has been studied by the Sorcerer's Cabal, who believe it is a very early Wellspring eruption that predates the Age of Creation, and that the reason the town has no hostile spirits is because the tree actively repels charged Flow, meaning spirits in its vicinity cannot become corrupted over time. Many who visit the town do so specifically just to see the tree.

Culture

Esharreth is considered a holy site by many, especially those who are faithful to Lys and Estrea. The presence of Bantuxis has led many to believe that the tree was created to protect the town by Lys herself. Though there are no records to support the idea, there is a belief that those who founded the town were the first Letheni, and that Lys created the tree with Estrea to provide safe haven to the first Letheni. The town has several shrines to Lys and Estrea, and its residents are more devout than most. The town's clergy hold regular processions hoping to guide lost spirits from nearby settlements to Esharreth to protect them from corruption. They are often seen in Vardanorr, given its high population.

With so much focus on spirits and spirituality, the locals have many traditions tied to death and the transition to the afterlife. It is common to see letters left at the base of Bantuxis addressed to the locals' lost loved ones; and even some left by travelers who are hoping that their loved ones will find their way there. The tree is so important to the locals, that when one visitor once tried to burn it down, he was savagely murdered for it. One of the traditions observed by the locals in regards to the tree is a monthly memorial service held at the tree at night when the spirits are gathered where the locals pray for the well-being and safe passage of their departed loved ones to the afterlife.

Defenses

There is a standard barracks of Enforcers in residence in the town situated towards the town center; though the number of Enforcers in the town is slightly larger to account for the large amount of visiting travelers in the town. The town is located in a hill covered area with trees surrounding it, so there are no palisades. The town's greatest defense is the tree known as Bantuxis; a large willow tree in its center.

The tree has been all but confirmed by the Sorcerer's Cabal to be an ancient Wellspring anomaly; and in addition to its tendency to draw in spirits, it appears to produce a sphere of influence which repels charged Flow within about a five mile radius. It does not repel all magical effects, only those it deems "harmful", which suggests the tree has some sort of limited consciousness; an idea which is supported by the eerie whispers that the locals have reported hearing from it at night. Its protective sphere of influence not only pacifies and prevents corruption in nearby spirits, but also seems to repel less intelligent monstrous creatures.

In addition to Bantuxis, the spirits of the town themselves seem to be ready and willing to protect the townsfolk in times of crisis. For a long time, the goblins that plague the entirety of Arak regularly besieged the town, and the town's spirits would fight back to protect the living. However, the goblins seem to have realized it was pointless long ago, and now actively avoid the place.

Crime

With a larger than average contingent of Enforcers at the ready, and the protective spirits lingering all over the town, violent crime is extremely rare in Esharreth. However, theft is certainly a problem; not just of the commodities found around the town's shops, but of Bantuxis itself. Some believe its bark and sap have the ability to protect them from spirits, or even to make them immortal. There is no information to suggest whether this is true, but that hasn't stopped many from trying. A handful have been successful, but Bantuxis is under heavy guard every hour of the day. With how important Bantuxis is to the townsfolk, harming the tree in this way has elicited extreme reactions of anger from the locals; including a handful of cases where those caught in the action have been brutally murdered while the Enforcers looked the other way.