Abide

Once a vibrant trading outpost, the small town of Abide has fallen on hard times as of late. Deadly creatures encroach on their borders, and the protectors they once relied on are nowhere to be found.   Abide has all the hallmarks of a perfect regional waystation. Easy access to the Amiratyne and Sefertyne rivers make it easy to access by both boat and foot, the nearby mountains provide a steady source of ore, and the rich lands of the Wynnterlands ensure productive crops. Even the close proximity of the Frontier keeps the weather mild, if a bit windy.   Despite all this, Abide bleeds. Citizens on the fringes go missing with uncomfortable regularity, and others in town are packing their belongings and fleeing to larger, safer settlements. The local reeve has been gone some time now, presumably on a mission to seek aid, as has the town's mayor. The only authority remaining is the stalwart - if inexperienced - deputy, a dwarf by the name Ronni Greyweather.   Unofficially, the people have begun to look to a couple of relative new-comers to Abide, Scarlett cer Moore and August Lennore, for leadership. A husband and wife duo who purchased, renamed, and renovated an old tavern into the Amber Hour. It falls to them to hold the town - and each other - together.  

On the Edge

  Abide dwells in the grey space between Frontier and Empire. Belonging to both when it is profitable, and neither when it is imperiled.   Technically, they are the northernmost outpost of the Frontier Republic, a border town demarking the end of a fledgling nation and the beginning of an ancient empire. The protection of Abide, therefore, is a manner of some debate. Frontier Outriders have enough territory to cover without having to travel north of the Cusp, and thus have few opportunities to patrol near the small town.   On the rare occasion that Vaelian Weaver knights pass through, they are inundated with requests for arbitration and monster slaying in a way that the Outriders cannot hope to match. Even on Vaelgard's borders, the reputation of the Rune Knights remains as pure as ever. For the most part, local protection and law enforcemant falls to the sheriff and his deputies, along with whoever   Abide has an appointed mayor, Roald Montimere, who was an investor into the Frontier endeavor back in the days of its inception. Roald has not been seen in Abide for several months, claiming to be away on a mission to Port Calum to "drum up mercantile support" for the wavering town.   Other notable individuals who still remain in Abide include the elven twins Vesma and Eesma Ilinstruss, who run a small enchantment shop, as well as Gunter Glinteye, who keeps the forge alight alongside his apprentice Toelok.   A small general store meets the needs of many travelers, owned by Mayor Montimere and run by Clem, a hedge mage and scientist.  

Autumn's Echoes

  Abide began as a fortress, a redoubt on a hill. Utilizing the bones of ancient pentarchy ruins, Vaelian mason-mages constructed a watch-tower atop a hill overlooking several key crossings of the Amiratyne. Only seven men originally manned it, seven men and one messenger-bird. What began as a temporary installation quickly grew as the commanders realized the watch-commander realized the logistical importance of the area he controlled, and sent missives to nearby units to rally to the tower on the hill.   The area became the staging ground for a number of exhausted and frustrated Vaelian units, and gained the name "Abiding Fury" during this time. Decaying morale among the south-bound armies, coupled with frequent raids from crafty Frontier Outriders, left many soldiers with a sour taste of the otherwise idyllic region. A sentiment which only worsened the closer they grew to the Cusp.   Now a sprawling fortress, Abiding Fury became the hinge-point of two major actions in the closing weeks of the Autumn War: The Convocation at Abiding Fury, and the battle for Mas Gaios.   The former was a once-in-a-generation event, the gathering of all but three Rune Knights currently in the service of Her Vision the Queen. Here the knights of the four orders did what they had never done before: Openly debating the justness of their queen's order, of the war that they currently fought. The knights had been called to war, called in force to put down the southland's rebellion, to remind the so-called Frontier Republic that their lands were merely an extension of Aertan territory. The Orders were divided. They had never been called to march in force before, not since the days of Queen Vaelia the Bloody, and many among them, especially those of the Order of Weavers, intended to put those days behind them. Their arguments were that the Rune Knights had become protectors and peacekeepers, not soldiers. Especially not soldiers that were called upon to fight against Vaelgard's own citizens. Joining the Weavers in their objections were the Wyrms, whose primary point of contention was that caravanners and outlaws did not make fitting sport for their lances, and merely wished to return to their hunts.   In opposition stood the orders of Saints and Weepers. The Knights of the Saints remained constant in their insistence that their oath to the queen was before and above any individual knight's, or even order's, creed. The Weepers made much the same argument, although they appended many reminders of the consequences of disobedience, and the fate of traitors.   Ultimately there was no agreement. The Order of Weavers unanimously refused to take part in future battles, as did eight of the eleven Wyrm Knights who were present. A single Weeper knight defected from her orders decision, but otherwise the other orders disparaged their brethren and demanded they be beheaded.   No such punishments befell the objectors, and thus the title of "Vagrant Knight" began to circulate among the people of Vaelgard.   Two weeks later, the armies were joined as they competed for control of the Sefertyne. The thin ranks of the Rune Knights were unable to overcome the cunning and canny of the Frontier forces, bolstered as they were by the recent arrival of the Bastard Sons of Brass mercenary company. A single Weaver Knight even fought alongside the Frontiersmen, and has been a wanted criminal since.   Ultimately, General Thurvius Burgunther was forced to concede defeat in order to limit further losses. While never formerly acknowledged by Aertas, this act effectively secured the Frontier Republic's sovereignty.