Ashendell

Ashendell is a town nestled deep in the mountainous region of Gryttrheim. Originally a mining settlement erected by officials from the Hegian Empire, the town was left to its own devices when the mine's deposits eventually ran dry, leaving behind several Hegian families who had staked their livelihoods on the work that the town had up until that point provided.  

History

First erected in 970 ME, Ashendell was founded by Hegian explorers after discovering what appeared to be a promising cluster of precious metal deposits within the Gryttrheim mountains. Once established, the settlement was quickly populated by work-seeking families immigrating from the Hegian Empire; as an added incentive, the town of Ashendell was promised regular deliveries of food and other supplies from the Hegian government in exchange for a majority share of the minerals harvested from the town's mines. A portion of the town's profit also went towards hiring mercenaries to protect the people of Ashendell from the monstrous creatures which prowl the Gryttrheim wilderness.   As time went on, the resources of the Ashendell mines began to dwindle, reaching an all-time low in 994 ME. As the mine's deposits dried up, so too did the regular supply deliveries from the Hegian Empire, effectively leaving the people of Ashendell to fend for themselves; with no money left in the coffers to hire mercenary protectors, those too poor to leave Ashendell quickly found themselves stuck in the middle of a small town surrounded on all sides by monster-infested wilderness.   Stor Whiterage, a resident of Ashendell, quickly rose to notoriety after slaying a bear which encroached on the town's territory, becoming a hero and local celebrity as well as being appointed the town's protector. However, with two wives and five children, Stor felt a compulsion to do more to provide for his impoverished family, taking up the mantle of a traveling adventurer in order to accumulate gold and other treasures to send back to the people of his town. This decision would lead to Stor's premature death in 999 ME, as he was slain while attempting to protect another member of his adventuring party in the jungles of Gulgund.   Hoping to make reparations for Stor's family, the adventuring party ventured to Ashendell, only to discover that the town was currently in conflict with a tribe of orcs led by the ogre Great Ulfe, having been driven further south by a premature winter and seeking to rob the town of its already-dwindling resources. Against all odds, the party was able to negotiate a truce between the orcs and the people of Ashendell when it was discovered that the early winter was the result of supernatural interference on the part of a Bheur Hag, whose control over the weather of Gryttrheim was released upon her defeat.