Jihondros

Jihondros is a settlement in the western foothills of Aranda, sat on a high plateau overlooking the river valley and ancient ruins below. Of old, this place was the site of a grand city beside a great stone quarry. When the city declined and eventually fell to ruin, stories of ghosts and evil spirits took hold of the local folk, and the ruins remained abandoned. The nearby castle, however, remained important, and it wasn't long before a new town emerged atop the quarry. This is the story of Jihondros.   No one truly knows what happened to the great city of Erhandros. It was located in the fertile river valley, beside a majestic quarry. Many people used to live there, until it fell to ruin. What happened is unsure, but most people agree that it was during the Daraban invasion of the 7th century AP. Erhandros resisted the invaders fiercely, and in turn the Darabans assaulted the walls and burned the city down to the ground. They murdered and pillaged, and their violence and brutality invoked a curse upon the land. Now everyone who ever stays here long will suffer the same fate as Erhandros.   Or at least, that's how the story goes. Since the fall of Erhandros, Castello Fiora has remained strategically relevant, which led to the plateau of Jihondros being settled in the century after the destruction of Erhandros. Around the Castello emerged a small village at first, with churches, taverns, and shops. The fertile valley below now sees farmlands, though the old city grounds still remain mostly uncultivated. Only a handful of streets are cleared of rubble and debris, to allow for quick passage through the ruins.   When Aranda became part of Elmara, Jihondros was made the capital of the Bordolasso region. With that, a new palazzo was constructed, and a ruler installed. Count Silvastro is a superstitious ruler who wholeheartedly believes the stories about Erhandros, never setting foot in the river valley. At night he is plagued by terrible nightmares of fire and flame. He dreams of armies assaulting the town walls and tearing it down stone by stone. The priests of Combris and Pedas have made attempts to treat the nightmares with herbs from the valley, but so far to no avail. In fact, Silvastro claims that the dreams are only getting worse! He believes they are visions of the future, and that in trying to suppress the dreams, the priests are complicit in the downfall of Jihondros, should it ever come about. Silvastro has reached out for help to prevent this fate, but has so far met every answer to his call with suspicion and mistrust.