Esmer Village

Summary

Esmer Village lies on the northern coast of the Verdan Peninsula in the eastern-most part of the Continent of Kildan. It is currently controlled by the Azure Ascendancy. In the year 84 AA, the town was largely raised to the ground by a group of Gnolls worshipping Yeenoghu. Though a few dozen individuals survived, nearly 75% of the population was wiped out.

History

Founding - 23 AA

Esmer Village was founded by the Azure Ascendancy shortly after the orcs had been driven out of the Verdan Peninsula. It was decided that with the population growing steadily now with easy access to plenty of land, a source of food was needed. It was decided that the northern edge of the Verdan Peninsula, an area with rich fertile soil, would be the perfect place to found a new town. Esmerelda Yonlast was chosen by the King to lead this venture in the year 23 AA. She, along with a few dozen other individuals, settled Esmer Village and began growing crops to be shipped back to Leonport.

Growth - 23 AA to 84 AA

Esmerelda, though young, was well loved by her followers. They were able to quickly set up a small but prosperous village where people largely lived at peace. This peace continued for a little over 60 years, wherein the population slowly grew to reach roughly 200. A few small shops including a general goods store and a blacksmith opened and allowed for quick access to tools and some amenities. As of 84 AA, Esmerelda still was the de-facto ruler of the town, though she worked the fields just the same as everybody else.

Gnoll Raid - Stagnation 14 of 84 AA

Over the course of the weeks leading up to Stagnation 14, odd reports of terrifying creatures lurking in the treeline out past the fields were reported by farmhands. Terrifying hunchbacked looking wolf creatures were seen to be skulking at the edge of the trees, watching with wide mouths and yellow eyes. Several messengers were sent to Port Llast requesting aid though only the first with more of a cautionary message arrived. As the sightings became more frequent, weapons were passed out and a sort of watch was established that roamed the town at night. A curfew was put in place, and the air in the town grew to be fearful.   The night of Stagnation 18 started the same as the last few. Torches were lit on the edge of town, individuals were sent on patrol, and everything was fairly quiet. Near midnight however, howling snarls erupted from all around the village. Well over a dozen creatures leapt out of the darkness and slaughtered those on patrol. They quickly took to the streets and began setting buildings ablaze to drive the villagers out. Rather than killing many of them outright, those that didn't resist were bound and gagged and thrown onto large carts. Some were able to escape, and fled down the road towards Port Llast, only to be slaughtered by bandits. The rest were either taken by the Gnolls, killed in the streets, or burned alive in the buildings.   The gnolls proceeded down a faint trail in the woods to the south-west and brought them to an ancient mine several miles into the woods. Can they be saved?

Population

Before the raid, roughly 200 men, women, and children lived in Esmer Village. Though almost entirely human, there were several half elves, halflings, and dwarves that called the village home. The vast majority of the population are farmers, the rest were mostly craftsmen.

Notable Figures

Esmerelda Yonlast

Esmerelda Yonlast is a Female Human, born 975 AO. She is currently 86 years old. Since it's founding, Esmerelda has been the de-facto leader and has helped the town thrive and grow into a prospering farming settlement. She is well loved by all.

Orsik Ironfist

Orsik is a Male Dwarf born 23 AA. He is currently 61 years old. He, along with his family, run the village smithy, Ironfist's Iron where he primarily makes tools and other utility items for the village. Orsik was banished from Fjellherrak for his over-friendliness with humans and elves. He was once a very gifted smith in the dwarven kingdom, but now is mostly a grumpy brooding fellow, who's bitter about being banished. He's married to Ofilia Ironfist and his two daughters are Petunia and Bluebell Ironfist.

Ziore Starfeller

Ziore Starfeller is a female Leonin born 56 AA. She is currently 28 years old. She is the owner and sole proprietor of the Limping Lion Tavern in Esmer Village. She once roamed the Eternal Plains along with her pack, the Starfellers. During an encounter with a fearsome beast, her leg was horribly injured and hat to be removed. A rough looking peg leg was attached to her leg in it's place and she was no longer able to hunt and travel with her pack. She chose instead to settle down in Esmer Village and start up a tavern for the people there. She's a generally friendly individual with fierce loyalty to her friends.

Dona Ramondo

Dona Romando is a female Human born 58 AA. She is currently 26 years old. She, along with her family, tend to the Neighborly Nook, a general store in the center of town. They offer fair prices to the generally poor farmers of this town. She and her family fair from the city of Ja'ral as emphasized by her darker skin tone. She's intelligent and an excellent saleswoman, but overall a good person. Her husaband is named Diero and her son is named Salas.