Ashdell

Ashdell

Physical Information

Size Moderate
Location Epressa, northwestern shore of Crobhear Lake, around sixty miles from the Portal Stone
Region Points of Interest Waterfront, guildhouses, Castle Zarek

Societal Information

Primary Occupants Humans, dwarves
Government Monarchy
Primary Language Common trade dialects

Economic & Military Information

Defenses Walls, longboats, dense forest, mountains
Primary Exports Fish, timber, woodwork, metalwork
Primary Imports Metal, arms, and armor from Belgrath

OOC Info

Image Source Sergei Grechanyuk

Ashdell sprang up early in the Age of Chronicles, around three centuries ago, due solely to its location. It sits on the northwestern shore of Crobhear Lake, convenient to a Portal Stone and a river that stretches down to the Gulf of Ryt. Dense forest surrounds Ashdell on most sides. Ashdell is known for its woodsmen and woodworkers.

The population is roughly half human and half dwarves from the Belgrath diaspora. The throne is human, but the real power in Ashdell lies with the dwarven-controlled crafting guilds - woodwork, metalworkers of various kinds, felling, mining, and so forth.

As the most convenient route from any Portal Stone to the Gulf of Ryt and the great river that feeds it, Ashdell is a significant regional trade hub. It supplies the Gulf and other markets with good lumber, both hardwood and softwood, as well as finished products of many kinds. The tradesman guilds pride themselves on quality.

The king of Ashdell pays a largely symbolic tribute to the Council of nearby Belgrath, and has done for at least a century.

As a general rule, the more expensive buildings are dwarven stonework in the Belgrath style, and the rest are made of logs or planks. There are exceptions: several guild halls are made of finely-carved wood.

Gigantic docks harbor fishing fleets and send river-boats down to the Gulf of Ryt. The waterfront is a jumble of piers, curing sheds, fish markets, boatbuilding, inns, taverns, and cargo sheds. The entire area smells of fish and tar.

The Royal House of Merlon rules from Castle Zarek, a dwarven-built stone fortress that overlooks the city. Castle Zarek houses a contingent of skilled guards and woodsmen, all armed with weapons from Belgrath. However, several important guildhouses are larger and better-protected. One would not want to go up against the axes of the Fellers' Guild or the hammers of the Stonecarvers, for example.

Ashdell began as a roadside fishing town, convenient to the river, the lake, and the Portal Stone. Its fortunes waxed and waned for its first century, but improved once it built a relationship with Belgrath. Ashdell became a key settlement of the dwarven diaspora.

In the brutal winter of 225AC, an orcish warband laid siege to Ashdell while Lake Crobhear was frozen solid. A dwarven force from Belgrath broke the siege unasked. In gratitude, King Carel Merlon offered tribute to the ancient dwarven city.

By tradition, second or third children of prestigious houses are sent abroad for an education, typically to Belgrath, Alliria, or Elbion. The latest royal to do so was Princess Mirielle Merlon, whose extended sojourn left her changed and despondent. When she departed again in 367AC to marry a nobleman in faraway Lazular, some began to question the value of sending second or third heirs abroad.

In 369AC, a gigantic frost drake began sinking fishing boats. The Fishers' Guild hired a mercenary company called the Silver Key, which hunted and killed the drake in the foothills of the Spine.

The Strength of Foundations
Frozen Peaks
Skirmish in the Sands