The small town of Eleanor has known nothing but prosperity
since it was settled. Built in a valley of the Frostback Mountains this city’s
natural defenses made it the perfect location for anyone looking to enjoy the
simple life. Surrounded by mountains on all sides Eleanor is well protected
from most land based aggressors. The height of the mountains ensure most of the
inclement weather bypasses the valley entirely which allows for plentiful crops
year after year. A mere five miles from the coast, the distance is enough to
ensure the safety of the city during stormy seasons (do to protection from the
mountains). But not so far away to hamper any trade or fishing the citizens may
wish to engage in. A narrow yet well-traveled pass leads to the sea where a
small series of docks & storage buildings has been erected to help
facilitate trade with the city.
Smedric had arrived in Eleanor only 3 months before the
first frost. He had run across the name of the city while investigating “the master
mages” of the realms. He was intrigued not only because he could not find any
reference to an actual mage living here, but there was also no records of any notable
deeds performed by anyone either. He wasn’t sure if a mistake had been made or
if someone was trying to hide something. His sources ensured him there was once
great magic worked here, but he was looking for an active practitioner not an
ancient relic.
It had taken him months to find a ship captain competent
enough to bring him here. It seemed several sailors had heard of the city, but
few knew where to find it. It wasn’t until he stumbled upon a small trade ship
owned by the city itself was he able to book passage. Upon arrival he was
initially reminded of Mirabar, with its stone structures & the close
proximity of the mountains. But he was surprised to learn there were no dwarves
here. The population around 4,500 was all humans. He was told it was not
unheard of for someone of another race to visit, but none ever stayed longer
than a season.
After poking around his first few weeks he had made some notes
about this unique town. There was only a modest library aimed toward rudimentary
education. It also contained a very brief overview of the city’s history and
founding family of merchant sailors. Apparently there were no surviving members
of the original family left in the city. A very basic form of government was
established where the city elders made decisions on anything that was not
covered in typical day to day operations. The day to day responsibilities were
handled by rotating groups of men and women that alternated between working the
fields, mines & civic responsibility’s. All able bodied men and women
worked in this rotation for at least 10 years. Its operations reminded Smendric more of a commune
than actual city even though its size suggested the latter. The shop owners
& city crafters where generally older citizens who after years of running
daily operations settled down to a less demanding form of service. Though they
did use minted currency (from other regions) it was clear no one actually
understood the value of it. Gold, silver, and even copper were all seen as
equal value & for all intents and
purposes a coin was a coin. There were two yearly festivals Expiry which
he had attended in mid fall and Nascent which was early spring. It was the
second festival that intrigued him. It culminated with a few hundred able
bodied citizens taking a pilgrimage into the mountains. While most people
referred to the destination as The Eonian they all seemed to revere this
location & it was the first sign of any religion Smendric had heard of
since arriving.
Smendric now stood upon the highest peak looking down at the
valley sprawled out ahead of him. He was certain magic had been use to shape
the landscape, however that was done centuries ago. The surrounding mountains
blanketed with a deep accumulation of snow yet only a light dusting lay across
the valley below. The scene was perfect, too perfect he noted as he studied the
overall layout of the valley. The forest and river were positioned along the
eastern side of the valley. They ran right up to the fields providing no need
for irrigation or wind breaks. The fields to the north were remarkably rock
free in this mountainous valley. Large enough to feed the entire population of
Eleanor he had heard the fields would support a wide variety of crops
simultaneously. Someone had created this valley he thought, the river, fields,
even the location of the buildings in the city were meticulously placed. It
reminded him of the time he created a demi-plane and secretly transported that
barbarian tribe to live there for a month, but this was on a much larger scale.
Smendric had been coming here every day for a month. There was something about
the layout of the valley that gnawed at him, a kind of familiarity even though
he had never seen it before.
It was designed as series of safe guards each area protecting
another area of the valley. Floods, avalanches, or any natural disasters had each
been taken into account & planed for centuries ago. Invasion would be the only real threat to the
valley however a land assault would be too costly. Bring an invading force over
the mountains would take a year; you couldn’t bring enough resources for that long
of a campaign. To come by sea if you could find it would have been possible,
but what’s the point? Smendric had lived here over nine months and had yet to
see anything worth invading for. They had food, a couple small mines for silver
& iron ore but nothing of great value. It certainly wasn’t a strategic location.
Even their smithy & crafting techniques were dated compared to other cities
he had visited. His attention came back to the present, there was something
else, something that kept calling him back up here, something he had yet to
see. He hoped tomorrow’s pilgrimage would inspire him to find what he was
looking for.
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