History - Aspendale

Aspendale is a midsized town in the Great Western Mountains. Surrounded on two sides by hills, it is naturally protected by the terrain around it, and reasonably defensible.

Originally a Dwarven community, it was abandoned during the time of darkness and lay untouched for several millenia. During the rise of the Humans, it was rediscovered, and a new town was built on the rocky plateau outside the main Dwarven gate. Most of the structure of the Dwarven city was deep underground, and access to the superficial caves was blocked off by Humans wary of monsters.

This location proved very convenient for the Humans, as they were able to use the old tunnels beneath for disposal of their wastes. The top layer of the tunnels were originally built to catch and redirect the water falling on the plateau to protect lower areas, so all the neccessary structures were present to the point of a natural outflow occuring in a valley a short distance from the town.

With the arrival of the Humans came others. Adaptable Halflings, working as innkeepers, entertainers and domestic staff were soon present in sufficient numbers that a strong Halfling community flourished.

During this time, the town was functioning as a central trading point for many fossickers and pan-miners in the hills and mountains nearby. The area had long been mineral rich, and for the hardy and experienced (or the wary and fleet of foot) it was possible to extract significant wealth from the area. This of course also led to other 'entertainers' arriving, each seeking one way or another to transfer the gold that was so available into their own pockets.

The guild of thieves was swift to establish itself, perhaps arriving with the Halflings, and with it more organised forms of crime - gambling, protection, prostitution etc. It was an enterprising brothel owner who first introduced Half-Elves to the local area. Their slight figures and Elven features made them popular, and for some time a significant number worked in the town.

Over the next 500 years, the area was picked over, to the point that all obvious surface wealth had been removed. The need to get underground led to calls for Dwarven mining teams, but for a long time this was resisted, as all the Dwarven records seemed to indicate that the area had been populated for so long that it must be mined out by now.

In the end a few small comunities of Dwarves, attracted by the chance to move away from crowded, established mines moved into nearby areas of the mountains, and managed to draw some wealth from shallow scrape mines, and more dilligent surface techniques. The presence of these communities led to a small Dwarven community forming in Aspendale to provide central resources, in particular a temple to Clangeddin.

Since that time, much has changed.

The Half-Elves formed a community outside town during a wave of racial purity driven xenophobia several centuries ago. This insistance in the purity of their blood has remained, enshrined in the belief that unless Half-Elves breed only with Half-Elves their peoples will soon be lost to dilution. This is true, but unfortunately the community is not large enough to support this healthily, and now birth rates are catestrophically low, and still-births and extreme deformities are becoming common. This policy has also alienated the Humans (who often see in the half Elves, the beauty and spirituality that they long for).

The Halfling community has closed round itself, with its members often working with other races, but with a tendency to socialise within the smaller and more homely rooms of their own houses and inns. This tends to exclude the Humans, and has such led to some ill feeling. The Half-Elves have no real interest in socialising, and the Dwarves - at least the older ones - aren't a Halfling's idea of a good dinner companion.

The Dwarves have always been somewhat insular for no better reason than their taciturn nature, but as most of the larger Dwarven communities are at least three to four days ride away, they too are somewhat outnumbered locally. While the community is located inside the town itself, its imposing stonework and racial language make it something of a ghetto Dwarvish quarter. The younger Dwarves, up until the race riots, were begining to mingle more with the town itself.

The Humans are their usual cock-sure sElves. Certain that the world was made for them, they abrade the feelings of the other races, and tension simmers in the background.

Recently things snapped. A Half-elf had secretly taken a Human lover, in breach of his people's rules. A would-be suitor for the same girl discovered the relationship and, trying to gain a chance themsElves, made a public declaration of the half-elf's interests.

This speech was made drunkenly in a packed pub, along with the statement "Them halfies is stealing our women." Unfortunately a number of hotheads were present that night, not least of all the half elf in question, who tried to point out that the Human women were just uninterested in drunken oafs. This was of course taken as a comment on all Humans, and before long fighting had broken out.

The following morning left a sorry sight. The Half-Elves present had managed to escape back to their enclave, carrying their severely injured would-be suitor. However, several Dwarves, a Halfling and a Human had been killed in the fighting and many others had been injured. The town was in shock, with the non-Humans blaming the Humans for the deaths, and with the Humans desparately trying to find a non-Human scapegoat.

Within days, the town council had decided to gift the tunnels under the town to the Dwarven community as a peace offering and as blood price for the deceased. While in many ways a self serving gift, it was accepted by a Dwarven community eager to maintain peace. To sweeten the deal, the town suggested that it send in a group to survey the state of the tunnels, and to clear out any creatures that might have taken up residence there.

The Dwarves immediately assented, and put the young priest Ilya forward to accompany the team and to take notes on the old works. The Half-Elves offered to send someone as an act of contrition, and immediately volunteered a friend of the Half-elf that had started the trouble. This Elf, by name Sicarius Derex, was a novice priest and specialist information gatherer (though this was not highlighted by the Half-Elves). A Halfling by the name of Phaedra volunteered to provide her services in return for the dropping of thievery charges against her.

Finally the group was rounded out with a Human sorceress called Ethne who was put forward as a possible team leader (showing the Human's continued assumption of superiority) and who was supposed to monitor Phaedra's behaviour.