Ablefell

Darker Days for a Brighter Future

Overview

Welcome to Ablefell, the Industrial Powerhouse of the Everen Empire. A bustling minor city residing at the edge of the Alta-Nova coast, Ablefell was once a shining beacon of progress and prosperity, but in recent times it has been corrupted by the malevolent forces that govern it: the Assembly of Rings, a council of powerful, shadowy figures that pull the strings behind the scenes, manipulating the city and its inhabitants in the name of evolution. The heart of the city is a maze of factories and smokestacks, churning out goods for the rest of Barontyne's Empire: a monument to progress, but it comes at a great cost. The people of Ablefell are now weary and downtrodden, their spirits crushed under the weight of oppression. The Assembly of Rings rules with an iron fist, suppressing any dissent and crushing any who oppose them. Their leader: Harlon Ydrenich, a wicked tyrant who reveled in his own power, and in the affliction of others.

History

Ablefell was first established as a settlement in 401 BXR when a group of Tirion wanderers stumbled upon an abandoned hamlet left by the Regnar Hill-Dwarves centuries earlier. What first started out to be a simple fishing village restored from its age of desertion soon bloomed into a busy community as more and more settlers migrated from the Northern Cities. When Ablefell itself was given the status of a city in 247 BXR, it adopted its own democratic government: a tribunal of Elders known as the Riverine Magistrate. This government gave power to the people and led to a period of time where the city's socioeconomic status boomed. More trade routes were established between the inland cities and towns, as well as dockyards running the length of Ablefell's North-Western front towards the Alta-Nova Sea. As time marched onward, the intention of the populace shifted from fishing, to using their trade routes for greater commerce. With new minerals and materials being discovered around Σu'ryxia all the time, Ablefell amended its focus to Industry and Technology; it would import raw materials from cities abundant in natural resources, use them in discovering new ways to apply their properties, and export their best technology all around the continent in the name of progress. This steady structure continued to work for the city until around 151 BXR, when Σu'ryxia's knowledge of Industrial Science was blown out of the water by the abundant resources the Underdark had to offer. Ablefell began to rapidly integrate this new technology into their own to create machines that could store massive amounts of Arcane Energy. This later evolved into an advanced subdivision of engineering, coined Arcane Engineering. Though as the turn of the era approached, and it became increasingly clear that Interdimensional Warfare was on the cusp of breaking out, Ablefell redetermined its efforts into Automotives - namely creating warships using Dark Amethyst to fend off Underblood attackers. In the end, the transition to Vehicular Production paid off when the Overbloods won the war and sealed off the Underdark for good. On the other hand, this meant that Ablefell no longer had a steady supply of Extraplanar materials to use in their market, so the city quickly fell into a state of economic descent. By the time Arcstone was discovered on Elgen Isle, the city was a mere shadow of what it used to be, but the new resource gave them hope that they could once again be the city they once were. Arcstone began to be used in almost anything technological - including new warships and weapons that could be used in the case of another war, albeit more primitive and unwieldy ones than before. In the coming centuries, Ablefell managed to build itself back up on its own, increasing its renown throughout the Forgotten Wealds as an Industrial Powerhouse. Though in 495 AXR, just as the newfound Everen Empire began to establish itself as the dominant power of the Alta-Nova Coast, Barontyne caught wind of the city. Knowing that Ablefell's cutting-edge technology would be an essential aspect of his plan to annex the entirety of Σu'ryxia, the Emperor sent troops to appropriate the city immediately - though this was not done peacefully. Fires raged throughout the streets as riots grew rampant against Ablefell's new perpetrators. Despite the backlash, the Empire was simply too strong to be stopped by the citizens of Ablefell, and so in 496 AXR, the city joined its ranks. A new government was put in place: the Assembly of Rings, a council of malicious aristocrats that worked only for the progress of the Empire, and not for the freedom of their people. In the years that followed, Ablefell was violently reformed into a Mesilist state. Estrialist Cathedrals were burned to the ground and powerful political figures that opposed Neryn mysteriously disappeared. All of the culture Ablefell had amassed over its lifespan was desecrated by the Empire, leaving it an empty shell. When Civil War broke out in 511 AXR, Ablefell was once again tasked with creating weapons of mass destruction to crush the enemy. Only this time, they were fighting for the wrong side of the war.

"This city used to be noble - a beacon of shining hope for the rest of the Wealds. Though just like everything else around these parts, it was truly only a matter of time before the jaws of the Empire fully devoured this little part of history."
— Lord Eonir Elixin, 528 AXR

Government

Ablefell, under the influence of the Assembly of Rings, is an Oligarchy, meaning that they have undisputed control over the entirety of the city. There are always 12 members on the council; in the event one member dies or abdicates, another high-up representative in the Empire takes their place, even if they've never been a citizen of Ablefell. Bills are passed through the Assembly, and then can be made into laws if more than 50% of the tribunal agrees. In addition, the Assembly can make and pass their own Capital Laws if they see fit.

Geography

Ablefell is lodged right on the Alta-Nova Sea, with its North Western side leading out into the Senyan Gulf. To the North, up the Wethsel Path is the sprawling Silver Grove Forest, home to exotic Obliviax plants, territory of the barbaric Stonecloak Tribes and site of the famed Ruins of Theraldin. If one would continue up the path for approximately 70 miles, they would reach Ablefell's closest neighbouring city: Holdenglade. To the East is the smaller Terribonne Forest, of which many locals claim to be haunted. And finally, to the South is the bustling Daermany Wharf - a harbour eternally filled with merchants, drunkards and laughter.