Byroden
The northernmost and largest town in the Mornset Countryside , Byroden borders the Gladepools and
marks the first stop for any traveler on their way to
the Rifenmist Peninsula . It’s also a hub of trade for
the entire Mornset Countryside, and even some trappers and artisans of the Verdant Expanse. The town
has a dense town center surrounded by palisades
and tall wooden walls, but most of the community
lives in homesteads and farmhouses spread across
the surrounding fields. Byroden is mostly self-sufficient, and has a wealth of farmers, fishers, artisans,
and miners, giving them everything they need to
survive. Trade provides the opportunity for some
luxuries, with raw materials serving as their primary
currency.
While pleasant and welcoming on the outside, this lifestyle is protected by a fierce and intense drive to defend the community's way of life at the first sign of threat or danger. Most citizens are armed at all times, trained to rise as a communal militia at a moment's notice from the war ringer, a sentinel charged with the town’s protection.
Despite (or perhaps because of) the ever-present dangers that threaten Byroden, the town holds frequent festivals, feasts, and fairs, including the highly anticipated Gem of Byroden pageant and the midsummer Peachiest Pie bake-off. On festival days, small children roam freely within the protective town walls as their parents enjoy the chance to let loose and celebrate life in all its ephemeral glory.
45% humans, 21% half-elves, 12% goblinkin, 8% halflings, 8% gnomes, 6% other races
A few miles north of the center of Byroden is a gaping chasm. An earthquake thirty years ago split open Deercrest Hill. The chasm is referred to officially as Deercrest Ravine, but is known to most superstitious folk in town as Hillmaw Chasm. After the earth- quake, locals stayed as far away from the chasm as they could—until four years later, when a group of adventurers found vast veins of precious gold and sturdy iron within. Soon, all people of Byroden strong enough to swing a pick or lift a shovel made their way into the chasm.
Most miners hire an armed escort because the chasm is known to be home to grumpy earth elementals, as well as unpleasant, slimy creatures of the dark. Most serious beliefs about the chasm being haunted have dissipated over the past thirty years. Still, rumors persist, and as folklore becomes myth, some say that myth can become reality.
About forty years ago, Byroden was brought to its knees by Thordak the Cinder King. This incursion was about two decades before the Cinder King’s destruction of Emon, and it was stopped by an adventuring party led by Allura Vysoren, now a senior member of the Tal’Dorei Council. Many in Byroden still see Allura, Lady Kima of Vord, and Drake Thunderbrand as heroes. The graves of the companions they lost in that fight, Sirus Kaldrem, Dohla Lorian, and Ghenn Talevesh, hold places of honor in the town cemetery.
While Byroden has long-since been built anew, the terror of that day still lives on in its elders and adults. All but the youngest generation of Byroden takes great caution against another such monstrous attack—as well as against any attack by the Iron Authority to the south.
While pleasant and welcoming on the outside, this lifestyle is protected by a fierce and intense drive to defend the community's way of life at the first sign of threat or danger. Most citizens are armed at all times, trained to rise as a communal militia at a moment's notice from the war ringer, a sentinel charged with the town’s protection.
Despite (or perhaps because of) the ever-present dangers that threaten Byroden, the town holds frequent festivals, feasts, and fairs, including the highly anticipated Gem of Byroden pageant and the midsummer Peachiest Pie bake-off. On festival days, small children roam freely within the protective town walls as their parents enjoy the chance to let loose and celebrate life in all its ephemeral glory.
Demographics
45% humans, 21% half-elves, 12% goblinkin, 8% halflings, 8% gnomes, 6% other races
Hillmaw Chasm
A few miles north of the center of Byroden is a gaping chasm. An earthquake thirty years ago split open Deercrest Hill. The chasm is referred to officially as Deercrest Ravine, but is known to most superstitious folk in town as Hillmaw Chasm. After the earth- quake, locals stayed as far away from the chasm as they could—until four years later, when a group of adventurers found vast veins of precious gold and sturdy iron within. Soon, all people of Byroden strong enough to swing a pick or lift a shovel made their way into the chasm.
Most miners hire an armed escort because the chasm is known to be home to grumpy earth elementals, as well as unpleasant, slimy creatures of the dark. Most serious beliefs about the chasm being haunted have dissipated over the past thirty years. Still, rumors persist, and as folklore becomes myth, some say that myth can become reality.
Advent of the Cinder King
About forty years ago, Byroden was brought to its knees by Thordak the Cinder King. This incursion was about two decades before the Cinder King’s destruction of Emon, and it was stopped by an adventuring party led by Allura Vysoren, now a senior member of the Tal’Dorei Council. Many in Byroden still see Allura, Lady Kima of Vord, and Drake Thunderbrand as heroes. The graves of the companions they lost in that fight, Sirus Kaldrem, Dohla Lorian, and Ghenn Talevesh, hold places of honor in the town cemetery.
While Byroden has long-since been built anew, the terror of that day still lives on in its elders and adults. All but the youngest generation of Byroden takes great caution against another such monstrous attack—as well as against any attack by the Iron Authority to the south.
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