Astendoun

Aven town of Highpeak's Vale.

When our ancestors arrived in the Vale it was full of life but a rugged place. One person, completely by chance, tripped over a root and saw something that would change the settlement forever; a single yellow flower growing in a small patch of soil held atop the bare rock by a tree root. In that moment, the terrace farm was created.

The Shelter Above

Long ago, probably before the Time of Darkness, a group of avens discovered a sheltered mountain valley - now called Highpeak's Vale - and made a home there. It is believed that the founders of Astendoun were members of the Skyfarers but even Astendoun's records from that time had been lost.
The mountainside offered little in the way of airable land. While there were some plants that the avens could eat, there would never have been enough to grow a community. That is, until they created their terrace farms and were able to turn the rough mountainside into bountiful green tiered farmland. It is these farms - and the protection offered by the mountains - that would help them weather the Time of Darkness when the rest of Breharan was engulfed by storms, chaos, and paranoia.

Before the Promise

Astendoun was once an aven-only community. The humans - and even outside aven communities - were not allowed in or even close to its sheltered valley. If there was a historical reason for this, it was lost during the great fire that burned the Aerie and most of the historical records within.

After the Promise

The actions of two people changed the course of history on Breharan forever in an event known as the Promise. From that point forward aven and human populations would begin to tolerate each other, work side-by-side, and, eventually, live together.
Astendoun was the most remote community and the most resistant to working not only with avens from other communities but with humans. It was only when they needed aid and others were willing to provide it that things began to change. However, even in the present, while many traders make their way to the remote community, there are no permanent human residents in Astendoun.
Trade has brought a lot of change to the mountainside. Now there are apple trees dotting the landscape or arranged in large orchards and there is even a well-worn road up the mountain.

Stub Article

This article is just a stub for now and will be expanded upon later.

Old Article

This article was written in the past and does not meet my current standards for any number of article quality, layout, or content.

In-Progress Article

This article is being worked on, perhaps not at this very moment, but it is being worked on.

The Unwelcome

It may seem strange in the present that the two sentient species of Breharan lived apart especially because the avens are known for their heightened empathy and community. However, this was not always how things were and Astendoun was the prime example of how caring for one's own people can lead to insular communities.
Astendoun was a guarded community even before the Time of Darkness, letting almost no outsiders in - if the outsiders could even reach the mountainous community. But during the era of darkness and storms, people did flee to the mountains, only to be met with spear and beak and claw.
The mountaintop town was not only a refuge from the storms but from its effects, from the people it displaced, and from all outside ideas. It was simultaneously a refuge in the best and the worst ways.

"I can take you there but I will warn you in advance that it is like nowhere else you have been and your featherless skin will draw eyes.
While your presence will be tolerated, you will not feel welcome."

Related Articles

Highpeak's Vale

The Aerie

The Promise