Dedenatorr

Large Town: Population 4,126 (32% human, 28% vesperkin, 20% lynoxi, 14% letheni, 6% other)

History

Dedenatorr is surrounded by a large maple forest, one of the only of its kind in Arak, which made it highly desirable due to the sap they produced which has become one of the most sought after foods in southern Arak, and even being exported globally. The forest provided very good cover making it generally safe from war between the Veldunorin ith Derunadel and the Rozedin Matheltos. The town was established somewhere between 926 and 930 UP and had a small population for a long time, not having anywhere close to its current population until the Restoration period, when the town's syrup became widely known and very popular, with half of its current population migrating after the formation of Am Massirin Farunalis.

In 1208 UP, when the town was still quite young, a Wellspring eruption caused a large 2-mile wide region in the forest to the east to sink into the Deephollow, causing a large number of dangerous creatures to emerge from the depths and swarm outwards, attacking settlements. More than half of these creatures attacked Dedenatorr; something which many in town believe was due to the creatures being attracted by the smell of the syrup that the town produces. This siege damaged the forest on the eastern side of town from the stampede, and the town's population was severely impacted. The town owes its survival to a group of six heroic figures who single-handedly defended the town long enough for reinforcements from Vardanorr to arrive. Unfortunately, these heroes did not survive this siege, but they have since been commemorated by the town in the form of six statues surrounding a memorial tree in the center of town, known as Deltim il Den. The heroes are known as Art Demoraseth ("the brave six").

Following the formation of Am Massirin Farunalis, Dedenatorr saw a number of Letheni migrating to the town from the north. Prior to their arrival, the town's economy was almost entirely based on production of syrup, as logging would cut too much into syrup production and profits, which was more valuable to the town's residents. However, the Letheni brought with them knowledge of magic that could be used to rapidly grow trees, allowing them the best of both worlds. Though residents were initially skeptical of the Letheni, the knowledge they brought with them more than solidified their acceptance into the community.

Government

Dedenatorr is overseen by magistrate Spendra Muzani, a middle-aged Human woman who started her career as an Enforcer; though she was never much of a fighter and spent much of her time investigating disputes amongst townsfolk and investigating smugglers. She made the pivot to politics after ousting the previous magistrate, a Letheni man named Ardian Colasta, whom she exposed for changing patrol shifts and coverage to allow outsiders to illegally harvest sap from trees on the town's outer edges, and taking a cut of the profits.

Dedenatorr has jurisdiction over Thenaphor to the north, and Phenedulon to the southeast. They do not have the population yet to provide Enforcers to protect these towns, but they are not targeted often enough to need outside help anyway.

Economy

Much of Dedenatorr's economy is centered on the production of maple syrup, given that the town is surrounded by one of only two maple forests in all of Arak. The town sports over 20 varieties of syrup which are a highly coveted specialty baking ingredient among the Humans and Letheni in particular. It is used for everything from mead to baked goods, candies, and more. However, due to its relative scarcity, it can be quite expensive depending on the variety you're looking for. It has been claimed that every single maple tree in the forest surrounding the town is tapped multiple times over.

The town also produces maple lumber called Donadesh ("stone wood") that has special properties, a side effect of the highly secretive magical growth process. As the forest is not endless, all lumber that is sold is magically grown; however, these magically grown maple trees are not used to produce syrup, as the syrup produced from them has an odd acrid taste. The wood itself has a striking warped grain due to the accelerated growth that many enjoy using for furniture, and because of this warped grain and the magic used, it is extremely resilient to blunt force, being nearly impossible to even dent it if going against the grain. This property makes it highly desirable for producing resilient doors, shields, and weapon and tool shafts.

Notable Locations

• Deltim il Den - The "tree of courage" is a memorial maple tree planted in the center of town surrounded by six statues commemorating the Art Demoraseth, heroes who held off the monsters that emerged from the Deephollow following the Tibranumior disaster in the mid Upheaval period. The plaques naming each of the heroes have long since faded to time, except for one; that of Cahir Denathen, whose statue is believed to be haunted, as lone visitors report a feeling of being watched, and swear that they have seen the statue turn its head to follow them. It is illegal to tap the tree for its sap; though the legend surrounding Art Demoraseth has caused many to ignore this, believing the sap is sacred and will bestow great strength upon those that drink it.
• Glenamoden - This tree, found deep within the forest, is very well hidden; almost indistinguishable from other tree except for a single purple leaf. It is said that those who seek the tree may offer up their deepest and darkest secret in exchange for a boon; however, they will also receive a curse. The boon and curse will reflect the secret offered, though not all secrets are worthy of a reward. Many believe the tree is a myth, but those who believe say that it can be located by listening for subtle music in the forest and finding a clearing where only Umos' moon is visible.
• Tibranumior - This large 2-mile wide hole in the ground is not strictly speaking part of the town, residing hundreds of miles to the east; but it is on the minds of the town's residents despite the event having happened nearly 4,000 years ago. Since the initial collapse, after which creatures from the Deephollow attacked the town, there have been rare occurrences of more creatures emerging. The town has a group known as the Midrenumoshi ("explorers of the dark") who monitor Tibranumior for signs of threats and deal with them if necessary. A number of structures have been built around the large hole, including lifts, buildings, and cranes. The Midrenumoshi routinely perform expeditions searching the hole for valuables, and have discovered that the caverns connected to Tibranumior are incredibly massive and well-connected to the surrounding areas, leaving many opportunities for exploration. The Midrenumoshi have discussed potentially establishing a new settlement there in order to draw interest from adventurers from far and wide to help explore further.

Culture

Being one of only two places that produces maple syrup, there is a lot of culinary experimentation in Dedenatorr; in particular, baked goods. Dedenatorr has over 20 unique varieties of maple syrup that are exported and used for local candies, breads, pastries, and foods. The town's syrup makers display a sense of elitism regarding the syrup they produce; nearly every sugarmaker in town claims to make the superior syrup, and the market selling these syrups and goods produced from them reflects this intense rivalry.

The two most popular varieties of syrup are Mexona Vigar ("peach syrup") and Aco Aceladin ("fire syrup" the former of which is combined with butter separated from the milk solids and infused with peach flavor; and the latter of which is infused with Aco Tekethi ("fire berries") and is popular among the Letheni of Arak. These two varieties are the most complex and versatile in town. Mexona Vigar is often added to dough to make pastries with a delectable crust, and Aco Aceladin oddly enough, is frequently used to produce mead.

There is a festival called Ethi na Vishy Chethu ("Today We Remember") that takes place on the last three days of the month of Asten each year. The festival commemorates the vanquishing of the beasts that emerged from the Deephollow thousands of years ago, and the six heroes who held them off. There is food and dance, but the main event is the Umany Usho, or "last stand", during which residents dress up in crude costumes of the beasts from the Deephollow and parade through the town. The town holds "trials", tests of bravery, to select six children to play the roles of the heroes. The six chosen heroes then chase down the costumed beasts and "slay" them with wooden swords; to the amusement of the townsfolk. As all but one of the heroes' names have been lost to time, the "bravest" is chosen to represent Cahir, while the rest use their own names so that they can be remembered as heroes in their own right.

Defenses

Dedenatorr is surrounded by an enormous maple forest that is very dense, so visibility from both sides is practically non-existent. Much of the town's Enforcer population is focused on patrolling the outer and inner edges of the forest, as the town itself doesn't have very much crime among its residents. The density of the forest makes it difficult to move through with any speed, and the Enforcers are trained in ambush tactics that have been employed against enemy forces in the past.

With the overabundance of maple wood, the town has thick defensive walls, as well as sharpened wooden stakes sticking up from the bottom. The walls are packed with mud to prevent them from being burned. The walls are patrolled by the Enforcers, giving them good coverage to spot approaching intruders early.

The need to defend the forest against poachers and potential intruders has led to a very odd practice among the townsfolk. There is a group known as the Emulamudidi ("green guard") who are known for dressing minimally and wearing paint on their bodies to make them appear to be Goblins. The Emulamudidi are armed with bows and spears, though they rarely actually use them, preferring to simply scare off the poachers. They have studied actual Goblins to mimic their mannerisms; a choice which has led to a number of unfortunate incidents in which the Emulamudidi were killed by Emerald Company mercenaries passing through town.

Crime

The "crime" that can be found in Dedenatorr might seem silly to an outsider, but to the residents here, their economy largely centers around their maple forest, and it is very precious to them. Besides the many tapped trees that allow them to produce large quantities of syrup, the maple tree lumber brings in a substantial amount as well. There are plenty attempting to illegally harvest the tapped trees on the outer edge of the forest so they can undercut the town's prices.

Unfortunately, it is not difficult to simply take a sapling elsewhere to grow an entirely new forest, especially if one is trained in the type of magic employed by the lumber companies to rapidly grow the trees. As such, it is illegal to remove maple saplings from the boundaries of Dedenatorr's land; though that hasn't stopped many from trying. Those attempting to burn down the forest may well never see the light of day again.

Perhaps the most odd form of crime in town is those who attempt to tap and extract sap from Deltim il Den in order to sell syrup made from the tree that is "guarded" by Art Demoraseth. Many believe this tree is special and will grant the heroes' strength upon them when eaten. This is not just a legal offense, but also a cultural one, and carries a heavier jail sentence than one might expect.