Kaer Esopus

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During the Scourge, the Adepts of the Kaer of Esopus became arrogant and tyrannical. They gave themselves more honors and rights as time progressed, with no way for the ordinary citizens to stop them – after all, it was the Adepts who kept the magic and kept the Kaer safe. By the time the Scourge ended, the Adepts ruled over their fellow name-givers as slave-masters for several generations – complacent in the belief that it was their right. It was this complacency that lead to their downfall – within a year of the Kaer opening, the populace rose up and slew them all. So determined were the townspeople not to allow this to happen again that, as the subsequent generations were born, those in whom Talent appeared were given a choice to undergo a renaming ceremony and renounce their abilities or be exiled.
It has been over a hundred years since the Kaer opened and they have remained safely hidden in their valley, with no Adepts among them.
You have recently come to realize that you possess these forbidden Talents, although so far you have been able to keep them a secret. You know that you will choose exile over giving them up and long to further develop them, but also realize you lack the skills that would allow you to survive in the wilds that surround your valley (perhaps this is why none of the exiled Adepts have returned). Gathering others “of your kind” to leave together is your best bet – but it increases the odds of detection and exile or worse if the town elders decide your conspiracy has other motives….

More Information:

History:

REAL HISTORY

When Esopus entered the kaer, the population was approximately 5,000 – mostly orcs & trolls, with humans and dwarves making up the rest. There were approximately 250 Adepts.
After about 100 years, a plague struck, one that the trolls and orcs were particularly susceptible to. By the time it ended, the population was only 1,500 – with mostly humans and dwarves surviving. Even more devastating was the death toll among Adepts – only 25 lived.
As the Adepts were the ones who kept the kaer alive and guarded, they were immediately granted extra rights – more rations, first right to healing and so forth. Within 50 years they had become the de facto rulers of the kaer.
Since Adepts were getting better treatment and housing than the mundane population, it became customary to remove any children who were Adepts from their families as soon as their abilities became known. They codified this custom into law in their 210th year in the kaer.
It took another 50 years for the segregated, privileged class to begin to pass laws limiting the rights of the non-Adepts. By the year of Scourge 300, the Adepts ruled tyrannically - the rest of the population no more than slaves.
In 350, another plague hit, reducing the population to approximately 1,000.
By the time the kaer opened in 424, the population of Esopus was approximately 1,500 – with dwarves and humans making up the majority. The number of Adepts stood at 60. The fertile valley their ancestors had left behind appeared largely untouched with only a few strange empty, blasted places.
The Adepts had become complacent and forgotten the fact that without the need for the kaer, there was no reason to allow the Adepts to rule. In under a year, a bloody uprising took place. Within a single day all the Adepts and over 600 of the mundane population were dead. The fires from the burning of all of the Adepts’ buildings and belongings lit the night. In those fires was lost all information of the world beyond the secluded valley.
In the following decades the townspeople decided that they would never again be subject to Adepts. Any person who began to develop Talents was given the option of being renamed and renouncing their magical abilities or exile. The fear that the exiled would grow in power and return with violence caused the ruling council to decree that those who were exiled were sent out with nothing but their clothes – thus all but ensuring their immediate demise.

Character Knowledge

The official history you have learned:
Five hundred years ago the Adepts lost control over the races of evil creatures they had created. They built the kaers to protect themselves and brought in others as servants. Their hope was to outlive their creations. They used magic to see what was going on outside and would leave the kaers only after their evil beasts were dead. (Yes, this means that you don’t know there are still Horrors out there)

Your town government:
Your town is ruled by the Duzine – a group of twelve adults who have never been tainted by Talent (yup, even those who underwent renaming are prohibited from rule). It is comprised of the two leaders of the town guard, the two largest landowners, two hunters, two troubadours, and four guild representatives. With the exception of the first four, they are chosen by their peers (that is – the hunters pick two to represent them). The term of office is five years, with a limit of two consecutive terms, after which the person is ineligible for another 10 years. If this sounds like it means that only humans and dwarves ever manage to serve more than two terms, it’s probably just a coincidence as it couldn’t be due to the fact that the dwarves and human blame the trolls and orcs for the plagues that almost destroyed the kaer and are actively trying to keep them from being in charge, lest they screw things up again.

General information about Esopus:
The population stands at about 1,100 – of which 400 are dwarves, 300 are human and 200 of each trolls and orcs.
Geographically, Esopus is a mountain river valley – steep rocky inclines begin within a few miles of the river on both the east and west banks, while waterfalls and sheer cliff mark the northern and southern ends. The ground is fertile and between the fish in the river and game in the woods, Esopus is rarely hungry – even through its long, cold, winters.
Because of its isolated location Esopus has seen no visitors in the hundred years since the kaer has opened. Because of the fanatic desire to protect Esopus from the Adepts, the Duzine has allowed no exploration beyond the valley. Any other races are mythical – and generally portrayed as fearsome Adept-spawn. The only creatures you have seen that does not live in the valley are the occasional dragon which attacks the animals.

Important Townsfolk:

Current Duzine

Bevier – female dwarf – head of the town guard – Bevier is both well-respected and well-liked. The main criticism leveled against her is that she tends to be too lenient with the antics of youth.

Lefevre – male troll – 2nd in command of guard – Lefevre is well-respected, but feared. He puts up with nothing – if it were up to him, first offenses would be met with time in the stocks.
Fortunately, Bevier is relatively young and in good health, because no one would like to see him in charge of the guard – even on a temporary basis.

Crispell – female human – hunter – Crispell is only 23 and has only been serving for three months. The rest of the Duzine was initially baffled by the choice of someone so young, but her mediation skills and ability to quickly grasp the complexities of a situation has impressed them.

Deyo – female orc – hunter – Deyo is an example of someone who has been promoted to a station beyond her abilities. She’s a hunter, and an excellent one, but has no political skill or desire to acquire it. She has two more years in her term and is longing to return to the woods.

Freer – male dwarf – landowner – Freer is the son of one of the oldest inhabitants and owner of the largest farm in the valley. His mother was ineligible for the Duzine because she was an Adept, but Freer has shown no such Talent. His farm thrives due to his knowledge of the land. His employees are treated with respect, are well-paid and, consequently fiercely loyal to him.

Dubois – male human – landowner – Dubois used to own the largest farm, but was forced to sell parts off as he could not find enough farm hands who will work for him. Most of his workers are kin of some sort or another – few others will put up with his poor wages and terrible temper.

Roosa – female human – troubadour – Roosa is a troublemaker on the Duzine. She wants to send explorers out to find other settlements. She wants to search the abandoned kaer for anything that might have escaped the fires after the revolution in hopes of information and history. She wants to be a scholar.

Elting – male orc – troubadour – Unlike Roosa, Elting is content with the status quo. He enjoys the demand for his services at weddings and parties and can easily write both love songs and scathing satires.

Schoonmaker – male troll – tavern keeper – Schoonmaker is the owner of Snug Harbor. He makes no effort to pretend his place is anything but what it is – the “diviest” of the taverns – the cheapest drinks (probably watered down once you’ve had a few) and stuff that barely passes as food, but popular nonetheless. He takes his position on the Duzine far more seriously than anyone imagined he would – considering both sides of an issue with a thoughtfulness not common in trolls (or in any other aspect of his life).

Terwilliger – female human – baker – Terwilliger is about six months from the end of her term and it’s not a moment too soon. Until she joined the council, no one realized that she had become very senile and that the bakery was really being run by her daughter. Her out-of-context, as well as frequently bawdy and inappropriate comments amuse no one except Dubois.

Gerow – male dwarf – miller – Gerow is a stereotypical dwarf – unimaginative and stubborn. He is constantly exasperated by Roosa and seems to find pleasure in seeing her suggestions shot down.

Vanetten – female dwarf – midwife – Vanetten, like Crispell, was chosen for her mediation skills. She is able to find areas of agreement and compromise that can diffuse a volatile situation.

Oldest Inhabitants

There are three townsfolk (obviously all dwarves) who actually lived in the kaer:

Delmater – male blacksmith –a teenager when the kaer opened. He served on the Duzine for 5 terms. At 118, he is a people-watcher. You can usually find him in the shade of a tavern, although he does wander the countryside more than one might imagine. He is well-liked and known for his honesty and fair dealings.

Tanuel – female farmer – a young child when the kaer opened. At age 16 she was the first to undergo renaming to renounce taint of Adept. She lives with her children on the farm that she and her husband began.

Marrek – male weaver – also a young child when the kaer opened. Served on the Duzine for 3 terms. He still goes into the shop he set up – while his hands aren’t steady enough for the weaving, his eye for color is unrivaled.

Starting scenario:

Winters in Esopus are rough – farms can be isolated for weeks at a time. The size of the town more than quadruples as many farmers that own little livestock simply move to small houses on the edges of the town from after harvest until the first thaw. Those who can’t move - the dairy farmers primarily - hope that the weather will allow travel to town for the mid-Winter Festival. For three days the town is ringed with bonfires, cider flows freely and animals are slaughtered for feasts. It is one of the five times a year the entire valley gathers together. Elections for the Duzine are held, the Duzine meets and changes in laws are announced, wedding contracts are negotiated (most weddings are held during the Spring Festival). Those of you who stayed in town have noticed that Delamater, the old blacksmith, is out and about more than he was last year and has a surprising spring in his step for someone considered old even by dwarf standards.

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