Darston

Location

Darston is situated on the river Osol, around a long days travel from the shoreline of the Covernmar Basin. It is also based on the edge of a large forest; the source of the towns lumber.

Government

Leaders Of Darston

• Durah Olin; 'The Just', current leader of Darston.

Economy

Darston has achieved fame in the Mar Mountains due to its artists and poets, with many a house and manor proudly holding works from the town. The reputation of the town among the Basin-towns is of the highest calibre, with many people having nary a bad thought about the place.

Well known for its pottery clay, of which there is a considerable mining effort around the town and throughout the forested area, works of Darston Pottery are lovingly cherished down through generations of Dwarves. Thanks to these regular exports, Darston enjoys a moderate level of wealth and comfort.

Timeline

• 561 BY - Darston is founded.
• 580 BY - The supposed year of The Three Diplomats.
• 740 BY - The Great Storm affects the region.

Notable Residents

• Jolgar Uxran, notable playwright and director.

Landmarks

• Darston Pit - A local mine and sole producer of Darston pottery clay.

A map of Darston.

Originally founded in 561, the towns masonry is carved into motifs, patterns and designs taken from the folklore story of The Three Diplomats; a popular tale in the region. In it, it is said that three diplomats from the towns around the Covenmar Basin begin their travels to the Mar Mountains, to bandy favour and seek trade agreements and what not from the richer towns in the area. Almost immediately, the diplomats begin to argue amongst themselves about who is more important, who must arrive first, and such forth. During the travels, their clothes tear, their wagon breaks, their supplies are ruined and wolves eat their donkey. All the while the diplomats continue their argument, oblivious to their poor fortune.

In the end, the diplomats realise they have nothing left and freeze or starve to death, depending on the version of the story. Darston is supposedly the hometown of one of the main diplomats in this story.

The town itself, on Dwarven censuses, is seen as on the small side. However, there is a sizeable chunk of Humans living there, along with a handful of permanent Grol as well.

Recently, the breakout of Jolgar Uxran has been the news throughout the region. The playwright and director was arrested after writing a particularly scathing, seditious and borderline treasonous play, though many agreed that Jolgar had his finger 'on the pulse of society' when he wrote his works. Jolgar later escaped from prison, re-caught and re-imprisoned, but then released again after the riots from the public demanding his release.

Leading the town is Durah Olin, known far and wide as Durah the Just, for his unwavering views on the law and justice. If a crime is committed, the right punishment is always doled out under Durah's watchful gaze. Durah's work has rubbed off on the local Molir, who, despite being of rather a small number, are trained impeccably. The Dwarves who make up the Molir spend their time drilling, polishing their armour and are seen as moral stalwarts throughout the community.

When the Great Storm of 740 hit the region, the sky was lit up for the entire night with lightning, thunder rolled like drums, rain lashed down as an almost solid sheet of water and the wind howled like the wolves, but somehow the town suffered incredibly minor damages and no casualties. Many believed it was the work of the Gods that saved the town from catastrophe, as had struck other places in the region, but no one can quite pin down what the Darston population did to be so lucky. However, the Boggy Months soon followed, with Darston becoming a quagmire of wet mud and clay due to the torrential downpours.