Steaderstone

Steaderstone is a Kinged City of Rhoman, and belongs to the peoples Ostre placed at the boot of his shadow. It is the most easterly of all Rhoman settlements and extends east towards the Pools of Ostre, and further then upon the wilderness yet to be unclaimed by Man or kelte. It marks the final city upon the Five King's Road.

## History

### 0 - 1000 Years

#### Prehistory

##### Sunken Man and the First Favre

The peoples of the city are placed by Ostre. In the indulgence of their Empyrean they embrace the spirit of gamesmanship to discover a leader amongst them, a leader they would call *the Favre* until the word *King* was afforded to them at the Gathering In The First. A contest of will and physicality was thought up where by the participants would carry a large rock into the river until it submerged them, with the last person to release their boulder and surface to be named Favre. People took turns in fives, with the four losers being eliminated.

With the peoples being new in their bodies, they did not yet fully comprehend their capabilities, and many- especially near the start of the proceedings- held onto their boulder so long that they drowned, with the fourth round of the contest famously seeing no bodies resurface. The eventual winner was judged to be Albe, and so the river named after him, and he after it, for he was then Albe L'River. The game has always been a special Steaderstone tradition, and went on to earn the name 'Sunken Man'.

##### The Rising Village

Albe chose the site on which the town would be founded to be close enough to the river for water, central enough on the land to support enough farmland, and close enough to to the hill that would later be called the West Chrystobal Breach to provide shelter. The people were counted, and numbered 116, and so Albe divided the village into fourteen groups of eight, instructing each 'family' to be responsible for their own house. The remaining four of the 116 were Albe and his fellow finalists of the Sunken Man. They were Theod, Ivelin, and Flaure, the latter of whom would become his wife, and together they made their own steadings, proving their worth of finalists by raising not only a living quarters, but a hall around which the other villagers built. As the days went by the canopies of leaf and straw evolved walls and chimneys, and so grew the village that knew themselves at Ostre's boot.

And there grew fifteen families, they being named after the name of an elected of a house. They were L'Albe, L'Ambre, L'Victoere, L'Melie, L'Alienor, L'Crossmarie, L'Eilie, L'Charrol, L'Roussell, L'Lisse, L'Potra, L'Theroulde, L'Ravenn, L'Grante, L'Bernart, and L'Rainald. The non-elects adopted this as their title-name, whilst the elects fostered the name 'L'Ounn', meaning, 'of their own'.

##### The Wolven and the Wild Beasts and the Great Stone Wall

The new activity from the township attracts the attention of things the Men were yet ignorant of, things that lay outside the realm Ostre intended for his children. Wild animals from the feral and as of yet unmanned lands to the east heard the calls and cheers, and saw the flickering firelights, and they crept closer, and encroached upon the village with sights on easy prey.

There were wovlen packs, struggling for hunts in the untouched lands later named Saaramurya, and gremmols in the rocklands, and cattan from the valleys. Several times the alarm was raised of predators creeping the perimetre of the village, and so a wall was built from mountain to river to defend against the beasts, for six villagers had been slain. Devere L'Melie lead a party to the mountains to begin sourcing rocks, and in doing so earned his own name, Devere L'Coll. The venture was a long endeavour, and took several years to complete, for the distance was near ten furlongs.

In years, and even generations to come, the wall would be fortified with a fortress and two watchtowers. Three further watchtowers would be situated on the plains beyond the wall.

#### Year 0 - First Contact

Though the peoples of Steaderstone knew in their hearts that there were others along the road, it wasn't until over twenty years of living that this suspicion was confirmed, as Gorlois, the last of Ostre's Finders, drew up to the river on her horse. She was greeted by those on the opposite bank by mistrusting villages, who drew spears, but Albe ordered them, for the first time in their history, to rope felled logs together and create a crossing for the woman, who wore a purple robe.

> *"Do not turn your bidding of beasts upon those we call our own, for whether from this set of land or her own world far away, she is still one of our own. I shall offer grace to this weary traveller, and hope in my heart you shall follow the lead of your Favre" -* Favre Albe L'River
>
>

The weariness of the citizens is immediately quelled, and they are humbled by their actions. Gorlois passes through and is given grand quarters in the house-keep of Albe, Theod, Ivelin, and Flaure, which has become known as Castel D'Grace. Gorlois explains about the Gathering at High Ostre in the west, and invites all or any from the City on the Boot to join her on her return ride. After publicising this invitation to all of Steaderstone, a troop of sixty align, headed by Albe. Theod is the only one from house L'Albe not to go, stating it is his place to stay and keep the village whilst the Favre is away.

#### Year 25 - The Mari

Steaderstone plays host to the first quest upon the Mari, which is beleived to rest upon the uppermost peak of Rhoman. Word is sent to Steaderstone to select a champion to join the quest. Though the city took gamesmanship as its hallowed icon from Ostre, it did not have stadia or arena until this message initiated its erection. A course of strength and wits was thought up and judged by Albe L'River, and a champion was a young second generation athlete named Haskett L'Charrol. Along with the arena, a new host of steadings were built to house both the contestants and their travelling entourages just outside the Castel District.

The five champions, Haskett (m) of Steaderstone, Oswult (m) of Crianta, Camladak (m) of High Ostre, Amphelisia (f) of Marketown, and Grenue (f) of Westing Vale, set out, but were ultimately unsuccessful in their venture, nonetheless returning to Steaderstone as heroes, and with tales of things taller than anything their people had heard before. A great tablet has carved to serve as a memorial for the expedition, and placed by the bridge at the entrance to the city. The tablet had engravings of the five champions, with their names.

#### Year 45 - The Death of Albe

Favre Albe L'River dies in a ceremonial exhibition of Sunken Man, aged 87, where from which he does not resurface. The King's Drums beat for the first time.

#### Year 250 - The Completion of Fort Grimald

After a devastating attack on the city which resulted in the near-total detruction of the great wall and the slaying of King Grimald, the defence of the city is bolstered. The improvements included erecting two watchtowers and a stronghold into the wall, and building three further towers to the east. Queen Amaryll abdicates the throne in order to man the new fortress, and christens it Fort Grimald in the late king's honour. Her younger brother Reymin receives the throne.