Perdu

Hail travelers of the Valley of Nova, and welcome to the city of Perdu. Lost things tend to find their way here, and so it seems, have you. Searching for a purpose? Something to guide your way in life? Perdu is the place for you! Perdu has a 98% success rate in getting drifters back on the right path. It's not that we don't want you here, but we know with certainty that you'll find exactly what you're looking for. The Assembly of Concorde is in constant need of new recruits. Those pesky farmers in the more southernly parts of the Valley don't know how to protect themselves from raiders. Oh, and that other 2%? They ventured into the Whisper Woods, and well...their absence has been noted. But don't worry, we're sure they'll turn up again soon. So journey to Perdu today. Find your purpose...or let it find you.

Demographics

57% human, 25% halfling, 11% half-elf, 7% other races

Government

Made up mostly of wandering adventurers, lost souls, eclectic residents, and mercenaries, there is not a strict governmental force here. Some of Perdu's permanent residents--and farmers living beyond the city bounds--occasionally get together for meetings to discuss local affairs and settlement-wide issues. Elodie the Elder acts as an unofficial leader of the town since she is the oldest and richest of Perdu's citizens. She has proven herself a capable leader, and the permanent residents seem content with her as a sort of governing force. 
Perdu is also under the protection of the Assembly of Concorde, though due to Perdu's distant location from the capital, they rarely receive aid or visits from representatives in Concorde. In fact, it has been nearly ten years since Perdu last sent a representative to the Assembly in Concorde. Some citizens have even forgotten that they are under the Assembly's protection.

Defences

Although Perdu is under the protection of the Assembly of Concorde, they have been left relatively to their own devices. A small militia of permanent residents work to protect the town from outside threats, but in the case of anything more serious, the local adventurer's guild offer their protection for a small price. 
Perdu is surrounded by crudely crafted wooden walls about 20 feet high. There are two gates, one to the east and another to the south of the town, and each gate is manned by two guards. At the top of the gates, there are levers to close them and small walkways with parapets for archers to take stance.

Industry & Trade

Perdu is largely a farming town, and they export various crops from the local farms to the smaller villages surrounding them. They are well-known for their fruits, vegetables, and nuts, though most of these crops are not uncommon throughout the Valley of Nova. Almonds, grapes, and strawberries are their most popular exports.

Assets

Whimsy's Whimsical Curios Shop. Sells common items and some magical and rare trinkets.
From the outside, Whimsy's Whimsical Curios is nothing to send home about. The paint is chipping and letters are falling off the sign above the door, but upon stepping inside, the shop has an intoxicating aroma that will entice customers further in to the deluge of trinkets and items stuffed on the shelves. There is hardly a spot left uncovered and although many of the items are actually rather useless, many of them seem to have come from all across Fragmentia. Those with a keen eye and mind may be able to spot some of the hidden magical treasures. Whimsy has become quite the curator of Perdu's mysteriously appearing items, and he takes his job seriously.
Goodies and Goods Shop. Sells common general goods.
Like any shop in a tourist town like Perdu, this shop is fit to the nines with colorful memorabilia and trinkets Whimsy wasn't able to get his hands on. There is also a multitude of trinkets carved by the owners, Camilla and Androis Blanchette, themselves, and though their shop is not organized, they seem to have no trouble finding what they're looking for. They pride themselves on providing the best instruments and equipment in town, though that is an often argued fact. Camilla is a poet and her husband Androis is an artist and they freely give their artwork to those that ask. Sometimes they even contain weirdly prophetic tales.
The Quiet Nook Inn. Common accommodations.
Though Perdu prides itself on its eclectic visitors, the Quiet Nook is not so keen on the strange. Perhaps the least assuming building in all of Perdu, this inn is a humble wooden structure with small windows and a welcoming front door with a sunflower painted on the front. Inside, the main sitting room boasts comfortable chairs and a small library of books kept by the owner, Yvette, who has been collecting books since her father's death. She tends to serve specialty wines and enjoys talking with more sophisticated clientele from the larger cities. She does not take kindly to wild adventurers in her inn. The rooms are few, but they are cozy and quaint with homemade quilts in each.
The Roaring Lodge Inn/Tavern. Common accommodations.
The Roaring Lodge is perhaps the antithesis of the Quiet Nook. Here, rowdy adventurers and mercenaries spend their time, and for good reason. The ale is always flowing and there's always some type of gambling to be had in the main hall. Francois, the owner and barkeep, maintains his own board of job postings in hopes of bringing money in from local travelers. His inn, however, has taken something of a beating. The tables and chairs are chipped and rickety, and the exterior leave much to be desired, though Francois has tried to spruce it up with some paint that he found lying around. Unfortunately, it looks more like a vomit mess of color that sticks out even on the main thoroughfare.
The Vanishing Tavern Tavern. Common goods and services.
Owned by the illustrious and revered Elodie the Elder, this tavern boasts some of the best drinks in town and sit comfortably along Perdu's main thoroughfare. It is a clean and beautiful tavern with elaborate tapestries depicting the history of the Valley of Nova and the stories of the Champions, especially those of Aeon and Domini. The tables are sturdy mahogany and the chairs have thick backs and legs. Elodie keeps the place in tip-top shape and designed her tavern in the image of the one time she saw the great Cathedral of the Champions in Concorde. Before her husband's death, he crafted four stained-glass windows, each depicting three of the Champions together.

Guilds and Factions

The Assembly of Concorde
The Assembly of Concorde has a small presence in the town, and has grown smaller as the years go on. Those looking to join must venture to the city of Concorde, and most towns in the Valley would be able to point a traveler in the right direction to the capital down the Champions Road.
Board of Adventurers
An adventurer's guild has taken permanent residence in Perdu. Though they do have a name, it is kept secret from those who are not initiated members. They mostly consist of retired mercenaries and wanderers who were in search of a more clear purpose, and they offer their protection to the town in return for gold. They have their own guild hall, and entry into the hall requires a signed note stating that the hopeful person has helped someone of the town. The guild has a special initiation process and deal with other problems outside Perdu, but much of their business in unknown to the local denizens.

History

In the year 573 FP, Perdu was brought under the protection of the Assembly of Concorde following the Assembly's campaign throughout the Valley of Nova and after Perdu weathered various attacks from fey coming down from the Forgotten Peaks. Although the Assembly was able to drive off the fey and send them back into the Whisper Woods, a conglomerate of adventurers seeking refuge from something ancient and evil hid in the town.
After their arrival, strange things started happening in Perdu. Things would appear that had never existed there before and lost souls would find themselves walking the streets. Although the town originally consisted of local farmers, they were superstitious and afraid of what the adventurers had brought with them and worried of an imminent attack. They sent the adventurers away, but still the strange phenomena lingered and more wanderers began to pour into the town.
Over time, Perdu leaned into its weird nature and began accepting the adventurers, often sending them on quests to protect their town or their crops, and helping them to find their purpose. To this day, none know what causes lost things to appear here and there is still some worry that whatever ancient evil the original adventurers were running from is bound to attack.

Tourism

Perdu is well-known for bringing in adventure-seekers, mercenaries, criminals, and all manner of people. Due to the strange nature of this town's tendency to bring about lost objects, the city holds a certain mystique and wonder that brings in a steady stream of curious people. The town operates well on this tourism and the influx of wanderers moving in and out of town. 
Lorena's Bridge, the vast bridge spanning the massive Smiling River canal, also brings curious religious figures and artists who seek to understand the carvings etched into the bridge's stone and the incredible architecture holding the bridge together since the Shattering.

Architecture

The majority of Perdu is made of wood, harvested from the vast forest of pines in the Whisper Woods. These buildings are ramshackle and worn, though it seems that some residents have tried to bring life to their homes and shops. Many have painted the outside of their buildings in a multitude of colors and shades, some creating beautiful murals and others paying close attention to design and detail, giving Perdu a whimsical and wild appearance.

Geography

Located in the Valley of Nova, Perdu sits on relatively flat land surrounded by endless fields and farms. However, to the south, the horizon is taken up by the Forgotten Peaks which loom almost ominously in the distance. About an hour away down the Champions' Road, is the edge of the Whisper Woods, and to the east, only a short walk from the city's eastern gates is the Smiling River--a massive canal of rapids and raging waters.

Founding Date

573 FP

Alternative Name(s)

The City of Lost Things

Type

Town

Population

~ 1,500

Owner/Ruler

Elodie the Elder

Characters in Location

• Alexandria Dubois