THE FOUNDING OF THE GREAT TREE CITY
Founding
It was the threat of the First Bandit Coalition that propelled
Alderheart from a small religious community to a true city.
Several figures from this turbulent time are recognized as the
city’s founders. Their names adorn monuments, streets, and
buildings today, but they started out as a motley collection of
representatives in the midst of a crisis.
The representatives from the five birdfolk clans who
became known as the Founders of Alderheart were:
- Ava Windsweft, a just luma administrator
- Edwin Ebonhart, a wily corvum wizard
- Ferro Keer, a fierce raptor warrior
- Grido Snowtarn, a gallant strig commander
- Hevod Sunspring, an even-tempered gallus elder
While you will see the names and faces of these birdfolk
displayed across the Great Tree City, you have to dig a little
deeper to discover the humblefolk who were also in attendance,
as they have been largely forgotten. Therefore, I am pleased to
include their names here so that they may be remembered for
their contributions:
- Fennel Jeramis, the honorable female jerbeen mayor of Bramblewell
- Geswick Switch, the genius mapach inventor whose mechanical expertise created the great lifts of Alderheart
- Lady Verl Sangrenard, a vulpin merchant who established vast trade networks across the Wood
As the Bandit crisis in the Wood continued on song after
song and more folk fled to Alderheart, it became clear that the
small community had to grow and change. In Song 411, as
the Bandit Coalition swept across the Wood in their fiercest
attacks yet, the birdfolk and humblefolk sent representatives to
Bramblewell to attend the
Conference of Glimmercall. There
they discussed how to organize themselves to stand against
the bandit assault. Those who gathered there would drastically
change the course of history in the Wood.
**After days of heated debate, Edwin Ebonheart, a wizard
who had long studied the magic of the Evertree, received a
vision from the Great Tree itself. Alderheart expressed its wish
to shelter the people of the Wood from the Bandit Coalition.
Carrying the Evertree’s message, Edwin suggested building a
safe haven for those fleeing the Bandit Coalition: a true city
in the branches and trunk of Alderheart, far greater than the
small enclave that already existed. While all saw the wisdom
in this plan, disagreement over who would lead this new city
ensued. Fennel Jeramis, mayor of Bramblewell, expressed
concerns over losing autonomy if her town was merged with
the new city above. In the face of this reluctance, it was put
forward that a city founded by members from each birdfolk
clan would serve as a unifying force but that there would be
resistance from the birdfolk clans should this be expanded
to include humblefolk. Eventually, without an enthusiastic
consensus, matters were resolved: the birdfolk would form
a council to oversee the new treetop city and ensure equity
between the birdfolk clans.**
Meanwhile, the humblefolk would retain full control of
Bramblewell below but would not have a say in the ruling of
the city above.
Ava Windsweft heartily agreed to this plan, seeing the
potential to rally the feuding birdfolk clans behind a common
cause and end the feuds that had troubled the birdfolk for
generations. The last to agree was Mayor Jeramis, agreeing to
support the new city because it could bring more prosperity to
her humblefolk-governed town of Bramblewell. Additionally,
the newly-formed city would be sworn to help and protect
Bramblewell. However, this promise would be broken only
a few decades later in the eyes of Bramblwell’s last residents
as Alderheart stood idly by while its neighbor collapsed into
disrepair.
With the final terms agreed to, construction on
the treetop city of Alderheart began on the 30th day of the
Glimmercall chorus, Song 411.
