Stendell

Where the town of Stendell is located there once used to be nothing but the entrance to a mine of the Nyr. Located close to the ancient city of Beldran, today mostly an overgrown ruin, the mine provided iron first and foremost, which was essential for the construction of many of Beldran's official buildings, temples, and libraries. Once the city was completed and flourished, mines with a difficult access such as the one near Stendell, were abandoned.
This happened millennia before Zerenda's Conquest and the eventual destruction of Beldran. The mine was later rediscovered by Kunae explorers that arrived in Ivendarea together with the first wave of Assadin conquerors. The Kunae are known for their craftsmanship and skill with hammer and anvil, and despite being abandoned the mine was still rich of iron even in those of its tunnels close to the surface. Stendell Shieldheart the expedition's leader, decided to reopen the mine, expand it even deeper into the rock, and even more veins of iron and coal were discovered. A small settlement began to be established around the mine's entrance, which was first called "Stendell's Mine", the village "Stendell's Rest" and both together later simply "Stendell".
The miners and blacksmiths at home in Stendell contributed significantly to the constructions of siege weapons such as Zerenda's Fangs. Today Stendell is the centre of Ivendarean weapon manufacturers, Stendell Shieldheart's descendants equipping the King's forces with the finest armour and swords. One could say that without the inventors and craftsmen of Stendell Saratheas might not have fallen during the Cleansing, meaning Zerenda would not have been able to take over the heart of Ivendarea during his conquest.

Demographics

The majority of Stendell's inhabitants are of Assadin descent, making it one of the more ethnically homogeneous towns in all of Ivendarea.

Species Distribution:
82% Assadin
12% Jali
5 % Nyr
1 % Aapha

Largest Ethnic Groups:
Kunae (Assadin), Kessem (Assadin), Kitu (Jali)

Dominant Professions:
Blacksmith, Miner, Carpenter, Hunter, Fisherman, Farmer/ Miller, Merchant, Goldsmith

Industry & Trade

The main income of Stendell are its armour and weapon exports, which make it one of the wealthier small towns of Ivendarea, as well as a fast-growing one due to the recent political tensions. Apart from its military assets Stendell doesn't export much else, being relatively self-sufficient with its farms and richly providing lake and forests.

Infrastructure

The town features a main road running alongside the Ashen Lake, from which most main streets lead off deeper into the town, to living quarters, workshops, and a large market place with an inn and a tavern at the centre. Next to the main road lie also the docks of the Ashen Lake, where not only fishermen roaming the water keep their boats, but also wood and other trade goods are delivered into the town from the outside mills and farms.
The main trading route out of Stendell is the road, as the main waterway of the Ashen Lake is a dangerous river that flows directly into the Amber Ocean via several waterfalls, and the smaller streams aren't deep enough to transport the heavy wares Stendell is known for.
The main businesses of the town are all in some way related to the creation of weapons: blacksmiths, carpenters and woodworkers, as well as the nearby mines. A few miles above the town two large sawmills are being operated, further down the road lies farmland partly watered by glacial rivers, partly by an irrigation system that makes use of the water coming from the Ashen Lake.

Geography

Stendell is located on the steep eastern slopes of the Skyreach Mountains, surrounded by dense forests and jungle, at the shores of the Ashen Lake. It stretches along the rim of the old, dormant volcano to be precise now known as the Ashen Lake, its caldera having filled with glacial streams of water of the course of several millennia.
The Ashen Lake and the glacial rivers along the mountainsides supply the town with fresh, clean water, and a sewage system is in the process of being installed.

Natural Resources

Wood: pines, spruce, birches, oak, sycamore
Metals, Ores and Minerals: iron, silver, coal, gold, malachite, dolomite, rock salt, and others across 7 mines in the area
Produce: potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, carrots, wild berries, herbs, mushrooms, fish, venison

Alternative Name(s)

Stendell's Mine, Stendell's Rest

Type

Town

Population

2300

Inhabitant Demonym

Stendellian

Owning Organization

Kingdom of Ivendarea