Stormyard

Demographics

Human: 54%
Orc/Half-Orc: 37%
Wood Elf: 4%
Dwarf: 3%
Other: 2%

Government

Stormyard is run by a mayor, who answers to the Jarl of the Emerald Hills. They pay taxes to the Jarl, and are protected by the Jarl's forces.

Industry & Trade

Stormyard is the largest producer of meats and agricultural products in all of Petrea. Their are several cattle barons that have become tremendously wealthy off of this industry, and they provide the other Holds with much of their food. The town is also situated between all three nearby Holds, so it gets much of its commerce from travellers coming through the city. There are several tourist traps in the city, and there are also several successful inns that make great money from the weary travellers.

Guilds and Factions

Farmers Guild: This large guild is comprised of most of the farmers in the area. The guild is led by a human named Olga Torbjorg.

History

Rumor has it that long ago, an Empyrean, a demigod of the Upper Plane, was slain in a fierce battle at Stormyard. Empyreans are powerful beings, and their emotions are so strong they can actually change the weather around them. When an Empyrean is happy, the sun shines bright and the area is warm and happy, but when an Empyrean is upset, there can be dire consequences. The legend states that when the Empyrean died, the area was cursed with fierce storms and heavy downpours. Stormyard rarely gets storms anymore, but when it does, the storms can be devastating, and the town has learned to adapt to the outbursts. The validity of the legend is fiercely debated, but most people consider it to be a fairytale.

The town was originally settled by large groups coming from Freightway. The settlers quickly took notice of the great farmland in the area, and though the storms were the worst they had ever seen, they decided to endure them and settle the region. The biggest problem the town had early on were Orcs, which had travelled over from Dahlia, and settled nearby. The orcs were led by the fierce warlord Golag Stonefist, and they would continually attack the settlers, and this went on for years. The settlers would normally defend themselves well, and they even attacked the orc camp a few times. Eventually, a particularly bad storm caused the destruction of the Orc camp and killed many of them, including the wife of Golag Stonefist. The storm also left Golag's only son injured. The settlers in Stormyard took pity on the Orcs, and many of them decided to send the Orcs supplies. These supplies saved the life of some orcs, including Golag's son, and the raids seemed to stop after this. Shortly after this incident, Stormyard was attacked by a large pack of Gnolls, that killed the mayor and laid waste to the town. With heavy losses from the settlers, all seemed lost, until Golag Stonefist decided to gather his army of Orcs to defend the town himself. The Orcs arrived to save the day, and killed almost every Gnoll in the area, defeating them. After this day, which became known as the Great Exoneration, the Orcs became close allies of Stormyard, with Stormyard sharing its supplies and culture and the Orcs protecting them. Over time, the Orcs moved into Stormyard, and they became one people.

Climate

Stormyard is sunny and warm in the summer, and reasonably cold during the winter, though it does not get as cold as Greystone, and it is considered the warmest settlement in the Emerald Hills . Despite the nice temperature, the weather can be unpredictable. In the summer, they tend to have 2-6 heavy storms that rock the area, and in the winter, they usually have 1-4 large blizzards. This strange weather is where the town gets its name.

Population

Around 9,000

Location under

Emerald Hills