Pinehill

Pinehill is a village along the Ashflow River.

Overview
Pinehill was founded hundreds of years ago as a logging camp by Dwarves, but it had the unfortunate position of being close to the Karus' Capital and thus was put under the control of Geir mercenaries. When the Golden Crusade came through the area, the village that had originally grown up there was completely destroyed.

It would be a few years later that the Geir would return and take over the old Dwarven constructions again, and that is where Pinehill's real history begins. The village has grown up in the shadow of more successful towns, like Blackfalls, and is considered backwater even by other backwaters.

What Pinehill has going for it is domination of the southern river, controlling the West Weald's southern woods as well as access to any of the western mines. The Ruins of Ashflow (called Ruins of Crucible by most) are not far away either, and Pinehill is the closest settlement of real size to the ruins.

The city is run by Chieftain Kuthar Rothbard, a tyrannical man whose real success lies in his connections to the Church of Raktus. Rothbard's ties to the church of the god of oppression means that he has an eager force of magic-users to aid his huscarls and town guard against any uprisings. Blackfalls is often used as a scapegoat for anything that goes wrong, because those decadent fools can't stand to see Pinehill be successful.

Rothbard longs to break into Blackfalls and make himself the de facto King of the Geir. He's not afraid of using any means to do that, but knows that he stands little chance of breaking their walls without significant help. He's also unwilling to risk his precarious position at home without assurances of having a home to return to.