Gildenglade

Gildenglade was once the second-largest settlement within Turmish, located in the forest area at the foot of the Aphrunn Mountains, until its destruction in 1423 DR. It was a haven for non-human populations, home to many of the dwarves, half-elves, and elves of the nation.

Geography
Gildenglade was built at the base of the Aphrunn Mountains, not far from the Lake of Drifting Stars to the north. The city was connected to Halondar, or the Turmway, by two major roads that ran from Gildenglade north towards the trade route. One road veered to the west, and passed the village of Zustild, passed the Trumway, and eventually reached Bistal's Bottom further north. The second road veered to the east and reached the Centaur Bridge. A minor trail connected Gildenglade with the town of Merrydell to the west.

Government
The elves of the community served as rulers, their skill with preservation allowing them to handle negotiations with the Emerald Enclave.

Trade
Its economy was based primarily upon woodcutting and mining. Elves and half-elves of the city were used as a woodcutting force as well as governors; however, they enjoyed the hard work and were not mistreated. Furthermore, elves were given the final say in what and when was cut down. Elves planted new trees and kept the woods to the east and west of the city protected to maintain the balance. This equilibrious existence kept Gildenglade from conflicts with the Emerald Enclave and local tree-dwellers and dryads. This strategy also made the city the major exporter of wood and wood carvings in Turmish, allowing the country to avoid wide-scale logging in other places.

Dwarves of Gildenglade mainly concentrated on mining the unusually pure veins of gold underneath the city. While the town's gnome population lived on farming and crafting. The city's gnome population, by the most part, lived in earthen mounds that served as homes and sometimes as small businesses, while some lived in above-ground buildings. Gildenglade was famed for its well-maintained and fertile farm fields. A renowned merchant and adventurer Akabar Bel Akash often traveled north to sell Gildenglade goods.

Cuisine
Gildenglade served humble but hearty foods such as thick lamb and vegetable stew, generously seasoned with local herbs. The town had fresh bread, served with meals, and as for dessert - various fruits and pies were a common sight.

Defenses
Gildenglade's defenses consisted of the town militia of various ranks and levels of battle experience. Some were members of the city watch, while others were retired army veterans. They did not have uniformed armor nor weapons, giving them a certain makeshift rustic charm. Ranged troops were the town's many hunters, proficient with the bow.

History
In the, a group of adventurers, by chance, stumbled into a lair of the kobold Scything Claw tribe. The lair was poorly defended at the time due to an ongoing raid into goblin territories. Adventurers defeated the guards and looted the kobolds' treasures. Unbeknownst to the adventurers, the town of Gildenglade had a truce with the Scything Claw tribe that has been in place for many years. The truce was a challenging achievement after Gildenglade and kobolds spent years on skirmishes and attacks against each other. Gildenglade ordered the adventurers to return the loot in fear of a war with chief Greshlyrr's kobolds. However, Scything Claw tribe thought the raid was a grave offense, and Greshlyrr helmed an assault on the town of Gildenglade.

In the, citizens of Gildenglade became concerned by the nearby volcano - Mount Kolimnis. All signs pointed towards its eventual eruption and the city's demise. Gildenglade hired a wizard, Danirro of Alaghôn to find a spell that could quell the roaring mountain. In the summer of, Danirro was successful. The wizard climbed Mount Kolimnis to perform his long-researched magic. The man was never allowed to finish the spell chant as agents of the Emerald Enclave appeared by his sides and pushed him into the volcano. Danirro of Alaghôn was unlucky enough to be wearing his ring of feather falling. He slowly roasted on his way down before disappearing forever in lava. Danirro's laboratory was destroyed by a suspicious blaze that erupted at the same time, and with the wizard and his home destroyed, the spell was lost. Gildenglade received a grim warning from the Emerald Enclave not to meddle with the forces they did not understand.

Around the, many rumors of gold and treasure attracted creatures known as crimson death. Late at night, these vampiric mists took on shapes of ghostly humans with picks, sacks of gold, and shovels, moving across the city streets. The mirages dissipated when touched; however, some successfully lured curious individuals into hidden spots to be slain and consumed. There were several theories about the nature of the crimson death. Some claimed they were guided by greater evil intelligence, while others said the creatures followed their instincts. Interestingly enough, there was never more than one crimson death witnessed at the time.

In the, Mount Kolimnis of the Aphrunn Mountains, erupted, burying the city under several hundred feet of ash and hot mud. Almost 50,000 inhabitants died in the eruption, while only a few hundred fled from the disaster, carrying the memory of their destroyed home with them. Several years after the faithful eruption, cold lava cracked open, revealing a series of caverns that led into the dead city. Some brave adventurers attempted to helm an excavation but were faced with a strangely-well preserved ghost town infested with deadly denizens of the Underdark.

Rumors & Legends

 * Before the town's destruction, many adventurers and dwarven prospectors were attracted to Gildenglade by its many stories of lost gold. These stories were many indeed. Some told of gold stolen by a caravanmaster and lost in the mountains, some told of golden ore taken during goblin and bugbear raids, while others claimed the existence of old honor-gold buried by dwarves.

Notable Locations

 * Public House of Gildenglade, the town's social center in the mid-14 centry DR.
 * Tallstrider Inn, was a humble gnomish inn, popular in the mid-14 centry DR.
 * Temple of Lliira, one of the wealthiest temples in Turmish. It was guided to prominence by the Lady Morintar, following the Time of Troubles.

Inhabitants
Gildenglade's population was composed of dwarves, elves, half-elves, as well as some gnomes, and halflings living together in harmony. The half-elf population majorly consisted of rare half-wild elves, while elven population was dominated by moon and wild elves.

A group of psionic healers, known as the Hands of the Glade, was active in Gildenglade before its destruction. The group contained elves, dwarves, half-elves, and even a few humans in its ranks. They focused on healing injured adventurers and travelers in Turmish, using their abnormal psionic abilities to restore their patient's bodies and minds. The psionicists of the Hands of the Glade focused on learning the arts of the sangehirn.

Notable Individuals

 * Benjin Earthforger, a dwarven leader and defender of the city in the mid-14 century DR.
 * Haggath Alebringer, the gnomish proprietoer of Tallstrider Inn and a compitent fighter, active in the mid-14 centiry DR.
 * Tyrradin Woodshaper, a respected gnomish hunter and a master woodworker in the mid-14 century DR.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Swords of the Iron Legion