Easting (town)

Easting was a small town in the Western Heartlands, lying east of Iriaebor, whence it got its name. It was a fairly typical town of the region.

Description
A small town, it comprised less than 40 buildings in the mid-1360s DR.

Trade
In the 1360s DR, it was home to four or more well-known horse breeders, who had competitive prices and were kept busy supplying fresh mounts to travelers going between the Sword Coast and the Sea of Fallen Stars.

Thanks to its small size and nearness to the mountains, Easting became a meeting place for dwarf craftsmen and merchants from hidden delves in the Far Hills and Sunset Mountains. They sold their high-quality smith-work here, as well as the giant mushrooms they fried as a delicacy. Thus, Easting was also a good place to start making inquiries for those looking to deal with dwarven craftsmen or to communicate with dwarven communities in the region.

Population
The small town had a large non-human population, namely of dwarves. Visiting dwarf smiths and miners getting a meal or drink in town were a common sight. The dwarves of Easting were allied with the Bruenghor Clan of the Sunset Mountains.

History
In the, an adventuring party discovered a hidden temple to Malar in Easting and tried to take the Book of Fangs and Talons, a Malarite holy book. But they were discovered by the priest and quickly overcome by "a great horde incorporating of all manner of beasts", as survivors described it. The would-be thief was dragged away and eaten and the book retaken. Those who escaped returned the next day with mercenaries looking for vengeance, but found the temple abandoned.

Local sage Rulthaven sighted a star-spore fall from the sky in the, and land near Darkhold, several days' ride from Easting, and quickly went to examine it. However, it was discovered by a band of adventurers known as the Seekers, who were stricken by the alien spores. Aided by Rulthaven's treatments, the adventurers recovered in Easting over a period of several days, during which the sage visited the crater and eagerly collected samples of the star-spore for his research.

In the, the Bruenghor Clan of the Sunset Mountains tried to light a signal fire on Mount Burning Eye, as their mines had been invaded by drow. They had hoped to alert their brothers in Easting to rush to their aid. Unfortunately, their march to the peak of Burning Eye was cut off by Ciraxis and a group of ogres.

Notable Locations
Temple of Chauntea: Located on the central square of the village, the temple dedicated to the Earthmother was a large stone building covered in grape vines, roses, and old plaster. The building was open, with a simple altar standing in its center and a statue of the Goddess surrounded by lambs standing at the front doors.

South of Easting, near the caravan road, there was a knoll standing between two marshes, which became shallow ponds in the wet season. Scrub trees and duskwoods covered the knoll, but on the northern side, in a small hollow between some duskwoods, was a dome that was a refuge created by Maldiglas Turntower, a Magister of the early 1300s DR.

Notable Inhabitants

 * Rulthaven, a famous sage known to be an expert botanist knowledgeable in herbs and poisons. Both good priests and agents of Darkhold came to consult with him. Hence, there was a potential for a Zhentarim influence in town.
 * Vanguard Shellidar, a crusader of Torm and Speaker of the Janessar in Calimshan.