Expedition! Issue 1: "Redsmith: Levees and Sunshades"

"Everyone who visits our humble hamlet says, 'Damn, look at those huge sunshades.' It's what we are known for; big dams and big umbrellas."

History

Amidst the rolling hills and luscious valleys of High Moor, the sprawling town of Redsmith emerges like a lighthouse on a foggy coast. I rode the Barrow Unlimited, marveling at the ghostly beauty of the Greenwood looming low across the horizon, the glistening Serberis River snaking its way into the rocky hills of Longsaddle and the Griffon's Nest. The last leg of the journey bears witness to the threads of civilization before you draw into the station at Redsmith. Large culverts trickle with a steady stream of water down into large reservoirs where it flows out to irrigate crops which are so precious. Barns, silos and hundreds of miles of farmland begin to encroach ever further across the prairie. It acruences into a dark bustling smudge against the blinding wall of ice, which is the Shaar, Redsmith is a story of impossible odds and man's ingenuity. 

The city of Redsmith is so named after Jeremiah Redsmith, a dwarf who invented a new plowing system which cut through the thick clay which dominated this part of the Moors. The rolling grasslands look deceptively fertile. However, the region is sandwiched in between two mountain ranges, far from natural water and constantly struggling with extreme seasons and hard, rocky soil. A farmhand once told me that if "the rain don't drown you, the sun will dry you out. And if they fail, the ground will surely break your back." 

Before the farming revolution, the town was nothing more than a small settlement for merchants and travelers on their way to Harland and Isham. The steam powered Redsmith plough was instrumental in tilling the hard, albeit rich soil and planting crops. Once the plants took root, Redsmith began constructing huge “rain-mills” which collected the brutal rain and kept the ground irrigated, especially during the hot summers. You will inevitably stumble upon these strange inventions in the middle of fields and throughout the region. Soil has been replaced with sharply angled metal, bricks and mortar and other even the baked clay which collect the rain, channel it down into reservoirs in the form of pools or aqua chambers. Pumps and gravity do the rest, watering crops and flowing through boilers for the public consumption. A modern marvel to be sure.

As you can imagine, other prospectors and inventors began filled the rapidly growing city and expanding the limits of what was thought possible. Guildmen and inventors began to build “levees” which protected the city from landslides, protected crops with “sunshades” and managed to rotate crops so they survived year after year. It was not before a full 5 years had passed that the newly formed city nominated Jeremiah as its first mayor, chartered the city under the protection of Newhaven and supplied the city with a great deal of its food and crops. Jeremiah died a rich and well-respected man among his own kin and many of the guilds. The technology was sold to nearby cities and used to forge new devices by many reclaimers who pushed back against the corruption of the Tortured Lands.

Despite its large population, the city remains humble at its roots. Buildings are simple, life flows with the seasons and both man and beast rise and fall with the sun. Generations raise their young to work the land and leave their mark in the stones and notched into the sides of their homes. 

Factions

The Newhaven Charter has given the city legitimacy among the other cities of High Moor, thus attracting many prominent names and organizations. Many guilds have houses there to represent their interests, but it is limited in presence given how far flung each community lies from most civilization. Obviously, labor, agriculture and engineering guilds are the most prominent. Much commerce takes place here as many merchants, soldiers and travelers pass through this area on their way to other cities.

Religion

The faith of the Aluminat is officially recognized in the city and among its denizens. But as most small rural towns go, many of the peoples carry totems, relics and scrips of the old gods. Its just for good luck.

Law and Crime

The Order of the Forever Empress has several detachments of soldiers stationed in Redsmith and aid the local Constabulary, known as Redsmith Agents, in keeping the peace. Murders are rare, angry brawls and land disputes frequent. There are a few feuding families and rivalries, but generally roaming monsters are a more frequent cause for trouble. 

Scuttlebutt

Raids: Once a rare sight, nightstalkers creep out amongst the shadows, plunder and kill, and then return to the sanctuary of the Scrimshaw Ridge. Though there are mixed reports as to the nature of these aberrations, local farmers, a handful of dogs and other beasts have been found dead the next morning, viciously mutilated. Stories of foul creatures of the dark are whispered across pints and over a shared campfire. Stories about Old-Boney...

Secret Invention: Rumors are circulating about a strange inventor who is on the brink of a major discovery.

Collapsed Deep: An ancient structure from the old world lies in ruins in northwest of Redsmith. Explorers have gone to delve the old structure. Some never returned. Others came back...changed.