Luthe Ada

History
Luthe Ada was founded by three settlers in the early days of Egron's Exporation of Moran. These explorers were Bine, Lewsi, and Munder.

Legend has it that all three were travelling in different parties, going in different directions. Bine, the dwarf, had travel south from the Hylandahl Mountains, surveying Moran's greatest mountain ranges. Lewsi, a young elf of noble blood, had come west from the Egronian Peshtaed, planning to see the Avalon port colony--a rarity even in those days. Munder, however, was a simple human trader traveling with a group of Moranian natives on the great road, trying to establish a business for himself in the fledging territory.

All accounts agree that Bine, while traveling through the Broken Hills, had surveyed many grand mineral streams, marking these on his map (Curiously, it is also noted from Bine's personal accounts that there was, "A great ashen tree on a wide plateau" which would later become the Aftton mining town). Bine, a scrupulous man, began planning the Aftton mines even before he left the Broken Hills.

Around the same time, Munder, who had travelled for many years with the local [xxx] tribes, came to the Luthe Adan plane from the east. The nomadic band had recently met with some trouble in Haywic, though accounts differ as to what the nature of this trouble was. All accounts agree, however, that Munder arrived on the Luthe Adan plane with many a pelt and skin to trade, but with no town nearby to trade with.

Lewsi, it is said, was travelling alone from the west, intent on seeing Avalon, when he saw a great assemblage of men on the side of the road, cheering and merry making while a man and a dwarf wrestled in the mud. He stepped down from his horse, attempting to see the fight. He soon found himself in the front row, watching and laughing while Munder delivered a particularly humiliating blow to Bine, holding the small dwarf face down in the mud. From his place among the filth, the dwarf looked up and saw the smiling visage of a well dressed elf in pure white linen clothing, clapping and smiling at his defeat. Angered by this sight, the dwarf stood, the man still on his back. With a mighty roar, Bine lifted Munder into the air, and hurled him at Lewsi, who was a few paces off, covering the elf in Moranian mud while the crowd laughed.

Accounts very as to how the fight ended, but most agree that by the end of the day the three were fast friends. Some even suggest that Luthe Ada was born that night as the three drank and discussed their plans. Lewsi would sell the pelts amassed by Munder and his nomadic friends to raise capitol for a new trading company on the Luthe Adan plane. Munder would continue hunting and trapping in the surrounding region, while Bine began constructing a small settlement. Once the pelts were sold, Lewsi began planning the City of Luthe Ada, while Munder and Bine surveyed and planned the Aftton mining colony. Lewsi also brought in investors, forming the three large mining communities.

Munder's Death
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Bine's Death
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The Collapse of Aftton
Aftton was a sprawling mining town in it’s own right some 200 odd years ago. The crown jewel of the Aftton community was the large ash tree at the center of the town, which had been discovered at the top of the mountain in the mid 800s. After 100 years of prosperity, the tree began moving of its own accord, even attacking some of the townspeople. Within a week there were vicious creatures made of vine and stick leaping from the ground. Another week saw the entire community driven into the mines bellow. By the end of the month, the village had been completely abandoned.

Though many of the townspeople were killed by the beasts, many more made it out of the mountain and marched on to Aftton. Some of these people sought an explanation—why hadn’t the mining companies sent security forces when news of the communities plight reached their ears? Others sought recompence—what would become of them, now that their livelihood was compromised? Others simply left Aftton, trying to forget what they had lived through.

Luthe Ada's Response and the False Reckoning
At the time of the collapse there were three major mining companies in Luthe Ada, being Bine, Lewsi, and Munder; The Jamath Mining Company; The Consortium. Their responses influenced the lives of Luthe Adan's citizens for centuries afterward.

Bine, Lewsi, and Munder (BLM) honored their employees contracts by buying out all shares. This led to their bankruptcy, but provided the means for the miners to find other work. Many of the residences of Luthe Ada remember Bine, Lewis and Munder for their fare dealings. It was revealed that BLM had indeed attempted to create a joint coalition between the mining companies to go and protect Aftton, but worked to slow to ultimate save the community. Today, many of the families that had worked for BLM still live in Luthe Ada, making up much of the cities sprawling merchants. In fact, the Bine, Lewis and Munder families still live in Luthe Ada, though they live primarily as common folk. Those names still carry a lot of weight in this community.

The Jamath Mining company (Jamath Mining) had given no such stipulations in their contracts with the employees. They stubbornly refused to send any help, saying that it was in employees contracts to defend and support the community itself. When the Aftton survivors came to Luthe Ada, Jamath Mining informed them all that they had been fired for failing protect company property, and they would receive no compensation. The workers rioted, storming Jamath headquarters. However, the heads of the company had left many months ago. The workers put the unaware clerical staff to death in a bloody display referred to by Luthe Adans as “The False Reckoning”. Some members of that mob vowed to find the owners of the Jamath Mining Company, but none are reported to have succeeded. Many of the Jamath Mining company employees moved away, still able to afford travel and reestablishing their lives. Some stayed, setting up hop or becoming servants of the wealthier denizens of Luthe Ada. If any members of the Jamath family remain or travel through Luthe Ada, they probably keep their identities hidden to keep from being publicly destroyed by an angry crowd.

The Consortium guaranteed some of the employees recompence, but took many months to follow through on their obligation. During this time, many of the families of the disaster dipped into to personal savings, which quickly ran dry. When recompense did come, it was very small—barely enough to cover living expenses. During this time, the company quietly closed shop and left Luthe Ada. One day the offices and store fronts owned by this company were simply empty. Meanwhile, the people that had worked in Aftton were starving on the streets or fighting over what little money had been given by the company. Many of todays poorest Luthe Adans descend from families that had worked for the Consortium. Every now and then, someone attempts to track down what happened to this organization, but very rarely are they able to make heads or tails of the complex legal documentation, or the winding paper trail left in the wake of it’s disappearance. Some have suggested that the Consortium had nefarious roots in organized crime, while others believed that even neighboring countries were involved. Regardless, the mystery of who the Consortium was still remains. Most Luthe Adan's refer to this event as "The False Reckoning".

City
Living District: All but the poorest and the richest Luthe Adans live in this district. You can periodically find rooms for rent here, but no business is allowed in this district. People to meet:

Outside the walls live the poorest people. Though some make a decent living as inn caretakers and stable masters, many more live in hovels. However, some of the Luthe Adan peasantry have taken to farm life, raising primarily sheep.

Office District: Much of this district was burned with Aftton fell, but there are still some small offices here. Primarily this part of the city is reseved for monuments to the survivors and victims of the Aftton crisis and the individual companies and their responses. BLM is honored, Jamath is cursed, and consortium is not mentioned.

Market District: Inns can be found here, as well as some small shops. There is one dedicated to adventuring, housing the best smiths and leather workers in the region. The rest sell primarily mundane goods. See Luthe Adan Businesses for a list of the most well known businesses in Luthe Ada's Market district.

Perhaps nowhere else in the city is it’s history and economic strife more apparent. There are shops opening almost every month… only to close down less than a year later. Many sell trinkets, or useless oddities… some are restaurants in an over saturated market, and others are too confused to really be understood. Some of the store fronts look newly remodeled, with fading “NOW LEASING!” signs buried under only slightly newer stickers reading “REDUCED RENT!” and “FURTHER REDUCED!”

Citizenry
Luthe Ada is predominantly human, with a significant number of halflings and even a community of dwarfs. There used to be a much stronger dwarf presence (as evienced by the angular, geometric architecture intermingled with delicate stone work), though most left after the False Reckoning and the downfall of the major mining companies. The few that remain are descendants of the Bline family, and have intermingled with the human and Halfling population.

Nearly all of the Halfling families descend from Aftton refugees, but are equally dispersed among the poor and the wealthy. Many have adopted sheep farming in the hills surrounding Luthe Ada. Humans are equally dispersed, though many are new residents looking for a fresh start in a city that many say is on the rebound (though most Luthe Adan’s would disagree with this sentiment).