Dawsbury

Overview
''"In regards to the strange, the intriguing, and the curious, such ideals are often found in the small places, far from public knowledge. The village of Dawsbury is one such place, and I intend to write about it in full." -Reisman Leafeet, writer and editor for the Griffon's Page'' newsletter

Dawsbury is a small farming down, located about a day's journey north of Noogle, and just a few miles east off the North Road. It is a small and humble community of cabbage and lettuce farmers, and the small population includes only humans and halflings. The town itself is built in the crux of a few rolling hills, with a small lake and an unending forest to the north. Though Dawsbury is relatively unknown and not included on most maps, it's recent history is nothing short of unusual, and has attracted the interest of outsiders with the wild rumors they hear in passing.

"Devil's Night"
On the night of Joone 5th, IIA 163, the residents of Dawsbury were shocked by the harrowing murder of Mayor Margrave Melgamere. A pair of farmers had found her hung by the neck from the window of her chambers in Mardonius Tower, with a written message eluding to Margrave's involvement with the Pureblood Guild.

Exact details on what happened next are difficult to ascertain from the scattered accounts of the witnesses, but it is reported that a foreign-looking elven man was taken by the mob to the Dawsbury jailhouse, which he promptly escaped from after "revealing himself to be a demon," alongside his accomplice, who's "face burned like the pits of tarnation." The panicked residents of Dawsbury failed to recapture the demoniac duo, but were equally satisfied to have driven them out of town.

The famous "Devil's Night" sparked a religious revolution in Dawsbury, leading to the construction of the Dawsbury Chapel over the next three weeks. The shocking events of that fateful evening inspired countless rumors, superstitions and frightening stories in the times thereafter that linger in Dawsbury to this day. Since that night, the Dawsbury Demons have not been seen again, but the dread they left behind still lingers.

"Greenshoe v. Mackintosh"
In the weeks preceding Devil's Night, the mysterious but stoic Leonardo Mackintosh had established himself as acting mayor, quickly earning the trust of the Dawsbury people under the guise of the late Mayor Melgamere's nephew. Approximately three day after Margrave's murder, Mackintosh disappeared from Dawsbury under mysterious circumstances, which prompted his recently-hired secretary, Nibs Greenshoe, to begin personally researching the Melgamere family history. Convinced that Mayor Mackintosh was a fraud and a killer, Nibs put the acting mayor on trial upon his return, in Greenshoe v. Mackintosh.

The trial took place on Joone 13th, IIA 163. Greenshoe accused Mackintosh of murdering Mayor Melgamere for her stature, and lying to Dawsbury about his identity, with evidence to support his claims. Mackintosh accepted much of what his opponent had to say, and exposed himself as a man of justice seeking to uncover the Pureblood conspiracies, much of which was connected to Margrave, and entirely unknown to the Dawsbury township. He admitted to invading Mardonius Tower, but did not admit to slaying Margrave herself, claiming that it was an ally of his who threw her from the window.

After exposing Margrave's conspiracy, convincing the jury of his intentions, and promising a more prosperous rule than the one of their previous mayor, the court ruled in Leonardo's favor. It is reported that Greenshoe stormed from the courthouse in rage, returning to Mardonius Tower to steal approximately fifty Spaurian gold worth of tax money before fleeing town.

"The Great Kobold War"
The Great Kobold War is Dawsbury's quickest-won war, as well as it's only war, having lasted only one afternoon on Joone 26th. The conflict began when Mayor Mackintosh marched into town on the morning of the event with a legion of black kobolds, obtained after a battle with their dragon queen (see Quimny). The townsfolk, worried that the creatures might attract a dragon and ruin the upcoming Goldmoon festival, immediately took action. As the kobolds flooded into the Croypond lake, all able-bodied farmers gathered on the incline above the lake to build a barricade out of wagons, hay bales, and whatever else could be found. Arming themselves, the Dawsbury townsfolk demanded that the kobolds leave or be exterminated.

To the great jubilance of township, the kobolds were taken deep into the haunted forests of the north, where they were never heard from again. Dawsbury proudly remembers the Great Kobold War to this day, boasting that the war was one in a single battle, in which there were no human or halfling casualties.

Mardonius Tower
An old cobblestone tower, with moss and mold beginning to take up residence on it's bricks, has been the residence of Dawsbury's leaders since it's construction in IIA 2 by Dawsbury's founder, Wesley Edmar. It is said that Wesley was terrified of trolls, but had been informed that trolls were utterly incapable of climbing by an old monk. Thus, Edmar spent most of his life in the topmost floor of the tower, before succumbing to old age and poor physical health nearly two decades later. It is said that Dawsbury's minute size and nonexistence on maps can be largely attributed to Wesley's poor leadership skills and lack of confidence.

To this day, Mardonius tower stands strong, and has since been used by each town leader up to modern day Leonardo Mackintosh and Willy Patten. It can be seen at all times by the Dawsbury residents, and likewise, the view from the top floor affords the mayor a pleasant view over the entire village.I

Dawsbury Chapel
After the events of Devil's Night in Joone of IIA 163, the townsfolk hastily erected what is now known as Dawsbury Chapel, where the townsfolk gather weekly for their own simple ceremonies. Symbols of traditional Spaurian deities such as Chauntea and Gond can be found there, but outsiders say that the Dawsbury townsfolk have devised their own sort of religion, which is only loosely inspired by Spaurian mythology, as many small and superstitious towns have in the past.

Croypond Cave
Just over a small hill is Croypond, a small, greenish lake that borders the Haunted Wood. In the past, the youth of Dawsbury used to fish there, but the spot is generally avoided by the old folks now, since the infestation of stirges, known there as "bloodbats," within the cave on the far side of the lake. The superstitious townsfolk claim that the bloodbats will only be drawn to the blood of a sinner, and that only a holy man can walk through their cave unscathed.

The Haunted Wood
Though the forests north of Dawsbury were once home to many foresters and simple huntsmen, the place has been altogether abandoned, and long-told ghost stories still churn in the surrounding villages to this day. It's said that many folks disappeared in those woods, having gone off on their own for simple tasks, and never come back. People said that the trees moved and creaked on their own, and even spoke to one another in deep groans. After harrowing rumors of a banshee haunting the Old Owl Well, any who still dared to live in those forests abandoned their cabins and cottages, leaving the chilling woods behind.

The collection of Haunted Wood legends never cease to grow, but a most recent event that contributed to the rumors was the ending of the Great Kobold War, where Leonardo Mackintosh led a small army of kobolds into the deeps of the Wood. Mackintosh returned shortly afterwards, but the kobolds were never heard from again.