The Traveller's Guide to Faerun: Furthinghome (Elven Quarter)

I told the innkeeper of my predicament, and he seemed evasive.  'I wouldn't know nothing about that sir,' he said, 'but a word to the wise- wear your hood up round these parts.  Not much love for elves here.'
'But I'm not an elf...  I've never even seen an elf.'
The innkeeper shook his head.  'Doesn't matter to the people of Furthingharrow; to them, pointy ears equals elf and elf equals self-entitled foreign pansy that gets everything handed to them on a plate whilst us humans are forced into the gutter.'
'What happened for things to get like this?'
I would soon regret asking that question.  For the next hour or so I received a lecture on the history of

The Elves' feared for the future of Yuirwood

Algarond- fascinating, but I'd prefer to hear it from a scholar than a bartender.  Basically, half-elves pre-emptively invaded the human towns on the north coast to prevent the Yuirwood from being destroyed to further human expansion.  The humans saw this as typical elven obnoxiousness, believing they wouldn't have had an impact on the huge Yuirwood, and so the majority moved further up the coast to found Altumbel.  The ones that remained have been stewing hatred ever since, and now that Algarond is ruled by a human- the Simbul- these remaining humans think they have a chance to overthrow their elven oppressors.  The only problems are that the Simbul was a half-elf's apprentice, has her hands full dealing with Thay, and is quite possibly insane.

After this lesson I thanked the innkeeper and enquired about work to reclaim my stolen money.  He asked if I had adventuring experience which I found a little odd.  I said I hadn't, so he suggested going to the rich side of town and helping in the elven greenhouses, as at least there I wouldn't have to disguise myself.  

I found the transition quite remarkable.  As I walked through the streets the buildings became less weathered-wood and more solid stone, and the city seemed to visibly brighten as I headed into the wealthier area.  Here I got my first good look at elves, or half-elves at least, and was shocked to find they looked almost exactly the same as humans.  From the way the innkeeper spoke I thought their ears would be like

Elf ears do not look like this.

scythes attached to their heads, but these half-elves ears were shorter than mine!  If I hadn't known to look at their ears I wouldn't have noticed any difference, aside from their much more refined dress.  Of course, I wasn't here to study them as if they were some alien species (though I suppose they technically were, to me)- I was here to work.  It seemed taverns were the best place to find prospective employers, so I headed to the closest one- The Aglarond Arms.  What a change from the Beached Mermaid!  This place was huge, with lovely wooden flooring, a grand fireplace, several fine dining tables, the smell of woodsmoke, and even at this time of day it was busy with patrons- who I became disconcertingly aware were all staring at me and had suddenly gone very quiet.  I realised I must look very out of place in my tattered rags, and thankfully as I lowered my cowl revealing my glorious ears there was an audible sigh of relief.  I approached the bar, which was decorated with all sorts of paraphernalia, and caught the attention of the admittedly somewhat attractive barmaid; clearly a full wood elf judging by the lovely copper shade of her skin.  I avoided flirting with her as I know how much annoyance it must cause from other patrons, and simply asked about work in the area.
'Oh another adventurer...'
'People keep calling me that...  Why?'
'You mean you're not?  I'm sorry, it's just we don't get many non-elves here, and what with the robes...  Can I get you a drink?  My name's Melindraea.'
'Thank you Melindraea, my name is Zephran, but regrettably I am short of coin.  Hence why I'm looking for work?'
'Oh, I see.  Um... actually yes, there was someone looking for help with his dahlias- Sir Rayner, he lives at the large house on Queen's Street, you can't miss it.'
'Thank you, I look forward to seeing you again, Melindraea.'

'Yes?'  The man who opened the door certainly wasn't what I was expecting.  I expected a frail old man that couldn't look after his flowers, and instead I'm greeted by a man in full ceremonial golden armour.
'Sir Rayner?  I was told you needed some gardening help...?'
He gave a snort of derision.  'Gardening?  Please, that's when it's done out of necessity.  This, my boy, is horticulture.  Say, you're an Outsider aren't you?  Not taking revenge for that little misunderstanding in Sigil are you?  No, you'd have to be better armed than that... Oh well, come in and let's see what you can do.  Judging by your stubble I don't hold out much hope though.'

A painting of Sir Rayner

I followed Sir Rayner into a veritable mansion in pristine condition.  The walls were decorated with trophies from all manner of beasts; clearly this man had seen his share of adventure.  I was led out to a small glass house in which were kept various plants.
'Right, let's see what you can do.  Clear the weeds from these roses, and perhaps I'll let you have a go at the dahlias.'
He handed me a pair of gloves and what looked like scissors.  I was momentarily taken aback- how do you make things grow by cutting them?  Nonetheless I made a few careful cuts on the plant, not entirely sure what I was doing but desperate for the money.
'Hmm!  Not bad, you seem to be very careful, you must take a lot of pride in your work!  Very well, I shall leave you to it.  I'll be in the conservatory writing this blasted report if you need me, you can leave at dusk as I've got to be at the palace.  I've fought hordes of orcs, demons, even dragons, but nothing terrifies me more than meeting with the Simbul!'

As I worked I found the experience quite relaxing, and soon my mind began to wander.  I reflected on the past couple of days, and how strange things were in this world.  The humans resent the half-elves, and the half-elves seem fearful despite being the ones in charge.  But if Sir Rayner was a half-elf, then it certainly seems they have the capability to be ruthless...  And what of full elves?  There must be some remaining in the forests, yet the half-elves do all the fighting for them?  Perhaps I should ask Melindraea about her people?

'Elves hide in their forest, whilst men chop it down,
Elves' ultimatum: stop or we'll frown.
Men's response: we can't or we'll drown!
You have your forest, we have our town,
Logging won't make a dent- your forest won't brown!

Humans claim they mean Elves no harm.
Elves are not swayed by the humans' charm.
Elves take too long to make their decision,
Half-Elves step in to make a swift incision.

Half-Elves now rule Aglarond,
Gone is the Human/Elf bond.

Half-Elves are neither Elven nor Human,
Now they are treated as some mutant fusion.
Better than Humans, lesser than Elves,
What sort of future will they carve for themselves...?'

'What was that?' said Sir Rayner.  He had apparently been stood behind me some time.
'Oh, I was just singing to myself.  Sorry, I won't let my mind wander again.'
'Don't be a fool man!  That was marvellous!  Not many understand the decision we had to make; if we waited for our elven fathers then the forest would be destroyed!  Taking control of the humans was the only way to stop them from getting out of hand.'
'I'm glad you liked it...'
'Hah!  You've inspired me, boy, we need to get you to the Simbul!  Tell me, have you ever considered becoming a bard?'

The Traveller's Guide to Faerun: Furthinghome, Aglarond

Aglarond

Climate: Warm Temperate.

Terrain: Dense Forest, Rocky Coast, Hilly Farmland.

Population: Mostly Human, Some Half-Elf.

I arranged transport with a passing merchant as soon as possible, packing the bare minimum- some field rations, some coin, and a rapier.  Most of my new friends turned up to see me off, though Lynne was absent; one of her friends told me that she was upset, thinking I would be 'different' from other men which frankly shouldn't be a surprise as I'm not human.  The friend looked at me with an expression of horror when I told her this, then walked off shaking her head.  Truly there was much for me to learn about humans, and with this thought in mind I headed off to the nearest city.

On the road I attempted to curb my enthusiasm, though there were so many extraordinary sights.  When the

My first companion!

clouds had cleared the rolling hills were a beautiful green bathed in the golden light of the sun.  To be honest I am surprised the merchant put up with my incessant questions!  He was a likeable man; a human.  One of the first lessons I would learn is that one should always state a person's race in Faerun, as there are so many varied species and everyone seems to bear some resentment against the others.  The merchant told me his name was John, and that he was born in the town to which we were headed- Furthinghome, on the Aglarond coast.  He then gave me some tattered robes with a cowl that would cover my face, saying that the humans of the city were distrustful of other races, especially ones that looked like they might be elven.  He also told me that despite my desire to explore, I should stick with him as we wouldn't be staying long.  He just had to make an exchange then we would be on the road to Velprintalar; home to a powerful mage who should be able to tell me how to get home.  Finally John had a warning- if we did somehow get separated then I should avoid Thay at all costs.  It was a land beyond the mountains behind us, and he warned that if I ever encounter a wizard dressed in red then I should avoid them, as I would most likely be kidnapped and experimented on in a tower somewhere.  I found this hard to comprehend- humans seemed to have such varied personalities.  The majority I had met so far were friendly, but then there was Lynne's unusual behaviour, and now the stories of these horrible wizards!

As we approached Furthinghome I heard a somewhat familiar sound, and sure enough there were tens of peacocks roaming the countryside!  I had seen peacocks before in Djinni zoological collections, but I was unaware they were wild here.  Sadly John had to point out to me that they were not in fact wild, but had escaped from a local dilapidated estate.  I made a mental note to explore this estate, but I was soon distracted as I caught a salty smell on the wind, and as we passed one last hill I was met with yet another

Such beautiful greys!

spectacular sight- the sea!  Like a combination of land an air, it had the same sort of blue as the sky but looked more... solid.  Yet at the same time, not as solid as the land due to its constant movement.  Of course, now I look back and laugh at my naivety, but back then it was simply too much for me- I almost fainted from the experience, but instead I entered a trance-like state, fascinated with my surroundings and paying no heed to the man asking me questions- one of the city guard.  Luckily John covered for me, telling the guard I was a relative and had been 'touched in the head'.  Thankfully I felt a little more comfortable inside the city, as it was reminiscent of the Djinni cities back home, though the architecture was much less grand, consisting mostly of weathered wood and stone that hadn't taken kindly to the salty sea air.  We followed the main road into the centre of the city, John pulling me along as I was getting distracted by the sounds of seagulls and smells of the countless spices being sold at the stalls that lined the street.
'Here we are, Old Furthing,' said John, 'I have business to attend to, so I shall meet you back here at Highsun in two days time.  I've already booked us lodging at the Beached Mermaid by the docks.  Now I'm already late, so see you soon!'
I turned to tell John I had no idea where 'here' was, or even what 'highsun' is, but he had already gone.  I was alone in this city.

Furthinghome

Type: Large City, Small Trading Port
Population: Mostly Human, Few Half-Elf
Reputation: Wealthy, though slums harbour anti-elf extremists
Imports: Exotic Goods
Exports: Fish, Timber, Herbs and Spices

I remained calm, and decided that I may as well have another look at the sea whilst I had the chance.  Presumably that was where the docks were as well, as my only previous experience of docks involved airships.  Before I knew it I had spent the rest of the day just sitting on the docks, watching the sea and the sunset.  The next thing I learned was that humans have very poor night vision- as I looked for the Beached Mermaid several careless humans bumped into me before running off.  Eventually I found the inn and told the landlord I was with John the merchant.  He said he had been expecting me, though there had been no sign of John yet, and I was shown to my room.  It was possibly the earliest night I'd ever had, and it pained me to be missing out on the drunken revelry below my room, but after the days I'd had I was in need of well-deserved rest.

Morning came, and the first thing I noticed was that my door was open- I must have forgotten to lock it in my overtired state.  I headed down to the bar, but other than a few unconscious men littering the bar it was empty, so I set off to find some food.  It was early in the morning, but the city was still bustling with activity as market stalls were already peddling their wares- mostly exotic items, and things made to look exotic.  It was at this point I realised I had no money to buy food with, despite being sure I had some the day before.  This didn't bother me too much, after all that's what field rations are for- though I would have to find some money somewhere, which meant finding work.