Locales: Aldstone

Located in north-central Dakon-Bar, Aldstone is a village with a very long history. It is known chiefly for the mill which has been standing since the last great war. Aldstone boasts one of the largest mills in central Dakon-Bar and is situated at the side of one of the great rivers that run through the kingdom. In the north, this river is known as the Usiage-Ban, The White Waters, for its turbulent path through the mountains of Tarsus where it begins. As it reaches the rolling lowlands on the border of Tarsus and Dakon-Bar, it is known as the Wide Waters. It follows a great looping path down to the sea.

Aldstone is one of the large villages that is not quite big enough to reach a city status. This is mainly because of its close proximity to the more well known Dragonwood Keep, seat of the king of Dakon-Bar. The mill of Aldstone is under the auspices of the queen of Dakon-Bar and during the reign of the hero Erian Talisid, the queen was known to regularly come and visit the mill and the people of Aldstone. This is why it is sometimes known as the Queen's Village. Aldstone has not had the opportunity to grow to its full potential for several reasons.

The most unfortunate of them is the fact that after Askemb rose to power, the village was burned in an effort to quell an uprising. Astonishingly, the mill survived intact. Much of the population of the village died or fled into the forest. It is slowly recovering but strange tales of the Grey Lady make outsiders wary of taking up residence there. These folk tales speak of the vengeful spirit of the forest trying to reclaim Aldstone.

Some of Askemb's forces reside in Aldstone but they come to strange misadventures when they go into the forest to hunt with out a guide from the native people of Aldstone. Aldstone was not just burned once but twice. During the Great War, Aldstone was known as High Grove and a place where many people lived. High Grove had vast apple orchards in addition to the mill. The deamon prince Atroniac marched on High Grove for he had decided to root out all of the men who resisted him from the forests of Dakon-Bar. Atroniac's forces chopped down the orchards and burned High Grove to the ground. They were frustrated in their efforts to slaughter their foes for when they arrived at High Grove they found it deserted, as though all the people had vanished in the middle of the day.