The Town of Hopeful lies just north of Raspkatoon on the cliff wall of The Grand Mesa. Originally, and by law officially, called Gatesville, It takes its common name from the handle given its townsfolk: Hopefuls. Many are waiting, in some cases for generations, for the chance to emigrate to Raspkatoon. Some have given up hope. Some live blissfully ignorant to the fact that someday the great turtle will stand up and leave them alone in the chaos. An accounting of the decades of Hopeful follows.
The First Decade: The Landing
Everyone was happy to be still for awhile. Dangers had dwindled some, equilibrium maybe? At first stragglers were welcomed with open arms. The early village was more of a processing and greeting area. Some businesses sprung up catering to coming and going. By the end of the decade the influx was already starting to look unsustainable.
The Second Decade: The Wave
A massive blight on the plane, a visit from another Titan (Ix The Beatle), and the fall of Inkbar castle in the north led to massive migration over this span. The immigration process was slowed and accommodations were made in camps along the cliff face. Tunnels can still be found from this era. By the end of the decade the permanence of these temporary accommodations was becoming clear and Gatesville was founded as a separate township.
The Third Decade: The Erection
During this time the immigration continued and Gatesville functioned under remote rule. Money and resources poured in to Build the Church of the Thirteen, the Main Bridge, restore the keep of Castle Undon as well as several other large and ornate buildings. The Masons’ Guild rose to great prominence and many workers from Raspkatoon chose not to return and settled in the new village to start secondary business and semi-retire.
The Fourth Decade: The First Strife
A major attack on the city led to destruction of the 4th tower and the death of several city officials. Infiltration and coordination of the attacks lent themselves to any number of conspiracy theories. By the end of the decade the main bridge was fortified and the city shut off to most immigrants. Many “traitors” were executed in The Tower Purge. When there was suspicion without proof, citizens were exiled to Gatesville or worse, The Cess, the great pools of muck and sewage that spill from the city into the unprotected valley below.
The Fifth Decade: The Long Winters
The long winters were short on food. Frosts came late in spring and early in fall. The people of the village were forced to band together and a solidarity formed. The necessity at first to beg for food and resources from the city caused a lasting animosity. This was further complicated by the need of the city at the end of the decade during the easing to in turn demand food of the village as their stockpiles had run thin.
The Sixth Decade: The New Wealth
The Standing Four of the Seven arrive in the village from years of travel and adventure. They bring a degree of wealth, officiality, pride, and learning to the settlement, expanding a small school on the north outskirts into a college and spreading a degree of treasure, both expensive and magical, around town. Their existing relationship with Helmunk Ko and others in the intelligentsia of Raspkatoon provide them with special access and goodwill, however the actions of their fallen compatriot Anatoll and his dubious allegiances prevent their admission to the city as permanent residents. The city is rebranded as Hopeful by the local government, but the change is never officially ratified by Saskatoon.
The Seventh Decade: The Middling Strife
A slow decade of building and expansion of farms interspersed with annoying, but manageable raids leads to a gray, new normal. Northpike is officially recognized on the old North Highway and Woodsbreak is founded along the East Rim. Expansion of the city of Raspkatoon enables its population to increase and allows for less reliance on the provinces. Many believe the new construction is too frail, too high, or too close to the edge to be sustainable when and if the turtle resumes its travel.
The Eighth Decade: The Boom
The Village uses the current lack of Raspkatoon oversight to their advantage and lifts the prohibition on further exploration of the mesa as it is thought that expanding the borders will push back the chaos rather than instigate it. After the second strife it has been clear that their existence here is not secret but also that Chaos does not appear as strong as it once was. Many local sites are plundered and left devoid of treasure. Many beasts and wild things are driven back from the borders. The Monestary of Mishall is established on the West Rim. Farming operations start on the north side of the Quiet River. The Village prospers and the buffer settlements provide a sense of safety for the central inhabitants.
The Ninth Decade: The Doldrums
The influx of wealth to the economy has mixed results. New lands are now available for farming and the borders are expanded by several miles. The village is now the center of a small province and much thought is put into politics, wellbeing, and order. There is a lull in exploration as many of the first wave explorers have retired and the more distant sites are out of reach for the novice. The Hamlets Fairfield, Poltash, and Jormeth are established on the north bank of the quiet river and Malkot is Fortified as the fathers settled point on the North Highway.
The Tenth Decade: The Shadowed Strife
A series of crimes, dark omens, and disease decimate the village and city from inside. The city blames the folk from the provinces for expansion, pagan worship, and any number of other foolish notions. An attack on Hopefull itself by dark beasts out of the unsettled and rugged northwest marches catches it at a weak moment and many are slain. The weakness in the village and exposure to the outer world leads to acceptance of oversight and protection from Raspkatoon. Relations between the two are at an all time low with the city rulers seen as usurpers and tyrants. Few are alive that remember the times of travel.
The Dawning Eleventh Decade: The Uneasy Era
It has been 98-101 years since the landing depending on reckoning. Truces are uneasy, the future uncertain. Nothing is absolute and alliances and relationships between factions in the city and provinces are constantly in flux. A puppet government rules the provinces with orders from Raspkatoon. The borders are encroached upon by dark shadows and rumor. Believers of prophecy contend that the great turtle will lift its head and resume its travels soon; on the first day of the 100th year, or 101st depending on who you ask. The majority find this to be fanciful and contend that Lamzikus likely died years ago. A scattering of brave souls consider once again venturing beyond the outskirts to find fame, power, fortune, answers, or hope, but so much is stacked against the prospect, that few actually make the journey.
Haucumgalium 