Cel: History and Rumors

Not long ago, Cel was the poorest town in all of Vanavar and their only export was, according to the upper classes, all qualities of filth. Formerly a miserable town founded by runaway slaves, Cel was primarily populated by beggars and slaves who had been shipped from Belinara and the southern kingdoms because they were unfit for hard labor.

Cel sits on swampy terrain year round, since the Broken Mountains drain into the plains south of Ironhand. Prior to Mirikel's foundation, Cel's population never reached above 10,000. Mostly humans and halflings, its miserable inhabitants lived in conditions that would make even orcs cringe.

However, since the formation of the kingdom and subsequent mass migrations northward, Cel has had an influx of elves from Cel Forest, Howling Forest, and even from the Broken Mountains, as well as a large group of dwarves from Ironhand. This fresh wave of life has infused Cel with a new vitality, and the elves and dwarves have been working together to build a harbor town in the south not only to grant better access to each other's goods but also to decrease the general poverty of the region.

So far, the old mud buildings set in soggy earth and the filthy roads paved with mud have been replaced by wooden houses. The wood was not gathered by logging because the elves would not allow it; building materials came mostly from dead trees.

The streets have been paved with large slabs of rock cut by dwarves. Only the most stubborn human families stayed in Cel, but it seems that the rebirth of the settlement, thanks to the assistance of the other races, has brought out the best in the men as they too help build a better town.