The mere mention of “Riverside” conjures images of great adventure and heroes and glory. Not visions of personal experience for the vast majority, mind you, but memories of good beer and good stories and good song recalled from some long late evening spent within a warm tavern protected from the harsh breath of winter. Riverside represents the essence of lore and of songs and of adventurering or so the many tavern storytellers would have people believe.
How much of this true and how much is simple good fun is difficult to tell. Maybe the stories flow from the beer that is brewed within the valley. After all Riverside is home to the famed “Farmer Bron Brewery”, and barley and hops have a way of making small tales grow into something… well, just a wee bit larger. But even if the stories told barside are greatly exaggerated, it does seem to be place where the great open wilderness and civilization meet, sometimes in spectular fashion.
Beyond the great beer, which is stamped “crafted with the care of the Brons from the fruits of the world”, Riverside is home to the famous “Band of Bron” and to “The Adventurer’s Challenge”. To have simply one of these three would be more than most towns of its size could produce, but to have three in one location…well, it tends to become legendary. Maybe it does get overstated and maybe it is nothing more than clever work on the part of the Brons. You see, many of the beers reflect the personalities and the history of Riverside so it is not uncommon to hear “Another round of Von’s Mighty Porter” or “Another Adventurer’s Challenge please” while sitting in a tavern. And if that isn’t enough, the fine art work on the label certainly adds life to the stories told round the region.
But enough of the beer, this is home to heroes. The Band of Bron, as they are now known, are now immortalized in beer. Von (the great dwarven warrior), Mord (the current leader of the town council of Riverside), Roglin (a great wizard), and Beldor (a secluded woodsman) are still said to be revered within the valley. Lore says that they saved the town from great darkness some 50 years ago in a great battle within the tomb of Riverside. “Here darkness was put to rest.” is said to be engraved upon the massive rock that now seals the tomb to this very day.
The Adventurer’s Challenge is the town’s most recent accomplishment. If the Farmer Brons beer dates back 85 years or so, then the challenge is some 50 years younger. It is said to be a “test of the will of men” created by an Kirpay, an eccentric halfling wizard. Adventurers from across the land are said to travel for weeks to show their might and knowledge within the magical creation that serves as a centerpiece to Riverside.
The tales go on and on, but they beyond these tales, they become less reliable and many wonder if any are based upon fact or they all found their roots in the bottom of a glass. Still many are good for a brief reprieve from reality, but most probably don’t merit repeating outside a tavern.
~ Common Lore of the Valley ~
