I'm considering adding a town with Alderling (whatever they are called in the English version
), since it seems to me that they would have the strength and inclination to form a larger settlement. That also for me solves a bit of an economic riddle in the campaign, namely who would buy all the gemstones found? After playing one of the caves, the players ended up with useless but fairly valuable gemstones? Who would buy them, if everyone is in small villages trying to survive, and there is no "middle class" at all? OK, yeah, I guess dwarfs and elves could buy them if they were interesting enough (but thy would be rather picky) or perhaps mages for experiments, but it still felt like the adventurers would flood the market of useless valuables. Can't have that, can we?
So, I felt that a town would be an interesting variation. Also, my daughter with whom I am playing has a merchant character that is rather fresh from Alderland, and it would be nice if she has a more townlike setting.
I am thinking a town ruled by an enterpreneurial Alderling in alliance (perhaps marriage) with a clan of aslen riders. It would be like a miniature feudal society, where the Aslen riders are the knights who have sworn fealty to the enterprenurial Alderling. I am thinking maybe a bit more than 1000 inhabitants, a decent set of craftsmen and traders and a fairly large area around the town to support it with the Aslen riders to protect and control it. Which will be interesting now, since many of the Aslen riders are taking off to Zertome for religious reasons