Middlesinkbainsbury-Upon-Ansdale

Technically, Middlesinkbainsbury-Upon-Ansdale is two large towns in Toswald, the second built right on top of the first. Ansdale existed for over three thousand years as a town in its own right until a few hundred years ago, when a group of recently graduated architecture majors (with minors in debate and philosophy) convinced the town mayor to let them “revitalize” her city with an elaborate project. They set to work immediately, but without demolishing any old buildings. Instead, they simply built on top of them. When they were finished, most of the buildings had several additional stories, and where the buildings of old Ansdale had been conservative, old style architecture, the add-ons were strange and modern. The renovation was too costly to demolish, however, and so the new designs stuck.

As time passed, citizens of Ansdale started to sort themselves into either the upper or lower part of the city, depending on whether they identified more with the conservative old style of the lower places or the bizarre new style of the upper area. Eventually tensions mounted between the people in each area, and the upper part declared themselves an independent city, which they dubbed “Middlesinkbainsbury.” Ever since then, the inhabitants of each city have been separate but forced to interact constantly, and most of their communication is characterized by hostility. Insults are routine, and melees are not uncommon. Travelers just passing through the city are sometimes forced by circumstance to choose sides, such as when choosing where to sleep.