Elias Glaschlager's Story

With the Queen absent, Lord Protector Hans had the reigns over New Rouge. The man was a capable military leader, warrior, and his commoner's upbringing had earned him the admiration of the simpler folk. In turn, he had the resentment of most Noble houses in one way or another. They had good reason for it too.

Queen Emilia was a tactful ruler. She would permit the laundering of resources by the nobility, the ocassional skirmirsh, a good bloody duel, etc, all so long it was not excessive. She recorded evidence of wrongdoing but did not act upon it immediately, later springing it up to blackmail or extort favors out of her political rivals. Lord Hans had no such finesse. He was straight forward. You did wrong? You were punished. No buts and him being a commoner and career soldier, his lawful punishments could be cruel (for Nobles atleast).

Whippings, beatings, floggings, hangings, executions, fines... the list went on. He spared not the rod for the nobility. Without their own territories to place distance between themselves and him, he was free to enact justice. As such New Rouge ran without much hassle from the upper echelons of Ettonian Society, the Queen's return would be but a few days time. They could endure for now.
Construction efforts shifted into the construction of a proper wooden castle. The Ettonians lacked a large supply of stone for a traditional stone castle but such massive structures were essential in the defense of their territories. With no nearby strategic land for it to claim the Lord Protector demanded the earth be moved to accommodate them.

Yes. He told them to dig up dirt and make a hill for the castle to be built on. Thus if you werent cutting trees, growing crops, hunting or herding livestock, you were digging.

Elias decided that, quite frankly, he despised digging even more than doing his regular work. Work was a chore. Elias never seemed to quite digest the fact that in order to eat you had to suffer, but his head was in the clouds most of the days. So he dug and he thunk of anything but the task at hand. He knew why he dug and that was not his complaint.
Elias did not want to dig was all.
But he dug, and before he knew it, his break was to come.

Looking back he marveled at the progress they made in such a short amount of time. He stalked off for a snack, maybe an apple or something.

Just as suddenly as they came
The people of Ettonian were transported back to their own world. Perhaps it was the intervention of their own deities, the manipulation of some powerful wizard, or more fae folk shenanigans. Regardless of who was responsible, the Ettonians in all of their entirety disappeared without a trace. The only evidence they were ever there, is the town city of new Rouge.