Ratfell

Ratfell (/ratfell/ [Translation Unavailable]) is a temperate Town located in the Izclea Region of the Tetbur Commune.

The name Ratfell is derived from the Sylvin language, as Ratfell was founded by Moggugret Tshêv Westmoreland, who was culturaly Sylvin.

Climate

Ratfell has a yearly average temperature of 28°C (82°F), with its average temperature during the summer being a hot 33°C (91°F) and its average temperature during the winter being a pleasant 24°C (75°F). Ratfell receives an average of 259 cm/y (101 in/y) of precipitation, most of which comes in the form of rain during the summer. Ratfell covers an area of nearly 6 km² (2 mi²), and an average elevation of 3438 m (11279 ft) above sea level.

Overview

Ratfell was founded durring the late 12th century in winter of the year 1096, by Moggugret Tshêv Westmoreland. The establishment of Ratfell was plagued by a lack of willing colonists. After attempts to pay people to resettle failed Moggugret Tshêv Westmoreland struck deals with nearby nations and communities to establish Ratfell as a prison colony.

Ratfell was built using the conventions of Sylvin durring the late 12th century. Naturaly, all settlmentss have their own look to them, and Ratfell is no diffrent. The town's buildings feature masoned stone construction which prominantly features pointed arches, pointed ribbed vault cielings, flying buttress', and window tracery all of which share a simmilar gemoetetic patern halfway between organic and inorganic in design formaing a very distinct aesthetically integrated style. BUildings tend to reach for the havens, and more expencive homes are easily identified by their floor count as well as the addition of decorative features intigrated into the building's design such as statues, gargoyals, and embelished joinery.

Ratfell is buildings are arranged arrounded highly ordered system of spacious flagstone streets which form octogonal paterns, allowing the incides of the octagons to be common grounds for the buildings on the edges, be it for parkland, yardspace, plazas, or markets. The town is protected by a humble stone fence which is tall enough to provide adiquite cover for defenders to fire from, but no more than that. Ratfell's peasent-grade has sufferd soem light damage, reducing its function a little in some spots, but could almsot certainly preform as expected... Though some of the worse spots could lead to the loss of defenders lives if attackers identified the weaknesses ahead of time.

Ratfell is not quite well. Something happened here, perhapse recently, perhapse long ago. Whatever it was, it settled into the very soul of the town like a festering wound. The people go about their day well enough, but there’s a tention in the air you can cut with a knife.

Civic Infrastructure

Ratfell has an Office of Civil Groundskeeping, which works to enforce local ordinances relating to the construction and upkeep up of all plant life, water features, and other natural decorations within Ratfell. They are also responsible for the maintenance of these features. Notably, the OCG is not responsible for Ratfell's parks.

Ratfell has an Office of Civil Vicary, which is responsible for providing a livelyhood for all officialy recognised religious figures within Ratfell.

Ratfell has a Gravedigger's Guild, which is responsible for collecting the dead and laying them to rest according to all applicable laws and religious customs.

Ratfell has a Highwayman's Guild, which is tasked with maintaining the roads and highways leading into town as well as keeping them safe for travelers.

Ratfell has a monistary of an order of Civil Monks, who provide divine-related services to the general public and maintain Ratfell's public wards, blessings, and other arcane systems.

Ratfell possesses a Galvanic Power Grid, which brings galvanic current to most if not all buildings in town, and permits a great many consumer goods to function within the Town. Ratfell's grid is powered by a boiler and turbine based power plant.

Ratfell's old civil lighting system was converted to Galvanic Lamps recently, and expanded to provide nighttime illumination to all city streets.

Ratfell has a Parks and Recreation Department, which is responsible for the construction, management, and usage rights for all of its parks and parklands. They are not to be confused with the Office of Civil Groundskeeping as they do not hold authority over nor responsibility for Ratfell's natural decorations nor waterways.

Ratfell has a public schooling program overseen by the Hall of Sages who has the responsibility of ensuring access to affordable high-quality education in all basic classes (Reading, Writing, Mathmatics, General Sciences, General Arcana, and Social Education) is made available to all citizens.

Ratfell has a public septic system, which allows its citizens to have indoor bathrooms. The septic system is overseen by the League of Sewerkeepers, who posses the legal authority to enforce all laws relating to the septic system, and are also tasked with its maintenance and upkeep.

Cultural Notes

Ratfell's garrison was built using a different architectural style from the rest of the town. The style used is known primarily for its use of abstraction and simplicity. Clean lines, right angles, and primary colors characterized this aesthetic and art movement expressed via architecture and paintings. Its design ethos allows only primary colors and non-colors, only squares and rectangles, only straight and horizontal or vertical lines. Vertical and horizontal lines are positioned in layers or planes that do not intersect, thereby allowing each element to exist independently and unobstructed by other elements. These seemingly impossible principals for an architectural style coalesces into structures which most experts find hard to put into words. It is not that their geometry is impossible, but rather the style's attempt at producing works only describable visually was most successful..

In Ratfell sometimes, near one of the seasonal solstices, the sun appears to split into three and it rains from a clear sky for several hours.

The Spider, Skull (Tiny) near Ratfell are known to be more aggressive than normal.

Ratfell's citizens partake in a curious ritual relating to their local kami. It takes place in summer and involves performance art to channel Transmutation energies of tier 3 via throat chanting.

Economy

The following information was obtained via the Imperial Census Bureau as part of the Eyom Economic Outreach Program. It differs from Standard Imperial censuses in that many of Tom's citizens, regardless of culture, work in more than one occupation or hold more than a single job. The Imperial Census Bureau has ruled that a job is a job, hence, the intigers within the data presented here can count an individual more than once.

Ratfell Census Data: Year 2000

457 of Ratfell's population work within a Foundational Occupation.

• 28 work in Agriculture
• 98 work as Craftsmen
• 37 work as Merchants
• 74 work as Service Workers
• 47 work as General Laborers
• 17 work as Skilled Laborers
• 66 work as Civil Servants
• 45 work in Cottage Industries
• 21 work as Artists
• 24 work in Produce Industries

967 of Ratfell's population do not work in a formal occupation, but do contribute to the local economy. 29 (2%) are noncontributers.

Points of Interest

Ratfell is surrounded by dangerous terrain: miasmatic swamps, perilous crevasses, radioactive badlands, a pocket of or some other harmful topography. Ratfell might prefer the defensive potential of the terrain here, or have found a precious resource worth the danger. The terrain might have formed at some time since the founding, with the citizens struggling to make terms with the new danger.

Ratfell has a substantial mill pond located a short distance from town.

POI

History

In time immemorial, reportedly some time during the early 2nd century several years of heavy rains culminated in a peculiar disaster. A great hole opened up beneath Ratfell, swallowing large sections of the community. Ratfell lost 186 people, 151 livestock, and 32 buildings in the disaster. This disaster is often refereed to as The Torment Swallowing.

History