Stormcote

Stormcote (/stɔːm/ /kəʊt/ [Translation Unavailable]) is a subtropical Large City located in Swynwall Dutchy, Penkhamia County, within the Sylvanian Empire.

The name Stormcote is derived from the Sylvin language, as Stormcote was founded by Gersel Axtell, who was culturaly Sylvin.

Climate

Stormcote has a yearly average temperature of 13°C (55°F), with its average temperature during the summer being a warm 26°C (78°F) and its average temperature during the winter being a freezing 0°C (32°F). Stormcote receives an average of 138 cm/y (54 in/y) of precipitation, most of which comes in the form of snow during the pleasantly short winter months. Stormcote covers an area of nearly 270 km² (108 mi²), and an average elevation of 3734 m (12250 ft) above sea level.

Overview

Stormcote was founded durring the late 15th century in fall of the year 1389, by Gersel Axtell. The establishment of Stormcote was somewhat plagued by a lack of willing colonists, leading to Gersel Axtell electing to pay people to resettle in Stormcote.

Stormcote was built using the conventions of Sylvin durring the late 15th century. Naturaly, all settlmentss have their own look to them, and Stormcote is no diffrent. The city's buildings feature timber framed wooden shiethed or brick construction, which gives form to a very formalized, rational, expence effishent arcatectural style based on strictly symmetrical designs which universaly feature pitched roofs, shutters, and the occasional column or pilaster for a decorative touch.

Stormcote is buildings have been located at convienant points along the hill Stormcote was built upon. Navigating the town is therefore a little chalanging as the distance between buildings verris greatly and the crampt canals streets flow where they are able to be made rather than folowing the most convienant paths. The city has a set of well fortified walls, with gatehouses, watch towers, battlments, and even a moat, which are fashioned from stone and timber. Stormcote's walls are, howeaver, fashioned from stone and timber. While unorthadox, the design looks to be functional to a reasonable degree. With luck, the untested design will remain untested for years to come. The city's unusual though effective defenses are visibly old, but also obviously well maintained. Its likly the local malishia or garrison are tasked with routine mantance of the city's defences.

Stormcote has the unmistakable air of a city on its last legs. Everything is a bit slipshod and ramshackle. Everyone is at work, or drinking. No one has anything in their eyes other than fear and despair. Whatever industry once fueled Stormcote ’s existence has dried up and the city is drifting down the stream of history as it dries up. The people are clearly worried about something, and everyone is either wearing a weapon or has one close at hand. Your gut tells you it’s not mere fate which has caused this town to begin failing...

Civic Infrastructure

Stormcote possesses a Aethary Link for its accademic, government, and financial institutions. Public Aethary access is available through one or more of these intitutions.

Stormcote has an animal control department which works to enforce local ordinances relating to the control, impoundment, and disposition of animals.

Stormcote 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 Stormcote. They are also responsible for the maintenance of these features. Notably, the OCG is not responsible for Stormcote's parks.

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

Stormcote has a government-funded child care program, overseen by the local Department of Nursemaids, which is responsible for providing childcare to working-class citizens according to local ordinances.

Stormcote 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.

Stormcote has a Guild of Nurses, which is tasked with caring for the elderly and infirm in accordance with local ordinances, religious values, and customs.

Stormcote has a Department of Firefighters, which is responsible for organizing fire fighting efforts during a fire and enforcing local ordinances relating to fire safety.

Stormcote 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.

Stormcote has a Hall of Slayers, which is tasked with maintaining the roads and highways leading into town as well as keeping them safe for travelers.

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

Stormcote has an Theological Academy which trains clergy in various arcane and theological topics required for their occupations.

Stormcote 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 Large City. Stormcote's grid is powered by hydrogalvanic generators.

Stormcote possesses an older civil lighting system consisting of street lamps. In spite of the Galvanic Grid, these lights continue to use their old fule sources to provide nighttime illumination to all city streets.

Stormcote has a first rate hospital which caters to anyone in need of long term medical care.

Stormcote has a library, which keeps a large collection of books, scrolls, and archives all manner of physical items. While not open to the public, the librarians and scholars employed by the library will assist anyone with their research needs, and wealthy individuals can purchase membership to access the library's materials themselves. In spite of being generally closed to the public, the library has a room with several Aether Linked devices available to the public during business hours.

Stormcote 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 Stormcote's natural decorations nor waterways.

Stormcote has a Guild of Roadworkers, who are responsible for maintaining the roadways and public paths within town. They also have the duty of enforcing all civil laws relating to the roadways.

Stormcote 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.

Stormcote 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.

Stormcote is home to a University which provides higher education in a variety of fields, and also serves as a research institute for those same fields.

Cultural Notes

Stormcote's citizens locals enjoy many vices and lustful appetites. They may have religious sanction for their deeds, or neighbors might trade with them for such things, or they could be followers of some ideology that blesses such pursuits. Their economy or their social organization is usually heavily reliant on such traffic, and to ensure its continuance they may have made bargains with various mortal and immortal powers.

Stormcote's mayor's house was built using a different architectural style from the rest of the town. The style used is characterized by dynamic designs and complex architectural plan forms; intended to heighten feelings of motion and sensuality, and frequently based on the oval. It made extensive and extreme use of: Grandeur, Contrast, Curves and twists, Rich surface treatments, Gilded statuary, Bright colors, Vividly painted ceilings, Fragmented or deliberately incomplete elements, Large-scale frescoes, Dramatic central projections on an external facade, the use of plaster, stucco, or marble finishing, Illusory effects such as trompe l’oeil, and pear-shaped domes. While beloved by the nobility, the common folk tended to despise the style due to the massive consumption of resources required for even a small building constructed in this style.

Due to the actions of local Kami, spring is short in Stormcote.

The Caypup near Stormcote are known to be quite timid.

Stormcote's citizens partake in a curious ritual relating to their local kami. It takes place in summer and involves square dance to channel Abjuration energies of tier 1 via oath swearing.

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.

Stormcote Census Data: Year 2000

24215 of Stormcote's population work within a Foundational Occupation.

• 1330 work in Agriculture
• 5347 work as Craftsmen
• 1940 work as Merchants
• 3714 work as Service Workers
• 2403 work as General Laborers
• 1005 work as Skilled Laborers
• 3575 work as Civil Servants
• 2270 work in Cottage Industries
• 1320 work as Artists
• 1311 work in Produce Industries

38233 of Stormcote's population do not work in a formal occupation, but do contribute to the local economy. 1274 (2%) are noncontributers.

Points of Interest

Stormcote is known for its unusual rock formations.

POI

History

In time immemorial, reportedly some time during the late 2nd century a local hero by the name of slew a monster which had been terrorizing the streets of Stormcote. One of Stormcote's festivals remembers the hero.

History