Westead

Westead (/westead / [Translation Unavailable]) is a subtropical Town located in Byness Dutchy, Liate County, within the Kingdom of Helsteria.

The name Westead is derived from the Sylvin language, as Westead was founded by Ch́åts Bush, who was culturaly Sylvin.

Climate

Westead has a yearly average temperature of 25°C (77°F), with its average temperature during the summer being a warm 30°C (86°F) and its average temperature during the winter being a pleasant 21°C (69°F). Westead receives an average of 162 cm/y (63 in/y) of precipitation, most of which comes in the form of rain during the fall. Westead covers an area of nearly 5 km² (2 mi²), and an average elevation of 3390 m (11122 ft) above sea level.

Overview

Westead was founded durring the early 13th century in fall of the year 1206, by Ch́åts Bush. The establishment of Westead was plagued by a lack of willing colonists. After attempts to pay people to resettle failed Ch́åts Bush struck deals with nearby nations and communities to establish Westead as a prison colony.

Westead was built using the conventions of Sylvin durring the early 13th century. Naturaly, all settlmentss have their own look to them, and Westead is no diffrent. The town's buildings feature waddle and daub construction with good timber frames and a stone foundation protected by thatched or shingled rooves. Most buildings with second floors are built in such a way as to overhang into the streets on the upper floors for more space, as building size seems to be the primary indicator of wealth within the community. Most buildings are not decorated with any integral features, but instead use ivy, flowers, and other natural elements in planters of on trellices to breathe life into the structure they grow upon.

Westead is buildings are arranged arrounded highly ordered system of broad gravel streets which form hexical 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 renforced stone fence which sits atop earthwork defences, for some of the best inexpencive defences a town of Westead 's size could have. Westead 's well-designed, yet cheep 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.

Westead has a very calm atmosphere. People can be seen relaxing, scocilizing, and going about all manner of business other than the daily grind. Men, women, children, all can be seen enjoying life in a laid-back way in the many parks which line Westead ’s streets. A look around Westead has something terribly wrong with it. It’s impossible to put one’s finger on, but something is horribly wrong. Maybe it’s the way fog blankets the ground, but only in the connors of places. Maybe it’s the vermin scutteling between shadows in the corner of your eyes. Perhaps it’s the overcast sky which seemed to creep out of nowhere, or the distant howling of wolves. Maybe it’s everything together. Regardless, you do not feel it would be wise to remain in Westead long.

Civic Infrastructure

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

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

Westead 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.

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

Westead 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.

Westead 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.

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

Westead possesses an older civil lighting system consisting of street lamps. These lights provide nighttime illumination to most city streets.

Westead 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 Westead 's natural decorations nor waterways.

Westead 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.

Westead 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.

Westead 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

Westead 's locals despise outsiders. For some “outsiders” may be natives of foreign lands, while others might have a grudge against anyone from outside the community. These locals have an active loathing, and the outsiders allowed to trade or interact with them do so at a heavy disadvantage.

Westead 's bank was built using a different architectural style from the rest of the town. The style used makes use of a large oblong hall or building with double colonnades and a semicircular apse and symmetrical central-plan, resulting in buildings with a square central mass and four arms of equal length. Decorative features included domed rooves, arches, soaring spaces, and sumptuous decoration: marble columns and inlay, mosaics on the vaults, inlaid-stone pavements, and sometimes gold coffered ceilings.

In Westead every night at precisely midnight every structure in town is engulfed by sailors fire until the end of the witching hour.

The Slithering Pit near Westead are known to be quite timid.

Westead 's citizens partake in a curious ritual relating to their local kami. It takes place in summer and involves consuming a local narcotic to channel Necromancy energies of tier 1 via moments of science.

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.

Westead Census Data: Year 2000

438 of Westead 's population work within a Foundational Occupation.

• 27 work in Agriculture
• 94 work as Craftsmen
• 32 work as Merchants
• 74 work as Service Workers
• 45 work as General Laborers
• 16 work as Skilled Laborers
• 66 work as Civil Servants
• 40 work in Cottage Industries
• 20 work as Artists
• 24 work in Produce Industries

911 of Westead 's population do not work in a formal occupation, but do contribute to the local economy. 41 (3%) are noncontributers.

Points of Interest

POI

History

In time immemorial, reportedly some time during the early 2nd century, Westead was attacked by savage harpiess living nearby. The details of the conflict are hazy at best due to many conflicting accounts. What is known is Westead lost 284 people, 202 livestock, and 55 buildings. The conflict ended after roughly 57, when members of Westead 's militia enacted an operation to fortify a particular fortification. The operation was complicated by the army's activities draw the wrath of formerly neutral parties. The conflict ended with needing to break through the enemy's lines, which ended in a stalemate for Westead 's forces. The war is remembered in legend by Westead 's bards, historians, and legend keepers.

History