Artacker

Artacker (/artacker/ [Translation Unavailable]) is a subtropical Town located in Zvăsno Zone, Ubvia County, within the Kingdom of Helsteria.

The name Artacker is derived from the Sylvin language, as Artacker was founded by Treg̈ga Wigg, who was culturaly Sylvin.

Climate

Artacker has a yearly average temperature of 27°C (80°F), with its average temperature during the summer being a hot 31°C (87°F) and its average temperature during the winter being a pleasant 24°C (75°F). Artacker receives an average of 152 cm/y (59 in/y) of precipitation, most of which comes in the form of rain during the fall. Artacker covers an area of nearly 6 km² (2 mi²), and an average elevation of 4546 m (14914 ft) above sea level.

Overview

Artacker was founded durring the late 17th century in late fall of the year 1566, by Treg̈ga Wigg. The establishment of Artacker was somewhat plagued by a lack of willing colonists, leading to Treg̈ga Wigg electing to pay people to resettle in Artacker.

Artacker was built using the conventions of Sylvin durring the late 17th century. Naturaly, all settlmentss have their own look to them, and Artacker 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.

Artacker is buildings are arranged arround a network of crampt flagstone streets which form a diagonal shaped grid, where each square verries in size given the proximity of the paralell streets forming each section. The ocasional smaller square has been used to construct a park, plaza, and other communal structures. The town has a defencive wall made from large clay bricks. The wall is constructed to the exact specifications of millitary fortifications, but the nature of its clay brick construction leaves it vulnerable to even outdated siege equipment. That said, the town is well defended against anything short of an army. Artacker's brittle defences are in an unremarkable state. To some, this is the ideal sate for defences to be in. In need of absoutly nothing, and ready to serve the town as needed.

Right off the bat Artacker hits you in the face with its success. Everyone, even the peasants, are dressed in well made clothing. Every tool and implement you can see is finely made, and people will boast to you as obvious strangers of the wonders which can be found in their markets. More interestingly is a total lack of beggars, and plenty of new buildings are going up even as you speak. Somehow this town has come into quite a lot of wealth, and recently from the looks of things. Precisely how it has gained its wealth is a mystery. Artacker is, in a word, disorder. People seem to be allowed to do as they please with little harmoney to anything. It feels less like a town, and more like a spot people just happened to place their homes. Yet there are small elements here and there which show the underlying structure of the community. It’s just so complex, organic, and flowing one can only understand what is a piece of the puzzle, but not what its neighbors are.

Civic Infrastructure

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

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

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

Artacker 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.

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

Artacker 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.

Artacker 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.

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

Artacker 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. Artacker's grid is powered by mana accumulators.

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

Artacker 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 Artacker's natural decorations nor waterways.

Artacker 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.

Artacker 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

The locals are in a state of despair and dull apathy. They've lost the things that used to give them pride and hope, with the best among them carrying on out of habitual duty and the worst giving ready hands to shameful deeds and ignoble acts. No one really believes the future can be better, and most seek only to satisfy immediate appetites.

Artacker's garrison was built using a different architectural style from the rest of the town. The style used is based upon new and innovative technologies of construction and the idea that form should follow function. It was an embrace of minimalism and a rejection of ornament. The style became characterized by an emphasis on volume, asymmetrical compositions, and minimal ornamentation..

Due to the actions of local Kami, winter is recurring in Artacker.

The Leshy, Poppy near Artacker are known to be a mutant strain of the creature.

Artacker's citizens partake in a curious ritual relating to their local kami. It takes place in spring and involves orgies to channel Abjuration energies of tier 3 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.

Artacker Census Data: Year 2000

468 of Artacker's population work within a Foundational Occupation.

• 28 work in Agriculture
• 102 work as Craftsmen
• 37 work as Merchants
• 78 work as Service Workers
• 46 work as General Laborers
• 18 work as Skilled Laborers
• 69 work as Civil Servants
• 43 work in Cottage Industries
• 22 work as Artists
• 25 work in Produce Industries

892 of Artacker's population do not work in a formal occupation, but do contribute to the local economy. 118 (8%) are noncontributers.

Points of Interest

Due to a magical anomaly, Artacker is directly accessible from a nearby river, despite the lack of a physical connection between the town's pond and the river.

POI

History

In time immemorial, reportedly some time during the late 2nd century the Kami spared the town from an attack. One of Artacker's local festivals commemorates this miracle.

History