Ashenmere

Ashenmere (/ashenmere/ [Translation Unavailable]) is a subtropical Town located in Nutiziqa Hold, Odwea Kingdom, within the Sylvanian Empire.

The name Ashenmere is derived from the Sylvin language, as Ashenmere was founded by Zlel Hargrove, who was culturaly Sylvin.

Climate

Ashenmere has a yearly average temperature of 17°C (62°F), with its average temperature during the summer being a warm 26°C (78°F) and its average temperature during the winter being a cold 9°C (48°F). Ashenmere receives an average of 147 cm/y (57 in/y) of precipitation, most of which comes in the form of rain during the spring. Ashenmere covers an area of nearly 4 km² (1 mi²), and an average elevation of 5824 m (19107 ft) above sea level.

Overview

Ashenmere was founded durring the early 16th century in summer of the year 1526, by Zlel Hargrove. The establishment of Ashenmere was plagued by a lack of willing colonists. After attempts to pay people to resettle failed Zlel Hargrove struck deals with nearby nations and communities to establish Ashenmere as a prison colony.

Ashenmere was built using the conventions of Sylvin durring the early 16th century. Naturaly, all settlmentss have their own look to them, and Ashenmere is no diffrent. The town's buildings feature timber and earth construction, with most buildigns first floors resembling mounds of earth, with subsequent floors appearing as elaborate log cabins, with each building forming a tiered pyramid of sorts fromed from the stack of rectangular, peek roofed cabins. Most wooden bracing, support, and trim is carved with decorative knotwork, and the larger structures even feature painted trim which emphasises the knotwork.

Ashenmere is buildings are arranged arround a network of narrow cobblestone 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 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. Astonishigly, the peasent-grade are in pristine condishion, as if they had just been finished before you laied eyes upon them.

Right off the bat Ashenmere 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. It’s easy to see where their wealth comes from the more you look arround. Every aspect of the town has been developed with care and great thought. The people themselves act deliberately and with care in even the simplest of daily actions.

Civic Infrastructure

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

Ashenmere 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.

Ashenmere 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.

Ashenmere 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.

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

Ashenmere has a Parks and Recreation Department, which is responsible for the construction, management, and usage rights for all of its parks and parklands.

Ashenmere 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.

Cultural Notes

Ashenmere'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.

Ashenmere's chapel was built using a different architectural style from the rest of the town. The style used is inspired by the natural world, characterized by sinuous, sculptural, organic shapes, arches, curving lines, and sensual ornamentation. Common motifs included stylized versions of leaves, flowers, vines, insects, animals, and other natural elements. Decorative elements found on the inside and outside of buildings include intricate mosaic work, curved windows, and decorative trim work. .

Due to the actions of local Kami, summer is short in Ashenmere.

The Dryad, Half-Fiend near Ashenmere are known to be almost tame, such that they can be put to domestic use.

Ashenmere's citizens partake in a curious ritual relating to their local kami. It takes place in spring and involves bloodletting to channel Conjuration energies of tier 2 via divine sermons.

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.

Ashenmere Census Data: Year 2000

301 of Ashenmere's population work within a Foundational Occupation.

• 20 work in Agriculture
• 65 work as Craftsmen
• 21 work as Merchants
• 50 work as Service Workers
• 27 work as General Laborers
• 11 work as Skilled Laborers
• 48 work as Civil Servants
• 29 work in Cottage Industries
• 14 work as Artists
• 16 work in Produce Industries

689 of Ashenmere's population do not work in a formal occupation, but do contribute to the local economy. 30 (3%) are noncontributers.

Points of Interest

Ashenmere's roads were poorly made when first laid. Rather than repairing them correctly, a series of new roads was laid atop the old, leading to the streets of modern Ashenmere suffering from potholes, cracking, and even sinkholes. The locals often repair the road by putting down wooden decking.

POI

History

In time immemorial, reportedly some time during the early 2nd century a most peculiar disaster struck Ashenmere, causing great chunks of ice to fall from the sky. Ashenmere lost 227 people, 376 livestock, and 28 buildings in the disaster.. The ice rain is generally remembered as the Damnation Rain.

History