Bardsrest

Bardsrest (/bardsrest/ [Translation Unavailable]) is a temperate Town located in Neyunula County, Ubvia County, within the Kingdom of Helsteria.

The name Bardsrest is derived from the Sylvin language, as Bardsrest was founded by Èqte Foote, who was culturaly Sylvin.

Climate

Bardsrest 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 23°C (73°F). Bardsrest receives an average of 138 cm/y (54 in/y) of precipitation, most of which comes in the form of rain during the spring. Bardsrest covers an area of nearly 5 km² (2 mi²), and an average elevation of 6118 m (20072 ft) above sea level.

Overview

Bardsrest was founded durring the late 12th century in fall of the year 1057, by Èqte Foote. The establishment of Bardsrest suffered from many setbacks, delays, and obsticles, most notably a group of Bardsrest which required millitary assistance exterminate before the community could finish being built.

Bardsrest was built using the conventions of Sylvin durring the late 12th century. Naturaly, all settlmentss have their own look to them, and Bardsrest 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.

Bardsrest is buildings are arranged arround a network of spacious paverstone 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 sits behind an impressive looking clay brick wall. The wall is notable for querried stone blocks being used to renforce the clay bricks in the expected manner and locations. While the wall was built to the exact specifications of modern fortifications, one has to wonder why the money invested into creating such a well fortified wall wasnt spent on a less impressive looking wall crated from sturdier materials. Bardsrest's walls would endure a brief bombardment, but only from light siege weapons. It seems more likly the town's walls were not designed with defence in mind but rather lending the town a certain air with visitors. Bardsrest's boondoggle-of-a-fortified wall are suffering from significent damage, so much so that examples can be pointed to no matter which section one might have within their line of site, and most of which render sections inoperable at present.

Bardsrest seems to be abandoned at first. There are people present, working their trades and going about their business like any community, it’s just they are absurdly quiet. Just as you start to think there might be trouble, you see most of them are reading. The entire town feels like a library, with those not reading remaining quite to not disturb those who have their nose in a book. The longer you remain in Bardsrest the more you start to wonder if you’ve entered some strange open-concept University rather than a town, but you can’t quite say such with certainty.

Civic Infrastructure

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

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

Bardsrest 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.

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

Bardsrest 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.

Bardsrest 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.

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

Bardsrest 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. Bardsrest's grid is powered by a god's will and kindness.

Bardsrest 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 Bardsrest's natural decorations nor waterways.

Bardsrest 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.

Bardsrest 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.

Bardsrest 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

A substantial minority of the locals are descended from foreigners alien to their local neighbors. They may have been religious exiles, economic migrants, indigenous locals surrounded by the existing polity, or a foreign settlement conquered within the relatively recent past. The locals may not be enthusiastic about being ruled by others not of their kind, and their neighbors may look askance at the way foreign customs or even laws may be maintained.

Bardsrest's chapel was built using a different architectural style from the rest of the town. The style used is characterized by their massive, monolithic and 'blocky' appearance with a rigid geometric style. It was best known for its rough, unfinished surfaces, unusual shapes, heavy-looking materials, straight lines, and small windows. Modular elements were often used to form masses representing specific functional zones, grouped into a unified whole.

Due to the actions of local Kami, spring is skipped in Bardsrest.

The Snake, Venomous near Bardsrest are known to be a mutant strain of the creature.

Bardsrest's citizens partake in a curious ritual relating to their local kami. It takes place in summer and involves consuming a local toxin to channel Wild Magic energies of tier 3 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.

Bardsrest Census Data: Year 2000

432 of Bardsrest's population work within a Foundational Occupation.

• 26 work in Agriculture
• 92 work as Craftsmen
• 33 work as Merchants
• 74 work as Service Workers
• 46 work as General Laborers
• 16 work as Skilled Laborers
• 60 work as Civil Servants
• 41 work in Cottage Industries
• 21 work as Artists
• 23 work in Produce Industries

858 of Bardsrest's population do not work in a formal occupation, but do contribute to the local economy. 97 (7%) are noncontributers.

Points of Interest

The center of Bardsrest's town square was built around an ancient standing stone.

POI

History

In time immemorial, reportedly some time during the early 2nd century an up-welling of water from beneath the earth caused Brook Choral to surge and overflow its banks. The resulting flood was isolated to the area around Bardsrest, which was swallowed by the waters for several days. Bardsrest lost 191 people, 230 livestock, and 32 buildings in the disaster. The disaster is remembered as the Terror Drownings.

History