Folkestead

Folkestead (/folkestead / [Translation Unavailable]) is a subtropical Small Town located in Senjiqtmevimusu Parish, Emada County, within the Kingdom of Helsteria.

The name Folkestead is derived from the Sylvin language, as Folkestead was founded by Trênheg̈ Stockton, who was culturaly Sylvin.

Climate

Folkestead has a yearly average temperature of 21°C (69°F), with its average temperature during the summer being a warm 26°C (78°F) and its average temperature during the winter being a cool 17°C (62°F). Folkestead receives an average of 139 cm/y (54 in/y) of precipitation, most of which comes in the form of rain during the spring. Folkestead covers an area of nearly 4 km² (1 mi²), and an average elevation of 8288 m (-15758 ft) above sea level.

Overview

Folkestead was founded durring the early 10th century, by Trênheg̈ Stockton. The establishment of the new community went well, with no major obsticles durring construction.

Folkestead was built using the conventions of Sylvin durring the early 10th century. Naturaly, all settlmentss have their own look to them, and Folkestead is no diffrent. The town's buildings feature masoned stone construction which prominantly features pointed arches, pointed ribbed vault cielings, flying buttress', and window tracery all of which share a simmilar gemoetetic patern halfway between organic and inorganic in design formaing a very distinct aesthetically integrated style. BUildings tend to reach for the havens, and more expencive homes are easily identified by their floor count as well as the addition of decorative features intigrated into the building's design such as statues, gargoyals, and embelished joinery.

Folkestead is buildings are arranged arround a network of restrictive 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 posesses a fortified albit thin wall of querried stone. This wall posesses most of the features of a castle wall, though it is constructed from cheeper inferior stone. It would pose a minor chalange for an attacking army, though it's clear the wall's true purpose is to crush the hopes of bandits and marauders. The town's failry decent fortifications are visibly old, but also obviously maintained semi-regularly. Its likly the local malishia or garrison are tasked with ocasional mantance of the towns defences.

Folkestead has the unmistakable air of a town 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. Folkestead ’s existence was once fed by scholarly pursuits. But the income once drawn in by the works of scribes and academics has dried up and the town is drifting down the stream of history as it dries up. Everywhere about the town one can see abandoned schools, libraries, and other academic structures. Locals can be overheard having academic discussions, as well as talking about scholarly subjects in general. It’s quite clear the town places a lot of value on education and being a learned individual. Even in these times.

Civic Infrastructure

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

Folkestead 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.

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

Folkestead 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.

Folkestead 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.

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

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

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

Folkestead 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

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.

Folkestead 's chapel was built using a different architectural style from the rest of the town. The style used is best known for its striking sculptural forms and often dazzling ornamental detail that characterizes the buildings general shape. The radiant colors, rich patterns, and symmetrical silhouettes employed by this style were backed up by rich decorative features including gardens, courtyards, extruded arches, domes, pointed domes, vaulted ceilings, elaborate painted and inlaid designs, and decorative sculptures.

In Folkestead sometimes, near one of the seasonal solstices, the sun appears to split into three and it rains from a clear sky for several hours.

The Lich Newt near Folkestead are known to be a mutant strain of the creature.

Folkestead 's citizens partake in a curious ritual relating to their local kami. It takes place in winter and involves gestures to channel Charm energies of tier 3 via recitation of poetic epics.

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.

Folkestead Census Data: Year 2000

281 of Folkestead 's population work within a Foundational Occupation.

• 19 work in Agriculture
• 62 work as Craftsmen
• 21 work as Merchants
• 45 work as Service Workers
• 25 work as General Laborers
• 9 work as Skilled Laborers
• 44 work as Civil Servants
• 28 work in Cottage Industries
• 12 work as Artists
• 16 work in Produce Industries

655 of Folkestead 's population do not work in a formal occupation, but do contribute to the local economy. 38 (4%) are noncontributers.

Points of Interest

Folkestead makes use of canals for some of its streets. Locals often fish in the canals.

POI

History

In time immemorial, reportedly some time during the late 2nd century, Folkestead was attacked by a group of notorious bandits. The details of the conflict are hazy at best due to many conflicting accounts. What is known is Folkestead lost 168 people, 113 livestock, and 23 buildings. The conflict ended after roughly 188, when members of Folkestead 's militia enacted an operation to transport a specific war supplies to a particular vault unharmed. The operation was complicated by the army's activities draw the wrath of formerly neutral parties. The conflict ended with an assault and siege on the vault, which ended in defeat for Folkestead 's forces. The war is remembered in legend by Folkestead 's bards, historians, and legend keepers.

History