Hartdale

Hartdale (/hartdale/ [Translation Unavailable]) is a subtropical Large Town located in Nigfokshi County, Wowoufada Kingdom, within the Sylvanian Empire.

The name Hartdale is derived from the Sylvin language, as Hartdale was founded by Fyênm Shaw, who was culturaly Sylvin.

Climate

Hartdale has a yearly average temperature of 18°C (64°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 10°C (50°F). Hartdale receives an average of 88 cm/y (34 in/y) of precipitation, most of which comes in the form of rain during the spring. Hartdale covers an area of nearly 6 km² (2 mi²), and an average elevation of 4378 m (14363 ft) above sea level.

Overview

Hartdale was founded durring the early 10th century, by Fyênm Shaw. The establishment of Hartdale suffered from many setbacks, delays, and obsticles, most notably a group of Hartdale which required millitary assistance exterminate before the community could finish being built.

Hartdale was built using the conventions of Sylvin durring the early 10th century. Naturaly, all settlmentss have their own look to them, and Hartdale 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.

Hartdale is is constructed arround a semi-circular crampt canals mainstreet, with smaller strait roads linking the circiles to eachother at varrious points. 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. The peasent-grade has suffered a visible ammount of structural damage, leaving them effectivly useless. One can't help but wonder why the has not yet effected repairs.

Right off the bat Hartdale 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. Hartdale 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

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

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

Hartdale 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.

Hartdale 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.

Hartdale 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.

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

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

Hartdale 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 Hartdale's natural decorations nor waterways.

Hartdale 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.

Hartdale 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

Hartdale's mayor's house was built using a different architectural style from the rest of the town. The style used is characterized by dynamic designs and complex architectural plan forms; intended to heighten feelings of motion and sensuality, and frequently based on the oval. It made extensive and extreme use of: Grandeur, Contrast, Curves and twists, Rich surface treatments, Gilded statuary, Bright colors, Vividly painted ceilings, Fragmented or deliberately incomplete elements, Large-scale frescoes, Dramatic central projections on an external facade, the use of plaster, stucco, or marble finishing, Illusory effects such as trompe l’oeil, and pear-shaped domes. While beloved by the nobility, the common folk tended to despise the style due to the massive consumption of resources required for even a small building constructed in this style.

In Hartdale the utterance of expletives is impossible within city limits. This has changed as the limits have changed, but has not kept up with slang, or swearing in foreign languages.

The Bonewrought Willow near Hartdale are known to be almost tame, such that they can be put to domestic use.

Hartdale's citizens partake in a curious ritual relating to their local kami. It takes place in winter and involves performance art to channel Augury energies of tier 3 via oratory performances.

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.

Hartdale Census Data: Year 2000

485 of Hartdale's population work within a Foundational Occupation.

• 30 work in Agriculture
• 103 work as Craftsmen
• 43 work as Merchants
• 78 work as Service Workers
• 48 work as General Laborers
• 18 work as Skilled Laborers
• 73 work as Civil Servants
• 44 work in Cottage Industries
• 22 work as Artists
• 26 work in Produce Industries

908 of Hartdale's population do not work in a formal occupation, but do contribute to the local economy. 121 (8%) are noncontributers.

Points of Interest

Hartdale is a major trade hub, connecting several important cities or resource production areas. It’s probably at an important river juncture, ancient crossroads, or occupying the only safe path through some perilous wilderness. Its position may be important enough that it can survive on trade alone, despite being unable to feed itself with the surrounding land. Such hubs are usually heavily garrisoned by the lord who profits from their tariffs and taxes.

Hartdale is known for its odd use of round-a-bouts, small ring roads used in place of intersections.

POI

History

In time immemorial, reportedly some time during the late 2nd century a local hero by the name of killed a tyrannical who had controlled Hartdale for years. The recitation of the hero's story remains a popular tavern and fair tale.

History