Redwood

Demographics

Humans 42%, Shifters 28%, Half elves 14%, Half orcs 12%, Orcs 5%, Awakened animals 1%

Government

Like many Reacher settlements, Redwood has no Mayor or Lord but instead decisions are made by a peoples forum in which any can attend and speak. Decisions are made by majority vote from all who attend, with the most significant decisions needing a two to one in favour to pass. In times of calamity or war, authority is ceded to the Druid circle of the Riverwood who also act as political and spiritual advisors to the town in times of peace as Reacher’s answer to no Lord, but pay mind to the advice of a Druid.

Defences

The Reaches have no standing army and instead each town keeps and trains its own militia with Redwood being no different. Until danger threatens the members of the “Redguard” continue their lives as ordinary citizens with little indicator of rank or training. In fact, local stories of Aundairian thugs looking to mug an unsuspecting townsperson, only to find out they’ve jumped a militia Captain with over ten years of training are very popular in the taverns of Redwood. 
The physical defences of the town are also impressive for its size. New arrivals are greeted by Sephyr’s Grace as they arrive, the twenty foot tall wall of seamless, unworked granite that circles the entire town. This monolithic defence was created soon after the towns rebuilding by its namesake, a powerful Druid and Keeper of the Riverwood Circle who was said to have raised it within a single night to protect the town from raids. The four cardinal gates are kept open for all who pass these days, but locals take comfort in the knowledge that Sephyr’s protection is just as strong as it always was.
The final notable defence of the town is the tall watch tower on the northern slopes of the town. Known as Farsight, it is built in an ancient oak still pitted with the cannon balls it took during the Last War. As part of the Firefly network, the watchtower system built on the Reaches eastern border to alert all settlements of attack, it can see all the other towers of the Riverwood and is on the direct fire path to Greenheart itself.

Infrastructure

The Arena Perhaps it is being so close to the Aundair border, but the celebration of martial and physical prowess has taken root more firmly in Redwood than most towns in the Reaches. To this end the Arena in the eastern side of the town is both the training ground and gymnasium for the towns militia, and the entertainment hub for the town with frequent competitions and tournaments that any can enter and all turn out to watch.
The River Dragon Some say, and certainly they like to think, that House Ghallanda had a large hand in Redwood’s rebirth following the secession of the Eldeen Reaches. It is certainly true that Redwood was one of the first Eldeen locals the House invested in following the split, and while only a simple tavern bearing the House mark at the time, the River Dragon has grown in size and renown over the years. Nowadays it is one of the best places to stay in the Reaches, if not Noth-Western Khorvaire (must to the chagrin of nearby Aundairian cities), boasting over two hundred rooms, a ballroom, music hall, celebrated kitchen and a hot springs that find their way onto many a high rated guide book.

History

Like its namesake, Redwood began its life in flames, being built on the ruins of Fleuville. Following the secession of the Eldeen Reaches from Aundair in 949YK and the failed diplomatic attempts for reunification that followed, the Aundarian Court decreed that where words had failed, force would have to be used. And so in the summer of 950YK, right before the harvest was to begin, the Seventh Staves,a small portion of the Aundairian army, was spared from the warfront and sent to “spank the unruly children of the Reaches”.
Despite being such a small portion of Aundair’s full military, the Seventh Staves were still able to march across a large amount of the newly born Reaches, following orders to raise the towns they took as the Court had neither the funds nor arms to reoccupy the “wayward states” instead aiming to break the rebellious spirit and refocus on the Thrane border. The town of Fleuville was one of the many “Ashfalls” reduced to cinders before the united forces of the Reaches, the Wardens of the Wood and the Towering Wood itself defeated the Seventh Staves at Havenglen.
With the Aundarian retreat, and the Court’s inability to spare more forces from the main fight, many torched settlements were resettled and rebuilt over the following years, the Aundairan names of these “Pyrophytic” towns replaced by the new Reachers. Thus Redwood was founded and has grown over the near fifty years since into a large and thriving town. Known for not only it’s large potato crop and vodka distilleries therefrom, but the renewable lumbering of the Riverwood that was able to begin with druidic assistance, Redwood is also famous for being the first of the Pyrophytic towns to have surpassed the Ashfall it grew from in both population and economy.

Founding Date

951 YK

Alternative Name(s)

Sequoia

Type

Large town

Population

8000 people

Inhabitant Demonym

Sequoian