Spoital

Spoital is the fifth largest settlement in Arburg. It has always been a very peaceful town that has never caused much ruckus in the past, not like Atra, for example. The only time when its people get aggressive is when someone is caught trying to fish or drink from their river. They are very defensive over it. It is on the coast but doesn't act as a port. The only boats that go to and from Spoital are their own fishermen's boats. The town is a linear settlement built around a short river that they named after themselves, Spoital River . It was built and centered around the river channel and mouth into the Great Sea.

People that don't live in Spoital like to joke and call Spoitalians amphibious, hence the town also being known as the "Fish Town". There is also a legend that the first inhabitants were half-fish, half-human. This speculation is understandable, though, because Spoitalians live most of their lives in the water.

Overall, Spoital is a thriving community. Few people per year emigrate from it, but the few that do, go either to Asmye or Dolgate to ontinue working by the coast, just a little less wet, or they go to Eflaria, which is very dry in comparison.

Pronunciation

SPOY-tull

Industry & Trade

They do a lot more exporting than importing, as they have become almost fully self-sufficient when it comes to resources and supplies. The main imports are wool and oil, and they export fish, other sea food, salt and rice. They grow rice in the marshy land, and get the salt from their houses (see Architecture below).

Architecture

They don't use the traditional building materials (stone and wood) to build their dwellings. They have developped a seaweed industry in which they weave long strips of seaweed tightly together and dry them in the sun for days on end, the drying period depending on the type of seawood. The salt in the seaweed causes it to harden, and it becomes like a wooden plank. The majority of the houses are build on land that is prone to flooding, so they are designed in such a way that the water can just run through the house without damaging its structure. The bases of all the houses are all caked with chrystallised salt, which they scrape off and purify for trade.

The town is usually navigated by little boats that they build themselves, as the "streets" are flooded for the majority of the year. The water is very warm, but not to be mistaken as unclean.

Alternative Name(s)

Fish Town

Type

Large town

Inhabitant Demonym

Spoitalians

Included Locations