Cebada (seh-bah-duh)

The small town of Cebada lies on the western coast of Oestbernia and has strong fishing and agricultural industries. The town mainly serves as a stopover point for ships, caravans, and other travelers heading to the southern parts of the nation. It is about three days land travel or a day and half by sea from the capital, and three days by land or four days by sea to the next southern towns. It is also the closest point in Oestbernia to Ikitur, so many ships use Cebada as a launching point to get to that island. This reliance on travel and trade creates several interesting dynamics in the town: quiet locals with a somewhat rowdy inn and tavern scene; relative modesty in locals' lifestyles but more lavish things available for travelers willing to pay; robust town guard to watch for smuggling and robbery on the caravan and ship routes.
Originally founded by farmers and merchants wanting a safe stopping point coming south out of Castillon, Cebada has always been a transitory town with the locals mainly focusing on hospitality and support for the merchants and travelers. Over time, the town reorganized itself to run the main trade road right past the port, putting the majority of the town's taverns and inns in that area as well, to help segregate the raucous temporary residents from the permanent citizens. This works to an extent, but many working class Cebadans prefer the affordability of the "Portside" taverns, despite their penchant for violence and over-drunkenness.
Outside this rowdy port and trade area, the town is quiet and tends closely toward the stereotypical farming village. Most of the population does not live in the town proper but rather on small farms or tracts of land surrounding the town. They have been raised to be mistrustful of outsiders, though once someone endears themselves to the townsfolk they are treated like family. Reflective of what one might see in other parts of Oestbernia, there are a variety of peoples and cultures here, so their identification of outsiders is based more on fashion or attitude than race.

Demographics

Cebada is roughly 60% human, with halflings, dwarves, gnomes, and huundari making up most of the rest of the population. Most work in various support industries such as dockwork, warehousing, hospitality, etc. and thus live relatively modest livelihoods. The town has only a few noble families, who live on estates outside the town proper and derive their wealth from selling high-quality wine, liquor, or meat to the town's visitors.

Government

The citizens of Cebada elect their mayor every five years, at the same time they elect their representatives for the National Council. The mayor usually appoints a handful of advisors to assist with their administration, but it is not explicitly required for them to do so. Citizens are encouraged to bring their concerns and proposals directly to the mayor, who will listen and consult any advisors he feels necessary before weighing in and making a decision. This applies to crimes as well, as the mayor serves as the chief judiciary officer as well. Oestbernia has an observer that reports on the mayor's judicial rulings to help ensure they are not biased or overly cruel. If this becomes the case, the nation can send an appointed judge to oversee cases instead of the mayor.

Defences

The town of Cebada is surrounded by a wooden wall with three gates: one in the north where the trade road from Castillon enters, one in the south where the trade roads exits the town for pastures further south, and a smaller one to the east for the farmers and townsfolk to access without having to pass through the heavy traffic of the trade road. Several watchtowers dot this perimeter wall, keeping watch over the surrounding lands for any sign of attack - which usually comes from goblins, gnolls, giants, and other creatures from the hilly plains.

Infrastructure

The main trade road through Cebada is paved and well maintained, though very few others in the town are. Most roads are two cart-widths wide, allowing traffic to pass both ways easily, though they are made of dirt and can become difficult to navigate in heavy rains or snows. The town gets its water supply from wells dug into underground aquifers and lakes, since there is no river or other freshwater source nearby. The town also has a decent port facility, though it cannot be described as sophisticated at all. There are plenty of docks of varying sizes open for ships traveling up and down the coast, and a decent force of dockworkers to help load and unload whatever goods the ships need to offload or take on.

Architecture

Almost no other aspect of Cebada demonstrates the disconnect between locals and travelers than the architecture. Most Cebadan houses are modest one- or two-story homes in simple cottage style, some with thatch roofs and others with basic wooden shingles. Even the town hall and temples are relatively modest and simple in style. In contrast, some of the inns that cater to the travelers are either massive in size or decadent in ornamentation. The priciest inn in town is a Baroque monstrosity with brass fittings and several different colors of marble on its facade. Others are wooden, Tudor style three- and four-story buildings that could be classed as palaces or manors in other parts of the world based on their size.

Founding Date

476 2A

Type

Town

Population

4,684

Inhabitant Demonym

Cebadans

Owning Organization

Oestbernia