Geva's Clearing (gay-vuh)
Geva's Clearing is a small forest village in Skerritt, located north-northwest of the capital city of Southby. It was founded by a small group of dwarves in the initial stages of the Dwarven Civil War; as the dwarven refugees came into Skerritt, they needed places to live and work to keep them busy and paid. When the existing cities were not able to provide this, groups of dwarves and/or humans left the cities to settle other areas of the forests.
One such group was led by an intrepid dwarven scout named Geva. Not much about Geva's personal life has been passed through history, but her leadership brought her group of settlers to a small clearing in the woods near the primitive road between Southby and Guywoode. They began to enlarge this clearing, felling trees by the dozen each day, all while defending themselves against the forest's predators. Eventually, they were able to use the felled timber to build houses and perimeter palisade around the settlement, with plenty of room for growth. Geva's leadership in this initial settlement of the area -- coupled with her fearless defense against wolves, owlbears, and other creatures -- was recognized by her fellow settlers, as they decided to name the village after her. The village still remains small, though it has grown in the four centuries since its founding. The palisades have been expanded only once in that time, as the city reached the existing initial perimeter around 50 years ago. There are still frequent attacks by various forest predators (and occasional forays by the See's Inquisitors that sneak past the border forts), so the village's guards have to always be vigilant and highly skilled to protect the populace.
One such group was led by an intrepid dwarven scout named Geva. Not much about Geva's personal life has been passed through history, but her leadership brought her group of settlers to a small clearing in the woods near the primitive road between Southby and Guywoode. They began to enlarge this clearing, felling trees by the dozen each day, all while defending themselves against the forest's predators. Eventually, they were able to use the felled timber to build houses and perimeter palisade around the settlement, with plenty of room for growth. Geva's leadership in this initial settlement of the area -- coupled with her fearless defense against wolves, owlbears, and other creatures -- was recognized by her fellow settlers, as they decided to name the village after her. The village still remains small, though it has grown in the four centuries since its founding. The palisades have been expanded only once in that time, as the city reached the existing initial perimeter around 50 years ago. There are still frequent attacks by various forest predators (and occasional forays by the See's Inquisitors that sneak past the border forts), so the village's guards have to always be vigilant and highly skilled to protect the populace.
Demographics
Geva's Clearing is a pretty diverse settlement, with no clear predominant race, though dwarves and humans make up the plurality of the population as they do in most of Skerritt. Foresters, hunters, trappers, and other woodsmen from a variety of backgrounds have made this small village their home over the centuries. Most people in the village would be classified as poor or modest, though there is abundance of game and vegetation, so finding cheap food is never hard for anyone. The village prides itself on having no noble families or people who look down their nose at others; Geva's Clearing highly values hard work and communal cooperation.
Government
Geva's Clearing is run by a small three-person council that is elected every year at first snowfall. The council members change often, as many prefer the working life of trapping, logging, or foresting to governing. This council decides the taxes and income structures for the city each year, which can change depending on the council members. The most common type of tax is a "stopover tax" applied to merchants traveling through the village, accompanied by a small tax on the village's inns. As Geva's Clearing is situated along the only road connecting Southby to most of the rest of the kingdom, most merchants know they must stop here for rest in the otherwise dangerous forest. This tax is usually fairly small and is used to pay for the salaries and equipment maintenance of the city's Watch.
Defences
The large timber palisade is the main defense of the village of Geva's Clearing. This palisade features several watchtowers along its interior which are manned by the city's Watch. These well-trained soldiers fight off all manner of predators that try to attack the populace: wolves, panthers, owlbears, trolls, etc. A few of the Watch have gunpowder muskets to aid in their task, but gunpowder itself is difficult to come by, so most prefer the traditional bows or crossbows.
Infrastructure
The main road connecting Southby and Guywoode is paved in the city, allowing carts the travel easier for a short time on their journey. Most inns are located along this main road, as are most smiths, farriers, and cartwrights. The rest of the village boasts gravel or dirt roads, which can become difficult to traverse in rain or snow. The people of the village are mostly lifelong forest dwellers, however, so they abide this small inconvenience. Fresh water is available through several wells dug throughout the city, as well as a few small cisterns that collect rainfall.
Founding Date
1016 2A
Type
Village
Population
842
Inhabitant Demonym
Gevans
Owning Organization
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