Plainsview
Plainsview is a small town located in the central eastern plains of Dalkaria. It is a founding member of the Serene Republic and has been around since the early Second Age. Despite this longevity, the town remains very small due to limited resources - namely, fresh water. The druids and other agronomists are able to grow enough produce to support the town at current size, but more people would threaten this supply. As a result, the town experiences constant emigration, as some who do not have stable food sources leave to find other homes where they are better off.
Plainsview gets its fair share of visitors via the trade road that runs through the town, linking the western part of the kingdom with the Abundant Forest in the west. The merchants that travel this route spend a bit of money in Plainsview, which goes to help the citizens live somewhat comfortable lives. As is the culture and tradition of the Serene Republic, the Plainsviewers are friendly to travelers and are not suspicious of any outsiders. They are quick to help their neighbors when they can, and there is a general sense of community that supersedes racial or economic disparities.
Demographics
The demographics of Plainsview are always changing, due to the constant emigration of its population. The original settlers were mainly firbolgs, goliaths, and humans - which still make up the vast majority of citizens today. The firbolgs have an important role in the town as some of the chief agronomists charged with making crops grow despite a limited water supply, though they are not the only demographic in this industry.
Farming is by far the largest industry in Plainsview, though it is purely for the town's consumption and not for export. Hospitality for travelers is the next largest economic sector. As a result of reliance on these two industries, Plainsviewers are comparatively poorer than other parts of the world. The town's spirit of community - much like what one sees across Dalkaria - makes sure everyone is fed and warm.
Government
The town of Plainsview is run by an elected mayor, assisted by two vice-mayors. One of these vice-mayors comes from the agriculture industry, and the other represents the hospitality and trade sector. The mayor presides over the council discussions, where the two vice-mayors discuss policies and laws. The mayor only votes on new policies after a discussion has happened and the two vice-mayors were not able to compromise; in these cases, the mayor must either choose one side or create a new middle ground between the two positions.
Because the mayor's main role in the town government is somewhat ceremonial, they also serve as the town's judge for all things criminal and civil. This is typically the portion of the job that mayors use to petition the public for reelection, which occurs every four years.
Defences
Though it is somewhat of a relic from the more dangerous past, Plainsview does have a perimeter wall surrounding its area. The wall leaves plenty of space for several farms, and only about 30 official citizens live outside the wall. The perimeter wall has exactly four watch towers: one at each of the eastern and western gates, as well as one on the northern side and one on the southern wall. Each tower is manned by no more than two people at a time normally, and each is equipped with a bell loud enough to be heard throughout the town in case of attack.
Infrastructure
Plainsview has many paved or cobbled roads in the town proper, though only the main trade road is paid for by the town. Citizens have pooled money or resources to have someone pave their residential streets, or they have done it themselves. Similarly, there are a handful of public wells in the town, but many people have dug individual or neighborhood wells in less-served areas.
History
Like many of the eastern towns of the Serene Republic, Plainsview was founded in the early years of the Second Age. Nomads from the northern tundra were looking to new places to settle, and they met up with refugees magically displaced during The Smiting. These nomadic groups traveled all across the southern portion of Dalkaria, fighting giants and other dangerous beasts along the way, looking for suitable places to found new towns.
One such nomadic group settled in the middle of the plains, halfway between the established towns of Alard's Rest and Gullthorpe. This location provided a safe respite - at least, once the town was able to build walls and form effective military defenses - to merchants and travelers seeking to cross the dangerous lands. Despite its small size, Plainsview has been able to successfully repel numerous attacks by giants and other dangerous creatures without sustaining much collateral damage.
When the leaders of Alard's Rest began seeking mutual aid to help defend against the giants and other beasts, Plainsview was the first to answer the call. Being the closest neighbor the capital-to-be, the two towns had friendly ties and had joined forces several times to defeat serious threats. Plainsview also helped convince the leaders of Gullthorpe to join the alliance, which was important because of the latter's population and relative wealth.
Plainsview supplied many members of the settlement parties that headed west in the early days of the Serene Republic, as even then the town was bordering on overpopulation. People were more than happy to leave Plainsview to find better options and locations elsewhere - even if it meant they had to fight and possibly die to set up new towns. In many people's eyes, settling the western area was a duty and sacrifice to help the greater good.
Since that time, Plainsview has been a relatively quiet town. There have been few scandals or threats that require attention from elsewhere in the nation, and of the people who know of the town, most know it only as a quaint stopover town for travelers. It has not produced any notable figures or found any novel resources to trade, and overall it is basically an anonymous dot on the map - except for the merchants and travelers who frequently pass through the sleepy town.
Architecture
Much of architecture here is modest and practical. Many houses are a sort of farmhouse style, made of wood or clay bricks. Some are actually dug into small hills or have at least one underground story with a small ground-level entry area. The town hall, which also functions as the main court and mayor's residence, is a fairly large Elizabethan brick and stone building with plenty of windows for natural light.
Founding Date
12 2A
Type
Town
Population
1,047
Inhabitant Demonym
Plainsviewers
Location under
Owning Organization
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