Heart of Gaea
Heart of Gaea, colloquially known as Hearttree, is the oldest town in the known world and has grown around the Tree of Creation which sprung from the seed gifted by the Goddess Gaea and created all life. The crown of this enormous oak tree, larger and more ancient than any other tree in the world, covers half of the town in its shadow and the trunk is wider than any building that stands beneath it. Circling the tree like annual rings is the streets and buildings of the city.
Government
Heart of Gaea is self-governing under the protection of the Republic of Ponhearia. As the oldest place in history, and supposedly the start of civilization, it has been under the control of many different regimes, but for the most point it has been allowed to be governed by the Children of Gaea.
Along with the city, the Children of Gaea also governs the entire area known as the Hearttree Protectorate.
Defences
The city has no walls or large defensive mechanisms. Instead it has historically relied on the protection from Gaea, and later on their small militia and town guard known as the Guards of Hearttree.
Infrastructure
The city is divided into the inner- and outer circle. Both circles are made up of houses build in various building styles and materials, but the outer circle is generally made up of grander and more pompous houses, is paved with decorative tiles, and has several open squares, decorated with fountains and statues of various benefactors, and lined with shops and eateries. The biggest of these squares is the New Town Square.
Comparitivley, the inner circle doesn't have any squares instead it has cosy compact courtyards in between the buildings, where there are small cafés, benches to sit at, and often beautiful gardens. The inner circle also has less statues and general decorations, but instead has flowerbeds and trees along the streets and houses. The streets are made up of simple cobblestones. What was formerly used as a town square (therefore having a new town square) was the area beneath the Heart Tree. Now the grass beneath the Heart Tree is used as festival grounds during holidays.
Comparitivley, the inner circle doesn't have any squares instead it has cosy compact courtyards in between the buildings, where there are small cafés, benches to sit at, and often beautiful gardens. The inner circle also has less statues and general decorations, but instead has flowerbeds and trees along the streets and houses. The streets are made up of simple cobblestones. What was formerly used as a town square (therefore having a new town square) was the area beneath the Heart Tree. Now the grass beneath the Heart Tree is used as festival grounds during holidays.
Districts
Besides the obvious division of the inner- and outer circle, the city also has several unofficial districts. These districts include:
- The Meat District. In the outskirts of the outer circle. This area is known for having a lot of butchers, and for being one of the shadier places in the city.
- The Produce District. At the edge of the inner circle, the produce district are made up of mostly old farm houses, as this was the outskirts of the city before "the 2nd coming" when the outer circle was created. Many of these houses has been turned into small farmshops, often owned by family or people who have close ties to the farmers outside the city bounds.
- The Roots. The boundaries of this area depending on whether you're "born and bred" in Hearttree. Those that have lived here their entire lives are ademant that the Roots are only the inner most circle and the tree, while others might claim that as long as you can see the roots from the house, it's part of the Roots. Either way, this area holds high prestige, and most properties here are never sold but enherited.
- Merchants Street. Once a single street near the New Town Square, has now expanded into a larger complex behind the square where rich merchants and their families live.
- Pilgrim's Spot. This refers to several areas through out the city, both in the inner- and outer circle. These areas mainly consists of houses only used for the holidays and vacation stays. These are the most common types of houses in the city, as most residents aren't full time residents. However, those that live in Hearttree for most of the year has clustered together, and so there are "silent" areas of the city, these are known as Pilgrim Spots or a Pilgrim's Spot.
Maps
-
Heart of Gaea
Founding Date
0
Alternative Name(s)
Hearttree
Type
City
Population
7298
Inhabitant Demonym
Children (The city used to only include acolytes of Gaea, known as the Children of Gaea, therefore the citizens were called "Children")
Included Locations
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Comments