Brillam
Demographics
Brillam is predominantly populated by sapiens who take up about eighty percent of the population, most of them being the fair-skinned type that are common in this region of Rudion. (TODO: Fill with other species as lore is created)
A fair number of sentient animals, mostly goats in Velemoth's tribe, also reside in or around the village. Some of such goats are employed by the townsfolk for various works, mostly in farms but some working as scouts and mounts in Lord Lowras' hall.
Government
Brillam is currently ruled by Lord Lowras Karlan, the sapien lord who holds ownership over all eight settlements along Holdo Pass.
Defences
As a small village deep in the mountains, Brillam is largely protected by the small size of its wealth and the difficulty of traveling to it.
Mountain wolves and bandits still find Brillam a worthy target to raid sometimes, and Brillam maintains a small platoon of warriors and militia to fend off occasional attacks. Such attacks have not been significant enough for the authorities and villagers of Brillam to feel the need for walls so far. Larger crises are not unheard of in Brillam however, and Brillam maintains close ties (both monetary and emotional) with the famed mercenary group the Lion Monarchs which keeps a garrison by Brillam. In addition, although Brillam is not under the jurisdiction of the town of Alensus the two settlements have strong bonds, and Alensus is more than willing to offer military aid in the unlikely event of serious crisis in Brillam.
Last but definitely not least, Brillam lies within the forest that belongs to Velemoth the great goat who is fairly fond of the humans of Brillam and considers them as denizens of his territory. A god who maintains peace in his lands, Velemoth and the goats and rams under his pack are more than capable of defending Brillam against larger threats such as invasive titans.
Industry & Trade
As a remote village built beside a mountain pass to the neighboring nation, Brillam depends very heavily on the flux of travelers. The mountainous terrain and frigid air makes Brillam a very difficult place to reach and stay, naturally making inns the most prominent contributors to its economy. A large proportion of the villagers are involved in running inns or making trade with travelers, in one way or another.
Brillam does not produce any particular specialty, and mostly sells food and general goods to travelers.
The Holdo Pass is shorter than that along Alensus, but is much rougher and goes through the higher and colder peaks of the mountain. Large caravans with carriages cannot hope to pass through this pass, and even travelers who can traverse tha pass normally choose the longer but safer and more comfortable path along Alensus. As a result, visitors to Brillam are limited to those such as settlers from the hamlets even deeper in the mountain, merchants on foot or horseback, messengers for whom speed is a greater priority than comfort or safety, and caravans who turn back after business in Brillam, not intending to proceed deeper into the mountain. This also restricts the amount of value flowing into and through Brillam compared to Alensus that enjoys the traffic of much wealthier merchants and nobles.
Naturally, making Brillam more accessible is a matter of great interest to the people of Brillam. However, efforts to improve the traversability of the Holdo Pass have been stopped due to the sheer difficulty of working so deep in the mountain and also out of fear of accidentally destroying the pass, which would not only kill the flux of merchants through Brillam but also rid Micleta of one of its important routes to Zaartum. To compensate, the innkeepers and merchants of Brillam are trying their best to build a reputation for Brillam as a lovely place to rest, and of course to live up to such reputation.
Guilds and Factions
The internal economy of Brillam is not large enough for a proper guild to establish itself. The owners of inns in Brillam maintain a close relationship and often work together to make Brillam a better place for tired travelers to rest.
History
Brillam was originally a small resting spot by the Holdo Pass that grew to become a permanent settlement with permission from Velemoth the local god of the forest two hundred years ago.
Architecture
A village in a densely forested mountain region, Brillam uses more lumber and stones to build its houses than other villages of its size generally do. Some buildings such as barns and warehouses are built with more traditional wattle and daub over wooden frames, as are some poorer families' houses.
In accordance with the humble and frugal nature of the people of house Karlan, the main hall is only as large as practically necessary and not particularly more luxurious than other buildings of the village.
Some inns choose to apply thick dye on its wooden walls and drape colorful cloths around the building to stand out from other inns, in hopes of catching the eyes of more travelers.
Geography
Brillam is located in Mt. Holdo, a mountain along the northwestern border of Micleta separating Micleta from its neighboring country Zaartum. Brillam sits next to a small river, a stream that branches from a larger river flowing to the city of Alensus.
The name Brillam, a Micletan word for starlight, was selected for the night sky that is particularly beautiful when viewed from Brillam. A great number of travelers find themselves unable to resist stargazing for a long time despite their fatigue from their travels, often till dawnrise, and stargazing is a common hobby among the villagers as well.
Natural Resources
Brillam is self-sufficient in terms of resources to support itself, such as water, food of various types, wood, stone, metal and leather.
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