Karatek Village
In the depths of the forest, lies the ancient (initially elven) village, Karatek. The houses here are integrated into the forest's trees, many houses in the trunk of larger trees, or nested in their branches (with the exception of the stone forge and bakery). The largest tree, which is central to the village, hosts the vast Karatek Library, which boasts the largest collection of literature in any building in Kryalon (just outdoing the renovated Excabridge Temple).
Demographics
The initial population was teeming with wood elves due to their initial construction of the treehouses. At present, elves are still make the majority of inhabitants, but they live with various other races. Many professionals or academics make up the population, to benefit from the collection in Karatek Library. There are also many who are intrigued by the natural world, who call the surrounding forests their home, camping in Karatek's wilderness. They consider Karatek their home village as most were raised there or frequently visit for supplies.
Government
Governed by the village's elders (who are elves, simply because they live the longest) and their council (which has some non-elven members). They meet in another large building, the village hall, and discuss any issues the town faces.
Defences
Mainly defended due to the houses being above ground and their ladders being withdrawn, the inhabitants are safe. The buildings with ground level entrances have locked and strengthened doors, these may be magically locked or imbued such that they cannot be entered. However, the council did employ guards ever since the goblin attack of the Library (see history).
Industry & Trade
The guild (Karatek Craftsmen) provide a significant source of income for the village, the guild being part of the council provides income to the village. Trade with other villages is significant, Karatek has some of the best hunter-gatherers and their prime location means they have significant products because of this for trade.
Infrastructure
Many of the buildings here host various professionals, who can craft or fix just about anything. The large guild that these professionals constitute result in a great network within the village. Some similar professions are grouped within the same buildings to avoid unnecessary destruction of the forest. The village did not have distinct roads initially, but there are now radial roads that can be used to travel to the central ring road around the Library, to the village's periphery. These roads are dirt roads, and there may be dirt footpaths sprawling off them to access the network of houses within the trees. Mostly however, the grassy floor is left untended, except maybe the removal of some harmful plants. Some paths (even if they are still grassy) are lined with the natural flowers, leaving them to grow after clearing the one from the paths.
Guilds and Factions
The guild of professionals (Karatek Craftsmen) that provide most of the services the village has to offer, has a large position in the village council. These professionals use the village hall for their meetings, as well as when the guild's more senior members sit in the council meetings.
History
The ancient village has been growing, spreading to new trees and building new treehouses to accommodate the increasing population of the village over time. The founding elves were somewhat biased towards the intelligent, so before the first non-elves arrived, they decided to test them before they could enter. Luckily, the current Mayor of Excabridge was able to pass the test in order to cement the relationship between Karatek and the rest of Kryalon such that their knowledge could be shared.
In more recent history, in 113, a nearby goblin village attacked Karatek, attempting to burn down Karatek Library. Fortunately for the Karatekians, the magical abilities of residents prevented major damage to the tree, and since fixed the burns. Unfortunately for the goblins, Karatek dispatched their hunters to exterminate the goblins, and they succeeded in razing the helpless village. It is said there were no survivors, and the remains are in ruins.
Natural Resources
The hunters and gatherers associated with the village provide the town with many animal and plant products from the forests: furs, meats, berries, leaves, herbs, grasses, roots, etc.
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