Sweetwater

Where the natural meets the not-so-natural

Due north of Nevurdul, hidden amongst the tall, spruce forests, sits the small village of Sweetwater. Placed just beside a winding river, the settlement doesn't have much to offer the rest of the island. But Sweetwater has gained renown due to its greatest attraction: Goodwin's School for the Magically Gifted. It's rare that one is mentioned without the other.

Architecture

Sweetwater's architecture consists of spruce walls and thatch roofs. The homes are generally quite small, apart from a few shops in the settlement. Many of these huts have magic charms hanging from the roof, or other odd trinkets lying around, seen as a way of warding off bad spirits.

Of course, Sweetwater's main attraction is Goodwin's. The school extends high above the rest of the settlement, made from a mixture of granite and marble. The beautifully-carved structure is a stark contrast to the rest of the settlement's low-class appearance.

Economy

The economy of Sweetwater as a settlement comes from the school more than anywhere else. Goodwin's provides magical training at steep prices, and this profit trickles down until, finally, a portion is used to keep Sweetwater's people alive and well. Ultimately, there is little to no profit being made by the settlement itself; they merely use what Goodwin's provides.

History

Sweetwater, like many settlements in Nevurdul, struggled from the start. Winters were often harsh for the little village, constantly preventing it from expanding beyond its limited borders. It wasn't until 1196, when Nikolai Goodwin opened the doors to his school, that Sweetwater was suddenly brought into the forefront of many people's minds. Goodwin's quickly attracted an impressive following, and over time he even gained the favor of the current mayor of Sweetwater, Sofia Sweeney.

This would gradually result in Nikolai Goodwin gaining significant say in Sweetwater matters since, as most were aware, the settlement would likely fall apart without the gold from the school's tuition fees. In 1208, after firmly establishing himself as Sweetwater's unofficial leader, Nikolai Goodwin enacted a law that no Servos would be permitted within Sweetwater's borders. This extends from Nikolai's personal views on Servos as a whole, but was quickly adopted as law in the settlement, as it is to this day.

Culture

Possibly due to Sweetwater's troubled past of survival, its citizens have taken to using magical charms and artifacts to ward off bad luck and evil spirits. It's likely that this stems from hopes for kind winters in Sweetwater's early years. Despite Sweetwater's current financial security, its citizens continue to make use of these charms to grant them good fortune.

Environment

Sweetwater is based in the north of Nevurdul, thus it experiences some of the harshest winter conditions on the island. The settlement has a narrow river winding along it, and is tucked away within a forest of tall, thick spruce trees. Otherwise, the settlement's surroundings are fairly normal.

Businesses & Public Structures

• Goodwin's School for the Magically Gifted: The greatest (and only) attraction in Sweetwater. The school offers a variety of classes on arcane studies, and has taught many mages how to understand and control their abilities.
• Mayor's Office: A small, wooden building closest to the school, where Mayor Sofia Sweeney keeps tabs on what goes on in the settlement.
• Angela's Orphanage: The since-abandoned orphanage owned and operated by Angela Hills.

Population

Sweetwater's population is quite small, its homes only being able to hold roughly 20 people. Of course, this does not include the housing provided within the school for students. Elves are the most common sight in Sweetwater, followed by Humans and other races. Servos are banned from the premises entirely.

Known Members

• Nikolai Goodwin
• Sofia Sweeney
• Angela Hills
• Sinclair
• Mayhew
• Martin
• Aiden
• Clara
• Ben
• Coco
• Ilona

Miscellaneous

Additional facts.

Type

Village

Related Reports (Primary)

• Session 100 - School's Out
• Session 101 - Coming Clean
• Session 102 - The Old Wing
• Session 103 - What a Nightmare
• Session 104 - The Truth
• Session 105 - Delilah
• Session 106 - Reflection
• Session 18 - Sweetwater
• Session 19 - End of the World
• Session 98 - Goodwin's School for the Magically Gifted
• Session 99 - Class is in Session

Related Reports (Secondary)

• Session 97 - War is Coming