Cara

"Don't worry, Bertha -- it's nothing a little drink won't fix."

--Jeff Gemswallower, looking up at his second wife as his town was being ravaged by Bladelings, in 522 AB.

Of all distinct and long-last civilizations of Evandyr, Cara is the one least-deserving of that title. From the Dark Times to the present, Cara has survived due to luck, such as Jeff's finding of the rare flower Stunted Ambrosia, a hedonistic tradition, which encourages reliance upon said luck when dangerous risks are taken every day, and an extremely high birth rate, which allows such risks to be taken while Greenvale's population still increases.
The most prominent and repeated example of this is the creation of Halflings. Their founding myth is that their home was under attack by Bladelings, eviscerating humanoids whose flesh was adored with ripping and tearing knives. Nearly all their people died until Jeff Gemswallower concocted a poultice from a powerful flower, Stunted Ambrosia, he stumbled upon and riskily consumed, which shrunk him enough to dance between the blades of the Bladelings and find victory. Unfortunately the process was irreversible, so he and all his friends became the first Smallfolk.

--Common Caran Hillfort Community.

Government and Crime

If one is fond of stability, long-lasting homes, or even quiet of any sort, one will not go to Cara. Their people purposely left the safe civilizations of Golryon and even later Dinlirys, in order to be free of the growing number of laws and restrictions those cities had. Cara is essentially just a massive city square with taverns, entertainment, and all sorts of city amenities, but nearly no permanent residents. Instead, the citizen's of Cara will live in Hillforts, depicted above. These are satellite neighborhoods, of ten to fifty people, nearly always of those with similar beliefs and ideas. These will self govern through direct democracy, and usually agree, being that Cara has one Common Law throughout their satellite hillforts, The Right of Local Exile.
The Right of Local Exile is treated as seriously as excommunication, but all it really means is that someone that commits a crime against a single Hillfort and deemed guilty can just leave it permanently, claiming that their own moral compass conflicts with that Forts', and they must leave to be free. This usually does not apply for murder, as there is similarly nothing stopping the other citizens from killing the criminal in revenge, something most Hillforts support.
If a crime is committed in the Cara Piazza, the name for the town square center of this detached city, they are returned to their communities, and the two will decide what to do. This can lead to agreements on punishment, both communities punishing their people separately, or neither doing so. When two Communities disagree, they bring in an impartial third to judge. If the guilty party at the end of that is not satisfied with the decision, they can either claim the Right of Local Exile and the whole group leave Cara permanently, or they can start a skirmish that leaves with either side dead. Communities can join in on this freely, but it is a great cultural sin to do any fighting in the Piazza, so this civil war will be fought in the woods, in hills and trenches and hidden valleys, creating a very guerrilla warfare engagement. This direct and chaotic democracy model has led to roughly a hundred Communities being Exiled permanently, and seventeen Caran civil wars.

Production and Culture

Greenvale is a breeding ground for all sorts of alchemy components of lesser powers, as well as spices, herbs, and more. As such, their greatest exports in trade, going down Ernmar Run, will be those flavoring components, which are valued all throughout the Bay. All of these will pass through Cara before going on the valley path to the mouth of the river in the Bucker Peaks to the east side of Greenvale. This is also a great component of the Stavik’s Highlands' additives to their honey ciders, meads, and grogs. Without Caran herbs and spices, Stav grog would be a pitiful mix of different alcohols at the bottom of barrels, rather than the flavorful mix that it has become.
The other export is the creations of the halflings, Elixirs through alchemy. Alchemy is a broad practice, such as poultices and chemicals and hormones that stimulate natural healing, perhaps through a beast's body, and the Empire's affinity for explosives based in alchemy, and the Old Jeriec Empire's creation of alchemical poisons. Despite this, the smallfolk have added a new sort of study. These Elixirs are powerful stimulants, that help the body with natural and unnatural additives and medicines become greater at many things, such as the Cognitive Mutagen allowing one to focus and recall information through their past in great detail, or the Juggernaut Mutagen forcing adrenalin through the body and giving it intense bursts of power and energy.
Essentially, its the philosophy of adding spices and herbs to make food better, to everyday life. Its adjacent to drugs, which are also common in Cara.

We really don't care what you do from now on, just sort of bugger off? We don't want you near Cara ever again.

Inhabitant Demonym

Caran

Location under

Greenvale

Founded sometime after 400 AB, and before 522 AB. Few halflings have the same precise date.
Population: 5,000, with the majority of the population in detached hillforts, and each of those having different ideas and morals that judge any sorts of crime.