Arella
A village at the very northern tip of the Sun Plains. While the town itself may seem unassuming, it has a long history of matchmaking and forming loving bonds.
The village of Arella is known for hosting the annual Arellan Love and Happiness Festival. Each year, hundreds of people from around the continent travel to Arella, pitching tents in the surrounding areas, and attending the festival to renew their wedding vows or look for a first-time love.
Arella is also the birthplace of the Saltarello, a lively song and dance that has been used for courtship and celebrations for centuries. The dance is especially popular along the western coast in the Sun Plains and Oceana, but the dance can be found across the entire continent.
Legend of the Lovers
What grew into an annual celebration drawing crowds of hundreds all began with just two people. Their names are lost to history, but their love story has been passed down through generations, across multiple centuries. At the time, Arella was a small agrarian hamlet, not even recorded on any map.
As legend has it, a traveler was wandering the Sunset Coast and stumbled into a local who was there to collect fish for their family, but they were also gathering seashells to crush and turn into paint. The traveler was immediately taken with the local and watched them for a moment, and listened as they hummed a tune and crushed the seashells. The traveler complimented the tune and began a conversation with the local. The two began to talk and spent the entire day together. The traveler shared their tales of far-off places, while the local shared their deep knowledge and love for their home, how the water of the river and sea met, how the colors of the sunset changed with the seasons, how the tide came in and crashed upon the sand. The two felt a close bond between one another, but as the sun began to set, the local was reminded that they were to return home.
A few days passed, and the two thought they would never see one another again. The traveler could not help but think of the local, how kind they were, how they cared and loved the nature around them, and how they shared their love with someone they'd only known a few hours. The traveler took out an instrument and recreated the tune they had heard the local hum days before. When the sweet tune met their ears, they knew they had to return.
The traveler searched for the town but could not find it. Arella was not on any map. There were no main roads that led to it. The traveler was lost, wandering along the seaside in search of their beloved. After weeks of searching for the local, the traveler nearly gave up on their search, sat against a large tree, and played the tune one last time. Just then, the local was gathering supplies for their paint nearby and heard the song. They, too, had been longing for their lost love, the traveler who stole their heart in only a few hours.
When the local reached the tree, and the two saw one another, they rejoiced and embraced. The local brought the traveler into their home, where the two built a life together, full of song and beautiful artistry. The other members of the town were inspired by the couple, and versions of their song were used in times of celebration and community as a remembrance of their great love and unity.
The couple created a specific dance that they preferred for the song, which turned into a sort of courtship dance for the younger members of the community and visiting travelers. Word of a beautiful town by the sea where people fall in love spread throughout the region and the town grew with hopeful young folks looking for a chance at love.
Over time, the town grew and even though the original couple's time passed and they were buried and gone, the love that they shared provided the spark for the village, and their song kept their memory alive long after.
Demographics
A village center surrounded by farmland.
Total Population: 2498
General Attitude: Inviting
Breakdown
- Children: 285
- Adults: 1915
- Elderly: 388
- Ill/Infirm: 235
- Known Criminals: 25
- Urban Population: 2319
- Rural Population: 179
Infrastructure
Road Construction: Cobblestone roads within city limits; Dirt roads leading to the entrances of the city
Number of Districts: 3
Architecture
Primary Building Style: Wooden
Secondary Building Styles: Timber Frame and Stone
Aesthetics: Artistic
Upkeep: Well-Kept
Defenses
Walls: Dry Stone Wall
Natural Defences: Hills and Narrow River
Districts
Market District
Type: Market and Residential
Primary Building Style: Wooden
Aesthetics: Functional
Cleanliness: Clean
Upkeep: Well-Kept
Two Mills District
Type: Communal and Residential
Primary Building Style: Wooden
Aesthetics: Functional
Cleanliness: Maintained
Upkeep: Well-Kept
Spirit Side District
Type: Administration
Primary Building Style: Stone
Aesthetics: Artistic
Cleanliness: Immaculate
Upkeep: Handsome
Points of interest
The Saltarello
The famous song and dance started by the lovers grew past the village and was brought to communities and dance halls all throughout the region. The lively dance can be found anywhere from the small towns of Dianata to the student social engagements of Silver Valley University to the royal court in Oceana's capital, Edowood.
Tourism
Arellan Love and Happiness Festival
Hundreds of tourists travel each year for the two-week festival. Arellans host the tourists and plan several events surrounding love and general happiness. Some events include matchmaking, fortunetelling, painting, talent shows, and of course, the famous Saltarello song and dance.
Arellan Weddings
Although the festival only occurs once a year, Arella and the surrounding hills and seaside have become a sort of wedding destination for loving couples. Some lovebirds will travel a fortnight to Arella to bind their love for the first time, while some use it as a place to renew their marriage vows. Other couples who find each other later in life, such as two widows joined together after losing their first love, come to Arella to bless the new union and honor their lost partners.
Geography
Elevation: 968 feet above sea level
Water Features
Marine Coast
Distance from Settlement: 7 miles to the West
Salinity: brackish where the river and sea meet
Aquatic Animals: Cod, Herring, Crab, Scallops, and Mussels
Narrow River
Salinity: fresh
Depth: 3 feet
Width: 14 feet
Navigable: Yes
Aquatic Animals: Catfish and Trout
Climate
Cool Temperate Grassland
Avg. Annual Temperature: 53F
Avg. Annual Precipitation: 30.71 in
Seasons: Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring
Prevailing Winds: Northwest to Southeast
Natural Resources
Stones, Ores, and Gems
- Igneous: Granite
- Metamorphic: Marble
- Sedimentary: Laterite and Serpentine
- Metals: Manganese
- Precious Gems: Ruby
Grains
- Warm Seasons: Chia and Kiwicha
- Cool Seasons: Farro
Vegetables
- Leafy: Spinach
- Stem: Celery
- Alium: Garlic
Fruit
- Berry: Raspberries and Blueberries
Utility Crops
- Fiber: Kenaf
Flora and Fauna
- Livestock: Braekel (Chicken)
- Prey: Squirrels, Wild Rabbits, Deer, and Boar
- Predators: Coyote
- Aquatic: Trout, Clams, Catfish, and Catfish
- Trees: Poplar and Chestnut
- Grass: Tall Fescue Grass and Oat Grass
- Shrubs: Blueberry Bush and Raspberry Bush
- Moss: Haircap Moss and Baby Tooth Moss
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