Mournshire
Structure
The structure of Mournshire is, by Ashfeldian standards, appalling lax and unofficial. Cities are governed by a collection of elected elders from their clans, who will discuss and argue over important local matters whenever such governing needs to come up. The only real permeant authority they have is an elected town mayor (who more just serves to help smoothe things over with foreigners), and the town watch. For foreign affairs however, they do have their primary leader, one Ellan Grandhill (who's position must be elected by majority vote amongst all village elders) who helps deal with politics with Treehold and other provinces, even other nations if such matters are required.
Culture
Due to the nature of Halflings, culture is always positive and communal. Halflings learn to live close by one another, and so are more used to being in tight spaces with others. As such, a culture of sharing with others has blossomed, in where the citizens work to benefit their neighbors as well as themselves. In fact, the entire town will help in even raising children, with everyone making sure that everyone is ok. Though some foreigners complain that some Halflings are swindlers, con-men, and thieves, these are surely untrue due to how friendly the Halflings are. Another staple of Halfling culture is food, as the Halflings are master cooks. This means that foreigners regularly visit on special occasions to come to local restaurants, and this means that everyone knows at least the absolute basics of cooking.
The villages of Mournshire are built for Halflings and by Halflings. While in other places a Halfling may feel dwarfed by doors or chairs, in the Shireland they have no such worry. While most villages do make some accommodations for the "big-folk" not all villages have such accommodations. This is of no concern to the Halflings though, as they are an ever cheery and happy lot that just love to drink and eat. However, one must not underestimate them, for they are fiercly defensive of their villages, and the Village guards are skilled in the art of war, and will defend their homeland with their lives given gladly.
Halfling culture as a whole is still divided largely by clans, with ancestry being recorded with pride. Many Halfling clans are scattered across the world, and some have even made small "mini-shires" in other nations, but in truth Mournshire has the biggest collection of clans than any other place in the world.
History
The history of Mournshire starts about when the first halflings arrived en masse to the kingdom of Ashenfeld. At this point, the kingdom was still new, and they simply became another town within the province of Treehold. However in the year 1567, many Halflings wished to become their own nation, not bound to laws of (in their eyes) foreign kings and lords. This caused a massive upheaval amongst Ashenfeld, but the ever tricky Halflings managed to secure some semblance of their wants by bringing the grinding merchant industry in Treehold to a halt using favors, blackmail, and other such methods. Being publicly lambasted by the King, the Duke of Treehold had no choice but to sit with the Halflings and discuss a compromise, which the Halflings agreed to, becoming a sort of independent city state, but still officially apart of the Kingdom as a sort of "sub province" within the province. The people rejoiced, and a week long feast was had that is still celebrated to this day. After that in all honesty, the history of the town is unremarkable largely, though with the civil war now raging, Mournshire is worried their autonomy may be threatened, and so the Shire-Watch now train hard and recruit often to make sure they can defend themselves.
Demography and Population
The Halflings are by far the most populace race within Mournshire. While Harengon are also there, they are a minority but largely coexist in peace within halfling towns. Some humans and a variety of other races occasionally decide to make their homes and businesses there, helping contribute to the economy and such.
Religion
The official religion of Mournshire is that of the Halfling Pantheon. Largely unknown by outsiders due to the lax way in which the Halflings respect their gods, there are no temples and cathedrals. Instead there are simple shrines scattered about dedicated to their gods and goddesses, with simple short prayers being whispered each day before going about their business, The members of the pantheon are:
- Beris, Greater Goddess and Mother of Halflings
- Adona, Goddess of Friendship, Family, Hearth, and Home
- Leeus, God of Defense and Watchfulness
- Anyja, Goddess of Weather, Fertility, Love, and Nature
- Vezion, God of Trickery, Mischief, and Thieves
- Dumus, God of Death, Souls, and the Cycle of Life (sometimes known as "He who Must Be")
Foreign Relations
Many sometimes heckle the Shire-folk as crooks and thieves, but in truth the Shirefolk just don't particularly care for what others think. So long as they aren't breaking laws or causing trouble, who cares what some foreigner in a far away town thinks? What matters is tilling the fields and making sure the ale keeps flowing.
Laws
Laws largely follow Ashfeldian law, with punishment dolled out by the Village Elders. Most of the time punishment is financial, as violent crime is not a common thing in Mournshire. If extreme crimes such as murder do occur, the accused is exiled from the land. While this may seem light to outsiders, for a society built and raised on communal family values, this is perhaps the worst fate that can possibly befall a Shireling.
Agriculture & Industry
Mournshire is one of, if not the most fertile places in the world. As such it is the agricultural powerhouse, and Mournshire alone is able to provide for the kingdom of Ashenfeld, and itself with little to no issue. The harvest is almost always bountiful, which helps with how much Halflings can eat, and the food they make is some of the best tasting in the world.
Founding Date
1567EC
Type
Geopolitical, Province
Alternative Names
The Shireland, The Morning Land
Demonym
Shire folk, Shirelings
Parent Organization
