Warding

Warding is a fortified village situated on the west bank of the Nevan River, on the border between Varangia and the tribal lands of House Ta’aivas. It is named for the extensive wards which run an invisible barrier along the bank of the Nevan, guarding the village from attack on the Varangian side.

The setting of such a powerful ward was an impressive feat of Gifted strength. Unfortunately, with no more Warders among Warding's Gifted to maintain the barrier, the wards will eventually fail, leaving the settlement vulnerable to physical and magical attack.

Demographics

The overall population of Warding has decreased dramatically over the last two generations, both from deaths in battle and from inhabitants who chose to move on rather than remain and face the chaos of Varangia and the fragile security of a life in Warding. In spite of this, nearly half of Warding's population is composed of children. And the vast majority of them are Gifted.

While the Shifter gift has apparently died out in Varangia, the other gifts have remained strong. But with Iscar's edict claiming all Gifted as his personal tribute, being gifted by the gods is no longer considered a blessing. Parents of Gifted children will most often smuggle them to Warding to be raised beyond Iscar's reach, preferring the loss of their child to Warding rather than their death at Iscar's hand.

While some of these children are passed on over the borders as soon as it is feasible to do so, many of them remain in Warding and grow to adulthood with only a single ward separating them from both Iscar's grasp and their families. These children have added to the concentration of Gifted in Warding. The village is therefore unique in the Bound Realms for having a larger population of Gifted than Ungifted.

Wood Woods Child by melly17

Defences

In addition to the ward barrier, Warding has a number of physical defenses. But as the village was originally intended to be only a temporary refuge, and trees were an abundant resource, the defenses were built of wood. There has been neither time nor means in the intervening generations to replace wooden structures with more permanent fixtures.

Historical Odtwórstwo by Michał Koper

The village itself is built in the style of a ring fort on a large outcropping of rock overlooking the Nevan River. It is encircled by a wooden palisade backed by a raised walkway which is manned day and night by a rota of every able bodied man and woman in the village.

Around the base of this outcropping has been dug a dry moat lined with spiked poles. The only entrance to the compound is through a fortified gate tower via a drawbridge. While none of these precautions are likely to deter a magical attack, they would be sufficient against any minor physical incursion. Spoiler for Beneath the Thorns

These fortifications are put to the test and ultimately give way when Iscar breaks through the ward and sends his forces to attack the weakened outpost undercover of their New Moon festivities.

Wood Poles Monument by Iwona Olczyk

History

Warding was originally founded by Temir Danirov Spoiler for Beneath the Thorns

the rightful king of Varangia

when the sorcerer Iscar first seized the throne. The compound was intended only as a temporary haven, a base of operations from which those who opposed Iscar could strike back against the usurper's rule.

The land was granted to them by the House of Ta’aivas who had long been allies of Varangia and its royal family, and thus had little liking for the tyrant who had assumed power. While House Ta’aivas would not go to war on the strength of that dislike, they willingly granted Temir and his followers a temporary safe haven.

Unfortunately, Temir died in battle against Iscar's forces shortly after the founding. At his death, the governance of Warding passed to his son Dauryn, and Tamlyn after him.

As each generation passed without dislodging the sorcerer from the Varangian throne, the willingness of House Ta’aivas to allow these outcasts to remain living on the fringes of their tribal lands has grown steadily more tenuous. Spoiler for Beneath the Thorns

The fragility of the alliance was exacerbated when Ra’aila, the pride and hope of House Ta’aivas, threw in her lot with the inhabitants of Warding and, much to her family's horror, actually became betrothed to Tamlyn Danirov. Her death nearly broke it. The alliance is now merely an icy tolerance that could dissolve under the slightest provocation.

In spite of this, Warding has turned more and more from a temporary shelter to a permanent home for the rebels and their descendants.

Natural Resources

In spite of Warding's precarious position, cut off from Varangia and in an uneasy alliance with the House of Ta’aivas, the inhabitants have managed to survive on the limited resources available to them.

Fisht Trout Nature by Fabien AZEMA

The Nevan river and several nearby streams are an abundant source of fish which are harvested via weir. The surrounding forest supplies timber as well as some small game, though the inhabitants of the village, aware of the their position as interloper on tribal lands, generally restrict their hunting and foraging to the immediate vicinity as much as possible.

This rough diet is supplemented by a small herd of goats and a few sheep which are held in common by the entire community, their produce--milk, wool and meat--being shared equally by all. These animals are grazed on the nearby water-meadow and the rockier mountain slopes above.

Goat Goats Animal by Beeki®

Within the palisade walls, the community also maintains a small flock of chickens and various small garden plots. While the chickens, like the other livestock and most of their resources, are shared in common, the garden plots are mostly maintained by individuals or single families.

beehive bees by WeAppU

The arrival of an Herb-wife amongst the Gifted children sent to Warding produced several benefits for the inhabitants of the settlement. First being the subsequent appearance of a swarm of bees--the tiny insects being attracted to the vicinity of any healthy Herb-wife--which quickly grew to produce more honey than the villagers could possibly use themselves.

Secondly, though perhaps more importantly, the small fields surrounding the settlement, as well as the gardens within, were quickly affected by the Herb-wife's proximity. They now, like the bees, produce far more than the inhabitants could possibly eat.

This has led to some small ability to trade within Varangia, contingent on the ability to avoid those loyal to Iscar. It has also allowed Tamlyn and his followers to provide material aid to those of the Varangian people who have suffered severe poverty and deprivation under Iscar's rule.