Shire of Oakfield
The Shire of Oakfield is located south of Redstone County. It is located mostly in a dense old-growth forest of ancient oaks, elms and hickory covering low rolling hills called Old Oak Chase. Amidst its broad overgrowth are vast herds of elk, bison and deer and nearly endless flocks of pheasant, partridge, doves and wild geese and ducks. Hares and rabbits abound, the trees are full of squirrels and the forest floor is rich with mushrooms and truffles. The Town of Oakfield is one of the smaller settlements in the Ward, with only 1,500 souls living in the forest community. There is a fast-flowing spring-fed brook that flows through the middle of the town, and several artesian wells pour clean, cold water from stone fountains within the town squares. The roads are tree-lined and sheltered by the branches of trees, covered in mulch from the many timber and lumber mills within the shire. The Sheriff of Oakfield is Liam Tully, an aged Halfling that has lived in Oakfield since it was founded as a shire more than 80 years ago.
Demography and Population
The Shire of Oakfield has a population of 2,900 souls. Most of these people are Halflings, with 300 Humans and 38 Dwarves of the Clan Hardhelm. Only 11 Gnomes reside full time in the Shire.
Territories
The vast majority of the Shire of Oakfield is found within the borders of the Old Oak Chase, a vast and ancient hardwood forest on the west side of the Ward of Rolar. There are a few small farms and market gardens located along the forest's fringe, but the bulk of the Shire is found well within the forest itself.
Made up of the Town of Oakfield and the Villages of Oak Down and Greenoak, the Shire is comprised of several large natural and artificial clearings that have been used to build settlements within the Forest but outside of the high and thick canopy of trees. Settlements, whether town or village, are full of small homes and cottages with large well-tended gardens, since the Shire does not have many actual farms. These gardens produce a wealth and abundance of produce to suppliment what the forest naturally supplies.
Military
The Shire has a standing Scout Company and a Company of Rangers that rotate through the region providing defense and peacekeeping services to the population, and both are governed by the Sheriff, Liam Tully. The Sheriff is aided in his role as commander by the Scout Captain Myles Archer and the Captain of Rangers, Martin Hartshorn.
Religion
The majority of the Shire's populus follow the Druidic Faith, and the Shire's association with the holy Druidic site of Old Father Oak makes the Shire a popular and busy destination for many Druidic pilgrimages.
Agriculture & Industry
The main industrial focus of the Shire is in the harvesting and management of the Old Oak Chase. Thousands of tons of high quality timber is harvested from within the forest each year, and this timber is processed into specialty lumber that is used all across the Kingdom of Cobal and beyond.
In addition to timber harvesting and pumber production, the harvesting and processing of rare, magical or medicinal items found only in the deep and secluded corners of the ancient forest is also a large and very profitable venture that has generated dozens of busniesses in the Shire.
Market hunting is also a profitable, if rather dangerous, enterprise that has grown exponentially within the Shire. Several small but effective camps have been established to harvest deer, elk, bison, bear, and even the more deadly magical varieties of game such as Dragons and Giants for their respective components and resources.
Trade & Transport
All trade and traffic in and out of the Shire is via roads, as there are no navigable waterways within its borders. Roads between settlements are not typically paved but are firmly packed earth and gravel beds with thickly mulched ditches and hedges along either side.
Founding Date
152 AF
Type
Geopolitical, County / March
Capital
Leader
Ruling Organization
Leader Title
Parent Organization
Location
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
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