Featherdale
Overview
Featherdale is a small, rural land along the banks of the Bay of Ashaba. The land’s sturdy farmers and herdsmen are not as widely scattered as rumors say, but have never found a reason to build metropolises or raise stone walls. Unlike the other Dales, Featherdale is not hilly. The region extends along the banks of the Ashaba between Blackfeather Lake and Daggerdale. Rich, open farmland lies along the Bay, broken by small ranges of green plains or corpses of trees. Featherdale is a frequent stop for travelers along Rathaus Road. A major road from Scardale leading all the way to Archendale runs through the center of the Dale. Dozens of small paths branch off the road, leading the to many small towns of Featherdale. “They’re good folk in Featherdale. Most have more common sense than any 10 adventurers taken together. As I said, they’ve more common sense than ye might think.”The Feather Council
Featherdale has no central government or ruler. Each village or farm tends to look after its own business. On rare occasions, issues arise that cannot be solved locally. When that happens, a Feather Council meeting is called. The Council consists of anyone who wants to come. Strong independent farmers or clans often show up in force, as well as the various village elders and rivermen passing through. The issue at hand suffers through the debating of a hundred or more people who all think they have something to say about it. Outsiders who have attended a Council meeting find it to be no surprise that Featherdarrens believe that governments are stupid.Law and Order
Featherdalesmen believe you can do anything you want, so long as you don’t injure someone else. Justice is very haphazard in the Dale, since offended parties usually take matters into their own hands. On occasion, ugly feuds have developed that have lasted for years. Village elders or clan patriarchs often claim the right to mediate in disputes, simply to keep the peace. Lawbreakers should be warned that a substantial number of ex-adventurers have retired to the Featherdale area, and that on occasion one of these old warriors appears to make peace between opposing parties.Defenses
Featherdale has no defenses of note, with the only real armed forces being made of volunteers. However, in a real crisis a retired adventurer or stout farmer could probably muster a few dozen men to hunt down a monster or drive off bandits.Trade
Most of the Featherdalesmen are self-sufficient farmers. A few smiths, tanners, and wainwrights earn a living in the small villages of the Dale, but most of the people live and support themselves on the farms. Featherdale’s chief site for communication and exchange of news and goods is its de facto capital, Proskur. Proskur is known to be the capital only because it's the largest city with the most temples, but everyone doesn't seem to mind.Demography and Population
Population - 430,540 citizens as of 1200 AC
Religion
Major Religions - Chauntea, Molotl, Yondalla
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Demonym
Featherdarran
Government System
Democracy, Direct
Economic System
Traditional
Currency
Metal Coinage
Major Exports
Exports - Cheese, corn, grain, salted meat, vegetables
Major Imports
Imports - Armor, fine manufactured goods, weapons, oil
Neighboring Nations
