Haven
The town of Haven is a halfling dominated community designed to showcase and demonstrate the wealth of the Villages and those who reside within. The town has a large amount of wealth from trading with the rest of the Jakonian Empire, and is widely considered to be the cultural and economic capital of the halfling Villages. The passing of the Iron Road and the other caravans between the Imperial City and the Kingdom of Orrland make this an ideal trading location, and nearly every multinational halfling business has their headquarters located here.
Demographics
The town of Haven was built by and for halflings, and thus the majority of the population derive from the surrounding Villages. Although most halflings prefer to reside in the more rural and pastoral areas, they have long recognized the need to live in a place where business can be easily conducted. Therefore, the wealthier halflings here tend to have homes in the countryside, while the traveling caravaneers and mobile craftsmen maintain permanent homes here while traveling abroad. A handful of humans have settled outside of the town walls, with some complaints that there is no accommodation for humanoids larger than halflings inside the town limits itself.
Government
On paper, Haven and the Villages themselves are part of the holdings of House Kneller. In practice, they are self-governing. The halflings have been granted many boons of self-autonomy by past emperors, earning them loyalty to the throne. Haven is operated by various contractors provided by independent halfling businesses. The leadership of the town is an elected mayor, who is selected for life by the voting male population of Haven's permanent citizenry.
Defences
The town of Haven primarily relies upon the levies of House Kneller to provide for the locals' defense. Besides that, the need to keep the caravans on a friendly basis helped the town avoid invasion during the Northern Rebellion and fights between lords since. Theoretically the town can also call to arms around two hundred trained halfling militia and guards, but they are more trained for settling civil disturbances than actual warfare. Similarly, the walls of the town are formidable in appearance to a small creature, but are more for the sake of segregation and appearance than actual defense. They are kept colorful, but lack in siege weapons and defensive structures.
Industry & Trade
The caravan masters who call Haven home are the heart of the community. The trading empires run from Haven span some of the largest networks in all of Emicara. There are over three dozen different halfling trading families who ply goods across Emicara, buying in some locations and transporting to others overland. Although they do not compete with shipping companies in the ports, they do offer slow, but secure, transit of goods and travelers in all of the civilized lands and even up to the borders of Alsona and Populres. All of the income achieved by these traders is taxed by Haven, very lightly, going to pay off the nobility and help finance the development of the Villages.
Infrastructure
The town of Haven is unusual in that the infrastructure is entirely built to accommodate halfling sized people. Even dwarves find themselves quite uncomfortable within the walls of Haven, and few other humanoids will bother to enter the township's walls, instead choosing to do their trading in the exterior marketplace where a handful of human businesses have popped up. The roads are kept clean and paved, and the town's sewer system is highly efficient. Most of the buildings in the town are administrative or bureaucratic centers, and the town lacks the dirty forges and bellows of most human communities, kept with clean public parks and idyllic trees within the avenues. The Iron Road station just outside of the city walls is also kept well maintained and is the single public structure in the town built for larger beings.
Assets
The halflings in Haven mostly simply operate the administrative portions of their business in Haven. Warehouses and offices abound, helping stock and keep track of the myriad caravan companies that call the town home. There is two small local marketplaces, one where people buy local goods and services, and another which sells trinkets, souvenirs, and food to travelers along the Iron Road. There are also nearly a dozen inns and hotels which offer lodging to people of all sizes, inside and outside of the town. As many members of the caravans tend not to be halfling themselves, these are a must as mercenaries await the chance to pick up new guard or entertainment work with the caravans.
Guilds and Factions
The politics of Haven are fairly in-depth and complex once you look below the region's technical ownership by House Kneller. House Kneller has occasionally attempted to exert greater authority over the halflings, but each time it has done so inevitably results in a unified backlash by the halfling caravan families. These families frequently compete and bicker with each other, some having feuds that go back centuries. Each family is constantly jockeying to become the richest and most influential among halflings. All of these caravans make up factions in their own rights, but the Imperial Army and House Kneller are the outside forces with the most influence over the town's affairs. They both frequently lobby Haven for preferential treatment, and access to the numerous luxury goods and resources created and produced in the Villages.
Founding Date
15 AF
Type
Town
Population
4100
Related Ethnicities
Inhabitant Demonym
Havenite
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
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