Campfire

On the Border

Along the banks of the Snowrun, cultures and people mix and blend, creating a gateway between two worlds and two peoples that are vastly different. A handful of thatched buildings and cultivated fields separate the hills of the Cradle of Clay from the Traveler's Grass of the Great Plains, the domain of the Clay Giants from that of the Humans. Here in this little village on the edge of a divide, the worlds have blended, creating a home for all that wish to live in the beauty of the place.
Once a solitary Clay Giant settlement with only a handful of farmers, the hamlet of Campfire has grown, becoming a village that transcends the culture of storytelling that these people hold, bringing in new peoples and cultures that makes this idyllic village a melting pot of those that have survived hardships and wish to tell their tales. Amongst the hills of the Cradle of Clay, Clay Giants, Humans, and Centaurs alike share stories and hardships while serving as the gateway into the land of the Clay Giants.

Vóreios

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Vóreios is the Northern Continent of Isekai. Here, one can find temperate forests, large mountain ranges, the largest lake in the world, and a variety of other geography and races that can be found no where else.

Demographics

Much like many of the other villages and hamlets that populate the Cradle of Clay, the population of Campfire is very small and quite rural, requiring those that live there to provide for themselves through farming and the raising of livestock, or to have enough to trade when the seasonal trades pass through from the Human Empire.
Most inhabitants of the village are Clay Giants, but there is also a number of Humans that live there permanently and a couple of Centaurs that live there depending on the star charts. Those that live here are considered to be highly educated on a great number of topics, including agriculture and geography so that they may aid travelers that intend to spend time in the Cradle of Clay.

Quick Facts

Population Breakdown

Children

11

Elderly

7

Adults

43

Ill/Infirm

6

Other Information

Primary Occupants

Clay Giants

General Attitude

Educated & Helpful

Other Occupants

Humans

Population Type

Rural

Geography

Cradle of Clay

Cradle of Clay by Landscape via Artbreeder, created by RiverFang

The Cradle of Clay is home to the Clay Giants and important magical locations known as Arcane Geysers. While the magical dust from these geysers is an important export of the area, the Clay Giants are extremely proud of their horses that are known for their great endurance.

The geography in the area is small foothills as Campfire is on the edge of the Great Plains and the Cradle of Clay. To the north of the village a great distance, the hills become larger as one travels deeper into the Cradle of Clay, but these smaller foothills are more common on the edges of the area. To the south, the land is flat, hidden by the Traveler's Grass as one moves into the Great Plains.
The Snowrun flows just east of the village, running from the northeast coast of Vóreios to the continent's southern shores. If one crossed the river and continued eastward, it would take ten days to reach the coast if one skirted the troublesome Timbers of the Furnace and continued through Clay Giant territory.

Climate

The Cradle of Clay is considered a temperate grassland with a wide range of weather and temperatures throughout the year. For much of the non-winter months, the temperature is fairly warm with a prevailing east-to-west wind, but never reaches the hotter temperatures that areas of the Great Plains see. During the winter months, it is not uncommon for temperatures to reach below freezing with high winds that bring freezing rain and snow.
Rain occurs often throughout the spring and summer months, but the amount of actual precipitation only amounts to little more

than a foot throughout this time. The winter months see a great deal more precipitation through heavy snowfall that can reach over two feet in total accumulations.

Flora & Fauna

This area of the Cradle of Clay is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, both domesticated and wild. Cradled Wheat and other grains are grown and harvested for use and trade while Black Stout are kept for their meat and hide. While Tatanka are common livestock in the Cradle of Clay, they are not often kept on the edge of hills closest to the Great Plains as their size tends to draw Dinosaurs into the village. Even those Black Stout that the villagers keep must be kept in corrals north of the town to mitigate the chance of a rogue Dinosaur entering the village.
Wild animals in the area include wolves, rats, squirrels, and other rodents, but few other animals tend to stray this close to Dinosaur territory. Animals, other than domesticated ones, that survive in this area must be able to hide in the ground cover to survive. A variety of fish and clams can be found in the river, often changing with the seasons and the migration patterns of the animals.
Moss, hardy shrubs, and some trees can be found in the area, but south of the village, only Traveler's Grass can be found. Wild grains and flowers, such as the Cradle Brushes and Orange Honeysuckle dot the landscape amongst stands of Big Greystem. While the fauna seems sparse, a great deal of different plant life makes up the mat of grasses that cover most of the Cradle of Clay. This mat of grass brings many wild plants that are safe to eat as well as provides ground cover to stop any erosion that would occur due to the high winds of the area.

Orange Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle by Henry Perks on Unsplash

The colors of flowers in the Cradle of Clay tend to blend into the mat of grasses that cover the hills and the Orange Honeysuckle is no exception. Its orange or yellowish color can often become lost among the sea of grass but its appearance is seen as a good omen to those that find one.

Points of Interest

Many points of interest close to this village are hidden amongst the Traveler's Grass south of Campfire in the Human Empire. A popular watering hole for the myriad of Dinosaurs that call the Great Plains home can be found roughly five miles south of the village, while the shattered remains of once was a shrine can be found to the southwest, beyond the watering hole.
To the north, one can find the first of many Arcane Geysers scattered throughout the Cradle of Clay. These geysers are much smaller than the ones found deeper in the hills, only about the size of a tree stump. A day's walk from the village is necessary to reach these geysers.

Founding Date

239 EA

Type

Hamlet

Population

61

Location under

Cradle of Clay

Owning Organization

The Cradle

Architecture

The architecture of the area differs slightly from many other villages in the Cradle of Clay, but resources in the area have lent themselves to various styles of building that isn't necessarily possible elsewhere amongst the hills. Buildings are of a wattle and daub style, utilizing the thick mud and clay that can be gathered from the banks and riverbed of the Snowrun.
Stone is also a common building material, often used to create more ornate ornamentation on buildings as well as to build retaining and field walls. While the buildings are far from the ornate or more decorated buildings that are common to the south in the Human Empire, the village is kept clean and fairly well taken care of as it is seen as somewhat of a welcome area for those that enter the Cradle of Clay.

Infrastructure

As is true with much of the Northern Continent, Campfire utilizes dirt roads as the main avenue of travel. Throughout the village and to many of the fields and corrals, the roads are well-kept and wide enough for a large wagon to travel down. As one gets farther from the village and off the traveled path, these roads often taper to little more than game trails, utilized only by those that know the area extremely well.
With the river being so close, a system of furrow irrigation is utilized to increase production. A large number of fields surround the village, as well as a variety of corrals and pastures for the numerous animals that the villagers also raise. Walls created from mud, thick clay, and the stones removed from the areas and riverbeds are commonly seen in and around Campfire.

Field Walls

Field by Magda V on Unsplash

In areas of the Cradle of Clay close to water, this walls are commonly seen around fields and corrals. Made from stones cleared from the fields and mud or clay gathered from the water source, these walls tend to withstand the wear and tear of animals far better than the wooden fences that are also found in the area.

Defenses

Besides the short walls built to be used as field and retaining walls, the village has little in the way of defenses. The hills to the north and west, the river to the east, and the thick Traveler's Grass to the south provide a great deal in terms of natural defenses. Even so, the villagers are often trained to fight and wield weapons to keep the village safe from wandering predators.

Arcane Geysers

Geysers by Dan Meyers on Unsplash

Arcane Geysers are common throughout the Cradle of Clay and are coveted for the Arcane Dust they spit into the air. These geothermal features are protected by the Clay Giants and harvested for people around Isekai.