Wolfhaven
Nestled deep within an ancient and sprawling forest, the forest home for werewolves stands as a testament to their primal nature and connection to the wilderness. This hidden sanctuary, encircled by a formidable stockade of towering trees and massive timber, exudes an air of both mystique and raw power. As the moon's ethereal glow filters through the dense foliage, the werewolves find solace and protection in this secluded haven.
Demographics
100 Werewolves (In Wolfhaven)
200 (Local Area)
400 (Wider BC area)
3000 Wolf-Blooded
50 Changing Breeds (Various)
2250 Humans
Government
Wolfhaven operates on a loose council of Pack Alphas (The High Hunt) that report directly to Evan Bloodmane, and a shadow council of Wolf Blooded that work alongside the High Hunt. The Wolf Blooded typically oversee the day to day running of Wolf Haven itself, leaving the Werewolves free to deal with more martial and spiritual matters, though there is some overlap in both directions. Evan Bloodmane and both Councils are quite loose in their leadership, prizing initiative and free-thinking, which leaves the settlement both very adaptable and quick to deal with changing situations and very disorganised when it comes to large scale or long term planning.
Defences
Wolfhome is surrounded by a thick stockade, great trunks taken from the nearby forests and lifted into place by Werewolves past. It was only comparatively recently finished, the builders using old techniques to make the wood self-preserving before it was harvested and placed in defence of its inhabitants, and as such seems like a mighty and impassable barrier to those who see it for the first time. The size of the barrier makes it seem imposing and almost impossible in scope for most people, and any tactician would note that manning the wall in its entirety is impossible. There are watchtowers along the palisade, and the typical procedure is for an individual watchtower to sound the alarm, bringing defenders to the specific part of the wall to be held. Other than the watchtowers there is only a light patrol on the walls unless there is an expected threat; one hundred Werewolves inhabiting the town at any one given time has proven to be quite the deterrent to intelligent enemies of Wolfhaven.
Industry & Trade
The settlement does a robust trade in a number of different industries, chief amongst these is their meat and food exports, but Wolfhaven also has a thriving furrier and tanning sector, producing excellent clothing designed for harsh weather and wear. Wolfhaven also has a reputation for excellent carpenters, and a surprising if logical trade in plumbing services. Alongside the outdoor gear is both production of truly superb bows, and survival gear in general. Wolfhaven is also the chief point of contact for deep forest Pathfinders, mostly crewed by members of the Hunters In Darkness and Bone Shadow Tribes.
Infrastructure
Wolfhaven is a large, rustic iron-age town with a solid internal infrastructure of fishing, farming and hunting, alongside controlled forestry, that means that despite the inhospitable surroundings and loose bureaucracy Wolfhaven is very self-reliant. The town has a rugged lakefront docks, a couple of tanneries and sawmills, contained allotments within the town walls and three well attended taverns, two of which boast their own competing breweries. The Iron Masters also maintain a couple of blacksmiths and a larger, more industrial forge, though they guard the secrets of how the forge runs jealously from outsiders which fuels rumours that the Tribe has some functioning technology within. Wolfhaven also has a small but thriving furrier trade, a couple of bakeries, charcoal burners that operate just outside the settlement, and a large number of carpenters that ply their trade both within the settlement and across the BC countryside.
Districts
The Main Gate: The gate to Wolfhaven is an imposing double door, a foot thick and made of layered oak reinforced with steel. Around it is a massive gatehouse, made of a twinned pair of guard towers, part stone and part oak like the gate, and similarly reinforced. The Gatehouse is barrier and barracks, all in one, and the Gatehouse is also adjoined to the building that houses the Settlement Portals, though a series of locked, reinforced doors separate the two buildings internally. Once inside the gate the visitor finds themselves on the Main Run, the central street that goes from the gatehouse straight through to the centre of Wolfhaven. In the first section of the Main Run there is the gatehouse tavern, "The Travellers Respite", and nearby is the chirurgeon's surgery, one of the few fully stone buildings of the settlement. Otherwise the gatehouse area has a series of opportunistic stalls and businesses, and a few entertainers and artists are almost always in evidence throughout the day.
The Main Run: The Main Run is the biggest, longest street in Wolfhaven, leading all the way through from the main gate to the central buildings of the settlement, and then technically around those to the lakefront docks. The Run is partially residential buildings, but has a large amount of businesses, both retail and industry, all the way down its length. Typically a visitor to Wolfhaven will be able to find the majority of their shopping needs met somewhere along the Run. Half way down the Run is another tavern, "The Defiant Hart", which is larger than the Respite and boasts a larger amount of drinks and food on sale. This street is always bustling with people, whether shopping, delivering, going to and from work, entertaining passers by or simply using it to cross from one district to another, it is never quiet.
The Skinworks: The Skinworks is a particularly unpleasant area just inside of the main Wolfhaven walls that houses the tanneries and furriers industry. It has its own, smaller gatehouse, and those with enough Sight to see them there are Wind and Air elementals that have been tasked to keep the majority of the vile scents and pollutants of the tanneries away from the residential areas. With those and its own smaller internal walls, the Skinworks is hard to even notice from the outside of the district, but once inside those walls the visitor is hit by an almost overwhelming stench from the various tanneries and the chemicals they use to cure the skins. The whole district is active and alive, but also dirty and disgusting to the average visitor, and a veritable maze of sagging walls and roofs that are reminiscent of a shanty town rather than a hive of industry.
The Lakeside Docks: The fishing industry of Wolfhaven is, of course, centred entirely around the sprawling and chaotic docks and jetties of the Crimson Lake. Years of building and rebuilding the moorings and walkways have left a confusing layout that only the experienced can traverse without worry of falling through rotten boards into the murky water below, and the possible wooden stakes left behind from previous structures. The area stinks of rotten wood and fish, though the fresh breeze from the lake often makes the area quite pleasant occasionally. The docks themselves reach a good ten to twenty meters out into the lake with both sailed and rowing boats moored at all points along the way, some of which are partially or almost entirely submerged. There is usually some activity at the docks, day and night, as there are a variety of catches to be made at all hours.
Assets
Wolfhaven has a large store of hunting and survival equipment, a considerable armoury that includes a sizeable amount of Fetish weapons and other Spiritual equipment, and a large store of dried meats, fish and high calorie trail rations. Wolfhaven does also have a store of flour and grains, but Wolfhaven does not do much farming of its own, and thus most of this store has been traded from the other settlements. Wolhaven also has a large store of lumber, in various states of preparation that range from raw felled logs to artfully produced high grade planks, preserved and stored for maturing.
Guilds and Factions
There are only two formal guilds that operate in Wolfhaven, due to the very family based culture of the Werewolves, but there are a few loose groups that can be identified, other than Tribes and Packs. There is a general collective for the food and fishing trades, each of which don't have any official standing but have been known to gather for collective bargaining or to present a united front when needed with the Guilds, either as a whole or as individual sectors of business. There are also the Werewolf Pathfinders, though if they have any strict hierarchy or organisation they are not sharing the details.
History
The origin of Wolfhaven is a bloody tale of victory snatched from the jaws of the wilds. The lake that was to become Crimson Lake was an unnamed lake that laid host to a cult of horrific nature, worshipping at the feet of the Old Enemy. Numbering hundreds of mortal followers, unnumbered beasts of darkness that predated the End, and even twisted Mages, inhuman Vampires and Changelings that had given into madness, this fortress poisoned the land around it and stood as a endless threat to the settlements that were scraping themselves up from the ashes of the End. No one group were able to find purchase enough to break the fortress-cathedral, and there was even talk of moving away, until a delegation of Werewolves made their way to Echo Lake to meet with the Awakened there. In council with the local Mortals, Awakened, Kindred and Lost, the previously unknown lycanthropes pledged to break the fortress if they had the support of the other settlements. The deal was struck, and with the pledged assistance two hundred Werewolves assaulted that dark place, tearing down the tower and slaying endless horrors and ancient powers. More than half the Werewolves that fought that battle lost their lives, and the blood spilled over the three days of combat gave the lake its new name, the old one lost to time. Taking the lake as their own, Wolfhaven was claimed as territory of the new faction, and the other settlements were more than willing to acquiesce to this without argument.
The settlement grew quickly, with "Wolf Blooded" relatives moving into the area shortly after their shapeshifter Kin claimed it as theirs, and quickly became a lynchpin of the local alliance. Lending their strength to the worst of fights, they outnumbered and outgrew the Echo Lake Mages and had much more toughness, strength and experience than the Mortal settlement, they became a staple in the defence of the Alliance and surrounding areas.
Points of interest
The Lodge of Scrolls - The Lodge of Scrolls is a Uratha organisation dedicated to preserving all information that it can. Its membership is technically only open to Werewolves, but it works closely with other supernaturals and humans to further its singular goal. The Lodge has a large, stately stone chapter house in the center of Wolfhaven, located adjacent to the Wolfhaven Cartographers guild.
The Cartographers Guild - The favourite of any traveler, the Cartographers guild, for a fee, will help to provide maps for varying areas both local and beyond. For the more discerning, the guild is known to create travel listings where an outline to your destination can be provided for appropriate roads and safety measures. The guild has also carefully mapped areas locally that may pose danger in the hedge and the area beyond. Such information was acquired through great risk and is often very closely guarded. The branch of the cartographers guild in the Freehold is one of the few with such information. The Pathfinders function as the more battle-trained force within the Cartographer's Guild; advanced scouting and combat forged ranger's trained to traverse and explore the wilds of Terra. Needless to say, new Pathfinder's are always needed... not all make it back.
The Woodworkers Guild - The Woodworkers Guild of Wolfhaven is a hub for woodworking enthusiasts, artisans and professionals alike. They serve as a valuable resource for woodworkers, providing a sense of community, education, and a platform for sharing knowledge and expertise. The Woodworkers Guild of Wolfhaven keeps an eye on the future, blending tradition with innovation. Their Guild House is located along the far western wall of Wolfhaven.
The Hidebound Artisans - The guild of leatherworkers, furriers and tanners within Wolfhaven has a large membership base within Wolfhaven and it's members are known to be some of the best skinworkers.which were harvested for sustenance and clothing. They work openly with any interested would-be apprentices to educate and ensure proper respect is given to the skin of the beasts that were harvested for sustenance and clothing. Their Guildhouse is located in the center of the Skinworks district.
Architecture
The majority of Wolfhaven is either wooden or stone and wood mix. There are only a few entirely stone buildings in the settlement, notable examples being the chirurgeons surgery and the barracks and Portal building attached to the main gatehouse. Large or important buildings such as the gatehouse, The Broken Tower Inn, and the Council Buildings, are all part stone construction, as are the homes in some of the more prominent residential areas. The rest of Wolfhaven, however, is almost entirely wooden construction, sourced from Wolfhavens own lumber stores and erected by the talented carpenters of the town.
Natural Resources
Wood, meats - both common and exotic, leather and hide, furs
Founding Date
200AW
Type
Town
Population
6000
Inhabitant Demonym
Wolfers, Puppies (Diminutive), Savages (Insulting)
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Additional Rulers/Owners
Related Tradition (Primary)
Related Traditions
Characters in Location
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