Council's Camp

A collection of permanent and temporary buildings that house the Council's headquarters. The normal permanent population is between 600 and 800, including the Veil-Tenders Village. The population swells into the thousands during the Gathering Season that happens every ten years.
The main building is the Council House where the offices, meeting rooms and hearing rooms are housed. The building is torn down and rebuilt every few centuries to account for new technology, though it always reuses some of the previous building in the new building. The newest model was built in the 1990s to account for new digital technologies. There are also smaller permanent buildings that house other offices for Councilors, Ambassadors, and their clerks. There are also permanent houses and apartments for residents.
Surrounding the Council House and buildings area the campgrounds. These are open areas for use during the Gathering Season. Visitors can erect temporary housing that they can manage to bring into the isolated valley. Most common temporary housing consists of tents, yurts and similar structures.
The Parade Grounds are where the Welcoming Feast is held. The are a large area behind the Council House with a kitchen and facilities building nearby.

Demographics

The campgrounds are the surrounding area of the Council House and auxiliary buildings. No one resides in the Council House as it is strictly for work. The auxiliary buildings do house the permanent residents of the camp who maintain it through the years. Councilors often work throughout the off years on different cases to make the Gathering Season go more smoothly. All species and ethnicities are allowed to reside permanently so long as they are from a Treaty Signers group.
Each visiting groups/factions are alloted campsites depending on the number of visitors traveling with them. Smaller family groups often combine together to get a better campsite. The bigger campsites are closer to the Council House and its buildings. Smaller sites are located along the valley's walls. The better campsites are located toward the center of the valley since it makes traveling easier. The bigger and more influential factions reserve their campsites since they usually have a permanent presence in the Camp. However, the rest are first come, first serve. It is understood that if you want a good campsite, to come early to set up and do not complain about what site you end up with. However, this still creates small disputes and often ends with various groups playing tricks on one another.

Government

The Council of Elders is charge of the area. Treaty Signers pay taxes to the Council. The amount is the negotiated at the time of signing. These funds are what runs the Camp and keeps it maintained. Money is also made through the main industry of Haryk Crystals and transportation through the Portal of the Veil.
The High Elder is in charge of the day to day operation of the Camp, though most of the time it is handled by the various Councilors who are working and spending time there year-round. During the Gathering Season, the groups are responsible for maintaining order among their own members.

Industry & Trade

Haryk Crystals are the most important manufactured item. The mining and selling of the crystals is regulated by the Council of Elders.
Veil-Tenders are the group that manages travel through the Portal of the Veil. They are also responsible for maintaining the Portal. Their Village is adjacent to the Camp but not located in the Camp. Traveling fees to go through the Portal are split between the Council and the Veil-Tenders.

Infrastructure

• Main Council House
• Campgrounds
• Veil-Tenders Village
• Haryk Crystals Mine
• The Lapidary
• Parade Grounds

Districts

• Council Campgrounds: where most visitors stay during the Gathering Season and where the Council's buildings are located
• Veil-Tenders Village: where the Veil-Tenders live

Assets

The Treasurer's Building holds the bank and vault for the monies collected. Haryk Crystals Mine is where the crystals are mined. They then are refined at the Lapidary.

History

After the signing of the Treaty of Haryk, the newly aligned groups continued to gather every ten years. The Camp first started out as a temporary settlement. Eventually, one group decided to stay in the area permanently to tend to the Portal of the Veil. They became known as the Veil-Tenders. The rest of the Treaty Signers continued coming on a decennial basis. As more groups joined the Treaty, it became clear that it would be a good idea for the Council of Elders to also create a permanent settlement in the valley. The first Council House and a few outlying buildings were erected from wood. Eventually the Council House and buildings were rebuilt with stone to withstand the years. The buildings are upgraded or rebuilt entirely depending on wear and tear.

Points of interest

Portal of the Veil: one of the main portals that allows safe travel between the Veiled Realms and the Mortal Realm

Architecture

The architecture takes its style from various periods of history depending on when the building was constructed. The buildings currently look like overgrown French cottages. The Veil-Tenders village takes on a more natural looking appearance and appears to grow out of the valley walls.

Geography

The valley lies between mountains and plateaus. There is a freshwater stream that runs through the valley with a few ponds. The walls of the valley are steep and not easy to climb.

Founding Date

600 AD

Type

Outpost / Base

Population

600-800

Related Ethnicities

• Veil-Tenders

Location under

Haryk's Valley

Included Locations

• Council House

Owning Organization

Council of Elders

Related Tradition (Primary)

• Welcoming Feast