Needles Welch

"Do you want to end up in Needles Welch?"
Common saying from parents to their more indolent children, because of course no one wants to end up there.

Needles Welch is a small village that can be found in the outer reaches of Chemnos. It is a very old village, dating all the way back to before the Seven Kingdoms were in their heyday.
Regardless, it is in the middle of nowhere, and despite its age, very few people choose to go live there.

A Place of Exile

Despite the fact that the population rarely goes above 1000 people total, Needles Welch has been continuously inhabited since it was founded. Initially, it was a prison waypoint, a last stop before the truly degenerate members of society were sent off into The Great Beyond. When such extreme punishments faded in popularity, the idea of exile in the back end of nowhere became popular.
Chemnos is large enough, and close enough in proximity to the Great Beyond, that in the past there were quite a few such places where criminals were sent to live out their days. Not in prison, but not permitted to rejoin society.
Eventually this faded as well, and new punishments were devised for the deviant. Most of the prison towns faded with it, but Needles Welch endured, because it actually has decent scenery. The people who were sent there actually liked living there, for the most part. Their children balked at staying, but that didn't matter because other exiles arrived to fill in the gaps. This time, instead of being sentenced by a judge, they were usually sentenced by the court of social opinion.

A Home For Anyone Who Can Shut Up

The village has one boast for itself. It is in the middle of nowhere, certainly. It is rather boring, and interesting people rarely arrive. It has a history that can largely be told by the gravestones of people who lived long, healthy lives.
But the people there do not have to worry about heroic nonsense. If you are willing to keep your head down, to treat your neighbors with respect and offer them privacy, then they will afford you the same.

Founding Date

640

Alternative Name(s)

The back end of nowhere

Type

Village

Population

Larger than you might think but still pretty small

Inhabitant Demonym

Welchers

Owning Organization

Chemnos