Gatherhold
On the eastern shore of Lake Ossya, Gatherhold stands as the gateway to the Talenta Plains. A small city founded as a meeting place for the greatest tribes has evolved into the only trade hub in the Plains. These meetings are held to settle disputes between the halfling tribes and if the Plains should get involved in international affairs.
The headquarters of House Ghallanda is located near the center of the city, and the inns and taverns of the city reflect the proximity of this. Every street, boulevard, and alley has some sort of market, bazaar, shop, or auction house which makes the city very attractive to traders and adventuring parties. Since there is no other official way into the Talenta Plains, all of the trade that enters Gatherhold from the outside world comes from Ravnica. This is beneficial to the economies of both cities.
The Congregation of the Free
The Wynarn Empire never had a firm grasp on the Talenta Plains and as such let the tribes govern themselves for the most part. The empire and the tribes found an agreement to allow them to found Gatherhold and create the Congregation of the Free, the gathering of the 17 leaders of the largest tribes. They would gather, hold meetings for a week, and report directly to Emperor Wynarn. Following the revolution, the halfling tribes continued the tradition of the Congregation of the Free with some additional changes. Today, instead of the leaders traveling to Gatherhold for the meetings, a single representative of the tribe is sent. This individual is typically a religious leader, a second in command, or a direct family member of the current leader. Ambassadors from Felderwin, Korth, and Grimgolir are sent to the Congregation, though they have no voting power. These ambassadors may ask for appeals and make other appearances before the Congregation of the Free. Decisions are made with a super-majority, specifically 12 of the 17 tribes must agree on them. All tribes abide by decisions made by the Congregation. The Congregation meets at least twice a year. Once on the summer solstice (15th of Brussendar) and once on the winter solstice (13th of Duscar). These meetings last for one week. Emergency meetings may be held on the 1st of each month (and not longer unless needed) if 6 of the 17 tribes agree to it. All members must attend all meetings, but the ambassadors of the three city-states need not. Given that the Congregation of the Free is representative of each tribe, the majority of the populace respects, if not likes, the gathering. The Congregants typically bring forth issues of their tribes which also benefits the respect of the Congregation. Those that reside within the Talenta Plains who are not part of the 17 main tribes may ask questions after the main meeting and ambassadors of the city-states have been dealt with.| Tribe | Leader | Congregant |
|---|---|---|
| Wyr | Sagramor Wyr (M) | Rudolph Wyr (M) - Son |
| Lorastir | Droga Lorastir (F) | Bovo Goodbody (M) - Spiritwalker |
| Camriel | Theobert Camriel (M) | Diarosa Camriel (F) - Sister |
| Vardath | Walaric Vardath (M) | Gabrielle Varadath (F) - Wife |
| Veles | Vedast Vedes (M) | Valdemar Harfoot (M) - Desleg* |
| Pyriel | Audoneus Pyriel (M) | Cedric Galpsi (M) - Spiritwalker |
| Fane | Taryn Fane (F) | Grimuld Fane (M) - Son |
| Brennas | Crassum Brennas (M) | Magnus Brennas (M) - Uncle |
| Aoden | Lavinia Aoden (F) | Gilly Galbassi (F) - Spiritwalker |
| Tirinthal | Ella Tirinthal (F) | Faro Tirinthal (M) - Brother |
| Lod | Nob Lod (M) | Conrad Chubb (M) - Gurvelzen* |
| Orenmir | Willichar Orenmir IV (M) | Willichar Orenmir V (M) - Son |
| Soran | Isembard Soran (M) | Angelica Soran (F) - Daughter |
| Farragan | Alarinda Farragan (F) | Doderic Farragan (M) - Son |
| Hanbalani | Robin Hanbalani (M) | Othus Hanbalani (M) - Nephew |
| Quordal | Marcova Quordal (F) | Semolina Quordal (F) - Desleg* |
| Sarlona | Paige Sarlona (F) | Uffo Sarlona (M) - Uncle |
*Desleg has no exact translation to Common, but the closest translation is "second in command". Gurvelzen also lacks a direct translation. However, it roughly translates to "dinosaur master".
The Fringe of Civilization
Gatherhold is the last stop for people venturing out into the Talenta Plains. The next points of interest are the Third, Forth, and Fifth Districts some 2 weeks away on horse or dino-back. This makes Gatherhold the prime location for traders to set up shop in its many markets and bazaars or create their own shop or auction house. The only international trade Gatherhold partakes in is with Ravnica. This creates a bottleneck between the outside world and the cities of Felderwin, Grimgolir, and Korth where Gatherhold maintains a monopoly on international trade. This is where the city generates most of its economy and makes it a powerhouse despite its relatively small size. This trade is run by the Alliance of Gold, a trade union for shops, markets, bazaars, and auction houses. The other generator of revenue for the city is the many taverns and inns monitored by House Ghallanda. With little interference despite semi-regular check-ins and evaluations, these establishments are allowed to set themselves up how they'd like. This management structure leads to many internal power grabs by individual establishments, which causes a lot of strife and competition. House Ghallanda doesn't interfere because the competition only makes the inns and taverns try harder than most and fuels the fire of profit. There is very little agriculture production around Gatherhold. The arid climate isn't the best for farming so the city must barter and trade with Felderwin and Ravnica for produce and grains. House Vadalis monitors the food and mount trade in Gatherhold. All butchers and restaurants must pass regular inspections by members of the house. Stables in Gatherhold sell and rent both horses and a variety of dinosaurs. The dino trade typically deals in triceratopses as beasts of burden. Velociraptors are available for smaller folk and Deinonychus for human-sized individuals looking for a capable and fast means of travel. Like the rest of western Noyatu, House Phiarlan offers a variety of entertainment in the city. The Demense of Oratory is found in Gatherhold and every night has poetry, tribal stories, and other spoken word epics available for viewing. The noble house also controls all other forms of fine arts in the city, most of which are performed by halflings from the various tribes.Spiritwalkers
Unlike most of the world, the halflings of the Talenta Plains have a looser definition of religion. They typically follow the likes of Arawai, Avandra, and Melora. These gods are masters of ideas that the halfling tribes hold dear; Life, Freedom, and the Wilderness. Those who have a more spiritual outlook follow many of the nature spirits associated with Noyatu. These spirits sometimes grant gifts of the wild to those they find destined for larger lives. The religions practiced in Gatherhold are not as established as they are in other cities on the continent so there is little strife between them. Most religious leaders have close ties to political leaders acting as mentors rather than advisors in a traditional kingdom. Religions are not competing for followers in Gatherhold. Instead, the three major sects uplift one another.Population: 46,200 (90% halflings, 5% humans, 2% shakoa, 3% other races)
Government: Gatherhold acts as the pinnacle of Talenta law, therefore the Congregation of the Free rule the city together.
Defense: Gatherhold has no city police force. The city hires the Sentinel Marshals of House Deneith and private investigators of House Tharashk.
Hallmarks: Plains culture, trade and bartering, upscale inns and taverns
Famous Businesses
- The Old Mill. General goods and auction house
- The Last Depot. Pawnshop
- Sada's Quality Transports. Stable and Wheelshop
- The Golden Ox. Butcher
- The North Call Inn. Inn and Tavern
Founding Date
10761 AZI
Type
Capital
Included Locations
Owning Organization
Talenta Topics
- The Last Depot has been suspected of shady deals and sabotage for years. A few popular shops would pay handsomely if evidence was found.
- Ghosts and other supernatural entities are starting to wander into the city. They typically stay away from points of civilization and stick to the scattered ruins of the plains.
- The shakoa population has skyrocketed in the last year. The race is not found this far inland, especially in large numbers.
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