Wheatsea
Wheatsea is the first and largest city in the The Homestead. Run by the FilWallys clan, the city is located at the mouth of the Golden River where it joins the Silver Sea. It is a port city that is known for trade, fishing, and small boat building, as well as being the center of halfling government. Contingents of elves and dwarves often pass through Wheatsea on their way overland, and human delegations to the elves also tend to pass through Wheatsea on their way to Calenmel.
Wheatsea is divided into four quarters: the Old Quarter, which is walled for protection, then the Sea Quarter, Green Quarter, and River Quarter. The Sea Quarter houses ship-building and fishing industry (ship-yards, long-term berths for fishing vessels), the River Quarter is where much of the day-to-day trading with other clans occurs as well as lower-class inns and restaurants (plus warehouses, lower-status city shops, dock-workers for commerce/shipping), and the Green Quarter is largely residential and small shops for the working and middle classes of Wheatsea. (groceries, smaller markets, for residents of the city. Would not want visitors in that quarter. Quiet, more "normal" life.)
Old Quarter
The Old Quarter houses the city's wealthy and elite, as well as the headquarters for its guilds, temples, and storehouses, as well as permanent embassies for all of the other clans. Nice inns and international commerce are also mostly in the Old Quarter. It is patrolled by the Blueblades: the FilWallys domestic guard (all FilWallys halflings).
Inns in the Old Quarter
The Bountiful Harvest
The Golden Sheaf
The Merry Vineyard
The Harp and Hearth
Gates to the Old Quarter
First Gate (external, stone, very old with geometric designs)
Friends' Gate (to River Quarter, for use by visitors. High security, checks of everyone and belongings. Large enough for carts, has basic magic built in to detect magical items passing through.)
Family Gate (to Green Quarter. Minimal security, only FilWallys halflings may use it. Round, wooden, out of the way.)
River Quarter
The River Quarter is where much of the day-to-day trading with other clans occurs as well as lower-class inns and restaurants (plus warehouses, lower-status city shops, dock-workers for commerce/shipping).
Key Venues in the River Quarter
The Trout and Stout Bar
The Fearless Fisherman Inn
The Naiad's Song (performance venue and inn)
The Mysterious Lobster Tavern
Homestead Harmony (meeting place for inter-clan affairs)
Gates to the River Quarter
River Gate (external, from docks. Open from daybreak until sunset. Large, open, minimal security. Just recording entrance and collecting customs fees for whatever goods are brought in.)
Blue Gate (to the Sea Quarter, for commerce and trade-related usage. The gate is wood and painted blue with murals of waves on it)
Gull Gate (to the Sea Quarter, for use by workers and other clansmen without goods or animals to bring through. Small, minimal security, has intricately carved seagull statues perched on top as decoration.)
Friends' Gate (to Old Quarter, for use by visitors. High security, checks of everyone and belongings. Large enough for carts, has basic magic built in to detect magical items passing through.)
Green Quarter
The Green Quarter is largely residential and small shops for the working and middle classes of Wheatsea. (groceries, smaller markets, for residents of the city. Would not want visitors in that quarter. Quiet, more "normal" life.)
Gates to the Green Quarter
Green Gate (external, north, from fields. Largest external gate, allows large carts and beasts of burden through. Minimal security.)
Garden Gate (external, north, to communal gardens that are just beyond the city walls. Narrow, minimal security.)
Sunset Gate (external, west, to seaside overlook. Gate is bars rather than solid (though has solid second gate that always stays open) so the sea breeze can come in and people can see the sunset)
Family Gate (to Old Quarter. Minimal security, only FilWallys halflings may use it. Round, wooden, out of the way.)
Builders' Gate (to Sea Quarter. Security on the Sea Quarter side to ensure that no one enters who isn't permitted. Fine wooden gate, carved to look like a ship's prow.)
Sea Quarter
The Sea Quarter houses ship-building and fishing industry (ship-yards, long-term berths for fishing vessels)
Gates to the Sea Quarter
Sea Gate (external, west, large entrance for commerce and visitors. Bronze, decorated with etchings of the sea and ships sailing on it)
Builders' Gate (to Green Quarter. Security on the Sea Quarter side to ensure that no one enters who isn't permitted. Fine wooden gate, carved to look like a ship's prow.)
Blue Gate (to the River Quarter, for commerce and trade-related usage. The gate is wood and painted blue with murals of waves on it)
Gull Gate (to the River Quarter, for use by workers and other clansmen without goods or animals to bring through. Small, minimal security, has intricately carved seagull statues perched on top as decoration.)
River commerce is mostly helmed by FilWallys boats and people, or visitors - all non-FilWallys boats must pay customs fee at Wheatsea for all who dock. Don't try to control traffic on the river if it doesn't impact them. Wheatsea is also where the Homestead Games occur every year. This month-long event is mostly a diplomatic gathering of the clan chieftains, with an overlay of competitions to keep the delegations busy while their chieftains deliberate. The Games occur in and around the Standing Stones of Sgain, a circle of giant stone pillars on a hill north of Wheatsea. The FilWallys (Peregrin Miloda FilWallys) lives in Wheatsea, but his eldest son Milo is mayor. Peregrin is old, and has had long relationships with both the elves and dwarves. Milo is more suspicious of the Ironhelm Empire especially, since he views their sexism as bigoted and unnatural. Milo’s wife Crocus agrees. She’s the power behind the mayordom; Milo is the face, but she handles all the administration of the city. The FilWallys has an Advisory Council made of the heads of the clan's professional guilds (which is located in Wheatsea): its farming chief (Lalia), fishing chief (Basso), boat-building chief (Olo), sheriff (Cutter), financial & trade chief (Myrtle), and the Wheatsea mayor (Milo). For a lot of history, the FilWallys normally travels around the clan, but Peregrin now lives in the city because he's old and doesn't want to leave. People's opinion is split on whether Peregrin should have already stepped down and assigned a new FilWallys or whether none of his sons are up for the job yet. They hire mercenaries who serve to fight off pirates and police the docks and answer to the sheriff (mostly from Clan F'Stirling with some dwarves). Would be something of a welfare state, with subsidies as a safety net for their clan members from the tariffs/charges coming from trade. Rather minimize inequity than maximize prosperity among their clan members. Also have major presence of dwarvish interests since they're a trade hub.
Old Quarter
The Old Quarter houses the city's wealthy and elite, as well as the headquarters for its guilds, temples, and storehouses, as well as permanent embassies for all of the other clans. Nice inns and international commerce are also mostly in the Old Quarter. It is patrolled by the Blueblades: the FilWallys domestic guard (all FilWallys halflings).
Inns in the Old Quarter
The Bountiful Harvest
The Golden Sheaf
The Merry Vineyard
The Harp and Hearth
Gates to the Old Quarter
First Gate (external, stone, very old with geometric designs)
Friends' Gate (to River Quarter, for use by visitors. High security, checks of everyone and belongings. Large enough for carts, has basic magic built in to detect magical items passing through.)
Family Gate (to Green Quarter. Minimal security, only FilWallys halflings may use it. Round, wooden, out of the way.)
River Quarter
The River Quarter is where much of the day-to-day trading with other clans occurs as well as lower-class inns and restaurants (plus warehouses, lower-status city shops, dock-workers for commerce/shipping).
Key Venues in the River Quarter
The Trout and Stout Bar
The Fearless Fisherman Inn
The Naiad's Song (performance venue and inn)
The Mysterious Lobster Tavern
Homestead Harmony (meeting place for inter-clan affairs)
Gates to the River Quarter
River Gate (external, from docks. Open from daybreak until sunset. Large, open, minimal security. Just recording entrance and collecting customs fees for whatever goods are brought in.)
Blue Gate (to the Sea Quarter, for commerce and trade-related usage. The gate is wood and painted blue with murals of waves on it)
Gull Gate (to the Sea Quarter, for use by workers and other clansmen without goods or animals to bring through. Small, minimal security, has intricately carved seagull statues perched on top as decoration.)
Friends' Gate (to Old Quarter, for use by visitors. High security, checks of everyone and belongings. Large enough for carts, has basic magic built in to detect magical items passing through.)
Green Quarter
The Green Quarter is largely residential and small shops for the working and middle classes of Wheatsea. (groceries, smaller markets, for residents of the city. Would not want visitors in that quarter. Quiet, more "normal" life.)
Gates to the Green Quarter
Green Gate (external, north, from fields. Largest external gate, allows large carts and beasts of burden through. Minimal security.)
Garden Gate (external, north, to communal gardens that are just beyond the city walls. Narrow, minimal security.)
Sunset Gate (external, west, to seaside overlook. Gate is bars rather than solid (though has solid second gate that always stays open) so the sea breeze can come in and people can see the sunset)
Family Gate (to Old Quarter. Minimal security, only FilWallys halflings may use it. Round, wooden, out of the way.)
Builders' Gate (to Sea Quarter. Security on the Sea Quarter side to ensure that no one enters who isn't permitted. Fine wooden gate, carved to look like a ship's prow.)
Sea Quarter
The Sea Quarter houses ship-building and fishing industry (ship-yards, long-term berths for fishing vessels)
Gates to the Sea Quarter
Sea Gate (external, west, large entrance for commerce and visitors. Bronze, decorated with etchings of the sea and ships sailing on it)
Builders' Gate (to Green Quarter. Security on the Sea Quarter side to ensure that no one enters who isn't permitted. Fine wooden gate, carved to look like a ship's prow.)
Blue Gate (to the River Quarter, for commerce and trade-related usage. The gate is wood and painted blue with murals of waves on it)
Gull Gate (to the River Quarter, for use by workers and other clansmen without goods or animals to bring through. Small, minimal security, has intricately carved seagull statues perched on top as decoration.)
River commerce is mostly helmed by FilWallys boats and people, or visitors - all non-FilWallys boats must pay customs fee at Wheatsea for all who dock. Don't try to control traffic on the river if it doesn't impact them. Wheatsea is also where the Homestead Games occur every year. This month-long event is mostly a diplomatic gathering of the clan chieftains, with an overlay of competitions to keep the delegations busy while their chieftains deliberate. The Games occur in and around the Standing Stones of Sgain, a circle of giant stone pillars on a hill north of Wheatsea. The FilWallys (Peregrin Miloda FilWallys) lives in Wheatsea, but his eldest son Milo is mayor. Peregrin is old, and has had long relationships with both the elves and dwarves. Milo is more suspicious of the Ironhelm Empire especially, since he views their sexism as bigoted and unnatural. Milo’s wife Crocus agrees. She’s the power behind the mayordom; Milo is the face, but she handles all the administration of the city. The FilWallys has an Advisory Council made of the heads of the clan's professional guilds (which is located in Wheatsea): its farming chief (Lalia), fishing chief (Basso), boat-building chief (Olo), sheriff (Cutter), financial & trade chief (Myrtle), and the Wheatsea mayor (Milo). For a lot of history, the FilWallys normally travels around the clan, but Peregrin now lives in the city because he's old and doesn't want to leave. People's opinion is split on whether Peregrin should have already stepped down and assigned a new FilWallys or whether none of his sons are up for the job yet. They hire mercenaries who serve to fight off pirates and police the docks and answer to the sheriff (mostly from Clan F'Stirling with some dwarves). Would be something of a welfare state, with subsidies as a safety net for their clan members from the tariffs/charges coming from trade. Rather minimize inequity than maximize prosperity among their clan members. Also have major presence of dwarvish interests since they're a trade hub.
Type
City
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