Forest Heart

Forest Heart is the first major settlement within the Red Dew once humans began to flock within. It was built as an impenetrable fort to protect against the incursions of hostile fey and strange beasts for extended periods. As such it was literally built over a stretch of river where drinking, washing and cleansing could be done without ever living the city. It is composed of entire redwood logs, planed and stacked upon one another, bespelled into ironwood, then further imbedded with cold iron nails and slivers. After the Treaty of Red Dew it was no longer necessary as a fort, and villages began to spread from it, eventually becoming the nation of Longhouse.

Banner/Colors: The symbol of Forest Heart is redwood tree with a burgundy river flowing behind it.

Population: 2,000-3,000; 70% human, 25% wild children, 3% trufflefolk, 1% darfellan, 1% raptoran.

Primary Language: Chat: a common/sylvan hybrid tongue

Year of Establishment: 304 YoF (Year of Frost)

Government
Government: Forest Heart is the seat of the Longhouse government, composed of representatives from hundreds of different villages, towns and guilds. They may speak for their Lords or Guild Masters, or be them themselves. Comparatively few actually reside within the walls of Forest Heart, but are often on the road between Forest Heart and their homes.

These representatives all ally themselves with certain Regions. - Forest Heart - Golden Orchard - The Bazaar - Doorstep - Coastal

The representatives then vote for a Regional Lord. These Lords nominate one of their number to be the Seat of Longhouse. The Seat has no actual power over the other Lords, and his vote is usually only called for when needed to break a stalemate. His final word is the one that becomes law. The Seat can serve for any amount of time, depending on the votes of the other Lords, though no region can ever have more than 3 seats appointed in concession.

Government Popularity: As the representative is usually popular, and if he wishes to remain a representative he tends to stay popular amongst his people. As such, the wishes of the people are usually of greatest interest, and such very widely popular.

Army:  Forest Heart is guarded by it's own small military called the Woodsmen, mostly scouts and rangers who begin their training as simple soldiers and watchers. They then proceed to commanders over their own garrisons. Commanders are then accepted into elite groups of scouts commanded by a Ranger. They can then become Rangers themselves which are considered above the law in many ways. They answer to no authority, but are constantly on the move, seeking for dangers to Longhouse. They live off the wilds, though can ask of any merchant or home in the area for bed, food or items which the government of Longhouse will pay for. Such fluidity and trust in the Rangers has protected Forest Heart for centuries. Occasionally one of these Rangers will be asked to join the Knights of the Golden Orchard, and other Rangers will generally defer to their decisions out of respect. This opportunity for the power and freedom draws many a recruit, only for many to leave this military or sober their lust for wealth by the responsibility this power gives them.

Defenses: As mentioned above, the city is nearly impregnable due to the make of its wall. With the canopy allowed to grow up overhead, few can enter from above, and the dense network of tree roots beneath the city reduces the possibility of tunneling. The weak spot of the city is where the river enters the city, but even that is protected by multiple layers of cold iron grates and sluices.

Primary Enemy: Forest Heart itself has not been under attack since the Treaty of Red Dew, for even the Cult of Ruin respects its fortification. Due to its hidden nature beneath the trees it even meshes with their religious dogma. As such, Forest Heart is considered the only true haven within Longhouse, though if all the peoples of the nation were gathered it could not hold even a quarter of their full numbers.

Fighting Style: Forest Heart is the home of expert bowman, though most are also fitted with a Woodman's Knife; a long machete-like kukri equally useful for combat, hacking through underbrush, or mundane uses like log splitting and skinning/butchery.

Society
Slavery: Slavery does not exist, nor ever has within Forest Heart.

Constabulary: Forest Heart boasts no true constabulary outside of the military, with most sections of the city having a sort of community watch for simple muggers, thieves and similar.

Method of execution: Murderers, rapists and others of similar nature are sentenced to death by firing squad of archers. Those of repeat offenses of truly heinous crimes are attached to a Ranger who escorts them to the edges of the fey-held areas of the Red Dew. The Ranger then keeps watch to make sure they don't attempt to leave for several days.

Organized Crime: There is a group only known as the Rooters, said to be led by a Ranger who went as bad as they come, having managed to delude all those who raised him to his position. It is not certain who this ranger is, but he uses his influence to aid the Rooters. They aid in the smuggling of fey creatures into and out of the city, as well as black marketeering, kidnapping, assassination, and whatever else their skills allow. They are called Rooters from the single confirmation of their existence, a stronghold dug beneath Forest Heart and out into the woods. It is said more exist, and exit miles away into caverns by the sea where ships may come and go with members of the organization and their materials. Taught by a master woodsman and skulker, they are highly trained rogues indeed.

Common skills of inhabitants: Many different skills combine within Forest Heart, the woodworking, carpentry and similar skills are especially fine here.

However, touristry and business is what the city thrives on, as the center of civilization for hundreds of miles. Cooking in particular is exquisite, able to draw on both surf and turf, woodland and farmland, with influences from a great variety of races. As well, herbs, fruits, tubers and even animals found nowhere else on Hearth are found within the Red Dew, granting a much wider branch of culinary possibilities.

Many travelers and visitors or means or renown eventually migrate to the Crillon, a famous bath house, inn and dining hall built over the river and surrounded by marvelous gardens. It is the place to be and be seen in Forest Heart.

Clothing:  Longhouse style in particular tend towards kilts, skirts or kapris along with hooded capes to keep off the almost continuous downpours found within the forest.