Moonhome was founded two centuries ago, but has grown
quickly.
At present, it has a population
of approximately 8,160 citizens.
Approximately 62% (5060) of Moonhome's population is of elvish
blood.
Humans comprise about 25% (2040)
of the population, with halflings consisting of 5% (408) and dwarves about 2%
(163). The remainder of Moonhome's population consists of other races, such as
freescale dragonborn, gnomes, etc.
In the two centuries since its founding, Moonhome has grown
organically. The original settlers did not have a city plan in mind when they
established their first homes, rather they built where they liked and, over
time, those temporary lodgings evolved into more durable and permanent structures. Over time, well-worn pathways evolved into
rough-lanes and cobblestoned streets.
This pattern of organic growth and expansion continued when
the first new settlers arrived. As a result, Moonhome is not organized into
metropolitan wards, like other cities, but rather functions as a series of
close-knit, albeit independently run village-neighborhoods who send
representatives to the City Council.
Because of this, Moonhome's neighborhood-villages all have
very distinct personalities. In recent years, there has been a push for a more
formal city plan to be developed, as Moonhome expands. This idea is being
pushed for the sake of public sanitation and health, moreso than anything else.
However, calls for centralizing authority and power in the hands of the City
Council are usually met with stiff resistance from the majority of Moonhome's
residents. In their minds, less
government is a good thing.
Moonhome does have a Mayor, who runs for election once every
eight years. The Mayor's job is mostly
ceremonial and administrative. He sets the agenda for the City Council,
supervises various public works and is responsible for city-wide services, such
as the City Watch and the City Militia.
Council Members represent Moonhome's five
neighborhood-villages. The Council Members are chosen from the members of the
neighborhood-village councils by those councils. Council member terms vary
depending on which neighborhood-village they represent. For example,
Dragonhearth's Council Member is replaced once every four years, while
Mountview's Council Member is replaced yearly. Because of this, the makeup and
disposition of the City Council changes quite frequently.
Moonhome has five distinct neighborhood-villages:
Dragonhearth, Bridges, Mountview, Solace and Checkers.
Dragonhearth is the oldest of Moonhome's neighborhoods. It
was the site of the first settlement, two centuries ago. Those rough lean-to's
and tents have long been replaced with sturdy wood and stone houses, the rough
lanes replaced with cobblestoned streets lit by witchlights strung on wires
that stretch across its streets, from building to building. The City Council House is located in
Dragonhearth, on the east side of Silver Dragon Park. Across the park, facing the
City Council House, is the Temple of Rasha-of-the-Moon. The Temple was the
first public works project funded by the city and is the tallest structure in
Moonhome. The Temple's Tower rises three-hundred feet (about 15 stories) into
the air and, at night, the blessed silver lamp at the tower's apex casts a silver-blue
glow over the entirely of Dragonhearth.
Dragonhearth's most famous resident is it's namesake, the
elder silver dragon, Hankatar. It is common knowledge that Hankatar has a home
in Dragonhearth, and that he walks the streets of Moonhome in a humanoid guise.
However, no one seems to know what the dragon's humanoid form looks like, so
folk in Dragonhearth tend to be very polite to people they meet on the street
or in the shops. After all, one doesn't know that the old fellow having a
friendly chat with the waitress at the tea shop isn't the Silver Dragon of
Moonhome. Do they?
West of Dragonhearth, just across Laughing Water Stream, is
the neighborhood of Bridges. Bridges is
a very damp neighborhood. There are a myriad of streams that crisscross the
area, producing some very damp ground.
Nevertheless, as Moonhome's population expanded, new residents began to
move into the area. Attempts to redirect the various streams ended badly, until
the residents decided to work around the flow of water.
Buildings in Bridges are built on elevated platforms that
place them at least a foot above the ground. In some areas, where seasonal
flooding occurs, the buildings are placed much higher. Numerous pedestrian
bridges crisscross the neighborhood's streams, many of them ornately carved and
decorated by local artisans. Streets in Bridges are unpaved and, during the
rainy summer months, turn into muddy tracts that can bog down a laden
cart. As such, Bridge's retail and
commercial businesses tend to occupy properties near the borders to
Dragonhearth and Checkers.
Bridges is a fairly quiet neighborhood. Most of the
residents are elves who came to Moonhome from human-dominated cities, such as
Fallen Baramir and Swordhold. Many retain the styles and customs from those
cities, so it isn't uncommon to encounter elves dressed in the fashions of
Swordhold or humming popular songs from the streets of Darkwater on any of the
neighborhood's lovely pedestrian bridges.
To the east of Dragonhearth, is the neighborhood called
Mountview. Mountview was the site of
Moonhome's first expansion. The area was chosen by the Brothers of the Vine as
the site of their monastery and winery. The brothers built their monastery
facing the east, giving them an excellent view of the mountains that surround
the valley. The monastary and the winery still stand today, at the heart of
Mountview, surrounded by homes and businesses.
If Moonhome has an industrial center, Mountview is that
place. This neighborhood is where the majority of Moonhome's manafactories and
crafthalls are set up. There are several small guildhalls established in
Mountview, as well as trade schools.
Mountview is also the site of the Street of Treasures. This
street runs between Dragonhearth and Mountview, containing shops that sell
fine, imported goods. There are restaurants and tea shops, wine bars and book
shops, perfumeries and jewelers.
In addition to industry and commerce, Mountview is also the
site of various temples. Ratava, the Goddess of Pleasure, has a fairly large
temple in south Mountview, near Solace, as does Kasam, the God of Charity and
Wealth, and Neka, the Goddess of Trade and Diplomacy.
North of Bridges, Dragonhearth and Mountview is Checkers.
The northernmost of Moonhome's neighborhoods, and the largest, Checkers is a
predominantly agrarian community. Most of the residents are halflings, who came
to Moonhome with the Brothers of the Vine, and sent word to family and friends
about the new city. The halflings arrival was a boon, as food production was
starting to become a problem. The halflings chose to settle, initially, a
little ways away from their neighbors. Initially, their settlement was called Neromil,
but as time passed, the area became known as 'the Checkerboard' and, finally,
just Checkers. The name came from the
checkerboard-like layout of farming fields in the neighborhood. However, many
original halflings continue to refer to the neighborhood as Neromil, a Halfling
word that translates, roughly, to 'New Home.'
Most of the homes and businesses in Checkers are built on
the halfling scale, and integrated into the local landscape. The streets in
Checkers are well maintained and the most ordererd, laid out in a pragmatic
grid pattern.
Checkers and its residents provide most of Moonhome's food,
and this gives the community a great deal of influence and leeway around the
city. Halfling farmers are some of the wealthiest residents of the city, and
most aren't shy about spending coin for creature comforts. Some halfling homes
are quite ostentatious by that race's standards. However, the residents of
Checkers also put money into their community. There are publicly-supported
schools in the neighborhood which any child can attend, for free, and hospitals
and hospices overseen by priests of Halab and Anola. There is a large communal
Temple of Ralam, the God of Agriculture, at the heart of the neighborhood which
doubles as the neighborhood Council House and as a venue for public events.
Checkers is so well-organized and laid out that the
neighborhood has seen a large influx of newcomers, mostly human, who have
brought new energy and excitement to this sleepy, northernmost part of
Moonhome.
And, finally, south of Mountview and Dragonhearth is Moonhome's
newest neighborhood, Solace. Initially, Solace was a refugee camp where
newcomers to Moonhome, fleeing persecution and prejudice, settled and waited
for permission to enter the city proper. As time passed, the tents were
replaced with permanent structures and the grassy lanes became dirt and stone
tracks. Many of Solace's refugees gradually integrated into the city's other
neighborhoods, but some chose to make their home in the former camp. It was
these people who built the neighborhood, naming it Solace and offering a
welcome hand to newcomers, whether they were refugees or just visitors.
Eventually, Solace was formally recognized as part of Moonhome and given a seat
on the City Council.
Today, Solace continues to serve as the unofficial gateway
to the rest of Moonhome. The neighborhood is dynamic, with people constantly
coming and going at all times of the day and night. Solace has accomodations for
everyone, from well-to-do merchants from Mountgate and Graycrown, to refugees
fleeing the war. Many temples have established charitable institutions in the
neighborhood, and there are more shrines, to more gods, in Solace than in any
other part of Moonhome.
Solace's population is the most diverse in the city. Elves
share the streets with dwarves and drow, half-ogres and humans, tieflings and
gnomes. Even stranger creatures are sometimes seen in Solace, such as goliaths
and tabaxi, and even freescale dragonborn. Its stores and markets reflect this
diversity and you can find items and goods in Solace that can't be found
anywhere else in Moonhome, not even on the Street of Treasures.
Sadly, Solace also sees a fair amount of street crime. Because
of this, Solace's neighborhood Council works closely with and strongly supports
the City Watch. In fact, watchmen in Solace get a generous stipend from the
neighborhood Council, making duty there a popular and lucrative assignment.
