Lux Tenebris: Moonhome - Part 2

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.

Lux Tenebris: Moonhome

The city of Moonhome nestles in a valley within the Stonespear Mountains. It is not a very large city when compared to others, but it is one of the dominant political powers within Western Nur. This is more impressive when one takes into account that Moonhome is less than two hundred years old.

The city was founded by elves from Goldsun. Led by Sister Silma, a priestess of Rasha, these Goldsun elves were commoners who grew discontent with their lack of a voice in the government of their city.  Sister Silma did not seek to lead these malcontents, but had visionary dreams sent to her by the goddess, Rasha, instructing her to gather up the discontent elves and lead them north, to a new home.

This movement was, at first, violently repressed by both the secular and religious authorities within Goldsun. The persecution ended when the goddess, Rasha, cursed the High Priestess of her temple, transforming her into a monstrous creature and exiling her from the light of sun and moon.  After this abject lesson, the High King and the remaining temples were quick to withdraw their opposition and almost a thousand elves chose to depart with Sister Silma.

At first, the party traveled north, through the treacherous Lirwood, guided by rangers and Sister Silma's divine visions. It was these visions that led the party to what would become known as the Feywild Path, a supernatural route connecting the infamous Feywild with Lore at various points. By taking the Feywild Path, Sister Silma and her group cut weeks off of their travel time, even though it meant they had to brave the arcane vagaries of the Feywild itself.  Fortunately, the group's travels through the Feywild were guided and advised by an Archfey known as the Shepherd-of-the-Leaves.

The travelers emerged east of the Stonespear Mountains, on the edge of the dreaded Braerosen Wastes. At this point, some of the group questioned whether they had made the right choice, following Sister Silma. Some elves chose to leave the group and they traveled south, along the edge of the mountains.  They vanished and their fate remains unknown to this day.

The elves who remained were rewarded for their faith by a vision from Rasha. They were instructed to travel west, towards the moon's home. They obeyed, entering the Stonespear Mountains and traversing its peaks and valleys, until they came to a mountain valley where it appeared as if the moon was sinking into the ground. Realizing that this was their destination, the group quickly entered the valley and began to prepare for the coming winter.

The elves named their settlement Moonhome and it barely survived that first winter in the mountains. It was a time of privation and suffering, but the elves endured, and when spring arrived an unlikely ally arrived with it: a silver dragon.

The silver dragon was called Hankatar. He was an Elder Dragon who spent some seasons in the valley, and was willing to share the space with the elvish settlers as long as no one tried to steal from his horde.  The elves agreed and Hankatar became a valuable ally and source of information about the region.

As the elves established themselves in the valley, it became apparent that although they were largely self-sufficient, there were some things they needed that they could not produce themselves. They would need to open a trade route. This, however, would be difficult because of their isolation and their lack of tradeable goods. There was a market for elvish crafts in some cities, but it was doubtful Moonhome could produce anything unique enough to attract the attention of buyers.

At this point, Moonhome welcomed its first new residents. An order of monks, the Brothers of the Vine were devotees of the goddess Ratava, and they claimed to have been guided to Moonhome by their goddess, to give what aid and comfort they could to the elves. The Brothers were a mix of races, human and elf and halfling, all united by their devotion to Ratava and their love of wines.  They were welcomed to Moonhome and quickly established a monastary and vineyard. Within a decade, the Brothers were producing wines with amazing restorative properties, and Moonhome finally had a product that could be sold in the outside world.

Again, the problem of transport came up. Hankatar would not act as a beast of burden for the elves, and traveling overland would be long and hard. The only feasible option seemed to be the Feywild Path, but the elves were hesitant to use it. Without the Shepherd-of-the-Leaves to guide them, who knew if anyone would survive the journey or even where it would end.

The problem of transport would soon become moot with the arrival of a newcomer in the valley. Aureum Oduro was a wizard and a friend of Hankatar.  He arrived in Moonhome to visit the dragon and, when he learned of the elves' transport problem, offered to assist by establishing a teleport circle linking Moonhome with his estate near Fallen Baramir.  In exchange, Aureum asked for a parcel of land near the city where he could construct a home. After some discussion with Hankatar, the elves agreed.

Moonhome wines arrived in Fallen Baramir and became quite popular, not just among the esthetes of the city, but the healers as well. Their reputation as a restorative spread and soon Moonhome wines were in demand from Greycrown to Darkwater.

As the reputation of the wines spread, so to did stories of their source. Elves who had broken away from the Logra Delfa and settled in human cities, were particularly curious about this new elvish city.  Having lived among humans for so long, many of these elves found the stratified, conservative atmosphere of Goldsun to be too stifling.  Moonhome, however, sounded much more welcoming.

Inquiries were made about transport to the city, but traveling there was difficult and expensive. Still some of these elvish exiles persisted, even traveling overland, to arrive in Moonhome, dusty and weary, but happy to have finally arrived. They were made welcome, and many chose to remain in the growing city, sending word back to friends and relations of their warm welcome and the open nature of the city.

Moonhome's reputation and isolation made it naturally appealing to those individuals and groups seeking to escape persecution.  Misfits and malcontents, the persecuted and the denigrated began to seek out the city. Many chose to remain, heartened by the genial nature and laissez-faire attitude of the citizenry, contributing to its growth and cultural diversity.

However, even the tolerance of Moonhome's residence was tested with the arrival of the first drow refugees in the valley. The city's elvish founders were divided on the issue of whether to welcome the drow or send them away.  The non-elvish citizens waited and watched, curious to see what the city founders would do and how their decision would shape Moonhome's future.

It was Sister Silma, ancient and venerated, who resolved the situation. As High Priestess of the Temple of Rasha, in full ceremonial regalia, she walked to the city gates and personally welcomed the drow refugees to Moonhome.  Any question as to whether Moonhome would welcome and accept the drow among them vanished. The drow were welcome, and if that welcome was cooler than others had received, the fact that they were welcome at all was seen as a great blessing among them, and a sign of the clear division between Moonhome and Goldsun by others.

Until this point, Goldsun had largely ignored Moonhome. With their acceptance of the hated drow into their city, however, Goldsun disregard turned to cold hostility. All trade and commerce between the two elvish city-states came to a sharp end and Moonhome's residents were banned from setting foot with Goldsun's domain upon pain of death.  Moonhome acknowledged this and then went back to ignoring Goldsun, an action that infuriated the High King.

The tension between Goldsun and Moonhome did not go unnoticed or unmoved upon by the other western powers.  Moonhome had been viewed as little more than a decent trading partner until now, but Goldsun's frigid reaction to the isolated city-state drew the interest of political factions from Darkwater to Alindema.  Moonhome found itself drawn, somewhat reluctantly, into the arena of continental politics.

At the time of the Draconic Invasion of Western Nur, Moonhome was enjoying a reputation as a diverse and welcoming city.  Its isolation, far from established trade routes and shielded by the Stonespear Mountains, made it a low priority target for the Draconic Legions.  They did dispatch a formal emissary to Moonhome, but he was forced to turn back because of foul weather and treacherous terraine.

Nevertheless, Moonhome has played a part in the war. It accepted dozens of refugees from Fallen Baramir via Aureum Oduro's teleport circle. When Swordhold fell to the Draconic Legions, the heir to the city-state's throne, Prince Berret, found sanctuary in Moonhome by following the Feywild Path.

Now, with the western powers gathering at Fallen Baramir, under a united banner, to launch a counterstrike against the Legion, Moonhome has chosen to dispatch a force of vollunteers to aid in the war effort.  This force is eclectic and includes several freescale dragonborn, a trio of drow siblings and a one-eyed dwarf berserker named Verra Kaffervek. This motely group is led by an elf warrior named Balan Leafborn.