| Government | Band Society |
|---|---|
| Allies | Ambleside |
| Primary Race | Human, Dragonborn, Halfing |
Nestle (/'nɛsəl/) is a small city on the coast of Cauldomo with a small port mainly used for ferrying goods and people across the bay to Dolina.
Government
Yeoman
In Nestle, the Yeoman is the acting leader of the small city with a four year term. The Yeoman acts as both the figure head and actual working head of the city. For example, this position is the head of the Stockmans and their vote counts as two on this board, but they also act as ambassador to nearby domains, especially Dolina (their closest trading partner).
The Yeoman title and position can be earned every fourth year at the beginning of the new autumnal cycle during the Cycle Festival. This festival replaces the annual Harvest Festival as there are no crops to be presented after the one year of winter, spring, and summer. Instead, participants in this festival will compete in feats of strength, ingenuity, and diplomatic skill. Common events are the The Lost Sheep, the Family Dispute, and Kobold Tossing Mach II among others.
The top three contestants at the end will be put on the ballot, and one will be chosen out of the three by majority vote.
The winner of the Cycle Festival in 465 PR is Barley the Lizardfolk.
The Stockmans
The Stockmans is a board of citizens with staggered two year terms. The Stockmans lead all other boards and commissions in the area including the Plowman's Association, the Merchant's Guild, and the Herders to name a few. They act to end disputes between other groups, make new laws, repeal old ones, and, most notably, assign tasks such as setting tariffs, or training the local militia to the other boards. The Yeoman is the head of this group and their vote counts as two.
The Stockmans earn their place on the board by competing in the Harvest Festival every year. The Master of the Festival earns one seat every year by default, and the second seat is chosen by luck of the draw from the pool of other event winners. This position has to be confirmed every year, however, by popular vote. If not confirmed, another name will be pulled randomly from the pool of winners.
Notable Laws
- All fire magic is banned within a radius of five miles of Nestle's city limits
Economy
Tourism
As one of the only ports bayside in Cauldomo, Nestle has become a hub for local tourism between Dolina and Cauldomo. Taverns, inns, and other entertainment centers have cropped up in Nestle to meet the demand of the temporary travelers. Most notably, one previous benefactor built a small stage for traveling troupes to perform at, but generally this space is used to host the famed weekly Nestle Farmer's Market.
What draws travelers from more far-reaching places, however, Nestle's eternal autumnal atmosphere. A stroll down any street would reveal trees which are somehow always in their golden glory, light posts constantly lit with a flickering candle, and the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg wafting on the air. Many the cafes in town cater to this crowd and therefore serve special locally brewed hot ciders, soups, and pumpkin pie year round while some of the nearest farms will send hourly hay wagons to cart tourists to corn mazes, tractor pull events, and more.
Agriculture
Like most of Cauldomo, agriculture is the main export out of Nestle from the surrounding rural farming communities. The largest of these crops are the gourds and autumnal vegetables which the area is so well known for. This has lead to many large farming conglomerates to form in the area, and many of these have head offices in Nestle. Additionally, Nestle's port has grown over the years to support the burgeoning trade and agricultural exports out of town.
History
Contribution to The Teleportation Circle
During the Holy War and subsequent Realm War, many of Cauldomo's then neighbors outlawed, and outright hunted Dragonborn, Lizardfolk, and other such reptilian species. Therefore, to escape persecution from the rest of the continent, the Dragonborn and other Lizardfolk formed a domain in the West called Dolina. However, getting to Dolina was not a simple task for Dragonborn in the East and if caught unprepared, refugee Dragonborn would often be at the mercy of strangers during their trek to Dolina. Initially started by a small town in central Amusa, the Teleportation Circle was a solution to this problem. Locals resorted to smuggling Dragonborn across borders and eventually into Dolina, so they set up a series of stops, called "Circles", across the continent where they would be safe on their journey.
The region that is now Cauldomo was rife with these safe havens and many small towns and cities still have the underground infrastructure such as caves and tunnels where Dragonborn were held and transported. A few citizens on Nestle took this problem very seriously and expanded upon a series of pre-existing caverns beneath the farmland and city. The path they created led from the behind a local farmhouse to the basement of an inn on the water, now called the Nourishmentation Circle. There, they could hide in secret until the next ferry came in. A small boat , typically used for food shipments, could then be loaded in the basement full of Dragonborns, and sent out to meet the ferry. The ferry would then take them safely across the water to Dolina.
For more information, visit the Cauldomo page.
The Burning Blight
Hundreds of years after the Realm War, The Teleportation Circle became a well-known piece of legend. However, for a small, hateful group of purists it wasn't just history. Comprised mostly of human descendants of Troverthians, this small group trained themselves for years in the art of fire magic with one purpose: vengeance. Offended that anyone would have allowed, much less assisted, a dragon kind in escape to Dolina, this group planned a strike against many of the well-known participants in The Teleportation Circle.
Nestle was one such target of their revenge. Thus, late one night, all six farms immediately surrounding Nestle went up in flames. Fortunately, only flames from one farm managed to spread into the city proper and only a small portion of the city's wall and internal infrastructure was lost. The farms themselves, however, were not so lucky and were completely ravaged by the event. The loss of so many farmsteads lead to a shortage of food during the next Cycle Year and many lives were lost to starvation during that period.
This event lead to not just the founding of the grain reserves and Famine Festival, but also to the banning of fire magic anywhere within five miles of the city.
The Harvest Festival
Origins
Before the domain-wide Harvest Festival in conjunction with Wistness, each town in Cauldomo much choose who to send to represent them in each of the events. In order to decide who to send, and who gets to sit on the Stockmans, Nestle hosts a Harvest Festival of their own every year.
The Smuggler's Run
This festival corresponds with the first day of every new year, and the entire town shuts down for a full week of celebrations. Held during the first night of the new year, the kick-off event of every festival is special to Nestle: the Smuggler's Run. During this event, participants must get from the farmhouse where the The Teleportation Circle route once began out to an awaiting ferry in the bay. Participants may choose to get between the two however the wish, but they must not be caught by the rest of the townsfolk who are out looking for them. Whomever reaches the ferry first without being caught is crowned the winner of this event and receives free passage on the ferry to Dolina for the rest of the year.
Stockman Positions
After the Smuggler's Run, the festivities continue throughout the week with an array of other events such as judging for the largest vegetable, best presented produce platter, cook-offs, bale rolling, gourd carving, and more. Winners of each event will have their names added to a ceremonial glass pumpkin throughout the festival. The townsfolk who wins the most events will be crowned the Master of Festival and will automatically earn a position on the Stockman's Board. At the end of the event, one name will also be drawn and the winner will have the chance to sit on the Stockman's Board if confirmed by majority vote.
Religion
Temple of Yondalla
Unlike many worship centers, temples of Yondalla are often located in small, homely buildings built into the sides of hills and under green spaces. The Nestle temple is no different and is located in the heart of town beneath the grassy knoll of the Plowman's Association Headquarters. This center is unique, however, in that it doubles as the grain reserve for Nestle and there are several large underground silos beneath it in which to hold the stored goods. These silos are slowly filled over the three years of Autumn in order to feed the community during the Cycle Year.
The day that they become full, the temple and Plowman's Association sponsor a one evening Famine Festival. Founded the Cycle after the Burning Blight, this festival celebrates the staving off of starvation for another Cycle. The morning of the festival, a large cornucopia is placed outside the temple's doors and over the course of the day, residents may come and leave food items in it. In the evening, tables are set up in town square and the festival begins with the wheeling in of the full cornucopia. For the rest of the night, participants can enjoy the foods left in the cornucopia with each other during the massive feast that ensues.
Residents
Dragonborn and Lizardfolk Community
While Amusa has a history of persecuting Dragonborn and lizard kind, Nestle has always been more accepting of them due to their nearness to Dolina. Therefore, there is a strong Dragonborn and Lizardfolk community in town comprised mostly of third and fourth generation immigrants. They have often settled near the docks and along the water, as they are mostly sailors and merchants by trade.
Most notably, the local tavern The Nourishmentation Circle was founded by a local Dragonborn who was once saved by The Circle which operated out of its basement. Years later, the Dragonborn returned and brought the dying tavern back to life with a new name and new interior, thereby preserving its history. Since then, the Nourishmentation Circle has been run by their descendants and is a favorite among sailors, tourists, and locals alike.
Halfling Community
While Luggland is best known for its large Halfling populace, Cauldomo also has its fair share of Halflings - mostly farmers. The fields and farms surrounding Nestle are no exception and some have chosen to settle within city limits.
Frequently, Halflings will be members of the Plowman's Association and be elected to its board. When elected, it is common for board members to temporarily move into town for the duration of their term, so the Plowman's Association has rooms set aside for this purpose in their headquarters near the center of town. Therefore, many of the Halflings who choose to live within the city's walls will move into the area surrounding these headquarters.
There is also a worship center in this area built to honor Yondalla - Creator of Halflings and God of the Harvest. Many farmers from the surrounding countryside, including many Halflings, will make a pilgrimage to this homely temple before planting their crops and again just before harvesting them in order to gain Yondalla's blessings. While it is also common to see followers seeking help at the temple on Market mornings, many are more likely to instead drop a coin or two into the Wellspring of Fortune - aka the local wishing well.
In recent years, a Halfling was prominently promoted to the position of Gourd Guard General: the head of the local Gourd Guard chapter and all its legummaires. There was some dissent in town over this promotion as the position had been previously held for over fifty years by an older, well-seasoned and well-loved Dragonborn sailor. However, the sailor handed over the position himself to his Halfling successor, so it was never officially disputed.
Others
While Haflings and Dragonborn have created distinct districts in Nestle for their communities, there are many other races who have settled indiscriminately in Nestle. It is common to see humans, elves, and kobolds settled in town and the surrounding farming communities. Many more races are represented in the tourist and sailing population of Nestle, so who you may see on any given day tends to be heavily dependent on which ships are in port.
Notable Businesses
Taverns and Inns
- The Edesian (owned by Edna)
- Krack and the Beanstalk
- That's Gourd!
- The Nourishmentation Circle
Merchants and Shops
- Weekly Farmer's Market
- Just Gourds
- Leggo My Legumes
- Herb Inc.
Boards and Commissions
- The Merchant's Guild
- The Plowman's Association
- Harvest Festival Commission
- Gourd Guard: Nestle Chapter
