Starting a game soon and have chosen Thistledown as the settlement that will be in focus for a good part of the game.
Please comment on this as there are still a few ideas in my head.
Brian
Thistledown
Thistledown is medium sized town surrounding a stone tower in a big field of thistles, which when seeding cover the area in thistledown. The down of the thistles is used for all sorts of weaving, in particular warm down blankets for the whole territories.
Picture of the field. http://dynamojude.deviantart.com/art/Thistledown-72277881
The thistles themselves attract golden finches, butterflies, and honey bees all of which feed off the nectar. Strangely the mice of Thistledown have formed a bond with the finches making this town one of the few with “flying” mice. Having the finches as mounts provides a winged militia that is often called upon to defend the town from shrikes who use the thistles as deadly spears in their beaks.
These dried thistles combined with finch feathers are used for the making and fletching of arrows.
Most crops are harvested wild, as the mice of Thistledown live off the land. Some are cultivated and planted within close proximity to the tower, the brambles of the thistles keeping predators at bay.
Considered by its citizens as the North Central hub for trade, Thistledown is a guard outpost that provides escort for the trades coming in from Whitepine, Dawnrock, and Wildseed.
Location/Structure
Built into and surrounding huge rock “tower” in a fiedl of tall thistle. Like Ivydale it relies on rain collection, however rain is collected from channels carved in the tower rock.
Size
Town
Government
Elected mayor sits as head of a council of elders.
Major Trades
Harvested down, nectar, and fletching.
Import/Export
Thistledown imports various household goods and tools. Exports arrows, honey, butterfly wings, and is the main supplier for blankets and the thistlecloth.
Notable Mice
Fox, Guard Mouse Patrol leader, a red fur.
Garin, Captain of the Finches (the bird riders), blonde fur.
Lina, apiarist, black fur.
Victoria, wife to Garin and owner of Cricket Song Tavern, she is a brown fur.
Bron, head fletcher, brown fur.
Wolf, gray fur, retired teacher of guard mice.
Soloman, young Patrol Guard, blonde fur
Lore
Wolf and Fox are brothers.
Fox was once best trail blazer in the guard, helped map the territories.
Thistledown onced housed an orphanage for all the children without families after the war with the weasels.
Thistledown arrows always strike true.
baron, from the “Deliver the Mail” patrol is from Thistledown.
Every year, Thistledown holds a trade festival.
Photos:
http://suicidallemming-ox.deviantart.com/art/ThistleDown-64970200
http://ifihadthetime.deviantart.com/art/dont-touch-meII-120414720
http://pontiff-of-zargos.deviantart.com/art/these-rocks-are-a-metaphor-6925203