Dunshire
|
|
History
The primary halfling village in Atlas, Dunshire was founded in 1645 after Fernswood was abandoned for a village around Belvitz. The village was then moved to The Cloud Temple lands after the monks let the halflings do so.
Society and Politics
The Halflings of Dunshire did not associate with any nation of humans or other races. Little trade flowed out of Dunshire and into other areas, with what little trade that did exist not being sanctioned by any halfling government. Dunshire used to have Mayor and Sheriff positions during it's early days. However, ever since Jack Bundle won the First Election of Dunshire and then resigned shortly afterwards, Dunshire has not had any major elections. Eventually, things were decided via occasional village meetings and gatherings, as well as by three halfling Elders who were appointed by their predecessors.
Dunshire would get many non-halfling visitors, and the halfling society has been affected by that as a result. Visitors were welcomed instead of just tolerated, and the Drunken Duck Tavern was often used to serve free drinks to halflings and non-halflings alike, and although non-halflings were still not allowed to get a home in the village (as had been the case in most other halfling villages), bigger folks were allowed to hang around in the village for as long as they desired, provided that they did not cause any unwanted troubles.
Landscape
Dunshire had many noticable features in it. Most notable of these features was the Melon Tree of Dunshire, which hung over much of the village. Also notable was Dunshire Lake and the large fields in the South Western part of the village that served as it's food source. Apart from that, Dunshire was known for its rolling hills that the halflings built their homes inside.
Government
In its early days, Dunshire held elections every few years to determine who held power. These elections were done on the Dunshire Noticeboard at the front of the village, with each halfling nailing their vote to the Noticeboard, and the results being tallied up a few months after the election's start. The winners of the elections would be proclaimed as the new Elders (Decision makers for the village), or proclaimed as the new Sheriff (The protecter of the village). Eventually, these democratic practices were put to an end. It was decided that the positions of Elder and Sheriff would be determined by the Elders and Sheriff currently in power, since they were believed to be the wisest and strongest of the halflings.
