Dale

Introduction

Dale is a small town in Portis located close to the foothills of the Peaks of Solem. The town was founded as a barracks used by Qey soldiers in the early days of the Albasran War. Since then, Dale has grown and developed into a bustling bolt hole between Portis and the Qey Empire.

Description
Dale is situated on the North Road of Albasra; a major thoroughfare between the Portisian Republic and the Qey Empire. A three day journey from Olstorn, it is the last developed town before reaching the edge of Republic territory. Just to the north of the town is Dale Forest, a large expanse of woodland that leads into the Peaks of Solem.

At the center of Dale sits Parade Square. During Dale’s origins as a barracks in the Albasran War, the parade square would be used for demonstrations and training. In the present day, however, it is primarily used as a community hub and a market square most days of the week. The Dale markets are where many Qey artefacts and wares can be bought from merchants travelling on the North Road. The Parade Square is where the Dale town hall can also be found. The town hall is a conversion of the old officer’s quarters. A large, stone built building, which can look out of place of the predominantly wooden architecture of the modern buildings that have been erected in the years since the war.

Dale’s main source of revenue comes from hosting travellers coming to and from the Republic. With that being the case, there are a relatively large number of inns taverns and stables that provide rooms to those passing through. This comes with the disadvantage of Dale being susceptible to dips in its income as trading seasons ebb and flow. It is typical that, like the travellers themselves visiting, many of the workers and staff come to live and work in Dale during the busy seasons also. This can tax the resources of those who live in Dale permanently but many have come to grips with the cyclic nature of the town.

Dale Forest
North of Dale lies a large expanse of woodland which provides and abundant source of lumber and foraging for the town. Dale Forest also represents the final boundary before the protected region of the Peaks of Solem. The citizens of Dale are permitted to utilise as much of the forest as they choose but cannot venture into the forest further than a line of trees that have been marked with an X with an axe, and with a red ribbon tied to the trunk. This has been hugely beneficial for the rapid expansion of Dale, as many of the materials used to construct homes and taverns in Dale can be easily sourced and delivered.

Goblin Pests
While Dale’s proximity to the Peaks of Solem come with advantages, it also has the disadvantage of being at the mercy of Goblinoid pests that can venture into the town. When the Peaks of Solem Treaty was signed, it was unforeseen that the Goblins would move into the region after it had been abandoned. At this time, Dale was only just beginning to find its new identity as a traveller’s town. In the modern day, Goblins are known to raid cattle farms at night to steal livestock, presumably for food. Farmers have erected some small walls across the north edge of town to offer resistance to the Goblins, which has reduced the instances of poaching but has not eliminated it. Some farmers have even taken to leaving sacrificial livestock close to the treeline to keep Goblins from the rest of their flock. This practice is frowned upon by other farmers as they believe that it only encourages the pests to take more animals.