LGDND - Westway
From BluWiki
Westway is a port town located on the west coast of Arcea in the shadow of the Hammerpeak Mountain Range. Westway sits at the mouth of the Hammercrest River, making it the primary departure point for ore mined in the Hammerpeaks and transported downstream. Because of its importance to the local economy Westway is the largest and most populous of the seven towns located on the windward side of the Hammerpeaks. Due to the difficulty and danger involved in crossing the mountains, almost all trade for the region is conducted at Westway's port.
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History
Westway existed as a small, indigenous river farming community well over a century prior to the arrival of mainland settlers from Arcum. At the time Westway was primarily populated by humans, although numerous records exist indicating peaceful relations with a number of non-human communities that have since left the area. There additionally exists a small amount of evidence that Westway may have conducted limited river trade with a Dwarven civilization that Arcum scholars believe may have occupied the Hammerpeaks for some time.
Westway's annexation into the Republic of Arcum was completed a number of years after the start of mining operations in the Hammerpeaks. The difficulty and danger involved in moving large amounts of ore through the mountains over land combined with the distances to other major Arcean ports necessitated a more expedient method of export. Westway's location along the Hammercrest River, which drains a number of tributaries in the Hammerpeak Mountains, made it ideal for this purpose. In exchange for a fairly high degree of autonomy, the Council of Westway agreed to pay a sizable annual tribute to Arcum.
Since its annexation, Westway has transformed from a small farming hamlet into a bustling trade port and the only departure point for ore mined in the Hammerpeaks and bound for export.
Region
Westway is located on the western coast of Arcea, along the Hammercrest river. The city is a mere eight miles west of the Hammerpeak Mountains. The mountains effectively cut the 45 mile region of coastline around Westway off from the eastern portion of Arcea, requiring travelers to either journey by sea or make the dangerous and laborious trip across the mountains themselves. The Hammerpeaks have the additional effect of trapping moisture along the the small strip of coast to their west, making the immediate area around Westway a fairly damp and dismal place with frequent, sometimes severe, flooding of the Hammercrest being a common occurrence. The terrain consists primarily of temperate, broad leaf rain forests and swamps.
In addition to Westway, six relatively small communities exist in the region. Each is built either along the Hammercrest itself or one of its tributaries. Three of these towns are nestled at the base of the Hammerpeak mountains where they serve as way stations for cargo being transported down from the mountains. Although each of these communities is self-governed and independent, informally they bow to the will of the Westway Council and Trade Guilds. This informal relationship is beneficial to both parties as Westway is able to use its influence with the Senate of Arcum to shield the smaller communities from annexation.
Numerous bandit gangs also call the forests around Westway their home, although they rarely make their presence felt too close to the city. These bandits carve out a living by raiding upstream cargo bound for the smaller settlements, but rarely attack downstream ore shipments as the Trade Guild's response is often swift and brutal. Westway's city guard infrequently makes river sweeps, but such patrols generally have little or no impact on the raids.
The Orc and Goblin tribes found both in the forest and the Hammerpeak Mountains pose a more serious threat. Their exact numbers are unknown, but there are persistent rumors in Westway of an Imperial Expedition report advising that three or more Legions would be to required to fully contain the threat. Thankfully attacks are infrequent as the Orc tribes are often too busy warring amongst themselves to mount any sort of consolidated offensive. A few tribes will occasionally intercept ore shipments, but the Guilds generally tolerate this is an attempt to keep the more ambitious tribes appeased.
Government
Westway has always been governed by a relatively small Town Council. Prior to its annexation the Council of Westway consisted of between five and ten community elders chosen by lottery. During annexation negotiations the Senate of Arcum insisted on a more formal election method to better facilitate future relations. The then sitting council agreed to a new council of ten members, with five seats rotating between fifteen established Westway families and five seats awarded by popular vote. This system survives today, although an additional five seats were later added with each one being held by a representative of one the five major Westway Trade Guilds. Each of the fifteen seats is held for life.
The Town Council, also known as the Council of Westway, the Council of Fifteen, or simply The Fifteen, conducts the majority of Westway's day-to-day business. Formally all business must be approved by majority vote, informally each Councilmember is responsible for one aspect of city operations and generally conducts business within his domain without interference from the other fourteen. Major policy decisions still pass before the entire council, but in practice each Councilmember has enough sway over his sphere of influence to insure that related policy decisions almost always go his way.
In addition to the Council, an Imperial Magistrate from Arcum has been present at Westway since its annexation into the Republic. Magistrates generally serve in Westway for ten years before being replaced or reassigned, although many have chosen to remain in the town. Most who stay join one of the Trade Guilds or otherwise find their way into positions of power and influence. Officially, the magistrate speaks to the will of the Senate of Arcum, but Westway's high degree of autonomy means his primary duty is simply to insure that Arcum receives the proper annual tribute from the Council. It's common knowledge within Westway, however, that most magistrates are not terribly opposed to underreporting annual trade revenue given proper motivation.
Economy
Westway's status as a major center of Arcean trade flows entirely from its position at the mouth of the Hammercrest River. The Hammercrest originates high in the Hammerpeak mountains and drains a number of tributaries that flow down both from the mountains and the countryside to their west. The Hammerpeaks are rich in a variety of ores, but travel across them by land is both difficult and dangerous, making transportation to the more heavily populated eastern side of Arcea unrealistic. The Hammercrest provides a convenient solution, allowing miners to transport their goods only a short distance by land before moving them downstream. As a result, Westway has a bustling river port often crowded with river barges laden with valuable ore from the hundreds of mining operations in the Hammerpeaks.
Since Westway itself isn't a particularly major consumer of ore, it instead makes use of its position along the western coast of Arcea to serve as a center for export. Its ideal position on the Hammercrest and the coast has made Westway not only one of the busiest seaports on Arcea, but also one of the richest seaports in the Republic. The difficulty involved in crossing the mountains by land additionally allows Westway to act as a vital import location for the nearby communities on the western side of the Hammerpeaks and for the mining operations themselves. Goods imported from elsewhere in Arcea and overseas are consumed by Westway citizens and sold upriver to nearby towns and miners.
At the center of these operations are Westway's five Trade Guilds. The guilds were originally local chapters of powerful Arcuman collegia, but their extreme distance from Arcum led them to eventually break ties and become independent organizations. The five major guilds tightly control the operations of both Westway's sea and river ports as well as the majority of mining operations in the Hammerpeaks. Since each guild elects a representative to serve on the Council of Fifteen they hold a great deal of sway over the government of Westway as well.
Culture
Military
Westway's garrison consists entirely of locally recruited and trained soldiers and numbers less than 100 full-time guards. An additional 500 or so militiamen can be raised in an emergency, but these reserve soldiers are poorly trained and poorly equipped. Despite its importance as a trade center, the Council has fiercely refused offers by the Senate of Arcum to assign a full Legion of soldiers to the city.
Although the city itself is not walled, the much smaller Council District near the center is protected by fairly sturdy wooden palisades. Twenty additional elite city guards defend the Council District.
