Warmwood

Warmwood has a long and storied history, and despite the small stature and jovial nature of its natives, they carved out their piece of Andara with fire and steel. The kingdom of Warmwood is somewhat unusual in its demographics, with its population being a more-or-less even split between gnomes and halflings, whilst most other kingdoms in Andara have a notable majority of one race. Whilst such a harmony could only have been permitted between two of the more peaceful races in Andara, there are still some instances where the cultural differences of the two races have caused tensions, though such tensions have only resulted in a handful of conflicts in the past. Sharing its borders with six other kingdoms has allowed a prosperous trade empire to form within Warmwood, which is supported by the twinned efforts of gnomish ingenuity and halfling business acumen, and the wealth of some guilds and businesses within the kingdom rival even the largest of dragon hoards.

Geography
The lands of Warmwood lie atop a dual topography of rolling hills in the east and south-west, and large flat expanses throughout the rest of the kingdom. Fertile floodplains stretch out besides the river Merrin and river Werg, and a network of towns and villages have existed along these great farming belts for centuries. The eastern hills are predominantly chalk grassland, and the villages here rely more on grazing sheep and goats than raising crops in the poor soil. The hills of the south-west are covered in dense forests of oak, beech and maple. Historically, this forest was much larger, and the enormous swathe of woodland which grew in a warm and fair climate would become the namesake for the kingdom of Warmwood. Today, it is known the Chatterwood after the cacophony of birds, insects and monkeys which call out amongst the trees for most of the year.

The eastern coastline of Warmwood lies adjacent to the Dawn Sea, where sheer cliffs of bright white chalk stare out across the endless waters. This white chalk ends at a jagged border with the red sandstone of the Dragonlands. A handful of jagged headlands jut into Trader's Bay to the north-west, divided by the deltas of the river Merrin.

Settlements
Warmwood has a fairly even population spread, with villages, towns and hamlets being scattered across almost the entire kingdom. Two large cities stand out amongst these myriad settlements however, as bastions of culture and commerce. Although smallfolk are rarely taller than 3½ foot, most commercial or public buildings like taverns, shops, guildhalls, and prisons are built to accommodate taller races like humans and elves. No self-respecting halfling trader would risk losing customers simply because their shop is too cramped for taller folk.

Miyr
The great costal city of Miyr stands as the proud capital of the smallfolk kingdom, and boasts the highest population of any single settlement in Andara. It is said that Miyr's harbours alone gave rise to the nomenclature of Trader's Bay, with hundreds of smallfolk trading vessels entering and leaving the city every week. Miyr is surrounded by vast tracts of farmland which reliably produce a glut of crops each year thanks to fertile soil and a favourable climate. At the centre of the city sits the Tower of Glass; a tall, spire-like palace adorned with thousands of stained glass windows which cast coloured light over the entire city during the day as the sun shines through it. Local legend states that if some of this coloured light shines on the door of a house, the residents of that house will experience good luck and fortune that day. The kingdom's monarch, King Danfer, rules the city with the help of the Golden Council who all reside in the Tower's upper levels.

Setene
The city of Setene, named after the hill it sits on in the middle of the Chatterwood, grew from a simple forester's hamlet in the Age of Dawn to a bustling artisans city over many centuries. Due to its location within woodland, the majority of its population are gnomish, unlike most other major settlements in Warmwood which have a fairly even split between halfing and gnomish settlers. In many regards, Setene is rather unremarkable for a smallfolk settlement, though its architecture is unlike that of anywhere else in the known world. The great circular wall that surrounds the entire city, and every building within is formed from carved stone bound together with living plants and trees acting much like mortar. Thanks to this unique building method, the city can literally grow outwards to accommodate a growing population.

Culture and Tradition
The smallfolk of Warmwood have a rich history filled with folklore, songs and thousands of different cooking recipes. Such culture is celebrated year round, as the smallfolk calendar is brimming with all manner of feasts and festivals.

Religion
Religion certainly has its place within smallfolk culture, with many of Warmwood's population following either the Wild Faith or the New Faith, though the presence of religion overall is decidedly smaller when compared to other civilisations. Warmwood has the fewest churches, temples and cathedrals of any kingdom, as well as a similarly small number of sects and religious orders. One notable religious organisation within Warmwood is the Order of the Glistering Coin, a group devoted to the worship of Irgen, the god of wealth and fortune. People from all walks of life seek the guidance of the Order so that they might encounter wealth and fortune in their lives. The clerics of the Order are known for their unique divination rituals, which see them reading fortunes and omens from imperfections and impurities in coins and other objects wrought of precious metals.

Marriage and Family
Smallfolk marriages are greatly important events attended by huge crowds of people; a wedding with a hundred attendees is considered a small and modest affair by smallfolk standards. It is common for even random bystanders to be invited to an ongoing wedding ceremony, as celebration and festivities are so deeply rooted within smallfolk culture. After a long and extravagant courting process, smallfolk propose by offering their beloved a ring. The proposee may accept the proposal by offering a second ring to the proposer, and the two are considered engaged once they have both donned their respective rings. To symbolise the joining of two families, and by extension two communities, smallfolk wedding ceremonies take place at the midpoint between each of the couple's hometown. Many of these midpoints are used so frequently that they are marked by permanent fixtures known as "Stones of Ora"; large round stones carved to serve as a plinth on which the newlyweds stand during the ceremony, named after the goddess of love and marriage. Most settlements, particularly bigger towns and cities, will have a Stone of Ora for every single settlement within many miles, and as such the landscape of Warmwood is decorated with thousands of these monoliths.

Smallfolk families are incredibly large units that will often live in either one enormous house, or several houses in close proximity. Due to their size, it is common for smaller settlements to be populated by only a handful of families, and many hamlets and small villages will in fact be entirely related. Thus, marriage between two individuals from the same settlement is seen as a minor taboo.

Food and Drink
Travellers to Warmwood often note two things about the food. The first is the sheer amount of food, since almost every meal needs to feed at least twenty people. Secondly, the sheer variety is often almost overwhelming; one popular cookbook in northern Warmwood lists 178 different recipies for pheasant alone. In addition to amount and variety, smallfolk food is some of the most filling, nutritious, and flavourful in all of Andara. Because of this, many individuals travel for miles just to eat Warmwood cuisine, and these "food pilgrimages" support a large portion of Warmwood's economy.

The climate of Warmwood allows the smallfolk to keep vineyards that would rival those in the Crownlands, providing them with a number of unique and delicious wines, though they still import a large amount of elvish wine as well. Mead is the most popular form of alcohol in Warmwood, as the sweeter taste is better suited to smallfolk palates.

Guilds
The guilds of Warmwood are influential groups of traders, artisans, and other powerful individuals who oversee various aspects of the kingdoms commerce and governance. These guilds are given such authority by the king or queen of Miyr, in order to impose quality control and other legislation upon all trade within the kingdom. Most of the guilds are based within Miyr, but have outposts in most larger settlements as well. In addition to imposing standards, these guilds also teach their respective crafts for a fee, spreading their knowledge and talents throughout the world. Though each craft and trade will usually have its own guild, most of the more niche guilds fall under the umbrella of a larger guild. For example, the baker's guild and the butcher's guild are both part of the cook's guild. All of these smaller guilds will be a part of one of the twelve major guilds, which are as follows.


 * The Alchemist's Guild
 * The Artist's Guild
 * The Brewer's Guild
 * The Builder's Guild
 * The Clothier's Guild
 * The Cook's Guild
 * The Farmer's Guild
 * The Jeweler's Guild
 * The Musician's Guild
 * The Scholar's Guild
 * The Smith's Guild
 * The Trader's Guild
 * The Writer's Guild

Ecology
Unsurprisingly, the climate that supports such rich agriculture in Warmwood also supports a wealth of flora and fauna. There are more species on insect in Chatterwood forest alone than in any other kingdom combined. Thriving off of these insects are a variety of different birds, primates, tree-dwelling rodents, reptiles and amphibians which come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Unlike other kingdoms, much of these wild animals exist incredibly close to settlements, having easily learned to coexist with the relatively friendly smallfolk, who rely on many of these animals for pollination and pest control.

Warmwood is rich in flora with medicinal, alchemical, and aesthetic value. Deadly blooms such as hateweed and bilebalm are distilled into some of the strongest poisons, whilst marbleroot, sludgebane and St. Isla's fingers' are prized for their antibiotic capabilities. Within the Chatterwood is a large grove known as the Rose Garden grows a twisting, thorny maze of giant roses. A single flower from one of these roses can weigh up to a kilogram, and depending on the colour and quality, can sell for up to a platinum each.