Janetown

As a small town, its population is considerably small. It consists of humans from the Kingdom of Owenar and Saltwood Grove. They live in a symbiotic relationship, where the citizens work on researching world-shaping magic through the ward stones left by the First Brood. The druid maintains the balance of the surrounding forest through their attachment to nature. As such, they work under a conservational practice respecting the flora and fauna of the Saltwood Forest. The town's culture follows a respectful interaction with nature. Practices like celebrating the comings of seasons like winter and spring; using material from scavenging or imports from the Kingdom's capital, Arcshire; and even a diet of farmed vegetation and minimal meat from wildlife. The druids that reside in this town do so in cooperation with the researching citizens. Observing and documenting activity and studying the ward stones that form a veil between the Saltwood and the Scorchwood. This is not to say there have been known tensions between practicing research or preserving the forest. The researcher's pursuit of knowledge and wasteful practices has pushed the boundaries of druidic laws. In one incident, a botanist pulled a vine that held a section of a ward stone. Causing the veil to weaken and threaten the forest. Despite the druid's protest, the Kingdom sent him to Arcshire.  Although the individual was returned to be judged, the distrust for the Kingdom had grown. Despite these circumstances, the promise of the research is a shared dream with the Saltwood Grove. The means to purify the afflicted has been developed, but it isn't effective against prolonged cases. Even so, the druids hold onto the hope of eradicating the Schorchwood curse.

As part of the Kingdom of Owenar, it follows the same laws as those in its constitution, the Silver Sun. The Kingdom's judicial system enforces those laws in the town, but only specifically in the town. The Saltwood Grove enforces everything outside the town as it is their territory. The grove charges any violation of druidic law to uphold their duty as forest protectors. Violations include the destruction of wildlife, disturbance of the ecosystem, disruption of the veil, or the unnecessary killing of animals. Through the grove's inner circle, the accused must defend themselves while judged by the community. Any violation based on Owenarian law has the accused sent to Arcshire to be put on trial. In this town, the community holds meetings to discuss research projects and go over supplies. Every election year, the citizens vote for a parliamentary candidate for the Kingdom's central government. Those votes are taken by the Parliament to be counted in Arcshire. While the monarchy holds ownership of the town, its leader is the Archdruid of the Saltwood Grove. The Archdruid aids the citizens in the current activity in the area, ensures their protection from dangers, and notifies them of any new policies placed by the druids.

In exchange for critical research information sent to KORR (the Kingdom of Owenar Royal Record), the monarchy commits to providing essential funding for infrastructure, which includes building projects and food provisions to meet the community's needs. The town generates additional income by trading agricultural crops with the native people of Saltwood Forest, promoting cooperation and cultural exchange. A vital part of the local economy involves the Pale Stone Tribe, who harvest enriched mud from Saltwood Grove. This mud is a crucial resource for producing metals, including their renowned Silver Steel, known for its strength and complexity. The collaboration between the town, the natives, and the Pale Stone Tribe creates a thriving trade ecosystem that benefits everyone involved.

The town consists of cabins and mud huts spanning around 7,000 square meters (75,000 square feet). The structures may stand out in the forest, but the dense forestation allows it to be hidden. The cabins are reinforced with steel rivets to secure them from bad weather and potentially dangerous predators. The citizens build pathways to connect the buildings, but vegetation can spread through them. Surrounded by trees, the cabins safely rest next to them and are never disturbed by the populace. Located on a small cliff above the village is a shrine to the founder of the town and the Saltwood Grove, Jane Gainevere. A stunning structure of both crafted wood and druidic magic with a statue of the first Archdruid pointing towards the direction of the Scorchwood Forest. On the outer parts of the town are mud huts where the druids reside. At the center of the town is a large and incomplete ward stone created by the community to become the "Purification Stone." The Saltwood Grove and the researchers of Janetown's opus magnum that they hope will eradicate the Scorchwood Curse when complete.

As a town for wildlife researchers, its storage spaces contain many documents, medicinal substances, and ecological samples. Preserved plants with the Scorchwood Curse are contained in glass containers similar to the veil that protects the Saltwood Forest. Large quantities of artificial ward stones are experimented on to test their potency. Documents on the study of flora and fauna are kept safely in a locked storage section to preserve all their findings. Basic defenses of swords and bows are also stored but are only accessible by the King's authority. However, the town's most extensive supply is its world-shaping magic tools. Collected from expeditions worldwide, the study of these tools and their usage is very slow as it is difficult to deconstruct magic that only the First-Born and the Dragons know of. The surviving latter refuses to share the magic as they do not cooperate with humans, and beleive that such magic must be earned to be wisely used.

In the year 575 of the Dark Ages, Jane Gainevere came to the Saltwood Forest under the banner of the Royal House of Owenar. Seeking to start her grove in the woodlands, she explored every corner of the forest, looking for a place to establish her community. A kind-hearted and nature-loving individual, she saw the danger if the veil protecting the forest were to fade. In addition to her worries, she was asked by her friend King Utheos Owenar to find an area within the forest where the kingdom may form a settlement. Initially, the plan was to form a military base for espionage, but Jane convinced the king that preserving the forest was more critical after showing him the Scorchwood Forest. The Scorchwood Curse infects all vegetation by slowly burning the internal structure of whatever it inflicts. Causing trees and plants to wither from charred bark to ashes. Due to the natural life energies of the forest, the trees would continue to recycle and grow back. This creates a vicious cycle of slow but incurrable forest fires. If it were to spread outside the forestation, it would endanger all life in Westenra. In response, the Kingdom of Owenar established a research group under the observation of Jane's grove. 20 years later, construction of the research stations and housing was finally complete, and Jane gathered all the citizens and natives to the cliffside overseeing the town. She had all who resided there swear to save the forest from the Scorchwood curse. Pointing to the smoke caused by the Scorchwood Forest in the distance to remind them what danger they must prevent from consuming the Saltwood Forest. After she died, a monument was built in her honor to commemorate the vow she had the town make.   In the year 83, after the Dark Ages, the town was threatened by an invasion from the Salted Steel Tribe, who attacked the western region of the forest. Queen Lauren Owenar authorized the arming of the citizens for their protection. 2 years after hard fighting, the invading tribe managed to raid the town. The town would've been burned to the ground along with all the research, but a lone sword mage, Sargon Killgrave, repelled the raiders until the druids managed to push them back to the western coast. Conflicts and attempted raids slowly fell back after Queen Lauren Owenar broke through the Salted Steel Tribe's armada. The First Salted Steel War ended in 91 ADA, when the Kingdom was victorious. Ensuring the town's work was saved from imminent danger.   In 350 ADA, a resident botanist named David Ferom was brought before the Saltwood Grove for damaging one of the ward stones by pulling on one of the vines that held the structure together, threatening to destroy the veil. The intention was to have him on trial by the druids, but when parliament heard of this, they sent orders to have the accused brought to Arcshire. The druids protested this as an overreach, as druidic law was violated. Parliament felt it was dangerous to have a citizen being tried by an autonomous group like the Saltwood Grove. Surprising everyone, the town's residents successfully signed a petition to have David returned to be judged by the grove. After much tribulation, the grove decided it was accidental, but the reckless danger imposed was too great to ignore. David was exiled from the forest and was never heard from again long afterwards.   After centuries of study, researchers and druids created a sizeable artificial ward stone in 566 ADA. It was designed to create a massive veil to purify the entire forest. However, it had no magical activity until 627 ADA, when the druids managed to channel energy through it. By 820 ADA, the stone was able to purify shortly afflicted plants. Despite this slow progress, the town's ingenuity created ward stone glass that can contain afflicted samples from spreading. Stone can purify afflicted vegetation for a few miles, but it's still a long way to go before it can heal the entire forest. The people of Janestown and the Saltwood Grove push ever forward. To fulfill the vow their ancestors made to Archdruid Jane centuries ago.

Janetown experiences a temperate climate, though heavily influenced by its proximity to the Saline Sea to the west. This maritime influence results in significant rainfall, often carried by rough, unpredictable winds that sweep across the region. The rainfall itself carries a distinct saline quality, leaving a faint, salty residue on surfaces and vegetation. Springs are marked by periods of intense, wind-driven showers, fostering rapid growth in the surrounding Saltwood Forest, while summers bring warm, humid days punctuated by occasional, powerful storms. Autumn paints the landscape in vibrant hues, though the rough winds can prematurely strip leaves from the trees, signaling a period of harvest and preparation for the cooler months. Winters, though cold, are made harsher by the frequent, biting winds and the occasional, heavy, salted rainfall that blankets the forest in a damp, chilling stillness. This unique climate shapes the town's architecture, agricultural practices, and the daily lives of its inhabitants, demanding resilience and adaptation