Chanson Isole'e
A cloistered hamlet designed with real-world French influences, and seasonal access.
Contents
Description
Chanson Isolée is a curious island landmass that cannot seem to decide if it wants to be part of the mainland or not. It consists of a walled community that is small but hardy and has developed well-tested strategies to last the periods of rain that flood the waters and cut it off completely every fall and winter.
The locals here are mostly studious, taking to debating and philosophizing during their months of isolation. During this time they also produce copies of scrolls, treatises, and books to distribute to the rest of the world. They are not the only source of academia and philosophy, but there is a high chance that books you read were either written by their authors or printed on the island.
In the dry season, the road to Chanson Isolée is lush and green and very busy as merchants try to maximize their routes between it and other places. During this time, most of the winter scholars will take to the waters as fishermen. Some take advantage of their position and catching saltwater fish caught up in the inflow, while others may go further out to sea if the rivers are overcrowded.
While they do not deal with animals the way other locations do (farming sheep, cows, etc) the locals of Chanson Isolée are quite fond of smaller pets like poet rats, rabbits, and small birds.
History
Since its inception nearly 300 years ago, Chanson Isolée has rather profoundly remained outside of the public eye by and large. This makes the island's history a rather boring and long one that would take years of reading through their scholarly texts to truly unravel.
It was founded by Geof Chase, a studious hermit. History says he and his guild built the fortress of Chanson in order to remove themselves from any lingering after effects related to the fall of the Virtuosos. At the highest point on the island, they built luxurious chateau to act as their guild's base. As whispers of his island fortress grew, so too did the interest of a few other hermit minded citizens of The Tapestry.
Eventually, in-fighting caused Geof's guild to disband and for many decades the chateau at the top of Chanson would never have a successful guild occupy it. So numerous were these failures, that eventually the locals and even the scholars stopped noticing and recording them. Eventually, the Nobile of other guilds took it over and converted it into a finishing school for the aristocracy until about two decades ago when they were all moved and locked away in the Manor in Inizio D'Oro. The reasoning for this Primo Uomo's decision was never explained, but life goes on!
Culture
The people, like most found across the Tapestry are friendly and willing to aid the new arrivals to the land and help them get settled. They are exceedingly patient, as their population nearly quadruples every spring for the market boom and festival that accompanies it and have a very laissez-faire attitude toward every aspect of their lives. To them, if The Skald really wants something to happen, it will no matter how much they push back.
Religion
Skaldic
Economy
Population
~<1000
Main Exports
- Various Brews
- Muscles, Clams
- Books
Places of Note
Chateau Vocal
The former finishing school for the aristocracy, now a towering building offering practice rooms for singing to the public on the ground level. There is also a parlor that acts as a meeting place on the ground level, which is full of tables and chairs.
In the upper levels, the seated guild makes their quarters. The current seated guild is Candidature 9, a brewery and creator of alcoholic concoctions. The upstairs areas are off limits to non-guild members, unless escorted by a guild member or given special permission by the Guild's Nobile. However, you are likely to encounter guild members providing sample glasses of their wares on the ground level, as well as a mysterious force that will always make sure you have more drink if you want it, but only when no one is looking at your glass.
The Flute and Flagon
A two story, compact building featuring trinkets from all over The Tapestry with no rhyme or reason to placement. The tables are arranged closely and can seat two to six people. The bar counter is located along the right wall from the entrance and features several large kegs and taps from which the house brew is poured on demand into stoneware mugs. On the far wall across from the entrance is a raised platform that serves as a stage for performances-- usually a local musician needing practice in front of a localized crowd, or the bar's own workers.
Upstairs is the living quarters for the few workers and gives place for side-business to happen, about 4 rooms not including Jackie and Eirian's permanent abodes, which they will let you borrow. It is not an inn.
The menu includes simple things, such as a porridge or stew, that can be made in large batches and kept over several days. If ingredients are available, they can make something off-menu. This is highly unlikely during the fall and winter months when everything becomes scarce and strained. During that time specific breeds of fish are more readily on the menu, as they are more active in a colder climate. A seedy dark bread is readily available with a special dipping-glaze made by boiling the house brew with honey.
The side-work:
All workers of the bar have the permission, to operate as courtesans as well.
- They set their own prices and preferences, with the bar taking a 5% cut.
- They must have all appointments at the Flute and Flagon, for the worker's security.
- They can only take appointments on days they are not working another part of the bar.
Catacombs
Further beneath the city, accessible only when the water recedes, is the door to the catacombs. Revered heroes and royalty alike are buried there in organized tunnels spanning the whole of the hamlet, but not all are asleep in eternal rest.
Candidature 9
Current Nobile: Ignace Poirier Guild type: Brew masters and other liquid courage infusions
Lore and background: After the current Primo Uomo (name) decided to pull the Nobile Heirs from the Chateau, the guild turnover rate there had been high. Year after year it seemed like the guild that had tried to start up in that building wasn’t the same when the Annual Review came about, which caused no end to the frustrating paperwork the PU’s aides.
The townsfolk quickly grew accustomed to the failures of these guilds and within a year or two barely noticed their coming and goings. They began self-governing themselves and any serious transgressions were brought up to their Battaglia representative. Part of the problem was that The Approver of the guild for Chanson Isolée rarely took the time to actually read any paperwork presented to him. He had found, through a bit of sly manipulation, that he could get paid ever so slightly more for approving these types of forms over ordinary guilds. Thus he would only briefly skim the forms before taking great joy in rubber stamping those who didn’t catch his fancy and applying his far less worn stamp to those who did.
On an undisclosed day, the 9th form of that day they were to review was woefully underfilled; the idiots didn’t even put a name for their guild. How such lackadaisical paperwork made it past even the initial inspection baffled The Approver, but being thorough (one of their only redeeming qualities) they read the form in whole. This absolute disregard for regulations perturbed The Approver to no end, and something extra had been scrawled in where there was no appropriate field for! A special note at the bottom of the page caught their eye as it was starred and signed by the initial form inspector and simply read “see attachment.” Flipping the parchment over and ruffling through the entirety of the stack yielded no referenced attachment, which infuriated The Approver even more and they practically roared for their top aide.
After a blustery verbal tirade bordering on abuse for losing paperwork, the aide finally chirped up and asked what was missing, albeit in a woozy manner as if they hadn’t been paying much attention. The stamper jabbed at the parchment menacingly with their finger, almost putting a hole through the added note. The aide almost missed the beat, before a smile drew across their face and they asked The Approver to “wait just a moment,” and they nearly stumbled out of the room. This particular approver was used to such actions, as they enjoyed inciting fear into their underling and watching them trip over their feet to hurry out.
What they weren’t used to, however, was having a cask rolled into their office. The lid of the cask had the word “Attachment” very crudely etched into the top of it, as if by a dagger. There was, unsurprisingly, a look of shock and skepticism on The Approver’s face. Still, they had a duty, and the idiot aide wouldn’t stop grinning, so after having them fetch a glass they tried the ale. As they did, they hid a look of genuine delight from their face, instead opting for strong neutrality as they circled the cask. In contrast to the crudely daggered word, along the front of it was very neatly and carefully painted ‘J.V.’ “The name of the ale,” the aide chimed in helpfully. “They sent us 5 other barrels, with different names as well. ‘Amontillado, Zhivago, Schopenhauer -” they were cut off there and motioned to bring in the rest.
It was one of the best days in the office the aides had ever had. Even The Approver seemed to break their facade and show brief signs of enjoyment. As if seeing their boss actually having a good time wasn't baffling enough, they found that their glasses would constantly be refilled when near empty if ignored. No one was quite sure if there was sorcery at work, or if they were already at the point of losing their short term memory. The Approver paid no heed to this and found that while these brews were delicious and had a good chance of selling well, the paperwork still perturbed them. As a cruel joke they approved the guild, but penned in the name “Candidature 9” for their guild name, rather than give them a chance to resubmit the paperwork.
