Neighbourhoods

One reason for having neighbourhoods in the game is due to differences in physical size; buildings for various taxa will be sized differently (not all need a unique size building, but would group together by similar height unless they wouldn’t for other reasons.)

Mostly residential areas are called ‘districts’, the rest are called ‘neigbourhoods’.

Badgers ‘Highsett’

Nestled into the rugged topography of their part of the island, the Badgers’ neighbourhood is small, tightly knit, considered safe, and is mainly working class. The Badgers have built a tunnel connecting their district with the main part of the island. They let everyone use it. Most of the buildings and dwellings here are built in tunnels and underground rooms excavated by the industrious Badgers. The topography of Highsett ranges from hilly to rugged. The Badgers are welcoming to others but will eject any from their neighbourhood who are causing trouble. This neighbourhood is considered safe to everyone.

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Bears n/a

Bears are rare in Ashstone. They tend to live scattered around the Isle according to their jobs. Many of them end up in the Horses’ neighbourhood as that’s due to them being the only other species that would have buildings large enough for them to fit comfortably inside.

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Cat ‘The Flats’ ‘Little Eeeuw’

The cats are relatively well represented in Ashstone, being one of the closest lands. They have two neighbourhoods on the Isle, one in the west and another in the east. Cats will live quite happily in mixed neighbourhoods as well. The poor Cat neighbourhood is called “The Flats”. The topography here shows you why; much of it is flat. The neighbourhood in the nice side of the Isle is called “Little Eeeuw”, named after a town in the Cat homeland. It is considerably more hilly than The Flats. The tunnel from Highsett emerges from the mountains here. The Flats are not considered safe while Little Eeeuw is.

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Fox poor ‘Temet’ posh ‘Bonheur’

Foxes are also well represented on the Isle of Ashstone due to the proximity of their lands. The foxes are also the most populate people in the known world. There are two Fox neighbourhoods; one in the east (posh) and one in the west (poor). Foxes also happily live in mixed neighbourhoods or in non-Fox neighbourhoods. Temet has mostly low-lying and flat ground with Bonheur being much more hilly. Temet is considered an rougher neighbourhood in terms of safety to the local inhabitants and visitors alike.

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Horse ‘Greenfields’

Despite bordering Ashstone’s lands, the horses are not a very well-represented group. They generally prefer to stay home and mingle with their own kind. In Ashstone they're generally not unfriendly to others but also remain socially distant. Their neighbourhood is flat, which suits the Horses just fine. Their neighbourhood has relatively few and larger residential buildings with a lot of space dedicated to well-tended lawns which must not be trod upon. This neighbourhood is considered safe.

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Mouse ‘The Lowlands’

Mice keep tightly together, being the smallest and most timid of all taxa. There is a neighbourhood of mice amongst the highest quality craftsmen. The name of their neighbourhood ‘The Lowlands’ is in reference to their oversea home in the high mountains. The Lowlands’ buildings are usually too small for any but the mice, weasels, and squirrels, except for businesses that cater to non-Mice.

This neighbourhood is also where the gold- and silversmiths reside and have their shops. The Mice will allow non-mice who are working in those media to build suitably-sized shops and residences. This neighbourhood is safe and welcoming.

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Rabbit ‘Theron’

Rabbits are gregarious and like to live in large groups. The main Rabbit neighbourhood is usually the first one encountered by arrivals from the North Dock. While being a tightly-knit community, they welcome others openly. The land this neighbourhood lies on is quite flat; some of it low enough to occasionally flood during storms. Theron is a safe neighbourhood for residents and those passing through.

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Squirrel ‘The Canopy’ ‘The Nuttery’

The squirrels live on top of the central ridge of the island of Artami. Being the best climbers has allowed them to take land in Ashstone that none other could utilise. Their problem is not commuting, but getting goods up to their district. They have a long, hazardous stairways for ease of passage and for heavy labour to pass. They have also arranged a system of pulleys, ropes, and platforms to raise and lower goods (dumbwaiter). The squirrel neighbourhood is safe, mostly due to its geographic isolation.

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Weasel Town WeaselTown

Weaseltown lies on steep, uneven terrain. Their neighbourhood is small and is the most crowded of all districts. The buildings are decrepit and many weasels inhabit the remains of some of the better preserved Weaseltown houses. The town is overhung by a hazardous cliff that collapses somewhat regularly, destroying large chunks of Weaseltown with each rockfall.

Weaseltown is avoided by most non-weasels with good reason. Even some weasels avoid it.

Weaseltown is surrounded by a tall, stone wall with two entrances; one near the market and one to the north by The Moon pub. It seems likely that this wall is younger than Weaseltown. The gateway between Weaseltown and the market usually has city guards stationed there.

The community only comes together for some festivals or to face a non-weasel foe. Otherwise the weasels are cliquish, violent, prone to various crimes, assassins and such for hire, but also musicians, acrobats and other performers. Due to the dangers for non-weasels passing through Weaseltown, if someone needs to find a particular weasel, they'll linger near the gate and wait for a weasel to ask (pay) to carry a message to the weasel they’re trying to get ahold of.

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Wolf ‘Haven’

The Wolves have a small neighbourhood on the landward end of the northern sandspit which is half rugged and half quite flat. The neighbourhood is fairly poor but not really rough and is considered to be neither safe nor unsafe. Those inhabiting this neighbourhood are a tightly-knit community. The Wolves are not hugely welcoming of outsiders; foxes are accepted, but are not really included in the social fabric of the neighbourhood. Haven is neither safe nor unsafe.

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Jackal ‘Royal Dock’ Less kindly known as ‘The Jackhole’ (particularly their harbour)

They keep to themselves for the most part, rarely venturing outside their part of the island. They look down on non-jackals. They stay behind their walls socially and rely on servants and staff to communicate with the rest of the Isle and to take care of the various tasks. The jackals control all the harbours and forts, as well as much of the commerce and trade throughout the region. They generally do not allow non-jackals (apart from employees) onto the palace grounds without an extremely good reason.

The main harbour has two sides - a private harbour off of the main harbour and another side for the rest. The jackal side has another harbour off it which is purely for the ruling family's use.

The harbourmaster of the Jackal half and privateThe Palace Grounds are considered very safe but inaccessible for most.

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The Hyenas are from an unknown land and are well-known for their brazen attacks on coastal settlements. They live on their ships and they are rumoured to have small villages somewhere in the known world. Nobody has a good grasp on what the Hyenas are and where they’re from due to no common language and due also to the fact the Hyenas don’t give them a chance to try talking with them. The Hyenas have attacked every nations’ coastal settlements apart from the Wolves and Mice, since they lack settlements on the coast.