Fanta's Meadow

Fanta's Meadow is situated on a forty-acre piece of meadow-land adjoining several farms in a rural area.  A stream cuts through the southern half of the meadow, providing water for the crops the Halfling residents choose to grow, as well as for their orchards.  The soil is rich, and about one-fourth of the land is naturally wooded.  A rocky ridge stretches along the northern side of the property.

The town was named for the Halfling clan leader, Fanta, who negotiated its use thousands of years ago.  The land was deeded to the halflings in perpetuity by a grateful Human Wizard for whom the halflings did a great favor.

The business section of Fanta's Meadow consists of two long, rambling, two-story buildings that stretch for a quarter-mile and more on either side of a wide main street.  These structures house a number of shops, all of which connect with one another.  A customer can literally walk through two dozen shops without leaving the shelter of the building.  Crafting areas, such as forges and ovens, often extend outdoors, behind the row of shops.  The proprietor of each shop can fence goods related to his or her craft.

Toward the south end of town is an immense open area where caravans can park.  At either end of this area are taverns that have a few rooms for rent.

The ridge on the north side of town contains numerous burrows hollowed out from the stone and secured with wooden doors. A few of the townspeople live in these underground homes, but most live in rooms above their shops. Most of these burrows belong to traveling halflings who come here to stay during seasons of inclement weather.  The typical burrow consists of a kitchen, a living room, a family room, and one or more bedrooms.  All have earthen floors, but the walls are plastered or paneled with wood.

The leader of Fanta's Meadow (in the Third Age this was Justicia Wainwright, great-great-granddaughter of Fanta) lives in a modest burrow home with their family and tends to town business from an office in the east commercial sector.

Farms surround the settlement on all sides, providing grain, vegetables, and meat-animals for slaughter.  Each farm features a small house for the family.

Central Temple

On the west side of town, just before the tree line, stands a building with several wings radiating out from the middle like the spokes of a wheel. These “spokes” are connected by a ring of open gardens. This building houses shrines to each of the halfling deities - Arvoreen, Brandobaris, Cyrrollalee, Sheela Peryroyl, Urogalan, and Dallah Thaun - along with their resident clergy. Each spoke is devoted to a different god, but the one that contains Dallah’s shrine is concealed behind a secret door. The round central chamber is Yondalla’s shrine.

The central chamber can contain the whole community if need be, and the temple is stocked with enough supplies in underground larders to support the community for a month.

Caravan Circle

This large open area on the south end of town is provided as a place for halfling caravans to camp. It can accommodate up to sixty wagons comfortably. When caravans stop here, they usually unpack all their gear, inspect everything and repair whatever needs it, trade for what they need, cache money with the banker (see below), and restock their food supplies. Then they pack everything back into their wagons and continue on their way. The average stay is two weeks.

At present, two caravans, each with twenty wagons, are camped at this site. One plans to leave in three days; the other has just arrived.

Party Tree

In a clearing in the wooded section of town stands a huge oak tree with spreading branches that form a canopy of sorts. The community uses this area for revels of various kinds, often hanging lanterns from the boughs of the tree and decorating its trunk and branches with strings of beads, braided leather thongs dyed in various shades, and other embellishments suitable for the occasion at hand.

East Commercial Buildings

This area houses a blacksmith, a wainwright, a wheelwright, a general store, a potter, a butcher, a bakery, a candle shop, a guide service, a mapmaker, a cobbler, and a cabinetmaker who doubles as the town’s banker.

West Commercial Buildings

This area houses a tinker, a joiner, a tailor, a weaver, a moneychanger, a jeweler, a weaponsmith and armorsmith, an herbalist, a miller, a magic shop, a woodworker, and an animal trader/trainer.  It also contains the office of the Justica, the community leader.

Stockyard

Atop the ridge is an immense paddock divided into several sections to house various livestock.  Horses, ponies, donkeys, cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, rabbits, and chickens are kept here for trade to caravans or for sale to residents. A large barn and chicken coop on the north side provides shelter for the animals in inclement weather and storage for their tack.

Taverns

The Pin Oak Tavern and the Merry Rogue Tavern both provide meals and a typical selection of wines, ales, and beers, but the Merry Rogue has the better selection of drinks, while the Pin Oak has the better food. Each inn has ten rooms for rent plus a common room.

School

At the west end of Burrow Ridge stands a small building that serves as a school for youngsters both of the community and of the caravans that stop here. It provides a modicum of book learning for those who would not otherwise get much. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are taught here, along with the history of the halfling race and other races.