Oakhearth

[Forrest Waldstein]

Oakhearth is an isolated settlement in the forests east of the city of Vale. Despite being isolated physically and culturally from Vale (and the rest of the world), the residents maintain good ties to the Valean government. Proposals have been made to connect the infrastructure of Vale and Oakhearth, but the dense forest and the Grimm make it highly impractical and expensive to accomplish. Like many isolated settlements throughout Vale, it is commonly believed that Oakhearth holds some secret that keeps it safe. Whether the previous statement is true or not remains unknown.

History: The earliest records of Oakhearth date to ~70 BGW, being a small, agrarian community of homesteaders. Nothing dramatic has been noted since Oakhearth’s inception until the Great War, where one resident, Silvanus Waldstein, earned significant prestige and glory due to his victories and exploits in the Great War. After returning from the Great War, Silvanus became the leader of Oakhearth, modernizing the town at breakneck speed. A recent proposal from radicals in Oakhearth was secession from Vale, though the majority of citizens seem to support the status quo.

Government: Oakhearth had no official government until Silvanus Waldstein’s reforms after the end of the Great War, with experts describing its pre-war government as “social anarchism”. Since the reforms, a political organization of Oakhearth citizens was established, colloquially called “the Druids”. The Druids encompass adult citizens of all genders and races, and they serve as the legislative and judicial body of Oakhearth’s government. Another duty of the Druids is to elect a town Elder, who serves as an effective leader of Oakhearth. A series of checks and balances exist between the Elder and the Druids, ensuring neither side becomes too powerful. All duties are carried out via debates and discussions. Overall, the traits of Oakhearth’s postwar government can be described as a “popular democracy”.

Geography and Climate: Oakhearth is surrounded on the north, west, and south by dense forest. To the east, the forest thins out to the treeline and gives way to mountains. Oakhearth is approximately three miles west of the treeline. Oakhearth exhibits a temperate climate with warm summers and cold, harsh winters. The average annual temperature recorded in Oakhearth is 45°F (7°C). The highest temperatures recorded in summer typically reach 80°F (27°C) and the lowest winter temperatures reach 10°F (-12°C). Being situated on the windward side of the mountain range, Oakhearth receives approximately 45 inches (115 cm) of precipitation per year.

Notable People:

• Forrest Waldstein (born July 21st, 62 AGW). Student at Beacon Academy.

• Rowan Waldstein (born February 14th, 32 AGW, died June 21st, 62 AGW). Beacon Academy Alumnus and renowned Huntsman, married Hazel Waldstein (nee Holt) in 60 AGW.

• Hazel Waldstein (born August 31st, 32 AGW, died September 13th, 79 AGW) Doctor of medicine, married Rowan Waldstein in 60 AGW.

• Silvanus Waldstein (born May (day unknown) ~40 BGW) Famous soldier in the Great War, Elder of Oakhearth 2 AGW-present.

• Harkin Moss (born April 16th, 51 AGW) workaholic Ranger Captain, renowned for the development of Ranger Code.

• Kiera O’Rourke (born June 21st, 62 AGW) Former Ranger, student at Beacon Academy.

Stereotypes: While the people of Oakhearth are as varied as just about any other group that resides on Remnant, Oakhearthians have developed a very specific reputation for themselves. Most notably, Oakhearthians are known for their independent streak. In remaining isolated from Vale for as long as they have been around, Oakhearthians are typically loath to ask for any type of help outside of their own, this example rings true more often than not. The second stereotype that exists about Oakhearthians is their upholding of traditional, conservative values. Oakhearthians are actually quite accepting of all peoples and their views in reality, though it seems that a society focused on egalitarianism for all has unexpectedly reinforced specific societal aspects, such as traditional gender roles. A third common stereotype amongst Oakhearthians is technological ineptness and backwardness. While this may be true for the older population of Oakhearth, younger Oakhearthians are surprisingly tech savvy and open minded to new developments.

Defense: Oakhearth relies on a sizable and well-respected volunteer militia known as the Rangers, who were formally established in the year 2 AGW by Silvanus Waldstein. In addition to being adept scouts, survivalists, and the town police force, the Rangers are called upon to defend the town in the event of an emergency such as a Grimm attack. As per tradition, the Elder of Oakhearth is also the commander-in-chief of the Rangers. Currently, there are 500 active duty Rangers with an additional 1,500 reservists that can be summoned if the need is dire. The Rangers also have a youth program for adolescents that teaches good character, survival techniques, herbalism, basic first aid, and medicine from the ages of 15-17, with combat training and a job placement program added between the ages of 18-20. A recent development with the Rangers was that they have created a unique writing system to convey information quickly and efficiently known as Ranger Code, created by Ranger Captain Harkin Moss. Although the Rangers consist of a wide array of skilled people, there is still a need for Huntsmen and Huntresses to protect Oakhearth in situations when Rangers alone are not enough. Pound for pound, the average Huntsmen will always outvalue the average Ranger.