People of the Sixhomes Homestead
Elders and Heads
For leadership, the Homestead relies on the senior members of the families, just as the farms themselves are organised by the senior members of their families. Because they rely on co-operation for the survival of the community, there is no real need for rulers - the community defers to its elders as representatives when dealing with its neighbours and to organise co-operative activities such as communal defences.
Brian Tapley
Tapley Farm is the second largest of those in Sixhomes. Their senior family member is Brian who has been elder to the homestead for four years (since old Maurice Connaughty died in early 1408).
Now believed to be 72 years old, he has lived in and worked his own farmstead all his life. He has been a popular member of the community, but more recently has been critical of some folk of the younger generations of Sixhomes, thinking they do not live up to the standards his generation reached many years ago.
He is friendly and approachable, but somewhat quiet. Likewise, he is well respected as a leader and his reputation among the farmsteads is that he has represented the village well over the years.
Senior Religious People
There is no full-time church in the community, but worshippers are led by volunteer individuals. Both Pendaroch and Danethrae are represented by (low level) cleric support, and also there is a druid grove nearby that provides help to several of the homesteads in the region, and to any traders. The grove, however, is not manned all the time - perhaps only for six months in total during the year. The druid that looks after this area, also helps with the caravan routes and with other homesteads to the east, perhaps as far as the edge of Caldonacia.
Sam Gallachin
The congregation of Danthrae is led by Sam Gallachin, who, in any other walk of life, would be a warrior priest. In the past, he has also spent time working with the homestead defence team, and was one of the more enthusiastic volunteers when external threats turned into some kind of attack. He's a charismatic man, despite his somewhat rough and scarred appearance, and is generous and kind, as befits his place in the church. It is clear when talking with him that there is a bit of steel to his character.
Evan Hewer
Pendaroch's following is led by Evan Hewer, a mild, deeply thinking man who studies the writings of his faith, and works hard to maintain a peaceful homestead. He has often brought arguments and conflict within the community to an end, his reputation is that he brings arguers together and helps them smooth over their disagreements with beer and food in plenty, and laughter.
He is in no way a fighter, and is softly spoken and has a conciliatory manner (quite the opposite to Sam Gallachin). He is diplomatic, and well-spoken compared to many of the locals, yet sometimes seems separate and a little distant.
Defence Volunteers
Some members of the community are volunteered for the defence by the leaders of their homesteads, and they tend to be made up of the younger members of the families from the farmsteads. While the leaders of this group continue in these roles year-round, many of the others are present for shorter stints, and they contribute to the farming duties between their times manning the defences.
Defence of the homestead is a critical service, with elements to defend the homestead itself, and further, shared responsibilities with other local farms and homesteads. The defence volunteers are here: Defence Volunteers.
Market Area Volunteers
The market area is manned at different times by volunteers from among the farms.
Chapel
Alongside the clerics, there are a couple of extra administrators that help out each side of the worship duties.
The youngest of the helpers is the Morgana Blarman (one of Toby Blarman's neices) who, despite being only fourteen years old, is already a formidable administrator and has a reputation for deflecting pressure from the burliest of farm hands. It is becoming local folklore that when she organises anything... it stays organised. Aside from that, she can be the most polite and demure teenager, and is known to be fond of Coran Wardle, who helps out at the Barrels during the weekends. Morgana is assistant to Sam, working as part of the Danethrae side of the church (although the lines are somewhat blurred when administrating the chapel).
The assistants to Evan Hewer are sisters, Poppy and Peony Langham. These ladies are in their late twenties now, and unmarried (unusual in the homestead at this age), and seem to take a subordinate role in the running of the chapel. They are both quiet and unassertive ladies, Poppy is the elder by a year, but sometimes it's difficult to tell them apart. Or, even, if they're present at all.
From the outside it looks as though the chapel is organised and operated by Morgana, with the Langhams picking up the more mundane dusting, sweeping and washing duties.
Store
The store doesn't open all day like those in the cities of Caldonacia. The building is there mostly to support trade with the outside traders, and so opens when needed (and so may be considered 'always open', although getting service during the night can be tricky). The building has some supplies of small goods such as food packs for hunters, coppicers, charcoalers, and others who can spent more than a day out of the homestead, and household items such as lanterns, poles, ropes, cooking pots, waxed cloths, and the like.
There are two couples who volunteer to operate the store when needed, and others often help out - especially when larger deliveries come in from the lands 'away west' (orc country, which is often metals, metal ores or stone).
The main volunteers here are Ellie and Bradon Tapley (married to each other and in their forties), who have been associated with the store for many years, and their more junior assistants Barry and Victoria Wardle, who have only been married for a year and sometimes find the store to be a bit of distraction. Farm hand help is usually provided by Aaron Tapley (Ellie and Bradons eldest son) and a couple of the Hudder boys, Colm and Eoin, who are both in their early twenties and who also help out quite a bit around the inner pastures, well and in maintenance of the market area generally. They are both skilled in carpentry.
Farm Services
Each of the busy farms relies on, and provides, services to the homestead. Every farm has at least one blacksmith (the Connoughty Farm has three) mostly dealing with farm equipment repairs, horse shoes, and the occasional weapon. Despite the smiths being located this way, it is very common for their services to be shared. Declan Connoughty is considered in the homestead to be the most senior of the smiths, but there is so much work to be carried out that high expertise is common.
Keeping the furnaces burning is down to local charcoaling, and that is carried out by small teams made up of people from several of the farms. The main organiser for these is Gerik Hewer, who is a tall, but odd individual with almost no social skills whatsoever. He does know charcoal, of course, and provides plenty from the plentiful woodland surrounding the homestead.
Milling is also central to the activities of each farm, every farm has grindstones, the larger ones turned by oxen and some smaller ones goat or pig powered. It is these that keep wheat flowing to the farmhouses and the homestead fed.
Other popular services are malting sheds, small-scale stoneworks, weaving, spinning, and even milking is a shared activity between farms. A small army of the farmstead children help milk the oxen, goats and cows across the farmsteads daily.
Traders
Even though money is only present in the community in small amounts, there is plenty of trade with other local homesteads, the caravans to the south, and even with some of the non-human tribes that live in the hills and plains away to the southwest.
Ol' Jimmery
Probably well into his fifties, Jimmery is a well-known and well liked trader in the homestead. He's usually around every three to four weeks, and will stay for a two, or sometimes three days. He normally trades the Homesteads produce with people on the caravan trail to the south. This makes him also a bearer of news and gossip from across the lands. He often talks to the scouts and hunters from other homesteads as he heads to the south. Jimmery is assisted by a broad shouldered man, Burl Hendmoor, who is known locally as "the guy who pulls Jimmery's Cart", when in reality he a tough old warrior, who protects Jimmer'y cargo when its on the road. His reputation is built on his reluctance to spend a time talking with people.
Kerim Marley
Assisted by his wife, Annabelle, and strapping son Yornan, Kerim handles most of the trade between the local homesteads. They also carry messages and other communications between the settlements. Kerim also has some access to goods available in western Caldonacia, and can often procure special order items from the towns and cities.
Presk
As a halforc, Presk negotiates trade between the homesteads and several of the non-human settlements away to the north and west, and helping negotiate and maintain peace between the communities. He is quite a blunt, straight talking fellow, but this carries its own charm. When the tall, muscular Presk is visiting, it's not uncommon for many of the ladies of the region to spend more time in the market area of Sixhomes.
Other Ousiders
Colleen Parnham, Druid Leader
Colleen is originally from the Parnham Farm, and is Leonard Parnham's youngest daughter (Leonard is himself the younger brother to Fergus Parnham, the owner of Parnham Farm). Never having married, Colleen is devoted to her grove, which sits three miles south and slightly west of her family's farm. Her reputation in the region, across Parnham's Farm, Sixhomes and Browns, is one that is defined by her beauty. The popularity of the Nature faith followed by the Druids is suspected, locally at least, to be driven by many of the young folk wanting to spend time close to her.
Having a relaxed manner, masses of dark wavy hair, a pale clear complexion, and a knack of using many natural essences to enhance her looks, her visits to the communities seem more popular each time she drops by. She normally travels between homesteads with Kerim and Annabel Marley, but also spends a lot of time travelling much further afield, as far south as the caravan routes. On these journeys she normally accompanies Ol' Jimmery, or will be accompanied by one or two of her older brothers or cousins.