• Springvale

A mostly-agricultural community in a valley among the eastern foothills of the Dusty Mountains, named for its source of water, a natural spring. It is inhabited by ponies and grundles. The pegasi of Springvale have a longstanding working partnership with the grundles in the defense of their community, being the upholders of a long tradition of noble grundle paladins trained to fight from pegasus-back. Springvale was never subjugated during the long centuries of the Dark Age despite many attempts to do so.

The economy is based on agriculture (70%), services (10%), mostly transportation-related (Springvale is on the road between the Western and Eastern Dusts, and is a usual stop for overland travelers), trade, and agricultural support industries. A small but important aspect of Springvale is the Springvale Hospital, the most respected medical institution in the entire Eastern Dusts. Fine arms and armor are made in Springvale, but for the exclusive use of the Order of the Knights of Springvale; export is forbidden and rarely occurs in practice.

Springvale is theoretically ruled by its count or countess, as represented by the Grandmaster of the Order of the Knights of Springvale, but the Grandmaster has, for centuries, devolved most of his or her powers unrelated to defense or foreign relations to the Springvale Assembly, which implements essentially a direct democracy. It could be considered a constitutional monarchy with certain reserve powers. The incumbent Grandmaster is Sir Mundle the Gallant, a grundle. The incumbent Chairpony of the Assembly is Lofty Goals, a pegasus mare. The highest noble in Springvale is the Count of Springvale, the unicorn Graph Paper, who is mainly occupied with his mathematical hobby and has few responsibilities to his state beyond knighting individuals on the advice of the Grandmaster.

Springvale has the major dependent villages Dry Creek and May Bee Manor.

CategorySettlements