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The tiny village of Nulam lay at the very end of the Sarine River, a small rarely-travelled tributary off the Maruto. While only a day upriver from the Yellow River and the port of Nevin, the village is far from any common trade routes and has always been somewhat isolated from the rest of the Hundred Kingdoms. This isolation has kept Nulam from most of the regions wars, and the villagers also enjoy a long history of coexistence with the local Tribes, a combination of factors that has kept the village free from strife for the past few centuries. The people of Nulam have thus lived peaceful lives farming their fertile lands for generations, with little firsthand memory of hardship or war.
It is not only Nulam's isolation that has assured the small village peace, however, but also simply the fact that there is very little to catch the eye of would-be conquerors. The village has few assets other than its fertile fields, which are small enough to not capture much attention. This allows the 150 or so townsfolk, and outlying farmers, to rule over themselves -- electing representatives every two years to their small Town Council. The Council, in turn, elects the villages Hetman from among their members. For the past 12 years, that position has been in the hands of Marin Dularn and before then it was the duty of Marin's father. Marin is firm but fair in internal matters among the villagers, carefully weighing both sides and seeking a compromise between what is best for the village and what is best for the specific situation. On those occasions when it is necessary to deal with outsiders, Marin's usual strategy is one of appeasement, a time-tested tradition among the Nulam's Council. While some of the poorer farmers complain of produce being given away as tribute, the Villages most powerful families fully support (and usually dominate) the Council and thus the Hetman.
These powerful families are the movers and shakers of the Village, representing its four "richest" families who control the lion's share of the truly valuable assets that the town has to offer. The Laal head the villages trade endeavors and have minor associations with the Guild, maintaining the cities minor wharf and a few warehouses. The Orone have owned the one Tavern (and Inne) for as long as the town has stood, which serves as the largest building in the community next to the town hall, and the gathering place for villagers and farmers in most occasions. The Borone and Nali are both prosperous farmers who own large amounts of land outside the village itself, employing a fair number of townsfolk in common agricultural tasks and bankrolling most of the villagers overall trade in produce. They also pocket most of the tribute, when such is necessary for the overall good of the village.
In many ways, the outlying farms - large and small - are the true heart of the village. Nulam's main purpose, then, is to provide support, supplies and services to those farmers as well as playing host to the trade and agricultural fairs that are scattered through the year. Most of the village thus finds itself situated around the wharf, which is most active after harvest when goods are being transported down river toward the Hub City of Nevin, Yet the village also boasts cobblers, tanners, the aforementioned Tavern, a small fairground, a smithy, and a Town Hall. Once a year the fairground turns into a market, when the Guild Caravan visits on its way toward Madaan and other parts north. The arrival of the Caravan is one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the year, and is usually accompanied by three days of festivals seconded only by the yearly Harvest Festival (which lasts a whole week).
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The true center around which all of Nulaman society revolves are the outlying farms that work the fertile soil, the produce from which is then shipped down-river toward the rich agricultural markets of Nevin. Almost everyone that lives in the area is either a farmer, or someone who spends much of their time working for the betterment of farmers. This encourages a certain closeness with the land, a great appreciation for natural cycles of life, and a deep communal bond between the villagers and the farmers. The only possible rival for the land in the hearts of the Numamans is the river, held as a giver of bounty in the form of fishing and trade. Even so, it becomes apparent around the time of the autumn harvest that the lands primacy is unchallenged, as all hands turn to the task at hand.
The long history of peace, such that even the oldest natives can not remember any strife, has also had a strong effect on the people of Nulam. These are a gentle going people, possessed of strong character and a certain amount of idealism that has been lost throughout most of Creation. The people are willing to make sacrifices for the good of the community and those less fortunate, the Council always attempts to consider both sides of any dispute, and the community itself is mostly unfamiliar with crime. There are few sex differences in society, with at best a slight assumption that men will work in the fields and women will work at home, with the village itself being almost entirely egalitarian. The villagers care very little about appearances or heritage as long as your face is recognized and you fit within the community (but see below). Yet despite this, the village is not quite a paradise.
While cheerful around each other, the people are close-mouthed and overly formal around outsiders -- distrusting them and their intentions. Those from outside the Village are widely regarded as having little Virtue, and no understanding of the greater good, and could always be scouts from some group of Bandits. The only exception to this xenophobia is the yearly Trade Fair in the spring, with the coming of the Guild Caravan, and the only way to overcome it is through the passage of years gradually stripping away ones status as an Outsider. The village is also not without its own justice, and it can be quite strict. Most minor crimes are solved by public caning, shaming, indentured service (to the village, or the wronged party), or exile. The most severe punishment, often handed out to Outsiders who commit some monstrous act, involves the offending party being nailed to one of the massive oak trees outside of the Village and left to perish over days. Many of those trees host large nests of Fire Ants, usually not very dangerous but with poisonous bites that are very painful, and for all their idealism the people pay no attention to the piteous screams of those sentenced to die such.
The people of Nulam enjoy a close relationship with the Guild, as every year in the spring the Caravan passes through their village on its way north, bringing with it many needed goods and even news of the outside world for the curious among the Villagers. These Caravans usually have a number of slaves with them, as both Madaan and some of the city-states even further North have thriving slave markets, but Nulam itself very rarely partakes of such trade. While the occasional slave works in the fields on one of the outlying farms, in general the people of Nulam view slavery as a destabilizing influence. While it might be a necessity in other parts of Creation, the people of Nulam live simply and slaves are an inherently dangerous luxury. Thus, the Council has extensive guidelines on the care and treatment of any and all slaves.
Thus all Slaves among the Nulam are paid some small wage for their services, eat at the same tables as their masters and are usually treated the same as any other member of the family. It is not uncommon for slaves to marry villagers, and indeed this is one of the reasons slaves are purchased from the Guild at all -- to inject a little new blood into the rather insular community and thus prevent Inbreeding. Even absent such arrangements, slaves are commonly given their freedom after 4 to 6 years, with anything longer than 10 years of service being considered a scandalously long period. Lastly, mistreatment of Slaves is strictly forbidden -- the crime considered one even worse than similar acts performed upon a free man. This includes any form of corporal punishment, and instances of overwork beyond what one would expect of ones sons and daughters.
Escaped slaves are seldom chased after (though, honestly, for reasons of safety more than idealism); this is actually unfortunate, as most of these slaves perish somewhere in the Wilderness or make it to Madaan and find themselves in situations considerably worse than they'd previously enjoyed.
The people of Nulam are a pragmatically religious people, recognizing much of the divinity around them and the role of these gods in their day to day lives. Religious offerings and devotions are given as necessary, from the rare but elaborate rituals to pacify the Dogs of the Unbroken Earth when a new farm is cleared to the occasional devotions to Sunipa for keeping the spectre of War away from their peaceful settlement. The Council offers a small prayer to the Heavens before every meeting, and invokes Junot the Arbiter to watch over the proceedings and lend them his wisdom, while thanks are commonly given to Plentimon for a lucky throw of the dice and Fair Haired Fran for a good cup of ale every night at the villages small tavern. Some ancestor worship is also common, with most families having a small altar which they visit often for peace of mind and a bit of advice.
Yet two divinities stand above all others worshipped by the people of Nulam. First among these is Mun of the Fertile Fields, also called the Grain Goddess, a powerful agricultural goddess who watches over the various outlying farmsteads and brings forth the rich and bountiful harvests, a ripe and beautiful maiden who is said to rest somewhere in the hills outside the village in an overflowing garden. Only vaguely lesser in their esteem is the Lady of the River, whose true name is unknown, who is appreciated and beloved if not as cherished as the Grain Goddess, and whose godly residence is said to be a beautiful white palace somewhere under the river. Both Goddesses benefit from frequent worship among the villagers, having altars and priests within the Village. While other gods are respected, the Grain Goddess and the Lady of the River are truly glorified.
Mun has been known to keep the Field-Spirits in line, as well as sending omens to warn farmers of blights and infestations, and is much beloved by the people. She is lavished in praise all the year long, and the Autumn Harvest Festival is essentially a celebration of her bountiful gifts and a glorification of her beauty and fertility. Young women pray to her to give them strong sons and daughters, and wear bits of wheat in their hair to honor her, some even becoming Harvest Maidens and dedicated priestesses in her name. The Lady of the River is commonly considered to send omens to faithful sailors on her river, telling them of good places to fish or warning them of bandits hiding past a bend in the river. She also watches over floodwaters, and is said to be a patron of the Village itself, watching over the people that choose to live on her shores. Even so, her worship is most common among river traders and fishermen.
It should also be noted that, despite their great love for their most beloved gods, the people of Nulam both know and accept that their Gods are in many ways just as small as their village. They appreciate all the help that they are given by their divinities, but also know that the power of these goddesses is finite.
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