[Riverfall Location] The Orchards

[Gossamer]

The Orchards should have a more pretentious noble name. Because it started out as a small grouping of apple trees that were suddenly expanded and grafted to larger trees and then intermingled with pears it has moved from The Apple Orchard to The Apple and Pear Orchard into the realm of simply The Orchard as more crops - plums, peaches, figs, olives and a whole cohort of nuts. From the original dozen trees thousands now line the southern banks of the Bluevein providing a great deal of food for Riverfall to supplement its fishing and hunting support. A great many of the fruits, either processed or raw, are traded northward along the Kabrin Road to Syliras in exchange for its wide array of grains which grow poorly around Riverfall. And because the Orchards stretch over such a wide variety of land and sprawl to the south of Riverfall they provide a lovely location for picnics and people getting out of the city. Unique to the Orchards as well are Orchard Constrictors. These enormous chameleon-like snakes grow to huge sizes and feed on threats to the fruit crops while leaving visitors and workers alone.   NPCs Name: Devan (Volas) Rockward Race: Akalak DoB: 298 AV (214 YO) PoB: Riverfall Title: Orchard Manager Skills: Farming 82, Herbalism 75, Arborism 92. Gnosis: 2 Bala Marks The Orchards are something of a group project having no real manager but a series of Council Decrees that keep them running. However, Devan feels he was born to tend trees and does so with great enthusiasm. And slowly, over the last 150 years since hes come of age and then some, hes been taking over the duties as Orchard Manager unasked. The Council pays him handsomely and displays gratitude over this since the southern slopes of the Bluevein River have turned into a really ideal spot for most fruit and nut trees to thrive.   Crop List Crop List Riverfall grows apples, pears, plumbs and peaches along with their normal seasonal gardens. In addition the orchards have a whole host of nut crops including almonds, walnuts, and pistachios. There is also a smaller section planted with fig and olive trees.   Employment Opportunities The Orchards has a wide variety of employment opportunities ranging from day laborers, harvesters, to aborists. They always actively look for people with Bala and Caiyha marks as well. See the Orchard Manager for job availability.   Orchard Constrictors Orchard constrictors are an enormous species of snake that inhabit the orchards of Riverfall acting as protectors to the trees. Said to be created by one of Caiyha's Wildlings, the Orchard constrictor lives hundreds of years and can grow upwards of forty feet. They have the ability to change colors to blend with their surroundings so they are often hard to spot. Gentle and friendly to visitors, these snakes rarely bother workers or denizens of Riverfall though they are harsh to invaders and predators threatening the Orchards. Many of the staff of both the Vineyards and Orchards have individual snakes named and can easily recognize them from each other despite their color changes.