Tamarack Falls

Tamarack Falls

Founded in 1761 and very much a small town, Tamarack Falls is the more supernaturally, shall we say, _aware_ of the two areas our game's grid covers. Weird things happen there, and people know it. Don't build on the east bank.

Attitudes

Being a small town, "everybody" knows "everybody" there, or knows their family, or heard from Great-Aunt Trudy that their family's dog did something to their neighbor's petunias on Memorial Day. Attitude happens.

Toward Outsiders

They're private folks with private problems. Sure, they're friendly enough to tourists, helpful people, kind to strangers, but if you're an out-of-towner, conversations may well shift to other subjects when folks see you walking up to their table.

Toward Newcomers

Unless you're going on the third or fourth generation, you're still a newcomer. You'll be judged, constantly, and talked about behind closed doors over the dinner table, but if you seem like a good sort, or if you have a useful job, the gossip likely won't be bad. It'll take a bit for loyalty to rub off on you, for the town to open up its secrets, but once you're a local, once you take part in the fairs, the town events, you're one of their own. Plus, new blood means all the old stories can be told all over again to a more appreciative audience. Harrumph.

Toward Changelings

A necessary evil -- a double-edged sword. Changelings know the Fae; they ARE fae, and that means they're the town's best defense. In matters of that defense, in matters of guidance toward mitigating the effects of the True Fae on the townsfolk, they are sought out, but while some townsfolk find their presence exciting, exotic, a fantasy come true, those are usually the young ones. The older townsfolk know better. They know that having Changelings here will draw more of the weird and uncanny creatures, and more conflict, and only hope that this time, no REAL humans will die in the next disaster's aftermath.

While it is not wise to break the Mask anywhere, plenty of people here at least know it exists.

Toward Psychics/Thaumaturges

Given that a fifth of the people in the town have at least SOME form of psychic gift, they're fairly accepting of strange things going on. A granny with a reputation for knowing how to kiss a booboo healed, a friend with an uncanny knack for knowing just when teachers are about to turn the corner, these things just happen. This prevalence of giftedness falls under the auspices of "keep it to ourselves" when newcomers come 'round, and if strangers come asking about it, it's none of their business.

Families

The following Families have a presence in Tamarack Falls:

Desrochers

This is home base for them. Most Desrochers members stay in town and commute to jobs in the city as need be, though some choose to live there. A half hour drive to get from town to city streets isn't their cup of tea, and if their job is at the pub or the Garreau estate, well, who wants to drive that far after lights out?

The I Feel Hoppy microbrewery (WR08) is the site of the family home and town-based business.

Fry

The town is home, but not all Fry are homebodies. The core group stays, tends the farm, makes ice cream, keeps the wilderness safe around the town, but there are plenty of brothers, sisters, cousins, etc. who prefer the wail of sirens and the honk of taxis at all hours to the silence of a rural night.

The Dair-ya Creamery (OT04) is the site of the family home and town-based business.

Lefevre

Geographically, sure, the town is home, but the Lefevre family tends to consider itself an adjunct to it, not truly part of the same organism. They keep to themselves off on the east bank, and most townsfolk rightfully consider them uncanny for doing so.

The Maple Hill compound (ER09) is the site of the family home and maple farm.

Miller

This is their town. No, really, this is their town. They are why this town exists, why it prospered, and there is deep family pride in seeing their creation grow. The city's nice enough, and most Millers leave the town eventually, but the roots are here, the core is here, and everyone comes back at least to visit. The porch light's never off.

The Miller Estate (WR02) is the site of the family home and business.

Geography

Nestled in the valley of the River Tam, Tamarack Falls is surrounded on three of four sides by the protective bulk of two mountains: the dual-peaked Salvation and, smaller, easterly Mischance. The valley itself is a fertile place, filled with farms and small orchards. Much of the town itself was cleared as part of the logging efforts in the 1700s, though those had largely ceased by the end of the 1800s, the need for lumber lessening as other sources grew to prominence. The town's borders are still forested, and small groves persist throughout the valley. Many streams exist, most of which eventually sink underground to join the river on its way over the cliff which forms the small town's southern border. Two hundred feet of craggy granite and a plunge of white-plumed spray, the falls which lent the town their name are as beautiful as they are dangerous. Lake Brunsett has them to thank for existence.

Population

The town has a bit below 780 people, if you count all of the loners out in the woods who only show up once in a blue moon.

Local Politics

Given how few people there are to manage, it shouldn't be a surprise that the politics of Tamarack Falls are fairly simple. While the mayor originally had far less unilateral authority, past events...well. It was made clear to the town that one central decision-maker was better than consulting a committee in a crisis situation.

As the town is located in Vermont, the first Tuesday in March is Town Meeting day, when voters elect municipal officers, though the names on the ballots seldom change, and the names in the offices seldom vary. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Roles

• Mayor - Elected by the voters of the town, he has almost total administrative authority, with the power to appoint and dismiss the heads of other local roles without council approval and with little to no public input.
• Councilors - One of the council which supports and works with the mayor, the councilors have no individual authority, but rather act as a body to vote on and pass motions for the town.

Mayor & Council

• Mayor Jacques "Jack" Bonheur - Calm, competent, respected. Ensorcelled. The details aren't public knowledge, but townsfolk know he sees the faeries. Neutral on the supernatural issue. He does what's best for his town.
• Councilor Emily Watson - Runs the local library. Mention Harry Potter and she will hit you. Dislikes Changelings, and actively opposes anything which would benefit them. Neutral regarding M+ matters.
• Councilor David Stowe - Owns the local hardware store. Stolid, unimaginative, indifferent. Does what benefits the town. Neutral on the supernatural issue.
• Councilor Zeke Regan - Owns a local apple orchard. Cousin of the Fry and Desrochers families. Friendly, approachable, competent. "Live and let live" attitude toward supernaturals and oddities.
• Councilor Rebecca Ehrmann - Housewife, mother of seven, precog. Firm but fair. Changelings are things to be pitied, but a bit like keeping wild beasts in your house. SOMEthing is going to get broken, even if they don't behave badly.

Supernaturals

This is Changeling-ville. More than anywhere else in the game, territorially, Tamarack Falls is the domain of the local Changelings. People know you exist. Some of them are, or were once, ensorcelled themselves. Maybe they want to be again. Maybe they never want to see another fae; maybe their nightmares are already too full.

The major exception to this is, of course, the Lefevre family, which throws a lot of Thaumaturges and Psychics into the mix, but they stick to themselves.

That said, there are a few locations in the town which "fairies" are, ahem, strongly discouraged, shall we say, from patronizing. Sometimes a man just wants to know the person he's sharing a beer with doesn't have a tail on the wrong side.

Travel Times

To flesh out the less convenient aspects of rural life, here are some rough ideas of how long it would take from point A to point B in and around Tamarack Falls.

Mind you, these are averages. If you have high Athletics and other related stats, you can certainly get there faster on foot, and horse travel is of course speedier than walking.

Northern edge to southern cliff	~10 minutes by car	~2 hours on foot
Town square to Fort Brunsett outskirts	~30 minutes by car	~6 hours on foot
Town square to nearest supermarket	~35 minutes by car	~6.5 hours on foot
Western foothills to west riverbank	~8 minutes by car	~1.75 hours on foot
East riverbank to Mischance Mine	~4 minutes by car	~45 minutes on foot
Hiking Mount Salvation East	~20 minutes by car (switchbacks)	~2.5 hours on foot
Hiking Mount Salvation West	n/a (horses/on foot only)	~3.5 hours on foot
Hiking Mount Mischance	n/a - car can't reach summit	~1.75 hours on foot

Facts of Rural Life

Internet service is not a guarantee, and if a line's not underground, chances are good a tree will fall on it. It won't mean to, but snow is snow, and snow can start as early as October. The same goes for electricity. A fireplace is not just a decorative statement.

Don’t expect to be out in your garden before May for more than the most cold-hardy of bulbs. Storms can, and will, continue straight up through Memorial Day.

If you’ve never lived where frost heaving and salt can play merry havoc on your asphalt streets, you may not understand just how much trouble the Vermonters save by using plain dirt roads. Dirt and rock, pebbles, some chunks of larger gravel, and some unexpectedly high speed limits for such narrow, hilly lanes are not unusual, though drivers who like their windshields intact keep the speed down on dirt. Many of the major roads are paved, but just as many aren’t. There aren’t any painted lines. After storms, great big machines slowly drive by to noisily scrape the ruts flat and grade the hard-packed dirt and gravel back into a level road, and spread oil overtop to minimise the dust. Rocks tend to get kicked off to the side, which means barefoot road-walking won’t be kind to soles which try to stay on the edges.

While the local store is sure to have conveniences, for big purchases and a chance of something more than staples, drives to the city aren't just advised -- they're necessary, and it takes a good half hour just to get there.

Yes, maple is everywhere. Try the maple rum in Coke. It’s worth it.

Town Traditions

Being a small town, Tamarack Falls still has its fair share of traditions and town gatherings, some more logical than others.

New Year's Day

It is customary, at some point during the day of January 1st, to make a trip into the centre of town to lay a sprig of evergreen upon one of the graves in the town cemetery. If your family is too new to be buried there, laying your sprig on an empty grave is acceptable.

The town hosts a small parade early in the day, crossing the southern bridge over the Tam to ride, all on horseback or horse-drawn carts, out into untrammeled snow to collect a cupful to bring home for tea, or to put in stew water, or soup. The "Wishing Ride" is popular with the very young and the very old, supposed to bring luck in the coming year.

First Snow

While few remember now why it is done, it is a town tradition to go out en masse into the wilderness after the first snow of the year and pick a sprig of wild holly for each child dwelling in your home. The holly is hung above the front door's outer lintel, and it is considered poor luck indeed if it should fall before the winter's through.