Whitehaven

Whitehaven is a settlement located within the United States, in the state of Montana. Nestled within a hidden valley in the Rocky Mountains beside a magically constructed lake, Whitehaven is populated largely by halfborn and their descendants, and for the most part exists independent from mortal society. The town was originally founded for the purpose of providing a safe refuge for halfborn from the monsters and magical threats present across the Earth, and to provide them a place to learn the skills necessary to survive outside of Whitehaven, should that be their choice. To that purpose, Whitehaven is heavily magically warded, with the valley and surroundings mountains having been cloaked from mortal eyes, and mystical barriers being in place to prevent monsters from entering its borders, or even sensing the numerous halfborn residing there.

## History

Whitehaven was founded in the year 1906 of the Iron Age, known by mortals as 1906 AD. The halfborn who began the vision of Whitehaven was Magnus of Munich, son of Freya, a veteran of the First Crusade. Magnus had gathered several fellow demigods to his cause during the 19th century, eventually coming to lead a band that consisted of Arthur McGuinness, son of Lugh, John Henry, son of Hephaestus, Sofia Maldova, daughter of Vodan, and Elizabeth Terrington, daughter of Isis.

## Layout and Geography

Owing to its roots in the progeny of mortal civilization, Whitehaven operates like any mortal town. With several thousand residents, much of it consists of residential sprawl overlapping with zones dedicated to industry and commerce. A network of roads connects the town, centered on the town square and government offices by the lakeside.

Like all halfborn settlements, Whitehaven has its own zone dedicated to the gods, which operates as a place of worship, an embassy for agents of the gods, and a place to speak and bargain with gods and their servants. In Whitehaven, this 'temple district' is a small area neighbouring the mayoral and administrative offices, close to the town center. Along with shrines for most major and some minor deities, it boasts glorious gardens, ornate fountains, winding footpaths and direct access to the Whitehaven central shops.

While any arriving gods are few and far-between, the temple district is nevertheless a busy place. The close proximity of the area to the town center means it is never short of visitors, much like a park. Permanent staff are few, mostly consisting of divine servants, lesser spirits, and particularly devout halfborn.

## Government, Organization and Law

Much like the country surrounding it, Whitehaven has a government board elected with robust voting laws. The mayor of Whitehaven governs over a 4-year term, backed up by an array of officers overseeing different portfolios. The government board determines Whitehaven's laws, appoints judges, maintains the enchantments on the town, funds the town guard, and runs a number of lesser administrative boards, among other things. Along with the responsibilities of mortal government, the council is also expected to stand as an exemplary for their peers, and so the mayor and his office often must campaign on their strength in battle, prowess with divine dominions, or their study of magic as well as their skill behind a desk.

Whitehaven's laws are each written and proposed by the government board, scrutinized by select committees and the general populace, and signed by the mayor before being put into place. Laws around zoning, business contracts, regulations around building standards, water use, and so on and so forth are by-and-large identical to their mortal counterparts. Certain others are unique to halfborn society - most of them laws that deal with the divine. Some of Whitehaven's myriad edicts include:

* The laws establishing Whitehaven itself - the board which governs it, the pact of neutrality it has with the gods in the Eternity Games, and the details of the construction and maintenance of the lake and the anti-monster barrier. All of these are required to maintain Whitehaven's existence.
* The warnings against interfering with the business of the gods, stealing from the gods, or challenging the gods, for which no penalty exists: the gods are vindictive, and their wrath is punishment enough.
* The chapters establishing the town guard, and detailing its training, equipment, resupply, and duties. In addition, it includes the provision that requires new halfborn to serve among its ranks.
* Notes on the dealings between the halfborn of Whitehaven and the gods as champions in the Eternity Games, including provisions for the temple district, where such dealings are facilitated.
* Regulations for trading of magical materials, artifacts, divine favors, and other esoteric boons from the gods.
* Lists of banned and heavily regulated substances, materials, items, plants, and animals. In particular, the import of monsters, which cannot enter the town's borders without a halfborn deliberately introducing them, is heavily scrutinised.