Noclais

A few buildings in Noclais

Noclais is a hamlet and the largest settlement in the Pig Meadows area.

The name Noclais is a modern reworking of the Old Chrich name *Cnocaglais* ("Church Hill"). The hamlet was originally founded during Kylune's uniting for the human tribes, over 2000 years ago, and has remained relatively the same size ever since. Across it's history Noclais has been a settlement focused on the rearing of sheep.

## **Characteristics**

### **History**

For the most part, Noclais' history has been largely uneventful.

Evidence exists that suggests a pre-Empire tribe once settled the land that Noclais now sits on. The Pillared Earth-House, which sits on the hamlet's eastern edge, is an underground passageway and pillared chamber which historians date well before the founding of the Empire. Nevertheless, little is known about it and, when compared to similar structures, this one is unusually deep. It is hypothesised that the passage once connected to a now-destroyed surface structure, or perhaps that it held some kind of religious or ceremonial significance.

Noclais as we know it today is first mentioned in writings dating back to Kylune's life, during her uniting of the humans. In this text, the hamlet is acknowledged as the land of Clan MacGunn. Noclais comes up again in writings during the Emergence War, where it is said a battle took place between the Arachi Swarm and the local militia. The story tells of how the untrained militia stood for 4 days against overwhelming attack before each and every human in the hamlet was killed.

### **Geography**

Noclais is situated in the relative centre of the Pig Meadows area. It is the most populous settlement in Pig Meadows, but even then still possesses a tiny population.

Noclais has a temperate climate that tends to be on the colder side, due to air currents that flow down from the mountainous Spine of the World. As a result, it is generally cooler than much of The Impireacht during the summer months.

### **Economy**

Sheep-rearing and the wider wool trade is easily Noclais' main economic boon. Many local families raise their own sheep herds (which vary in size) for their wool, which is then sent to local weavers. The largest of these weavers, Jack & Foster, specialises in tweed production. Noclais is also a tightly-knit community and this has allowed for the creation of many other independent businesses.

Noclais also sits on the shortest road between the borders of Konigheim and Isernheim, which makes it a common resting spot for travellers between the two counties. These travellers, of which the hamlet sees several each week, help fuel local businesses.

### **Culture**

Despite it's small size Noclais is home to a variety of notable buildings. These include: a library, a local cultural centre and museum, the Pillared Earth-House, the village hall, the Church of Domovon, and an outdoor theatre.

Every Yule Day and New Year's Day, Noclais holds what is locally known as The Ba' Game. This is a large match of football between two sides of the hamlet (called the Lefties and Righties), except the rules are derived from a much older variation of the game and so matches tend to be a fair bit more violent than contemporary football.

Around the time of midsummer the hamlet also hosts a local arts festival, with a particular focus on music. This festival is called the Mata Festival and is named after Mata MacGunn, an old chieftain of Clan MacGunn who is seen as a kind of local folk hero.