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Deven Ride
deh-ven ride
Nation:
Andor (Two Rivers)
Page Contents
Minor Spoiler Sections
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Major Spoiler Sections
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Article Author:
Nae'blis
Geography
Deven Ride sits on the very southern part of the Two Rivers region, near to the banks of the River Manetherendrelle (White River). To the west of the village, the Westwood runs all the way up until the Sand Hills and the Mountains of Mist. To the east, the Waterwood and the Mire lie past the farmland and forests that are directly to the east of the town. South of the village is the river, which is essentially uncrossable due to the powerful rapids and currents.
Deven Ride is the most isolated of the Two Rivers villages due to its geography, and it is also the smallest population.
The village itself has one inn called the Goose and Pipe and surrounds a Village Green, similar to the other villages in the Two Rivers. there is a small spring-fed pond in the village that serves as the water source.
The main road to the village is the Old Road, which runs north to Emond's Field. Once the road moves north of Emond's Field, it is called the North Road.
Demographics/Culture
The People
Deven Ride is a small village in the Two Rivers region and is the smallest of the four villages. Most of the population that claims to live in the town lives in the farms outside the village.
The residents of Deven Ride are mostly farmers and tradesmen. As like all people from the Two rivers, they are a fiercely determined people and are known to be very stubborn. They are very set in their ways and distrustful of outsiders. Due to their stubbornness, they are typically unwilling to give up or surrender when times are tough and are very loyal to each other.
Gatherings and Holidays
While most of the population of Emond's Field doesn't live inside the village, there are four different occasions during the year that the entire population of the village will congregate together.
Bel Tine - This holiday is to celebrate the coming of spring and the passing of winter. It occurs on the first day of spring and is a time when the entire community comes together. On the day of Bel Tine, the villagers will gather on the Village Green and dance, listen to music or a gleeman, see fireworks, or participate in various games and contests, such as the archery contest. The night before Bel Tine, referred to as Winternight, is also a time of merriment in Emond's Field, but most of the celebrating is the next day during Bel Tine.
Foolday - This is a holiday that occurs during the autumn. On Foolday, people from Emond's Field gather together and tell jokes and stories. Some of the more mischievous may engage in pranks on Foolday. The holiday is generally thought to be a carefree and fun time. It is a time for celebrating the coming harvest and is the last time the entire village gathers together prior to the winter.
Sheep Shear - Every year, the entirety of the village congregates in a meadow to the southeast of the village called Widow Aynal's Meadow where they wash and shear all of the sheep from the village. Wool is one of the main products from the Two Rivers, so it is a big event for the village. During the Annual Sheep Shear, families bring food and the younger children gather water while the older children and adults work on shearing and sorting the wool.
Sunday - This is a holiday held during the summer. Typically, merchants arrive in the Two Rivers and in Emond's Field around this time to purchase the wool for the year. During Sunday, villagers will feast and dance and will typically dress up in their finest clothing. Homes and wagons will be decorated, and just like Bel Tine, there are typically contests and games between villagers.
Economy
The economy of Deven Ride is very dependent on both sheep wool and tabac. Both of these products are highly sought by merchants even as far as the Aiel Waste. Two Rivers tabac is considered the best tabac in the world and due to this, merchant trains make the trip to the cities of the Two Rivers, including Deven Ride, every year.
There are two major times that merchants will visit the city: Once in early summer after the sheep shearing and a second time in late summer/early after the tabac crop has had time to cure and is ready for sale. On both these occasions, merchants will meet with villagers on the Village Green. Before the merchants arrive, the Village Council will meet and set the price for both tabac and wool for the entire village to keep each farmer from undercutting the others and that the prices are fair.
In addition to the visits from merchant trains, there are occasional visits from traveling peddlers that will trade various goods with the villagers that are beyond regular trade.
For the most part, people from Deven Ride are largely self-sufficient in the village and do not rely on outside consumer goods to survive. Other than their two major products, they are largely cut off from the rest of the world both economically and politically. Deven Ride is even further cut off as it is the farthest village in the Two Rivers.
Government
For being a small village, there is a surprising complicated governmental structure for Deven Ride, just like the other villages of the Two Rivers. The village is governed by two groups of people that work in tandem to oversee the operations of the village. The government of the village is split between the Village Council and the Women's Circle.
The Village Council
The Village Council is a group of men that are elected by popular vote in the village. There are seven men elected the Council and they are led by a Mayor. The primary role of the Village Council in Emond's Field is to manage the day to day economic and logistical operations for the village. The main role is to set tabac and wool prices when the merchants come to the village. Additionally, the Council will settle disputes between landowners and even other villages. In times of trouble, the Council may also mobilize a militia to protect the village.
The members of the Deven Ride Village Council are unknown.
The Women's Circle
The Women's Circle oversees the social and cultural lives of the villagers of Deven Ride. They make decisions on punishments for misbehavior, decisions about when women are of the age of marry or braid her hair, carry out weddings, and generally make decisions about the social norms for the villagers.
The Women's Circle does not have a set number of members, but typically consists of many of the older and more influential women from the village. The Women's Circle is led by the Wisdom, who also oversees healing for the villagers.
At the start of the story, we don't know any of the members of the Women's Circle in Deven Ride, but we do know that Marva Mallen was the Wisdom, but was replaced by Elwinn Taron.
Village Council vs The Women's Circle
While each different group has different roles governing the village, they frequently come into conflict. There are frequent disagreements and bickering between the two groups. However, it is generally agreed that the Village Council governs economic issues and the Women's Circle will govern social and cultural issues in the village.
History
Deven Ride sits in an area that was once apart of the nation of Manetheren, which was one of the 10 Nations founded after the Breaking of the World. On the site that Deven Ride sits, a very large town once existed on the north bank of the River Manetherendrelle and a bridge spanned the otherwise unruly river. This was one of the main ways to get to the city of Manetheren.
When the nation of Manetheren died, the town and the bridge were abandoned. Eventually, the rough waters of the Manetherendrelle washed away the bridge and it has not been rebuilt. The village of Deven Ride was built just north of where the old town was located.
Over the close to 1800 years from the fall of Manetheren, the people of the Two Rivers became mostly independent, although they were technically apart of the nations of Farashelle after the Trolloc Wars, and later part of Andor, although it the people of the Two Rivers are mostly unaware they are apart of Andor at the start of the story.
The Ten Nations
The Nations of the Free Years
The Two Rivers
Events From The Story
During the events of the Battle of the Two Rivers, the people of Deven Ride sent archers north along the Old Road to assist in the defense of Emond's Field. They arrived just in time to surround the attacking trollocs on the south side of the city and help to liberate the Two Rivers from the trollocs.
After the battle, the people of Deven Ride began to follow Lord Perrin Goldeneyes, just as the other villages of the Two Rivers did.
Characters From The Town
Marva Mallen
Elwinn Taron
Wil al'Seen