Location Farson's Home for Orphans

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Center of scholarly knowledge and shipwrighting, Zeltiva is a port city unlike any other in Mizahar. [Lore]

Farson's Home for Orphans

Postby Neologism on June 14th, 2019, 11:16 pm


Farson's Home for Orphans
Image"Come out of the darkness, ye children,
Our hearth is warm, our halls hallowed.
Though the Stormlord and King of Seas,
Beat the harbor bloody with their rage,
Ye will be safe within, fed and clothed.
Sons of Zeltiva, Daughters of Mizahar."
--poet unknown


Although the actual documentation of the orphanage's inception were lost in some storm or fire, circumstantial evidence points to it being around almost as long as modern Zeltiva has existed. Though it has always been well respected among the community as a place to care for the young dispossessed and orphaned, its municipal support has wavered. In the Summer of 512, the beloved headmistress, Ethel Farson, passed away, leaving an orphanage broken by storm, limited funding, and a vacuum of leadership. When
Hadrian Aelius, a graduate of the University, returned to Zeltiva and offered financial support as well as to volunteer his time educating the orphans, Lord of Council Maria Scatterthwite pounced upon the opportunity and persuaded him to take on the administration of the orphanage in addition to his role as a professor. Hadrian Aelius had a part in the rebuilding of the orphanage and raising the children as wards of the municipality; their room, board, and education are subsidized by the city of Zeltiva and private donation. Children are among the most valuable resources in Zeltiva, and so are generally well cared for by the community as a whole.

The orphanage is situated nearly equidistant between the sea and the city limits, high enough that the top floor had an unobstructed view of the harbor and the basement level has rarely flooded. Its oldest foundations are laid with granite and porphyry scuttled from pre-Valterrian ruins, but the majority of the newest work is made up of stone mined from the Quarry. The harsh weather has worn away much of its shine, and the walls of brown granite seem rather bleak looking in, though the interiors are warmly paneled in wood and the orphans generally well provided for.

One would enter through the entrance, which is a small and steep building that looks to be fitted tightly on the edge of many others. Double doors lead into the foyer of the main building where one can find the kitchen and dining hall, as well as the overseer’s office and some storage. Through the back door which leads to a small herb and vegetable garden, one will find a small courtyard with trees and some statuary. There is a large gnarled oak in the center that the children have constructed a small treehouse fort in, often the source of pretend battles in the courtyard and one of the more popular hiding spots in hide and seek when the weather is permitting.

ImageThe courtyard attaches to three more larger buildings, making a very lopsided trapezoid. These buildings seem more appropriately sized for the population that is housed here, and one would find that this is where all of the children actually reside. In the East building, the first floor houses a small classroom and some storage. The Orphanage sends all of their children to the University for the free lessons in literacy and necessary skills, although this classroom offers children a place to pursue other interests, that can be taught of volunteered for, or simply to find a quiet space to read, draw on clay tablets, or build dolls from pine needles. On the second floor of this building is the caretaker dorms, and a small lounge where one can retreat from the children.

In the West building, there is a nursery, a general room, and a very small chapel to Oriana. The general room hosts a few toys and some tables where children are free to pursue whatever activity they choose, so long as it is deemed safe by the supervising caretakers. There is also a small room attached to the nursery which serves as a miniature infirmary, where cuts, bruises, and colds can be attended to which do not necessitate a trip to the Center of Healing. In the North building, which is the largest building in the Orphanage’s courtyard, houses the children’s rooms. There are two long floors of bedrooms, and for younger children, a whole bed hall. Each level has a large but simple bathing area where children are expected to keep up with their hygiene and are instructed accordingly.

 
Thea Fleming
ImageRace: Human
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth: Sylira
Title: Owner of the Farson’s Home for Orphans
Skills: Childcare (65), Organization (60), Teaching (50), Cooking (45), Storytelling (40), Negotiation (30)
Language: Common (Fluent), Kontinese (Basic), Fratava (Poor)
Concept: Though outwardly fussy and severe, the woman is affectionately called the Old Bear, for not one of the orphans can deny a memory of her soothing some terrible childhood fear or hurt, the wideness of her heart protected by the gruff way she protects her charges. She is protective of the children and while she raises them with the ideal that they will make their own mistakes and learn from them, she will not allow any outside source to be a threat to them.

Thea never had an intention of becoming a caretaker, or even the current owner of the Orphanage, but the job had grown on her. At first Thea was a lost Syliran transplant, who wanted nothing more than to make a name of herself and succeed in Zeltiva’s competitive merchant economy. Not knowing where to start, Thea got a job with the orphanage, with the intention of it being temporary. In time she grew not only to enjoy the work but excel at it. The gruff woman will not speak of it, but the children are the main bringers of joy in her life, and she wants to make a difference in the coming generations of children, providing them the best substitute for a home that she can. She has committed herself and done enough work with the children that she has even attracted the attention of Oriana a time or two.


 
Vasos Farson
ImageRace: Human
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth: Zeltiva
Title: Caretaker at Farson’s Home for Orphans
Skills: Childcare (65), Storytelling (55), Singing (45), Leadership (40), Running (30), Teaching (25)
Language: Common (Fluent)
Concept: Vasos is a cheerful man and has a love for children. Some would often compare him to a child himself, as he is always smiling and cracking jokes, even when it is necessary to be serious. He is a man who goes with the flow of what is happening, and has no issue enjoying the fantasy worlds the children make up and joining in with them in play. Many children would quote him as their favorite because of his careless and happy attitude, often leaving the stricter rule-following of childhood to the other caretakers.

Though he achieved his seniority, this one chose to remain at the orphanage to help those who showed him such kindness and support all his life. He appeared upon their doorstep, abandoned in a basket without even a note. He had known no other home or family. Part of his time is spent at the University taking classes, the rest spent voluntarily teaching and caring for the orphans.


 
Lily Farson
ImageRace: Konti
Date of Birth: Spring, 467AV
Place of Birth: Zeltiva
Title: Caretaker at Farson’s Home for Orphans
Skills: Medicine (60), Herbalism (55), Childcare (50), Cooking (40), Leadership (30), Teaching (20)
Language: Common (Fluent), Kontinese (Basic)
Concept: One of the few Konti orphans around, Lily’s mother passed away in Zeltiva, where she was surrendered to the Orphanage. Although having not been raised in Mura like other Konti, she was still blessed with the ability to heal at birth. Because of this gift the old caretakers helped her channel her education in medicine and herbalism. When she aged out of the orphanage, she had the curiosity to return to her homeland, Mura, and has had the opportunity to work with the Healers on Mura. Although it was soon apparent that Lily’s calling was to return to Zeltiva and care for the lost children and orphans there. Her Konti ability seems to be that she is able to sense potential, which the caretakers use to gauge how best to prepare each child for their destiny.

Lily is a sweet and soft spoken woman. She enjoys singing, which entertains the children, but is otherwise the softer caretaker, who is always the first one a child will run to with a scraped knee, not only for her healing ability but for her loving and warm nature which makes one feel safe and cared for in her presence.
Gnosis: Healing 1


 
Adoption
The orphanage takes in all the lost and abandoned children of Zeltiva, and cares for them. All children are fed to the best of the orphanage’s ability, considering the frequency of famine. All children are provided a basic education by free classes at the University (See the Student Handbook for more information). Children from new borns to the age of twelve are cared for completely. From the age of twelve to sixteen, children are helped to acquire a job or apprenticeship to help them navigate living on their own. At the age of sixteen, children are given a small starting fund of 100 Mizas, and are expected to provide for themselves afterward. Most adoptions occur between the ages of two and ten, although a few prospective employers have been known to adopt their apprentices that are older than twelve with the anticipation of securing their work in the future. If a child is released at sixteen, they acquire the last name ‘Farson’ which is widely known across Zeltiva as being the last name given to orphans.

To adopt a child under the age of twelve, there is a flat adoption fee of 200 Mizas, which is reduced to 100 Mizas if the child has a disability or diseas which requires extra care. Adoption fees for children over the age of twelve are a mere 100 Mizas.


 
Employment
⥼ Caretaker: As the orphanage is the only one in town. Caretakers are always in demand. Caretakers can choose to work with the infant or the children primarily. Although a demanding and emotionally rewarding job, it is not a very well paying one, due to the orphanage’s reliance on charity and funding from the Council. Still, many find caretaking rewarding in itself and often sign up for the duty of taking on the unwanted children of the city. Base pay is 4 gm/day, must possess the Organization skill. Additional useful skills are Medicine, Grooming, Leadership, and Storytelling.
⥼ Cook: A rare job in the city of Zeltiva, due to the common famines, the Oprhanage is one of the few places a cook can acquire a job in their skill. While the caretakers focus on caring for the children, a small fleet of cooks are employed to help care for the amount of children that the Orphanage cares for. Due to Zeltiva’s attention to the wellbeing of children, there is always food to cook for the children, even during famine. Although cooks here are limited to the usual Zeltivan fare, they are often some of the scrappiest and knowledgeable cooks of Zeltiva’s cuisine because of it. Base pay is 2 gm/day, must possess the Cooking skill.

Original location credit goes to Hadrian.

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