Due to the productivity of the Lowland regions, food and resources have enabled
the creation of small towns and cities. Whilst these are primitive in relation
to the old imperial conurbations, they provide opportunity for manufacture
and research that can achieve a higher level of technology and development
than the more tradional smallholdings and cottage craft skills of the majority
of clansfolk.They also provide a greater level of security against attacks
from raiders and creatures.
The drawbacks to living in such built up environments include the need for a higher level of security in both defence and law enforcement. Political and administrative positions are neccessary to ensure the procurement and dispersal of adequate food and materials needed for the resident population to accomplish their daily tasks. Visitors, traders and spies can readily mingle with the local citizens and can cause a variety of problems for the governing body. Reliance on raw materials from outside the city, limits the growth of these places, as does the transport infrastructure. Only so much food can be moved before the number of carts exceeds the availability of forage and storage, and beyond a certain radius, the provisions will spoil. This access to food is the main limit to the placement of such large centres of population.
Defence of the city depends on the citizens and a standing guard force. This is usually enough to repel all aggressors, but even these strongholds have fallen in the past to invading armies, most recent examples include the Formorian invasion and the combined attacks on Rockholm.
Elsewhere, the village is the largest community structure. More prevalent in the hill country, the coastal regions and the lowlands. The village is often centred around a specific resource, such as fishing or unusually arable land. Most have some level of fortification, with a central stronghold that outlying crofters and farmers can retreat to in times of need. Some villages are constructed on open water, each building connected to the land by an easily defended jetty or causway. Some villages are built inside a revetment of earth and stone and can develop into substantial hill forts. Most of these dunns contain a communal hall, for celebrations and resolution of disputes. Even the smallest village may have some sort of fortified hall as a final defensive structure. It is also noted that derelict towers and ancient fortresses are often converted into defensive villages, particularly in regions prone to attack from other species.
Where attacks are unlikely, such as the more heavily populated South, or close to the protection of a town, the village system can be replaced by individual crofts and farmsteads. Unfortunately, when these steadings are attacked, it is usually much harder for the inhabitants to successfully drive off or defeat the foe.
Interestingly enough, the highland clansmen also adopt the scattered croft approach, although there are some significant differences. Each steading is heavily fortified, often consisting of an outer wall and reinforced gate. There is sufficient space within to house the main croft and outbuildings, and there is often a higher number of people living in each extended family than those of the lowland clans. The bulk of these crofts are situated along the length of the glens. These highland valleys often run for many miles and frequently link up with other glens that branch throughout the mountains. Other highlanders prefer to build over water, or to create low two story towers of incredible thicknesses, sometimes living in the walls themselves, overwintering stock in the hollow centres. Due to the wildness of the landscape many hardy individuals construct low heather or grass roofed crofts, partly below ground, they blend into the remote background so effectively that they are almost impossible to locate. Only at major trading points and along the edges of some lochs do the highlanders construct the occasional village, and these are as heavily defended as any in the lowland or hill regions.
Throughout Caledonia there are many defensive strongholds, usually in the
form of hillforts, that lie almost empty. These are used in times of war and
also as temporary storage of surplus crops and meat. Local clan chieftains
and lairds may occupy these places as temporary accomodation, using them as
training centres, meeting places and trade posts.