Peltonshire consists of two fiefs, administered as one by father and son lords. Lord Pelton the Elder of Upper Pelton dwells in Pelton Towne, deep within Pelton Forest, where he oversees a vibrant timber and lumber industry. He is an accomplished country squire, a practical leader who is quite popular with his serfs. He serves as the magistrate for the fief as well, and his sober wisdom and fair judgment are well-respected. His wife died many years ago, and he never remarried.
From Fort Carolinus, Lord Pelton the Younger holds domain over Lower Pelton, the pastureland and hills to the south. He is not regarded as highly as his father among the commoners, but he is a decent man and enjoys good will among his father’s subjects. Not particularly driven or motivated, he nevertheless performs his duties adequately. He is a talented cavalryman and an enthusiastic hunter. |  |
Upper Pelton consists of the entirety of Pelton Forest, plus the pastureland to the east. The northern border is the shore of the River Elucidar, while the southern border generally follows the road from Hollow Hill to the Easterly Inn. Most of Peltonshire’s economy is based in Upper Pelton.
Pelton Forest is ancient woodland, deep and dark in places, and concealing a great many secrets. Some who venture into its depths don’t return, and even those who do are never quite the same afterward. Only the hardiest of souls, stout of spirit and sharp of mind, dare to journey long under the wood's dense canopy.
The roads are kept clear by the vigilance of the Road Wardens, but it is wise for travelers to keep to the well-trod paths and not to tarry in their travels. The forest villages bolt up tight for the night, as nasty beasts come prowling after the sun sets. Reports of the supernatural are abundant among the forest folk, who tend to be a superstitious lot. Tales of strange creatures and half-men are common, and local lore is rife with a cast of odd characters and creatures.
The forest is rich in natural resources, particularly many species of rare herb and fungi, a veritable wonderland for herbalists and alchemists. In addition, several varieties of special trees grow here, although the groves are sometimes difficult to reach, and harvesting them is a bit hazardous. Indigenous animal species are fairly typical for a temperate forest, some harmless (deer, squirrel, fox), some dangerous (bear, wildcat, wolf). There are several rare species of animal that live here as well, and local tales contain many references to “mixed” species, monstrosities, and malign or mischievous spirits.
Lower Pelton spans the entire southern third of the greater fief, from Moormist Swamp in the east, to the wide-open plains to the west. Roughly half of Lower Pelton is known as the Howling Hills, a rolling, craggy land filled with deep gullies and tall, grassy rises. The area is a bit desolate and dangerous however, and a vicious band of gnolls dwells within, whose nightly braying gives the hilly region its name.
Fief Key
Cuttington
Faen-y-Gwaun
Fort Carolinus
Green-Abbey
(Detailed Overview)
Hollow Hill Mine
Hound's Maw Mine
Huntley
Inn of the Easterly Road
New Dunberry
Old Dunberry
Pelton Towne
Thistledown
CUTTINGTON
Residents of this sprawling timber village work in the forest to the northeast, and the wood they harvest is then processed into lumber by several large sawmills.
Cuttington is fairly unremarkable for a settlement of its kind, and there are few outside visitors. The master of the village is
Corman Cutterson, an experienced timber boss and famous ax-man.
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FAEN-Y-GWAUN
(FIN-eh-ghwon)
This area is the home of the
Finnegan Clan of
Borlanders, made up of three interwoven families–the
Finns (
"stones"), the
Egans (
"meadow folk") (pron. EE-guhn), and the
MacGuwns (
"sons of the field"> (pron. mak-GOON)–who regularly inter-marry and have strong familial ties. They dwell on several ranches on this land, planting subsistence crops. They are principally sheep and goat herders, however, and supply
Lord Pelton with meat, wool, and dairy products.
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FORT CAROLINUS
In the middle-west of the fief, a few leagues from the southern fringe of
Pelton Forest, is a small but stout stronghold. The fortification has a commanding view of the plains bordering the
Howling Hills, and it protects the nearby mines and the local roads. Because of the increased incursions by the mongrel gnolls, and disturbing reports of other, more horrible creatures roaming the hills,
Lord Pelton the Elder has begrudgingly begun expensive upgrades on the fort.
It is a fairly standard motte-and-bailey keep; the tower atop the mound is stone, as is a short guard tower at the gate. The rest of the structures and the palisade are built of wood. Among other support structures, the bailey contains an armory, a smithy, stables, and a small chapel. The attendant priest is a prolific brew-master, and the chapel doubles as a tavern hall for the soldiers. A large section of the bailey is fenced off for a goat and sheep pen. Shepherds take the herd out in the morning to graze, but stay within sight of the keep tower in case of trouble.
Lord Pelton the Younger is the lord of the keep, and he dwells here with his small family and a garrison of approximately 100 soldiers (the bulk of the fief’s standing forces).
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GREEN-ABBEY
Atop a tall, almost perfectly circular mound sits this centuries-old monastery, famous for its “eclectic” library and scriptorium. The area is also known for an extensive vineyard, planted on a cleared hillside within the forest. The skilled monks turn the grape harvest into prized vintages. An entire farm community is situated nearby, and its residents are focused on grape production and supporting the abbey’s needs.
Detailed Overview
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HOLLOW HILL MINE
This massive cave lies deep within the domed peak of a nearly vertical lava tube. The magma receded long ago, leaving a hole which drops into the earth, far deeper than the deepest mine shaft dug so far. The mine mostly branches off this main tube, which is spanned by a web-like network of narrow suspension bridges and open cable cars. The Miners give the hole their grudging respect, for it is a dangerous place to work; it is a tradition among many of the miners for their shrouded bodies to be cast into the hole upon their death.
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HOUND'S MAW MINE
This mine is so named because the entrance is a tall narrow cave opening at the base of a sharp rock abutment. The effect, when seen from the right angle, is that of the snout and open mouth of a dog or wolf. Wild dogs and wolves, as well as a band of canine gnolls, do indeed roam these hills, so the name is fitting.
The miners here call each other “
Dog-Breath,” often a term of scorn when a mine boss dresses down his crew, but just as often a term of affection and mutual brotherhood.
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HUNTLEY
This remote hamlet sits at the end of a long country road that winds across the eastern plains and meadows of
Upper Pelton. It is a sleepy community of farmers out in the middle of nowhere, and its residents are not accustomed to strangers. In recent months, bandits have begun brazenly striking some of the outlying farms and ranches, taking food, provisions, and tools, but generally leaving the peasants unharmed.
The region’s other claim to fame is the “
Beast o’ Huntley,” a mysterious creature that preys on the local sheep and goat herds. Eyewitnesses describe it as a large hairy giant of violent temper and ravenous appetite, with vicious claws and fangs, and blazing red eyes.
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INN OF THE EASTERLY ROAD
Lying along the trade road, approximately halfway between
Pelton Towne and
Cantor, is a humble country inn that is refuge to many travelers these days. In addition to the cozy main structure and stables, there is a separate residence for noble guests. Across the
Dimthistle Road is a large fairground where most travelers and merchant trains camp for the evening.
The inn does a brisk business and its keeper,
Borwin (“the Barrel”-chested) Bedifrd, has become a wealthy and powerful local in his own right. A proud native
Borlander, he and his wife
Meghaan along with his extended family run the operation.
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NEW DUNBERRY
Two years ago, a few dozen settlers from
Old Dunberry established a timber camp here that quickly developed into a small but steadily-growing thorp. One day, roughly six months ago, all communication from
New Dunberry ceased.
After a few days of neither word nor sign of the residents, a group of townsfolk from
Old Dunberry went to investigate. When they arrived, they discovered the settlement had been destroyed and all its citizens were gone. They fled the scene and reported their findings to the authorities in
Pelton Towne. But by the time officials arrived nearly a week later, all traces of what occurred had been washed away by heavy rains.
All that exists there now are the burned-out ruins of several homes and outbuildings. The official conclusion is that bandits or other marauders ravaged the defenseless camp and took the settlers with them. Locals insist the ruins are now haunted, and travelers along the path to
Fort Carolinus hurry past the area. Reports of strange presences and mysterious wailing are common, although many chalk this up to the overactive imaginations of superstitious peasants.
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OLD DUNBERRY
This thriving timber village lies deep within the forest, down a long, tree-shrouded wagon path. Local woodsmen harvest the area, while workers in the large sawmill cut it into lumber. The village proper consists of several dozen cottages and assorted other buildings, including a reputable alehouse, a wainwright and blacksmith, a number of sawmills, and rows of open sheds filled with stacks of cut lumber.
The village is surrounded by a loose picket of low stone walls, wooden palisades, and split-rail fences, generally sufficient to keep the beasts of the forest at bay. The road leading to
Old Dunberry ends in a large wooden gate and adjacent three-story structure that functions as a simple fortification.
A cadre of itinerant laborers, several score in number, camps just outside of the picket. Next to their camp is a fenced-in pasture for the oxen that drag the felled trees back to the village, and for the draft horses that haul the finished lumber to
Pelton Towne.
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PELTON TOWNE
This town is the home of
Lord Pelton the Elder, steward of
Upper Peltonshire (and nominally the ruler of the entire region). There is a well-established lumber and woodcraft industry here, and fine craft goods are produced in its many workshops. There is also a small, but growing textile industry which turns wool from local farms into strong cloth. The buildings are built chiefly of wood on stone foundations, with thatched roofs, clapboard siding, and heavy shutters over open windows. The main avenues are hard-packed dirt mixed with stone and gravel, and reinforced by thick timbers, while the side streets are packed dirt.
The town was built amidst the trees and is shaded by the forest canopy. The lay of the land and various obstacles provide a natural defense against attack. To the immediate east is a large natural gully, a steep-walled ditch that acts as a defensive moat. A gurgling stream flows through the gully, providing a steady supply of clear spring water, albeit one outside the protection of the picket wall. A nearby gate and archer’s nests watch the area, though. Residents draw their regular daily water from a cistern in the center of town, which is steadily replenished so as to keep the supply clean. Washing of clothes and watering of livestock is done at the down stream.
The town is surrounded by a sturdy wooden palisade that provides a solid defense against small missiles, lightly-armed attackers, and forest predators such as bears and wolves. Because siege equipment would be virtually useless in the thick forest, the wall does not need to be particularly strong. The timbers that make up the palisade are specially treated against fire, as well. Five towers anchor the 10’ wall, four of which are simply small emplacements sufficient for a pair of archers; the fifth tower is larger and forms part of the keep. A wooden gantry runs along the top of the wall with archer’s nests at strategic intervals.
Pelton Keep is a simple affair–a stout stone tower sitting on a small rise at one corner of the town, surrounded by a separate wooden palisade. The interior of the keep is accessed through a guardhouse gate that contains a barracks for the town militia.
Lord Pelton dwells within the keep, but he is a common fixture around the town, and is quite well-known and popular with the residents.
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THISTLEDOWN
This large farming community is several centuries old, home to five separate families of native
Borlanders. The largest of these families, the clan
Crumgh (pron. KRUHM), can trace their heritage back to the reign of
Caedmon I, and they contend that they are descended from one of the lesser kings of that era.
The main village consists of a few public buildings, workshops, and warehouses, as well as a blacksmith and two grist mills. The village reeve,
Rath Crumgh, lives in the clan’s traditional home, a sheep ranch on the outskirts of the village. There is no “entertainment” or accommodations for visitors, and the residents are not tolerant of trouble-makers in the slightest.
The name “
Thistledown” is actually a realmish bastardization of its actual name in the
Borland dialect, “
Tesl-dane” (pron. tess-uhl-DAYN), which translates to ("
Lord of Tesl"). No one knows who or what “
Tesl” is, however; or at least the locals aren’t saying. In any case, they get visibly upset when outsiders refer to the village as “
Thistledown.”
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NOTE: This area is a sub-hex of the Fief Map Hex F4. It is NOT the full, 3 League-wide Hex indicated on the Fief Map.
Deep within
Pelton Forest is a centuries-old mound, more than half a mile in diameter and nearly 80’ high. The man-made, circular hill is completely surrounded by a deep, boulder-strewn gully.
It is the site of an old stone monastery called
Green-Abbey which sits high atop the hill. The walled abbey is weathered and covered with vines, and the monks who live within remain cloistered and unseen to the outside world.
The area was once a remote site, but over the years as the region developed, a village sprouted up at the base of the mound. Below the abbey, on the hill’s west-northwest side, the forest has been entirely cleared and replaced with a large vineyard.
Green-Abbey is famous for its wine, and the villagers not only tend the vines, but also grow food and raise livestock to support the monastery. Priests from the local chapel run the winery, while the finished casks of wine are stored in vaults deep below the abbey until they are ready for sale.
The village is reached by a small cart path off the
Pelton-Dimhollow Road. The path spans the gully at a ford, where the ditch’s steep sides have been carved out to form more gentle slopes. Just beyond the ford, the path passes through the village and winds up the hill to the chapel and abbey.
The village sits nestled in the treeline at the vineyard’s edge. A dozen or so small farms house the laborers who work in the vineyard. Also in the village are several wine-related craftsmen who make the bottles and casks; a blacksmith; a local trader who brings goods into town and handles business for the winery; an apothecary run by the village elder; a rectory, where the head priest dwells close to his flock; and the hunter’s lodge, a communal hall and gathering place.
The monastery and chapel are guarded by a cadre of holy
Templari guardsmen, stern warriors who have dedicated themselves to God. Also attached to the chapel is an orphanage, a home for abandoned and forgotten children, the sad victims of war and strife. A well-tended garden and cemetery round out the chapel grounds.
The mound is thought to be an ancient pagan settlement or perhaps a religious site, because many relic shards have been unearthed around the area. In recent years, a team of scholars from
Kingscastle arrived in town with a writ to dig at a specific site. They hired some of the villagers to help them excavate the hill’s eastern base, where they have unearthed some mysterious stone structures.
VILLAGE KEY
DETAILED OVERVIEW
BUILDING KEY
PROMINENT LOCAL CITIZENS
THE PLAYERS
DETAILED OVERVIEW
The Monastery
Green-Abbey has stood on this spot for more than seven centuries, although the original structure no longer exists. The monastery is famous for its “eclectic” library and scriptorium, and many important scholars have come to study the scrolls and tomes kept there. The monks also produce a wine prized throughout the realm for its quality and scarcity. The deep, dry vaults beneath the abbey are ideal for aging, and they are said to be lined with cask upon cask of prime vintages, some more than a century old.
The monastery itself is an austere stone compound surrounded by a 9’ high, 3’ wide wall. A pair of wooden gates, wide enough for a single cart to pass, provides access to the inner compound. Beyond the gates, the abbey proper is surrounded by well-tended gardens and solemn courtyards. Like many monasteries, the abbey’s chambers open to an inside cloister yard, while the exterior walls are plain and windowless.
The monks are rarely seen by the villagers, although the priests of the chapel, the village elder, and the trader are known to have frequent contacts with them. There are regular visitors to the abbey–important clergy members and nobles, sometimes scholars or magisters–some of whom arrive mysteriously in the middle of the night, often accompanied by well-armed entourages.
The Chapel
Just down the path from the abbey gate is a modest church built of plain stone. The chapel is large for a community of this size because it is the hub of the abbey’s wine industry. It is also where most visitors to the abbey’s library stay, as outsiders are not allowed to remain inside the monastery overnight.
The chapel is dedicated to
St. Benedict, Patron Saint of Merchants (related to its wine trade).
St. Valorius, the Patron Saint of Brave Men, is also well-represented due to a famous event which occurred here long ago that involved him personally. The head priest,
Father Madrian, and a small staff of lesser priests man the chapel. They are protected by a contingent of
Templari sentinels, who are stationed here principally to guard the abbey.
Adjacent to the chapel is the vestry house, a long structure that serves as an orphanage, a dormitory for the priests, and barracks for the
Templari. Behind the chapel, surrounded by a low stone wall, is the village cemetery. Also on the chapel grounds is the winery, a large brick silo with thatched roof. Inside, the grape pressings are strained and stored in sealed vats for preliminary fermentation. After a few months, the vintages are sampled, blended, and transferred to clean barrels where they are taken to the abbey for final aging deep in its vaults. The winery is run by the priests, with assistance from the villagers.
The Village
The village sits at the base of the hill, its western side built along the top edge of the moat and the north-eastern side rising approximately 45’-60’ in elevation up the hillside. It is intermingled within the forest canopy, among patches of dense growth. The cart path runs through the middle of the village proper, forking to the northwest to the hunter’s lodge and the apothecary and then to the vineyard beyond. The path continues northeast up the hill to the chapel and monastery, and several more farms sit along it. Several footpaths throughout the village serve as shortcuts between various areas such as the vineyards or Garrett’s Pond.
Most of the buildings and homes are made of oaken supports with walls of wattle and daub (a woven mesh of willow or oak sticks covered with mud or clay and horsehair). The homes are well-insulated and stand up to the elements. The floors are wooden planks or flagstone, covered by a layer of reed mats which cushion the tired workers' feet. The roofs are of rough-cut wood shingles. The houses are either one or two stories high, with the second floor typically a loft or attic used mainly for storage or sleeping. A warm cooking fire burns day and night in a large stone hearth in the center of each home, the smoke seeping out via a stone chimney or through an open louver in the roof.
The Vineyard
The entire east-northeast slope of the mound has been clear-cut, exposing the hillside to the sky. A large vineyard–approximately 85 square acres–has been planted here, stretching from the rim of the moat all the way up to the outer wall of the abbey at the top of the hill. Row upon row of trellises bear many varieties of grape vines.
Each family farm is responsible for a “
vignette,” a specific tract of acreage in the vineyard, and each has its own distinct viticulture techniques. The villagers take great personal pride in a successful harvest, and they share in the profit from the sale of the various vintages sold by the monks each season. The individual farms vie for their harvests to be in the best blends, because the greater the sale price of a certain vintage, the more each contributing farm takes in. The highest honor for which they strive is to have their harvest used in each year’s premium vintage, assuring a tidy profit for the farms that contributed to the blend.
The Moat
The hill is surrounded by a deep moat, lined on both sides with a jumble of angular, rough-hewn stone blocks. These cut boulders make for a formidable climb in or out of the ditch. Soft beds of moss cover the blocks, while weeds and small foliage grow between them; however, the forest itself seemingly respects the barrier, and has not encroached into it. The bed of the moat is covered with large pieces of sharp quartz gravel.
A forest stream flows through the western half of the moat. It was once much deeper and surrounded the entire mound. However, sometime in the past the ditch was blocked to the east and diverted so that now it only skirts the west side of the mound before flowing southward.
At the eastern blockage, the cold stream pours into a hole in the hillside, called the
Wailing Well because of the eerie, moaning noises the water makes as it plunges underground. The well is dangerous, and over the years reckless swimmers have been caught in the powerful current and sucked deep beneath the mound, lost forever.
To the west, the moat widens in one spot and becomes much deeper, forming a pool called
Garrett’s Pond. The “hole” which forms the pond is deep and dark, and the fishing there is good. The pond is named for a villager whose betrothed was accidentally drowned here many generations ago. In his sorrow he threw their wedding bands into its waters. The story goes that his fiance's ghost still haunts the pond in her sorrow.
The Forest
Pelton Forest is dense and foreboding, and it conceals a great many secrets. Those venturing into its depths sometimes don’t return, and even many who do are never quite the same afterward. Only the hardiest of souls, stout of spirit and sharp of mind, dare to journey long under
Pelton’s mysterious boughs.
The village bolts up tight for the night, as nasty beasts occasionally come prowling after the sun sets. More than that, the superstitious villagers speak openly about supernatural events. Local folklore is rife with a cast of odd characters, strange creatures, and half-men. Out of a mixture of fear and respect, the villagers give the nighttime forest over to otherwordly forces.
The forest is rich in natural resources, particularly rare herbs and fungi, a treasure trove for herbalists and alchemists. Several rare tree varieties grow here, although the groves are sometimes difficult to reach. Animal species are typical of a temperate forest; some are harmless (deer, squirrel, fox), others more dangerous (bear, wildcat, wolf). Many rare species dwell here, and tales abound of strange monstrosities and malign or mischievous spirits lurking about.
There is phenomenal hunting in the local area–deer, rabbit, turkey, doves, and quail. The stream is full of small but tasty fish and crayfish. Nuts, berries, and roots are plentiful. Indeed, the villagers of
Green-Abbey eat heartily from what the forest provides.
The Dig Site
A large rectangular excavation has been carved out of the eastern hillside, with several deeper test pits inside the perimeter. The archaeologists have uncovered several mysterious megaliths, a pair of crude barrows, and what appears to be a courtyard paved with irregularly-shaped stones.
The scholars are convinced that these are remnants of some sort of ancient temple structure. But the digging is slow and painstaking, and as yet, they’ve only found the stones and an assortment of smaller artifacts and pottery shards. Just outside the dig is a small encampment of canvas tents where the archaeologists sleep. The four scholars keep largely to themselves, although they are friendly to the workers and the villagers. Once a month, a rider arrives to drop off the payroll and collect research and artifacts returning to
Kingscastle.
It is well-known among the villagers that the monks are upset about the digging, but they are normally suspicious of outsiders, so the monk’s displeasure is not considered too unusual.
Master Nobillard and his team are careful not to disrupt the village activities, although there have been a number of accidents and injuries at the site that have required the villagers to assist. Villagers regard the dig as an annoyance, but they tolerate it because it brings in needed money and work.
Gunafyr’s Meadow
Across the moat from the vineyard, the forest has been cleared to reduce the shadow line across the slope of the hill. The area is now a lovely glade full of wild flowers and grasses. Many young lovers from the village court in the meadow, and deer and small animals are frequently spotted there.
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BUILDING KEY
Blacksmith
Unlike most of the village dwellings, this small homestead is made of stone, with a flagstone floor and shingled roof. A three-walled wooden shed– a smithy’s workshop–is built off one side of the house. There is brick forge and chimney against the shared wall, and two iron anvils sit on the dirt floor in the center of the shop. Just outside is an enormous pile of split logs for the forge, a supply which is constantly replenished by the villagers.
The smith,
Dexter Armstrong, mostly repairs or makes common tools, nails, horseshoes, and the like. On occasion, he can produce arrow tips and spear heads, or even small blades. He often assists the cooper, making iron hoops for barrels. He is also a decent mason, and performs most of the village’s stonework using chunks of granite scavenged from the moat.
Trader
This wooden clap-board building is more of a storehouse and shop than it is a residence. The whole front of the structure opens up to become a large stall, where
Jack Carter, the village trader, takes and fulfills orders when he is in town. To one side is a shed in which he parks his cart and a small, fenced-off pasture where he keeps his draft horses.
Cooperage
Emil Firkin’s home is a standard residence, but next to it is an open, barn-like workshop. Inside are heaps of carved oak staves and iron hoops. Outside the shop, several dozen finished 30-gallon wine barrels and 60-gallon hogsheads “season” in the sun. The workshop is quite cluttered–tools litter the floor and sawdust and shavings cover everything. There is a small forge and anvil in one corner to make minor adjustments to the metalwork, and for branding the barrels.
Bottle-maker
This stone and brick structure has three chimneys and many large, shuttered windows. Inside are three specialized glassblowing forges–the furnace, the glory-hole, and the lehr. When the head bottle-maker,
Thomas Gaffer, is crafting his wares, the windows are all propped wide open to vent off the incredible heat within the shop. In the center of the floor is the marver, a large marble table on which
Gaffer rolls the crucible of molten glass into shape.
The walls are lined with wooden racks containing hundreds of wine bottles made of green glass. To one side of the room is a large wooden bin filled with quartz silica (sand), next to which stand stone barrels filled with powdered lead, lime, iron oxide, and chromium, all from
Hound’s Maw Mine in
Lower Peltonshire. A small scribe’s desk sits in one corner, where the shop’s limner creates temporary bottle labels to mark the vintage and blend.
Gaffer and his two assistants sleep in a wooden loft above the shop floor, or often outside during the summer, after a long, hot day of blowing glass.
Reeve’s Manor
This small, walled estate is the home of the village reeve,
Udolf Betterman. He lives in a well-appointed stone house with a timbered roof. Adjacent to the house are horse stables, servant’s quarters, and a sturdy silo which houses the village’s stores of food and supplies.
The master of the village is known as an approachable man, and the low stone wall surrounding his home is not foreboding. The estate is entered through a wooden gate which stays open during the day. Just inside the gate is a low wooden barracks which houses his personal guard, a small cadre of soldiers who report directly to the reeve and patrol the village, keeping watch for dangerous animals and the occasional bandit gang.
Hunter’s Lodge
Despite its name, this inviting round-hall serves in both an official capacity for conducting village business, and a social capacity as the village gathering spot. There is an enormous stone fire-pit in the center, and the smoke rises high through the peaked roof.
The walls are covered with hunting trophies–pelts, antler racks, and various animal skulls. Meat is always cooking on spits over the fire, and there are always copious bottles of wine from the personal stocks of the various families. The trader often brings in a cask of dry ale or stouts from
Pelton Towne as well.
No one actually dwells in the lodge; the hunter caste comes from the various homesteads around the village. The
Master of the Lodge is
Artemis Keene.
Apothecary
Master Tameric, the village elder, dwells here in a stubby stone tower and attached residence. He is a skilled chirurgeon and apothecarist, and he tends to the ills and medical needs of the community and the village livestock.
His home is cluttered with cabinets and shelves filled with vials, jars, baskets, and boxes, all filled with a profusion of potions, unguents, herbs, and specimens. Charts, scrolls, and tomes are stuffed in every nook and cranny. Somehow, though, he knows precisely where every single item is in his mad collection.
He always has a small group of assistants, typically local orphans who have come of age, who dwell in the tower with him and perform the hundred daily tasks associated with the elder’s practices. In return, he teaches the young men and women various aspects of his arts, and he is regarded as a kind and benevolent mentor.
While he is well-regarded and highly-respected among the villagers, it is whispered that
Master Tameric is a practitioner of magic, and that he dabbles in arcane matters. For this reason, the deference and respect he receives is tinged with quiet fear. For his part, the elder is a mysterious old man and he often speaks cryptically and acts with strange manners. However, despite all the rumors, no one has ever seen him use any magical powers.
Rectory
This small stone house is the humble residence of
Father Madrian, the village’s head priest. His shingled home is surrounded by a low stone wall with a wooden gate, enclosing a pleasant garden. He dwells here to be closer to his flock, and he spends much time in the village, leaving the menial church duties to his under-staff.
Farms
Each of these multi-dwelling homesteads houses an extended family, and constitutes a separate property within the village. It is not uncommon for several generations, sometimes 20-30 people or more, to live within a single farm. Families intermarry, and they regularly “absorb” orphans through marriage, to keep their bloodlines strong and diverse.
Each farm raises its own vegetables and livestock, and contributes part of its personal harvest to support the chapel and monastery, as well as to the village’s emergency stores to get through a harsh winter. Several of the farms also generate a unique or specialized product which they barter to the others for things they need.
Each family also tends its own acreage (“
vignette”) in the vineyard and makes its own wine, albeit in small amounts. The farms take pride in their “personal labels,” and competition among them to produce the best vintage is fierce (but friendly). The priests of the chapel hold an annual contest to name the village’s best, which finds its way into their premium vintage for the year.
Most of the younger and middle-aged villagers work in the vineyards, while the older folk and the children tend to the chores on the family farm. After each day’s labors, they return to their individual farms to retire for the evening.
In autumn, they pick the ripe grapes and fill up huge wooden tubs with them. There is a huge festival after the harvest is done, when the young maidens of the village climb into the tubs barefoot and crush the grapes, while the men of the village gather round and drink in celebration.
1) Case Farm
This medium homestead is a fairly standard farm, with three generations of an extended family living in five cottages (roughly thirty villagers in all). The wives and younger children tend the family garden, while the men and older children tend their vignette.
In addition,
Farmer Theodore Case’s mother and his sisters are talented weavers and seamstresses who make much of the village’s textiles and clothing. The
Case family raises a few dozen sheep to supply themselves with raw wool. One of
Farmer Case’s daughters,
Maryam, is married to
Emil Firkin the village cooper.
2) Duncain Farm
This medium homestead is a fairly standard farm, with the extended
Duncain family dwelling in five cottages (roughly 30 villagers, all told). The family works a sizable vignette, and
Farmer Duncain seems to have a secret technique, for his grapes always grow plump and sweet, and the vines never suffer rot or disease.
Several of his sons are either hunters or woodsmen, and his family is well-respected as hard-working, upstanding citizens. He is also quite devout in his faith, and is a regular at church services and other activities.
3) Keene Farm
This small farm consists of the main family house, two separate residences for his two married sons and their families, a large smokehouse, a modest garden, and a goat pen. The homes are unlike others in the village, constructed of split logs, packed and roofed with sod.
The patriarch is
Artemis Keene,
Master of the Hunter’s Lodge. His three oldest sons,
Wilfred,
Magred, and
Gareth serve as his lieutenants in the hunter’s caste. His wife, four daughters, and two younger sons work the family farm. His sons’ families work the
Keene vignette. They do not keep a lot of livestock or tend a large garden, as they trade smoked meat and jerky for other food items
4) Bodswain Farm
This small homestead is the residence of
Waddell Bodswain, proud father of six girls. Two of his daughters are married and live in separate cottages on the farm. Often harried and overwhelmed by all the women in his life, he is nonetheless doting and overprotective. The family manages its humble plot in the vineyard, and the
Bodswain girls are busy grape-stompers at harvest time.
Waddell is also an avid hunter and is one of the senior members of the lodge.
5) Miller Farm
Situated at the village crossroad, this medium-sized farm is the homestead of
Burl Miller. Surrounding a central millhouse are four cottages for the miller and his wife, and for his three daughters and their families.
Inside the two-story millhouse tower is a pony-drawn grist mill. Attached to it is a small bakery. The farm also contains a barn, a modest four-cow pasture, and chicken coops. The miller grinds grain into flour in exchange for one-half cup of flour for every pound he produces. In the winter, he grinds dried grape pits into fertilizer for the vineyards.
The miller’s sons-in-law and grandsons work the family vignette, while the women tend the cows and chickens, producing milk, butter, and eggs for the village and to support the bakery. They produce plenty of bread with which to barter, and in the spring and summer,
Mrs. Miller and her daughters and granddaughters gather fruit, nuts, and berries from the forest to make sweet pies and tarts (the village elder’s favorite!)
6) Bowen Farm
This large, sprawling homestead is home to five generations of the
Bowen clan, nearly 100 villagers in all. They are accomplished farmers and maintain several large vignettes. The elder patriarch of the clan,
Ufer Bowen, is 87 years old and rarely ventures far beyond the garden behind his somewhat stately cottage. It is well known that he has gone feeble-minded in his old age.
Nevertheless, his three sons claim the old man has bouts of clarity and still dispenses his sage advice about village affairs to them. Certainly, no other resident has the breadth of experience
Old Man Bowen does, and he knows a great many things about the history of
Green-Abbey.
As the proxy head of the clan, his oldest son,
Henry, represents the family; and as the largest, most productive farm, they wield a great deal of influence with the reeve.
7) Honeywell Farm
This small homestead is the farm of
Walrich Honeywell the beekeeper. He lives here with his wife and three children, as well as six farmhands he employs to help with the beehives and tend the modest garden. The farm consists of the family’s cottage, a barn, a large “root” cellar for storing honey, and a large cluster of beehives, surrounded by flower gardens.
Because beekeeping is such a specialized and time-consuming activity, he is one of only two farmers who don’t work a vignette. Instead, he produces clay jars of honey and comb, beeswax candles, and royal jelly. Much of his honey goes to the abbey where it is made into mead. The rest he trades with locals or sells in
Pelton Towne through the trader.
Every spring, just before the vernal equinox, he carts his hives down into
Gunafyr’s Meadow in time for the first flowering of purple clover, goldlily, and maiden’s lace, the nectar of which produces a fine quality of honey, deep amber in color and rich and sweet in flavor. This particular honey, and the mead made from it, sells for top prices in
Pelton Towne. The beekeeper claims his honeys have medicinal and healing properties.
8) Hogg Farm
This foul-smelling farm sits at the end of a long country lane, somewhat removed from the rest of the village.
Farmer Clive Hogg is, indeed, a pig farmer and he doesn’t even notice the smell. He tends his pigs quietly, and seems to take no mind of the villager’s complaints when the wind is blowing the wrong way. Someone has to raise pigs, after all…might as well be him.
He is one of only two farmers who don’t work a vignette. He lives here with his wife and five sons, none of whom are terribly bright. His mousey wife,
Muriel, is a talented butcher, but she lives under her husband’s heavy thumb. Many of the villagers have odds as to whether
Muriel will one day turn her knives on her husband after one “episode” too many. His sons are slow and brutish, village bullies who often threaten and cajole others into doing what they want. The oldest son,
Randull, is a massive young man, strong and vicious, while the younger son,
Willard, is a constant troublemaker.
The
Hogg family is generally disliked and avoided by most folk, but they are grudgingly tolerated because make several valuable contributions to the village. In addition to raising pigs,
Farmer Hogg is a skilled tanner, leatherworker, and cobbler. He makes belts, boots, gloves, and other leather goods for the village, and parleys his excess goods and sheets of pig leather to the markets in
Pelton Towne via the trader.
They also trade for pig manure to fertilize the vineyard, and the village elder often requests that
Farmer Hogg and his boys take the pigs out into the forest to root for valuable fungi specimens. The tannery is deeper in the tree line than the pig pens, but it still adds to the farm’s horrible odor, which occasionally wafts through the village. They have no vignette of their own, but they assist other families in exchange for food or a cut.
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PROMINENT LOCAL CITIZENS
Village Reeve – Udolf Betterman
Reeve Betterman is a distant cousin of
Lord Pelton, and his family has always kept a son in the position of
Master of the Village. He is middle-aged and plump around the middle. He is not a physical man, out of shape and a bit pasty, but he is smart, and empathetic to a fault. He is henpecked by his miserable wife and spoiled daughter, who often berate him in front of the villagers.
His extended family lives in
Pelton Towne, but he dwells here in the village. His wife and daughter live here as well, but they are often away visiting relatives. His roots are not in the village, having become reeve nearly fifteen years ago at the age of 26 and moved here from his life in
Pelton Towne. But he has a strong sense of duty to honor his family and he takes his responsibilities and position seriously.
He is not a confident man, however, and has difficulty making firm decisions. He is well-meaning and just, and most folks like him personally. However, he is not well respected as a leader by the villagers. His wife’s obvious unhappiness with village life does not help matters.
Head Priest – Father Madrian
Father Madrian is a caring, decent man who seems to carry a great weight with him. Between his duties as a priest, managing the winery, overseeing the orphanage, and tending to the everyday concerns of his flock, he always seems in a rush. He can’t sit still, dashing about fiddling with something, and talking a mile a minute. He only manages to slow down when someone needs his comfort or sober advice.
He is a short, bookish man, dressed in simple woolen robes with a silk sash. His curly brown hair is cut in a bowl fashion, with a shaven pate, and his sharp eyes are concealed by a pair of thick spectacles. He is friendly, although it can be a bit maddening to get his attention.
He lives in the village to be closer to its residents, but he manages a staff of three assistant priests and six acolytes. In addition, he is responsible for a nunnery of eight sisters and the orphanage which they run, as well as the contingent of
Templari warriors who guard the chapel and abbey.
Templari Master of Arms – Roland Gimble
Master Gimble is a crotchety old warrior, a veteran of many decades of service in the service of God and king. He was given this sacred duty 25 years ago, and has not left the village since, not even during the recent wars. He is in charge of the
Templari attached to the chapel and monastery. He has little time for nonsense and dithering. His men know to get to the point quickly and get out of his sight.
He was once a larger man, but time and an ascetic life have shrunk his frame. His beautiful but battle-scarred mail tunic hangs a bit loose on him now, and he walks with a tender limp in his hip. But his demeanor and presence have not diminished one bit, and he commands respect from all who come into contact with him. He is intently devout, and has absolute trust in God’s blessing. In his active past, he would often wade into combat in the face of overwhelming odds without a second thought.
Village Elder – Master Tameric
Tameric is a thin and frail-looking old man, but with sharp eyes and a quick mind. He wears simple but fine quality woolen robes, and an elaborately-stitched silk skull-cap. His thin wispy beard flutters as he speaks, and he often breaks out in a funny cackle, as he is easily amused. He is quite intelligent and learned in many subjects of lore. When he isn’t working, his long, thin nose is tucked away in some old dusty book.
He employs the townsfolk to procure herbs, plants, and other materials in exchange for medicines and healing services. He often pays money for particularly rare specimens, and a minor industry has built up around procuring such samples for him in the fertile forest. The villagers also give him plenty of food as he is well-respected citizen and cares for the locals. Most folk regard him as a wise man, an odd country doctor, or “
that strange gentleman down the lane,” and there are whispered rumors that he has strange powers and dabbles in magical arts.
The Abbot
On the rare occasions that a villager has seen the abbot, it has only been a fleeting glimpse. He is described as a wizened, grim-looking monk, dressed in simple brown robes and hood. He walks with a curiously ornate, iron-bound shepherd’s staff; a small iron lantern hangs from the crook. Few know his name or what he’s like, or even if he speaks; the only locals who interact with the abbot are the chapel priests, the village elder, and the trader, none of whom will speak about the abbey or its residents.
The abbot presides over a cloister of monks, but no one knows how many for certain. Given the size of the monastery and the amount of labor required to perform their part of the wine-making process–the storing and aging of the barrels–most villagers estimate that several dozen monks could comfortably dwell within the abbey’s thick walls.
The Archaeologists – Masters Nobillard, Besson, and Dunn
This trio of scholars comes from the
Royal University in
Kingscastle, and they are veterans of many expeditions. As they are all getting on in years, they leave much of the actual labor to the men of the village, whom they pay well. They diligently oversee the work and mark off the sections of the site, meticulously cataloging every find.
Master Nobillard is in charge of this particular site, and the three men are often steeped in deliberation over artifacts and architecture. They seem aware that, as outsiders, they make the villagers uncomfortable. As a result, they tend to stick to their campsite. The villagers who work for them describe the scholars as generally pleasant and fair, although at times, they drive the workers harder when they believe they are on the cusp of a major find.
The archaeologists return to
Kingscastle every two months or so with a wagon-load of artifacts for the university. They are usually gone for a month to six weeks, during which time the workers help out elsewhere in the village.
Blacksmith – Dexter Armstrong
The smith is a burly, middle-aged man. He has short dark hair and a tough face. His heavily-muscled arms are scarred with small burn marks. He is a fair man and loyal, but quiet and sullen. He hasn’t been the same since his wife and child died nearly ten years ago.
Cooper – Emil Firkin
The cooper lives with his wife
Maryam.
Emil is a talented craftsman, but a bit dull and slow-witted. He is forgetful and disorganized, and his attention wanders frequently. His methods are sound, however, and he consistently produces quality casks and barrels for the monks.
Maryam Firkin is a kind and patient woman who is dedicated to her husband. She works in the vineyards with her family (Farm 1).
Emil’s two assistants live in the men’s dormitory.
Emil was an orphan who remained in the village and learned the craft from the former cooper, long deceased.
Bottlemaker – Thomas Gaffer
Gaffer is an older, rotund man who sweats profusely, even on a cold day. He is jolly and quick to laugh, but is demanding when it comes to his craft. He knows everything there is to glass-blowing and is quite talented, even though he basically only makes one type of common bottle. He is unmarried and has no children.
Trader – Jack Carter
The trader is in the village periodically, but never for more than a few days. He works for a merchant in
Pelton Towne and travels to and from the local villages buying and selling wares. He handles all sorts of goods, and is also the monk’s sole representative to sell the wine.
Trader Jack is a middle-aged man, tall and lean but healthy. He is not ostentatious, but he stays well-groomed and dresses in nice wool and cotton clothes, and fine leather boots. He is friendly and courteous, but very business-minded.
His cart typically returns to the village every 3-4 weeks, when he fulfills previous orders and takes new ones from folks in the village, and also from the priests and monks. In late spring, he personally carts a release of the year’s vintage from the abbey, where agents from several of the realm’s major merchant guilds vie to purchase the lots.
Master of the Hunter’s Lodge – Artemis Keene
Artemis leads a cadre of younger men, including his three oldest sons, who venture into the forest to provide food for the village. He is often the voice of reason to settle simple disputes between villagers. When not hunting, he spends much of his time at the lodge, “holding court” and regaling the village men with tales of glory. He also serves as the practical “militia commander” when a wild animal or other threat must be dealt with.
An older man,
Artemis Keene is tall and thin, and his long graying beard and locks drape about his coarse face. Despite his age, he is nevertheless a superb bowman and skilled falconer, and his hunter’s instincts are unmatched. He is stern and serious, fatherly and wise, and he holds pride and honor as essential characteristics of a man.
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THE PLAYERS
| Angus: A tall, broad-shouldered young man, he led the life of a simple laborer in the employ of the village miller. When the archaeologists came to town, he was eagerly recruited by the scholars, who paid the miller a handsome fee for “renting” the young man’s capable services. Strong and loyal, he is nonetheless an imposing figure who is left well enough alone by most others, lest they feel the wrath of his capable fists. Since the troubles began, he has proved his bravery and has earned the admiration of many of the village men, as well as a few of the young ladies. His heroic actions have caught the attention of the reeve, who has taken Angus into his employ as an estate hand (and extra muscle). (Art S.) |  |  |
Ava: A lithe young woman, she felt the calling to serve God at an early age. As a pious sentinel, she uses her loyalty, fearlessness, and skill with a weapon to guard the chapel and monastery, at the cost of her own life if necessary. Her exotic appearance, foreign to the villagers, caused her to be shunned as a child. However, she found faithful companions in a small, but tight-knit group of friends at the orphanage, and the holy sisters always treated her kindly. Her fellow sentinels have likewise come to respect her tenacity and righteousness, despite being a young woman in a traditionally male role.
Since the troubles began, she struggles to reconcile her religious duties with the mysterious revelations about Green-Abbey that have recently come to light.
(Cyndi D.)
Kort: A small, wiry fellow, he struggled to fit in at the orphanage. A persistent, and often accidental, mischief-maker, Kort was constantly in the holy mother's office, being punished for one thing or another. When he came of age, he had similar difficulty finding a profession that suited him. When the archaeologists came to town, they first hired him as a digger; but with his keen mind and inquisitive nature, he quickly picked up the sapper trade and began working under the direct tutelage of the three scholars.
With the recent troubles, and the shutting down of the dig, his formal studies of engineering and archaeology have come to a halt. But he continues to work covertly in the dig site, and he is learning much on his own.
(Shaun S.)
 |  | Magnus: Ever a bright and inquisitive child, he has grown into a brilliant mind trapped in an ugly, physically weak body. As a child, he was tormented for his ill-favored appearance, but the friendship (and protection) of young Angus held the bullies at bay. He entered the personal service of Master Tameric, the village elder, and he has learned from him the arts of alchemy and chirurgery. Despite his looks, he has come into a position of some prominence in the village, first as the elder’s apprentice, and now as his assistant. Since the troubles began, his power has quickly grown to meet the challenges he and his friends have faced. Tameric, impressed at his pupil's progress, has begun to regard Magnus as a trusted peer, although one who still has much to learn. (Bill B.) |
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