The Village of Shadybrook

 

Shadybrook (village):

Conventional; AL NG; 200 sp limit; Assets 5,000 sp; Population 503; Mixed (397 humans, 45 hobytlan, 6 dwarves, 15 elves, 39 half-elves, 1 Marchat).

 

Authority Figure:

Lady Elysa Mona, female human Ari4, assisted by her son Bertram (Ari 2), and his wife Alyce (daughter of the Baroness of Dene, Exp3). They are in their forties now, with a son, Kieran, who is nearly 20. 

 

 

Important Characters:

Thorm Fornur, male dwarf Exp9 (blacksmith); Petunia Castler, hobytlan female Exp3 (innkeeper); Erik Llewen, male half-elf, War5 (patrol lieutenant); Seumas Kenzie, male human Wiz3; Adair the Young, male human Clr 5 of Mikol; Teague, male human Com3 (miller); Lowra Skerry, female human Clr3 of Elanora (often absent), Malch Tennor, dwarf male merchant (exp1); Mrowr Birdkiller, marchat hunter (ranger 3); Emmawyn Rowan (com2, schoolmistress).

 

Others:

Patrol Sergeant William Sherwell War3; village Patrol Members, War1 (15); commoners(488).

 

The Geography of Shadybrook

The village is situated on a long narrow point of land in the crook of two major rivers. The Kar to the north flows into the heart of Greenvale. Unfortunately, frequent rapids make it nearly un-navigable to large boats, but small rafts and fishing boats can portage around the worst problems. The Kelfar is also a major river, forming the Kelfar Valley. Cedarknot, some 35 miles as the crow flies to the south-southwest, is the County Seat of Highscar County. Shadybrook is located in the midst of rolling hills, narrow valleys and heavy woods, partially cleared for farming, surrounded by many outlying farms and logging camps. The majority of the people of Shadybrook earn their livelihood through farming, logging and hunting, selling the surplus at the open market in the village. This makes the summer and fall seasons the busiest in the village proper, as folk from the outskirts arrive to sell their produce and buy supplies for the wet, snowy, cold winters. During the spring, the farmers work busily planting their fields, although many find time to visit one of the local inns or attend religious services at the temple of Elanora. The village is located less than 20 miles south of the border of Greenvale, and thus has a somewhat rugged, pioneering feel to it, increased in the past years by the near destruction and extensive rebuilding that have gone on.

 

The village itself is a sprawl. The main bulk of the tradesmen and village craftsmen live on the north side of the low ridge, while a few of the more industrial or river-dependent crafters live on the eastern end, which is much flatter, sandier and more exposed to flooding. An ancient bridge across the river on the south side of town is watched over by the town guardpost, while a ferry from the spit runs east and north.

 

Outside the village proper but still within Lady Elysa's demesne are a lime-burning pit, chalk quarry and loam pits. These are all materials in high demand for making bricks, mortar and other building materials, as well as for fertilizer on fields. There is also quite a bit of charcoal-burning for local use.

 

Log's Landing: the lumberjacks of the region have gradually been working their way down the Kelfar River, and further into the forested hills, doing selective logging. They have built this logging camp and use it periodically as the point where they dump their logs into the river. About twice a week they haul their latest batch of logs down to the water, dump them in, and send them on their way, with a raft escort. The logs and loggers come past Shadybrook about every three to five days, where they enter the Kar River and find their way east to Fordton.

 

The History of Shadybrook

Unremarkable in its own right, Shadybrook's history does prompt occasional interest from scholars and adventurers. During the Second Empire, Shadybrook was a small but bustling town. The Kelfar River feeds into what is now the Kar, which has always been a busy waterway. The castle which overlooked Shadybrook's valley was held by a good Lord during the early years of the Empire's decay. Unfortunately Castle Greystone was laid seige to, conquered and inhabited by less honest men during those evil times. The verdant hills on the east flank of the valley were burned and ruined by the evil armies, and monsters of darkness haunted the woods. Eventually however, the evil was driven out again, the castle razed, and good triumphed. Only the temple to Mikol on the hillside was reconsecrated. A few priests remained in the temple, but the army moved on. It was not until generations later that Greenvalers resettled the area and rebuilt on the ancient remains of the old town. Shadybrook was renamed, its old history forgotten. But the temple and the old castle ruins remain as token reminders.

 

Recent History

The orc and goblin armies who rose up from below the Karuun Mountains nearly destroyed Shadyrook, forcing its evacuation in the year 2626. By 2628, the villagers returned, and were fortunate enough to find very little damage done in the wake of the invasion.  The village took a few years to rebuild their population, but by the time Prince Starbow died and his son Prince Taran came to the throne, in 2635, it had stabilized at just under 500 people.

 

At the same time, a tribe or tribes of human forest-dwellers who have also been living in the forests to the north of the Kar River for several generations have returned to their lands after fleeing the goblin hordes. These barbarous peoples are wild huntsmen and fighters of no mean prowess. They have been given the name "Woodfolk" by the locals, but they call themselves the Werruen. The villagers and the barbarians are old but uneasy friends, and each year the barbarians send a delegation to renew peaceful relations between themselves and the village (also other nearby villages and hamlets as well) at midsummer. While they technically live at least part of the time inside the boundaries of Greenvale, these folk cross back and forth between County Highscar and the Barony of Karriver to the north, and well beyond.

 

Shadybrook is a manorial fee, in the holding of Lady Elysa Mona. Her grandfather was given the holding by the Baron of Denbare, and her family has held it from him ever since. She holds Shadybrook and two other villages, Silver Grove and Millville, which lie about three miles south along the river. She and her family live in Shadybrook. The village is one of several dozen scattered across the narrow mountain valleys in Highscar County. There are two or three more villages within a day's walk. To the east about 15-20 miles along the Karr River lies Baron Denbare's manorial town of Dene, with a population of about 2,000. Many small farms, logging or hunting camps, and other small holdings, including a sizeable monastery, lie scattered across these verdant hills.

 

Update:

During the Dragonswar, the village of Shadybrook took many losses, but survived and rebuilt. Later, when Prince Taran took Greenvale's throne, and the Time of Umade began, they were some of the first in the land to be invaded by Umade's undead troops. Most of the locals fled into the forests, joining the Werruen who helped them to hide from the undead, moving into the caves the Kobolds used, along the Elk Run. It was a bitter, desperate time, and nearly half the population was either killed or never returned. Now, nearly twenty years later, they have barely rebuilt. Even the bridge is still in need of repair, just as in the old days. 

 

 

The Village Proper

 

The central part of the village of Shadybrook is built on and around the site of an older settlement in the area. The structures that make up the village tend to be low to the ground (two stories at most), with sloping, peaked roofs, usually built in an L or rectangular shape. Often they hug the steep terrain, being multi-leveled or 2 floors on one side, and only one floor from the other. Many have walk-out cellars on the lowest level. Only the central mercantile portion of the village is built close together- lack of truly flat land makes tightly placed buildings difficult, though many do abut each other.

 

Area 1A and 1B: The Tollhouses These sturdy buildings are always occupied by at least two patrolmen who are stationed here to collect tolls from anyone entering Shadybrook or crossing the Bridge. Tolls are 1 cp per person, 1 cp per 4-footed animal (horse, mule, ox or other draft or riding animal), and 2 cp per axle for carts and wagons. Each building is made of 5' thick stone walls and has a flat roof protected by crenellations. A signal station is on the roof of 1A which can be used to send messages as far as Shannondale in an emergency.

 

Area 2: The Marketplace: This is an open-air marketplace where farmers from the outlying areas of the village come to sell their produce, meats, furs, and other goods. The market square is divided into four quarters by a stone pathway that leads to an elegant central fountain. This is the only public water in the village, and it is used for drawing water for most residents of area 8 who lack private water access. Most local crafters not well-off enough to have a shop of their own also set up in the market during the day to sell their services, and most of the goods available in Shadybrook can be found here. Stalls are semipermanent, but many simply sell from their carts or a cloth spread on the ground. Mrowr Birdkiller shows up here about twice a week selling cured animal skins and bird feathers among other odds and ends from the surrounding forests (berries, fresh plants, and other things).

 

Area 3: The Great House: This building houses the Honorable Lady Elysa Mona (female human Nob4), her family, and the offices of the other officials of the village government. It also serves as a meeting place for the people of the town, where they gather each month to air their grievances and discuss matters of importance. Meetings over the past few months have been dominated by discussion of what to do to protect the village from further goblin incursions.

 

Area 4: The Archer's Field: This field is a practice area for the village's Patrolmen and any residents who feel the need to practice (the militia), and usually features a collection of straw archery targets. Weapons are supplied by the patrol, but a small yearly fee is collected from local residents to supply and maintain them and the arrows and other materials.

 

Area 5: The Patrol: This building houses the Patrol Lieutenant of Shadybrook, Erik Llewen (male half-elf War5), and also serves as the village's armory and (on occasion) jail. The lieutenant can usually be found going about his duties, or tending the small herb garden in the building's courtyard.

 

Area 6: The Barracks: These barracks house the village's contingent of Patrolmen and their families. They're quite spacious, although the lieutenant talks about requesting additional guards, which will reduce the amount of space available. Note that the Patrol unit is 14 members strong, and 9 of them have at least 1 family member sharing barracks space here. They patrol the village itself and the roads towards Silver Grove and the village of Sandy Hook, as well as outlying farms. A unit of Greenvale's Guard watches the Border north of Shadybrook, but is not seen more often than every fortnight.

 

Area 7: Villa Ruin: The villagers judged this old villa too badly damaged for repair. Lady Elysa has plans to tear it down in the near future to make way for a market garden for the village residents. Local children like to tell tales that it's haunted and dare each other to go inside at night, although there's no evidence of any danger here.

 

Area 8: The Merchant's Quarter: This area is a collection of homes for the village's craftspeople, merchants, and others well-off enough to live in the village proper rather than on an outlying farm. Some of the buildings are still being repaired from the damage done by passing goblins. Only about half the homes are occupied and these families have a generous amount of space. Because some old village residents have not returned after the war, ownership of the building space is vague, and could later cause problems. Lady Elysa is thinking of issuing formal deeds of occupancy that will declare ownership of each space next spring. Shops in this quarter include two butchers, an eggseller, a cheesemaker, two dyers and a weaver, a saddler, a plumber, three barbers, two chandlers, a signpainter, three shoemakers, a knife-sharpener and two tinkers, two masons, the lime-kiln-operator, the loampit operator, and half-a-dozen other small-time merchants.

 

Area 9: Marac's House: This large home belongs to Marac Eleron, a local merchant, trader, and moneylender. Marac (male human Exp1) is well known as a grumbling old skinflint who likes his privacy. He made much of his wealth, it is rumored, running a riverboat on the Kar, and was supposedly a smuggler as well. His three sons still run riverboats east of Fordton.

 

Area 10: Seumas' House: This is the slightly shabby home of Seumas Kenzie, Shadybrook's resident wizard (male human Wiz3) and his two apprentices and a servant. Neither apprentice is above first level yet, and the servant is a L2 commoner (Teska, hum fem age 51).

 

Area 11: Derry's House: Mos Derry (male human nob1) owns this small but well-appointed home. He also has tenancy rights to some of the outlying farmland, which was awarded to him for his service to the County during the recent war. Derry nearly bankrupted himself shipping weapons, armor and foodstuffs north for the army. Now he administers his farms and lives off the tenants' rent. Note that Derry owes his fealty to the Baron of Denebar, not to Lady Elysa. However, they are not social equals, as Derry is not a lord, merely a landholder. The land he was granted is outside Lady Elysa's fee, but she still feels somewhat resentful that this man has been dropped upon her, as it were.

 

Area 12: The Temple Hostel: A small place for visitors to the Temple of Elanora and poor travelers who can't afford an inn. When they arrive the morning of the midsummer festival, representatives of the Woodsfolk will stay here.

 

Area 13: The Temple of Elanora: Many of the folk of Shadybrook attend twice-weekly services at this temple to the agriculture goddess Elanora. The priestess, Lowra Skerry (female human Clr1) attends to her parishioners' needs from here, which she uses as a home base for her rounds to many local villages and farms. She makes sure to be in Shadybrook at least twice each month to hold a service, but does not keep any regular schedule.

 

Area 14: Castler's Inn: Shadybrook's larger inn is run by Petunia Castler (Female Hobyt Exp 3). It is one of four two story buildings in town (The Great Hall, the Mill and Tennor's Tack are the others). It has long tables out front for spring and summer use, and a hanging sign showing a petunia flower growing from a trio of grey stone blocks. This inn has only a dozen rooms, but boasts a large common room and good local beer for the villagers to enjoy.

 

Area 15: Tennor's Tack and General Store: This two-story building is the store of Malch Tennor (male dwarf Exp1). It offers all the goods one might expect from a small general store, particularly tack and harness for horses and other mounts. Tennor carries all the goods within Shadybrook's resources. He and his wife live downstairs, in the basement at the river end. Note that while it is not apparent to non-dwarves, all the dwarves in Shadybrook are actually closely related, forming a single clan-family. Why they have chosen to dwell in Shadybrook is not known to anyone outside their family, nor to all within it.

 

Area 16: The Stables: The village's stables provide a place for travelers to board their mounts. The proprietors, brothers Caleb and Connor Branson, also breed and raise the village's horses, some of which are available for sale. During the day the horses are put out to pasture; they're brought back to the stable at sundown or at any sign of trouble.

 

Area 17: Forner's Forge: This is the forge of Thorm Forner (dwarf Exp9). Forner is renowned throughout the area for his skill in smithcraft. Forner is Malch Tennor's brother-in-law.

 

Area 18: The Bakery: This small shop houses the ovens where the folk of Shadybrook bake their bread or purchase the loaves baked by the owner, Lianna Furst (female half-elf Com1).

 

Area 19: Traveler's Inn A smaller inn than Castler's, this Inn is technically outside the village, as it is beyond the Tollhouse. However that may be, it still falls into the village's protective sphere. Catering mostly to merchants and others traveling north and west, it boasts a small common room and many small private bedchambers. A large stable and grazing ground compete with the Bransons, so there is some ill-feeling there. The Innkeeper is Draco Aelfwynn (1/2 elf Expert 1).

 

Area 20: The Warehouse district: six or eight warehouses, a tannery, a coppermith and a lumberyard as well as a couple of cheap boarding-houses and two or three taverns form Shadybrook's industrial neighborhood. There is also a small fishmarket where local fishermen gather daily to sell their wares.

 

Area 21: the Sawmill: The second largest structure in Shadybrook, this 3 story building sits on a man-made canal branching off the Kelfar river. It has a sizeable water-wheel and a stout stone foundation that easily predates most of the other buildings in the village. The miller, Teague, is a surly drunkard with little liking for anyone besides Petunia Castler. He has a half-dozen hard-working woodcutters in his employ, and is one of the wealthiest men in the village, though no one would know it to see him.

 

Area 22: Bridge Repair: the ancient bridge is probably (with the mill and the Temple to Mikol) the oldest structure in Shadybrook. Forner and Tennor often mention that it is "dwarf-built" but most locals dismiss this as natural boasting on the part of the dwarves. Unfortunately, the bridge is in bad repair and the villagers are struggling to maintain it. Lady Elysa Mona has promised to hire an engineer to come and direct repairs "soon". At this time the local stonemason is in charge of temporary maintenance, and he is reluctant to cede authority to any outsider - whether human or dwarf. The bridge is gated, with a set of large iron gates being built across the bridge, about 1/3 of the way out from the village-side bank of the Kelfar. These gates are not yet in working order. Eventually, the gates will close the bridge from dusk until dawn each night, but now the village is still dependent on a pair of guards to watch at night.

 

Area 23: the Temple of Mikol: Adair lives in a small room to the side of this chapel serving the Sun God Mikol. While Mikol has not been an important God in the history of Greenvale, this temple has existed in one form or another for hundreds of years on this spot. It was once large enough that most of the village is on ancient temple grounds, but now only a single stone building remains. Adair is a young man, sent here only in the past two years to attempt to re-establish this small temple. The previous priest was a favorite of Lady Elysa's and Heinrich the Tavernkeeper's as well. Adair finds it hard to make a place for himself in the village and spends most of his time alone in the temple.

 

Area 24: Porthole Tavern: this tavern is run by Heinrich Shortleg. Heinrich is a cousin of Teague the miller, and is as quick to make a penny squeak as his cousin. But Heinrich is better liked, and has a better temper. He serves locally-brewed mead and applejack as well as beer and some wine. The name comes from the large round window in the front wall; it is said to be a ship's porthole, though it is three times bigger than any normal thing of its type.

 

Area 25: The Gristmill: This second mill in town is a gristmill that grinds all the local grain (wheat, corn and oats) into flour. The miller is named Ottokar. He's a big, burly, happy go lucky man with several sons and daughters who help him run his business in a way that makes everyone in town like them. Ottokar is famous for never overweighting his flour or shorting his sacks, as other millers have been known to do.

 

Area 26: Village Graveyard: Many of the locals follow the custom of Elanora's worshippers and bury their dead in this burial ground - which is older than the current town by several centuries.

 

Area 27: Village School: Children between the ages of six and twelve are offered the chance to attend school for about 4 months each year. Families who do so receive a small break on their taxes. Children are taught reading, writing, mathematics, history of Greenvale, religion and mythology, and more. Students who attend more time receive training in a mixture of other skills and knowledge, including foreign languages, geography, ancient history and more. The teacher is Emmawyn Rowan, a human commoner of about age 40. She is widowed, and her sons work as loggers. Her true love is her cat, Scratches. This big mangy grey Tom is an adventurer and often spends nights out, worrying Emmawyn no end.

 

Area 28: Ferry Office: This building houses the ferrymaster's office and living quarters for his family, as well as a storage area for necessary supplies and repair materials. The ferryman also leases out access to the docks to local fishermen, thus acting as something of a dockmaster and resolver of disputes.

 

Area 29: Town Hall Clearing: This area has been cleared and several sizeable piles of cut stone have been brought in, but no further work has been done. The village intends to build a sizeable building here with a grand hall some 90' x 120' here. But work on the bridge, on new gatehouses, road repairs and maintenance of other important buildings has delayed this work for the past two years. Lady Elyse hopes that if this year's crops are good she can afford to hire additional builders to come in and go to work. She dreams of then restoring her home into a proper residence, not a public building.

 

Area 30: Ealdred the Scholar's House: Ealdred is a local druid who also has considerable knowledge of local plants, animals and weather. He is hard to find in summer and winter, but is most often home during the spring and fall months. He knows little about what happens in town and cares little for local politics or attitudes. He seems distracted and sometimes even senile, but this is simply because he's lost in his own thoughts so much of the time. Ealdred has a housekeeper and a personal manservant but no other servants or relatives here in Shadybrook.

 

The Villagers and Other Key Figures:

 

Elysa Mona (female human Ari4): Elysa Mona is the Lady of Shadybrook and has been for the past several years since her father died. She's middle-aged, with a mellow personality and a dry wit, but also quite capable of quieting down a room full of concerned villagers to make herself heard. She likes the quiet life and wants nothing more than peace for the village. Shadybrook's current problems with the goblins concern her greatly. She has a son, Bertram Mona, who is her heir and a good, competent young man. They know that Greystone Castle was once a place where great evil lurked, and that during the Second Empire's wars there were many battles not far from here. They also know that occasional adventure-minded visitors to the area leave sooner than anticipated, or don't return as expected. They attribute this to the recent war and upheaval. Elysa is a widow - her husband died in the war 5 years ago fighting with Baron Denbare. She has two younger daughters as well as her son - 12 year old Elrika and 9 year old Joan.

 

Since Elysa's son Bertram disappeared, she has been very lonely and sad. She's overworked and has very few folk to turn to. The demands of the Baron on her time have become so stressful that she is turning to drink to be able to sleep. Her good friend Petunia Castler is beside herself trying to help, and the other village leaders are becoming concerned.

 

Lady Elysa Mona - (Noble): Female Human ARI4; CR 3;

Medium-size humanoid;

HD 4d8; hp 20; Init +0; Spd 30;

AC 12 (touch 12, flatfooted 12);

Atk +3 (1d4/19-20X2, masterwork dagger);

AL LG; Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +5;

Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 10.

Skills:

Appraise +1,

Crafts +1,

Diplomacy +8,

Forgery +1,

Gather Information +10,

Intimidate +6,

Knowledge (Local) +8,

Profession (Administrator) +6,

Search +1,

Sense Motive +10;

 

Feats: Skill Focus (Profession (Administrator)),

Skill Focus (Sense Motive),

Skill Focus (Gather Information)

 

Personal Possessions:

Noble Outfits (several), masterwork dagger; signet ring (30 sp) and coronet of rank (rarely worn except on ceremonial occasions (50 sp)) Bracers of AC2 and Cloak of Resistance.

 

Bertram Mona is Elysa's son and heir. He's a reliable, hard-working young man of about 24.  He married his sweetheart, Alyce, the daughter of the previous Baron of Dene, three or four years ago, shortly before the Time of Umade. 

 

Bertram Mona - (Noble): Male Human ARI1; CR 1;

Medium Sized Humanoid;

HD 1d8; HP 8; Init +0; Spd 30;

AC 10 (touch 10, flatfooted 10);

Atk +2 (1d4/19-20x2, masterwork dagger)

AL LG; Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +2;

Str 12, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 11.

Skills:

Appraise +2

Diplomacy +4

Gather Info +6

Handle Animal +2

Knowledge, local +2

Knowledge, nobility +2

Listen +1

Ride +4

Search +2

Sense Motive +4

Spot +2

Survival +1

 

Feats:

Investigator (+2 gather info and search)

Negotiator (+2 sense motive and diplomacy checks)

 

Possessions: masterwork dagger, Noble outfit, Common outfit (several), signet ring (5 sp), assorted standard gear and tools

 

Thorm Fornur (male dwarf Exp9): Perhaps Shadybrook's most famous citizen, Fornur is the local blacksmith. He traveled a great deal in his youth but has settled down to practice his craft. He's well known as the most skilled smith in all the surrounding villages, although he's quite modest about his abilities. Fornur's more than capable of turning out a masterwork piece now and then, and they fetch a fair price in the marketplace. The dwarf also likes to drop in at the inn for a drink or two after work each day. He gets quite boisterous after a drink or two. He isn't at all subtle, being a hard physical worker who labors from sunup to after sundown, eats, drinks, makes merry, sleeps a few hours, and begins again.  Thorm and Malch Tennor the storekeeper are often found together after working hours.

 

Thorm and the other dwarves stay out of the politics of Shadybrook as much as possible. They are aware of most of the rivalries in town, and do their best not to become embroiled in them.

 

Master Blacksmith Thorm Fornur: Dwarf EXP9; CR 8; Medium-size humanoid;

HD 9d6; hp 31; Init +1; Spd 30; AC 11 (touch 11, flatfooted 10);

Atk +5 (1d6/X2, club); AL N; Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +6;

Str 10, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10.

Skills:

Appraise* +4

Balance +1,

Craft (Blacksmithing)* +12,

Craft (Finesmithing)* +10,

Diplomacy* +9,

Escape Artist +1,

Hide +1,

Knowledge (Metals, Alloys and Ores)* +10,

Knowledge (Forging and Casting)* +10,

Move Silently +1,

Profession (Merchant)* +8

Ride +1,

Read and Write* +3

Search +10*,

Sense Motive +8*,

Use Rope +1;

 

Feats:

Skill Focus (Craft(Blacksmithing)),

Skill Focus (Craft(Finesmithing)),

Skill Focus (Knowledge(Metals, Alloys and Ores)),

Skill Focus (Knowledge (Forging and Casting)).

 

Petunia Castler, Female hobytlan Exp3 (innkeeper): The owner and proprietor of the Inn is a middle-aged hobytlan with a bright smile and a weathered face. She inherited the Inn from her mother. She is a widow, with two teenaged children. Petunia's husband refused to leave when the village evacuated and was killed by the invading Goblins. Petunia and Elysa Mona are good friends with a great deal in common and often share an hour's discussion on child-rearing and management. During the Time of Umade, Petunia kept many of the villagers alive, helping them hide in the caves, and becoming something of a heroine for her unflappability and ability to find something to eat when all seemed lost.

 

Innkeeper: Female Hobytlan EXP3; CR 2; small-size humanoid;

HD 3d6; hp 15; Init +0; Spd 20;

AC 11 (touch 11, flat-footed 10);

Atk +3 ranged (1d8/X2, lt crossbow);

AL N; Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +4; (+2 saves vs fear, +1 vs mishaps)

Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 11.

Skills:

Appraise* +4

Bluff* +3

Climb +2

Diplomacy* +3,

Disguise +1

Forgery +1

Gather Information +6

Hide +4

Intimidate +1

Jump +2

Listen +2

Move Silently +2

Perform +1

Profession (Innkeeper)* +8,

Read and Write

Search +1

Sense Motive +8*;

Speak Language +4 (Valer, Dwarvish, Elvish, Marchat)

Spot +0

 

Feats:

Skill Focus (Profession (Innkeeper)),

Skill Focus (Sense Motive)

 

Possessions: merchant outfit (at least 2), jewelry worth 10 sp, light crossbow (under inn counter),

 

Teague the Miller (Com 3): an elderly human with an unpleasant manner, runs the sawmill along with numerous weary laborers (Jude and Roman, male human Exp1; hp 3 are his journeymen) and his niece Cammy (female human Com1; hp 2). Teague doesn't get along with anyone. He thinks Petunia is too soft-hearted, and he despises Erik Llewen because he is half-elven. Teague is a follower of St. Iylyria, and thus doesn't even get along with Adair or with Lowra Skerry, who is not so narrow-minded as he. He and his cousin Heinrich have not spoken in nearly a decade. During the Time of Umade, Teague went south, and nobody is quite sure why he came back, except that his niece stayed and would otherwise have taken over the business.

 

Teague the Miller: Male Human COM3; CR 2;

Medium-size humanoid;

HD 3d4; hp 8; Init +0; Spd 30;

AC 10 (touch 10, flat-footed 10);

Atk +1 (1d6/X2, club); AL N;

Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +2;

Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10.

 

Skills:

Appraise +4,

Diplomacy +1,

Heal +1,

Listen +1,

Profession (Miller) +9,

Search +5,

Sense Motive +1,

Spot +1,

Wilderness Lore +1;

 

Feats:

Skill Focus (Profession(Miller)),

Skill Focus (Search),

Skill Focus (Appraise)

 

Possessions: work clothes (2 outfits), heavy work boots, heavy leather work apron, tools of his trade, and 1 potion of CLW

 

Malch Tennor: dwarf exp1 (merchant): Malch runs the small general store and tack shop. He sells most common goods for only slightly above standard value. He is friendly and intelligent, but he doesn't have a good memory for human names and faces. He and his kin have settled here in Shadybrook in an attempt to increase demand for dwarvish metalwork. They intend to return to Koruzd in another 40-50 years. In the meantime, he sells Thorm's metalsmithing goods in his shop, and makes a handsome profit from the fine workmanship.

 

Erik Llewen (male half-elf War5): Erik Llewen was appointed Patrol Lieutenant of Shadybrook several years ago and takes his duties quite seriously. He's a seasoned warrior, having fought in other territories before settling in the village, and again more recently during the war that forced Shadybrook's temporary evacuation. He also has a discerning eye, but he can be somewhat rigid at times. Erik Llewen is too busy keeping track of the barbarian Woodsfolk and watching out for the goblins of the Gnoll-wood to care about a few stray locals or passing adventurers who may or may not have wandered off by themselves. Since the Time of Umade, he's had his hands full driving the remaining undead stragglers from the woods. 

 

Seumas Kenzie (male human Wiz3): The wizard is fairly young for a man of his skill in magic, only in his late twenties. He likes Shadybrook because he's the most skilled wizard in the area (at least, so far as he knows) and he spends his time studying, teaching his apprentices, and performing minor magic for the village as needed. Seumas resents the idea of any other wizard taking a role in his town.

 

Lowra Skerry (female human Clr3 Elanora): The priestess of Elanora is based out of Shadybrook, but she leaves the village much of the time, traveling to neighboring villages, farms and manors, giving healing and other assistance as needed. She rides a sturdy bay mare around the countryside, and carries a healer's kit. She's a familiar and welcome sight to farmers and loggers all over the area, and she knows the terrain as well as anyone around. She is aware of the goblins of the Gnoll-wood, having had to outride an ambush at least once. She is afraid of the barbarian Woodsfolk. She doesn't like Adair, but has no real reason why. Lowra has never been married but has been known to occasionally take a lover for a brief time from amongst her followers. She has a three year old son, Lavan. His father is unnamed and may possibly have been an elf or half-elf, as the child is slow to mature and seems to have some elvish features. When questioned, Lowra will tell folks to mind their own business.

 

Mrowr Birdkiller (L3 ranger) is a marchat who arrived in the region about 2 years ago. He claims he's on a mate-quest, but this is patently not true as there are no female marchat within 30 miles for him to court. He spends most of his time out in the woods, hunting and birding. He has learned the woods surprisingly well for the short time he's been here, but knows few of the stories and legends of the region. Generally he's friendly, but uninformative and prefers to keep to himself.

 

Marac Eleron: A nasty old skinflint of a man, he is also a bully and a liar. He's determined to make himself the premier moneyman in Shadybrook, and will do much to poison other merchants and townsfolk against "newcomers" and "upstarts". He's not averse to using any tactics necessary to discourage such folk, either.

 

 

The Werruen

 

One danger facing Shadybrook is the presence of a mixed tribe of human and half-orc barbarians near Greenvale's frontier. The group is made up of woodsfolk, who call themselves Werruen, living off the land and following the migration of local animals in search of food. They've conflicted in the past with the local goblins, and the tribe has been known to raid settlements for food and supplies during lean times when hunting was poor. The barbarians mostly range north of the River Kar, but come south to raid and trade in the summer months.

 

Legends of the Werruen indicate that they were once local to this area, perhaps even villagers in Shadybrook, during second empire times. However it happened, they ended up fleeing into the forests and mixing with the remains of an evil warlord's troops, most of whom were orcish. Later the Werruen and another faction feuded and split up. The Werruen became woods-dwellers and rovers, but essentially peaceful and willing to trade. The other branch retreated further north and west, becoming more aggressive and orclike. 

 

Now the barbarians fear that their hunting lands will be taken from them once more as Greenvale grows and new baronies spring up on its flanks, forcing them to move farther into the lands inhabited by savage humanoids and other creatures. They have raided the outlying lands north of Shadybrook, but these forays have only strengthened the resolve of the villagers. The chief of the tribe, Rolf Bent-Axe, has gone to negotiate with the villagers, but his people seem doubtful regarding the outcome. Most believe war is inevitable, a war they must win if they are to survive. They are now also being pressed by the Baron of the new Barony of Karriver just to the north and east of County Highscar on Greenvale's border.

 

Rolf Bent-axe (male human ftr3): The proud Rolf Bent-Axe is the chief of the Werruen dwelling near Shadybrook. Rolf is no fool, and he's willing to negotiate with the people of the village rather than risk troubles that may ultimately do his people more harm than good. Although Rolf loves a good brawl, he also wants what is best for his people. If cooperation with Shadybrook is it, then that is what he will do. On the other hand, if wiping out the village is what he thinks is best, he'll do that just as easily. The main fear the Werruen have is that they may be caught between the humans and the goblins in the next showdown. Rolf visits the village only rarely, by invitation of Lady Elysa. His people are well aware that a small tribe of goblins has sneaked into the Gnoll-wood only a few miles from Shadybrook. This worries Rolf a great deal because his folk are often blamed for goblin depredations. However, he fears that if he draws attention to the creatures, the villagers will realize how many of his folk are dwelling in the nearby woods each winter.

 

Vanya the Blind (female human Sor2): The mysterious Vanya is Rolf's constant companion. She is a sorceress, feared and respected by the people of her tribe for her abilities. She always wears veils cover her upper face, hiding her white-filled eyes. She speaks softly and defers to Rolf in most things, but he turns to her for advice, particularly about omens and all things magical. Nothing Vanya knows will reach the party's ears.

 

The Skull-Smasher Tribe

 

The Skull-Smashers are a tribe of goblins that live in the rugged lands to the north and west of Shadybrook. Their ancestors of four hundred years ago were among the goblins that drove out or killed the original residents of this land and destroyed what they had built. Later, a conflict with their human allies provoked a war that the Skull-Smashers lost, forcing them farther away from what is now Highscar County. But the goblins haven't forgotten, or forgiven, their losses of so many years ago. They would like nothing more than to overrun Highscar and Barony Karriver both and put them to the torch, and their people to the sword. Indeed, their recent losses in the Dragonwar have only spurred them to greater desire for revenge. During the Time of Umade, they simply withdrew into the mountains and waited. Now, seeing that their foes are rebuilding has left them angry, and hungry.

 

 

The Dog-Lizards

North of Shadybrook along Elk Run a small series of kobold families have laired for decades. They tend to be fairly innocuous, only raiding once in a while, mostly stealing small animals from the edges of farms or picking off stragglers from herds of pigs in the woods. There are perhaps a dozen of these small 8-20 kobold groups, and they are even known to occasionally help a lost or benighted human in the area - perhaps seeing this as their way of reducing a likelihood of being killed when they do raid and thieve. They have neither an organized leader nor any intergroup cohesion.

 

Recently one group of Kobolds has been taught to buy chickens from a local farmer. The farmer (Will Pardow, aka "Old Will") is getting concerned. For a while in the summer, the kobolds bought lots of chickens (2 a day) but now are down to 2 a week, and local hunters are complaining again about their traps getting raided. Old Will is concerned the kobolds are reverting to their old ways. He asks PCs to investigate. Then the kobold trader shows up. He's wounded and reports that "other kobolds" are attacking his family. They ran out of silvers and tried to steal from the others. The others are retaliating and winning. The kobold whines that these are "bad kobolds" and begs for help. This kobold would be happy if all the other kobolds were simply killed so they could take their lair (their lair is in some "nice caves") but if the PCs can settle the fight and find some way for both tribes to "get" more silvers, everyone will be happy. This problem was solved by a group of local adventurers led by a druid named Glade.

 

Even more recently, the band of Kobolds which has been buying chickens has discovered other sources of income. They are now catching rabbits and (after eating the meat), preserving and selling the hides to the chicken farmer. They are also taking on the job of pig herders - the local farmers pay the kobolds a couple of pigs each season if the kobolds will keep the pigs safe in the woods each day, and drive them back to the farms safely at night. The kobolds have also had two new members join their band - kobolds from the north who had been enslaved by a small dragon. When the dragon was killed, they were the only survivors, and were sent here by their "rescuers" as an alternative to being killed themselves. They've sworn to be "good kobolds" - or else! The adventurers were also responsible for this alteration in the Kobolds' behavior.

 

The Festival of Peace

 

Midsummer in Shadybrook is a festive time when farmers sell their excess crops at market and the people of the village celebrate the gods' bounty in a weeklong festival. This year's festival is particularly special for a number of reasons. Most importantly, the village has invited a delegation from the Werruen to come to Shadybrook to discuss a possible alliance between the barbarian tribe and the people of the village. The recent hardship caused by the Dragonwar has folks wondering if the barbarians will attempt to raid, but the mayor believes the barbarians can benefit from trade with the village and help fend off the depredations of the orcs and other dangers out in the Wild Lands.

 

Rolf Bent-Axe, the chief of the Werruen, has agreed to attend the festival along with some of his people, including the sorceress Vosta the Veiled, his advisor. All preparations have been made to welcome them, but resentment still simmers beneath the surface. Some villagers believe the barbarians killed Mika Pharos, the beloved local cleric and healer, during a raid on an outlying farm. Pharos would have presided over the festival this year as he had many times before. Now the traveling priestess, Lowra Skerry, will do so, assisted by Mika's young replacement at the temple of Mikol, Adair.

 

This year's Festival passed without incident. The Goblins of the Wood have been mostly slain by a band of adventurers, and there is relative quiet right now.

 

Druids

 

The druidic religion is not entirely uncommon to Greenvale. There are eight or ten major druidic circles in the realm and dozens of smaller ones in the general vicinity. Most are on the outer borders of Greenvale, or in the western Counties where civilization is a bit less strong. But even in the eastern Counties, especially on the borders, the druidic presence can be found.

 

In the County of Highscar there is one major druidic circle, known as the Circle of the Silver Oak. It meets near Cedarknot on the four Solstices. Within the influence of the Silver Oak are about 3-4 other smaller circles. One is in the north of the County, within and around the bounds of the Barony of Denbare. The druids of this area call themselves the Silver Acorns, and wear a small silver acorn as a lapel or cloak pin.

 

Known Druids who are members of this group include:

Ealdred the Scholar, also known to his druidic fellows as “that absent-minded old fool” but actually widely respected for his knowledge of ancient history, old places and names, and his wide-ranging friendships. Ealdred has a small home on the edge of Shadybrook proper, but is not often found there. He spends most of the summer months taking journeys to visit friends, and spends the worst winters in Cedarknot where he has a sister. But spring and fall he can be found here, drawing plants in the woods and taking notes on the behavior of various wild creatures.

 

Cyndelwoc the Miller of Sandy Hook. He’s not always active in the group, and he’s quite young, but well-liked. Unfortunately, he’s not well-liked or respected by non-druids, so there’s some tension there. Cyndelwoc is rumored to be part-fey, and many say his father was some sort of water creature who drowned his mother's first husband.

 

Osbert the Red is the leader of the local druidic circle. He’s about 40, ordinary in size and build, with slightly grizzled red hair and beard. His eyes are blue-grey. Osbert is rarely found around Shadybrook proper, but wanders anywhere within a ten-mile radius. He is more often found to the north than in the more settled and protected south.

 

Cassia is an elf who appears and disappears from the area on a regular basis. She's often found with one or two younger elves in her custody, introducing them to the local area. Where she and these other elves reside is a mystery. If questioned, Cassia grows huffy or cold and leaves quickly.