Winterhaven



Most residents of Winterhaven have never traveled beyond the village vale. The majority of villagers are farmers, through the walled heart of Winterhaven employs various craftspeople as well. Wagons occasionally head east down old King's Road from Winterhaven to find trade with the next village, which lies five days away. Sometimes wagons come into Winterhaven, causing the villages to excitedly gather in the Market Square to hear news of the outside world and to buy new and exotic goods.

About
A small farming town built at the foot of the Cairngorn peaks the on the west end of the Nentir Vale.

Population
1,750 or so live in the town tenements, or on farms in the surrounding countryside within a few miles of the town. The population of Winterhaven is predominantly human, with a a scattering of dwarf families, and a handful of individuals of other common races, including a couple of elves. Winterhaven has recently seen a large influx of settlers from the southern kingdoms after the new Bronze Warder army restored a measure of peace to the surrounding lands.

Government
Ernest Padraig, the Lord of Winterhaven, is descended from the noble family that ruled the area under edict of the old empire. Folks around Winterhaven were happy with Lord Padraig's father's authority, and they have found answering to the rules of the new lord no more arduous. On the other hand, Padraig doesn't have absolute power. For instance, he was unable to raise a force from among the villages to deal with the kobold problem on the road.

Defense
Padraig commands the Winterhaven Regulars, a core group of ten soldiers who perform guard and police functions in and around the walled portion of the village. The Regulars patrol in pairs. To augment this force, Padraig can muster a group of about fifty civilians, given a day's notice. However, he can only do this is the village itself is threatened - the villagers have no desire to patrol the road beyond the farms. The town has also received a small compliment of bronze warders to bolster it's defenses.

Inns
Wrafton's Inn

Taverns
Wrafton's Inn

Supplies
Market Square, Bairwin's Grand Shoppe

Temples
Temple of Winterhaven (Pelor, Avandra, Bahamut)

Key Locations
1. Outer Gate and Walls

Open by day, closed and barred at night, the outer gate is policed by two guards regardless of the hour. They nodamiably to locals, and point travelers (whom they assume to be traders) to Wrafton’s Inn. Winterhaven’s walls have a narrow parapet extending around the inside edge.

2. Wrafton's Inn

This spacious inn and tavern serves as the public house for the region. Like alehouses everywhere, Wrafton’s Inn offers beer, wine, and, on occasion, spirits. Meals are served for those with the coin, and beds for travelers are available. A crowd of villagers gathers each night to drink, gossip, sing, and play games of chance. In addition to village residents, any travelers passing through Winterhaven are found here. Wrafton’s owner and proprietor is a female human named Salvana Wrafton. She employs several waiters, waitresses, and cooks. Salvana is friendly and open, quick with a smile and a warm welcome. Lord Padraig is also known visit Wrafton's from time to time, and even Valthrun is know to make an appearance occasionally as well.

3. Market Square  Every other day or so, carts and wagons gather in the square and offer goods to the people of Winterhaven. Once each week, the official Market Day acts as a siren’s song, calling most of the villagers to shop and socialize in the square. Farmers sell produce, hunters hawk smoked meats, villagers sell crafts, and sometimes a trader from the east sells implements or costly goods.

4. Stables  On market days these stables are filled with mounts and other beasts of burden used by sellers to haul wares. Most other days they lay vancant, and rarely is a mount for sale, much less a wagon.

5. Smithy  A dwarf named Thair Coalstriker owns the village smithy. People can purchase a variety of mundane wares here, including spikes, weapons, heavy armor, and so on. Simple weapons are readily available, but military weapons require one day to complete, and superior weapons require a week of work. Thair is willing to set aside other things and work exclusively on a project for an additional price.

6. Valthrun’s Tower This five-story structure is the highest building in Winterhaven. The tower is rumored to be over 300 years old, and Valthrun the Prescient is its most recent resident. Valthrun is a scholar who came to Winterhaven several years ago to write about the western reaches of the Nentir Valley. His knowledge on the matter is quite useful. He tends to stay in the upper two floors of the tower, one floor his living quarters, the other a vast study with books and artifacts from the area.

7. Bairwin’s Grand Shoppe Bairwin Wildarson traveled the world, or so he claims, before setting up shop in Winterhaven ten years ago. He has a variety of items available for sale, including the occasional potion of healing.

8. Warrior Guild  Winterhaven villagers can join the Warrior Guild and train, once per week, in basic sword and shield skills. The guild trains in Market Square on days when the market is not open. Some citizens earn militia pay (a few silver pieces per year) by training at least once per month and being on call for emergencies. Rond Kelfem, captain of the Winterhaven Regulars, also oversees the Warrior Guild. He can be found here, in the barracks, or on guard duty, depending on the time of day.

9. Tenements

A large tenement structure features apartments for the village residents who don’t own farms or who work in the businesses within the walls. Several families also live in the homes on the west side of the village. Most of the villagers who live outside the walls are farmers and crafters who bring their wares to the Market Square to sell or trade.

10. Temple  This large stone structure is the village temple. Of the several deities worshiped by locals, Avandra, goddess of luck and change, is the most prominent. The temple priest, Sister Linora, runs services in the temple three times per week, but otherwise she is not often present. She prefers to travel among the homes outside the walls, dispensing care to villagers and animals and helping with various farm projects.

11. Inner Gate  This gate is closed and guarded by two Winterhaven guards during the daytime. They sternly regard anyone who approaches and question all who wish to visit Lord Padraig in his manor without an appointment.

12.  Siege Supplies

Though it hasn't happened in a couple of years, on occasion Winterhaven comes under attack from bands of goblins, kobolds, or even gnolls. When such an event happens, the villagers seek refuge inside the walled keep and subsist on the supplies of water, flour and other basic foodstuffs stored here. The contents of the storehouse are protected by thick wooden walls and a sturdy lock. Lord Padraig and Sister Linora hold the only keys to the lock.

13. Barracks

This military-style barracks is home to Winterhaven's ten professional guards, the Regulars. During the day, only two can be found here; the other eight are on patrol. At night, eight guards sleep here while the two on duty are stationed at the outer gate. The guards in the barracks respond quickly to any call to arms from the manor or elsewhere within the walls of Winterhaven.

14. Manor House

This grand manor home was built when Winterhaven was an outpost for the Nerath Empire. Fully staffed with servants and attendants, the manor house where Lord Padraig, his wife, and their four sons live is a beautiful example of stone architecture in a village otherwise composed of thatch and wood.