- Population: ~110 (90–100 humans, 15–20 dwarves)
- Demographics: 90% Human, 10% Dwarf
- Primary Economy: Farming, caravan trade, blacksmithing, dwarven prospecting/distilling
- Atmosphere: A modest but bustling waystop village; halfway between rustic farmstead and trade hub.
Strategic Importance
- Trade Route: Hallowford lies on the primary north–south caravan road. It also connects by trail to Oxenford and indirectly to Zumker docks.
- Border Proximity: Though not directly on the Zumker, it is close enough that Grosskopf raiders occasionally test the area.
- Future Growth: With dwarves experimenting in spirits, the village could become a brewing hub. The rebuilt bridge is symbolic — if it holds, Hallowford thrives; if not, caravans may avoid it.
Places to Go
Main Road (North–South Spine):
The cobbled track that runs through Hallowford is its lifeline. Most important buildings front this road. Caravans roll through in twos and threes, sometimes larger if escorting merchants from Duuthmere or Rutherton.
Stone Heart (Village Center):
Cluster of sturdier stone cottages and shops near the Road’s Rest tavern/inn. Most permanent trade and services happen here. The open-air market is south of the inn, packed during harvest season.
Dwarven Quarter (Southeast):
A squat group of stone cottages with stout doors, thick chimneys, and a workshop yard for malting and distilling. The dwarves keep to themselves but are slowly integrating with the human villagers.
Farm Loops (East–Northeast):
Several small holdings raise wheat, barley, onions, potatoes, and goats. These families supply food for the inn and send livestock toward Oxenford.
Ruined Tollhouse (West Trail – off map):
A few miles northwest of the town, the remains of an old stone tollhouse and the scorched pilings of the original bridge lie near the plank span. Bandits from the Grosskopf burned it a decade ago. A newer bridge (10–12’ wide, 5 years old) now carries traffic but is viewed warily.
The Road’s Rest (Inn & Tavern)
- Proprietor: Roderick Marn (LN Human, 40s), retired caravan master, now a sharp-eyed innkeeper with a wooden crutch and a storyteller’s tongue.
- Features: 12 guest rooms (6 modest, 2 larger suites, 4 loft commons), ample common room, stables for 20–30 horses.
- Atmosphere: A crossroads of laughter, dice games, trade talks, and occasional caravan disputes. The hearth is always lit, the rafters hung with battered banners and old trade maps.
- Special Flavor: The walls are lined with tokens of Roderick’s life on the road — foreign coins nailed above the bar, scarred shields left by grateful guards, and a cracked dwarven anvil used now as a doorstop. He welcomes caravan guards and honest farmers, but watches idlers with suspicion.
Menu (sample):
- Farmer’s Stew (3 cp), Hunter’s Pie (5 cp),
- Dwarven Anvil Roast (8 cp),
- River Trout on Ashes (1 sp)
Drinks:
- Stonewatch Cider (4 cp),
- Hallowfire Mead (5 cp),
- Dwarf’s Rest Stout (6 cp),
- Peat-Spirit “Coal’s Kiss” (2 sp/shot)
Grathen’s Forge (Blacksmith/Smithy)
- Proprietor: Grathen Ironhide (NG Human, mid-50s), broad-shouldered, gray-bearded smith with a practical streak and slow temper. His nickname comes from his soot-stained leather apron, not his heritage.
- Services: Horseshoes, wagon axles, plows, nails, and farm tools. Can manage basic weapons (swords, spears, daggers) and harness/tackle repairs.
- Special Flavor: Recently begun collaborating with nearby dwarves to design sturdier malt equipment for brewing — the smithy smells faintly of both hot iron and roasted barley.
- Roleplay Hooks: Grathen is quietly proud of mentoring younger apprentices and may offer a discount if adventurers help him recover rare ores or tools.
Stonecut Cooperage (Carpenter & Cooper)
- Proprietor: Beryn Stonecut (LN Human, early 40s), thick-armed craftsman known for his no-nonsense attitude and dry humor.
- Services: Barrels (especially in demand by dwarves for spirits), wagons, carts, and basic furniture. He’s also the village’s “bridge-repair consultant” and occasionally oversees road carpentry.
- Special Flavor: His yard always has half-finished wagon frames and barrels stacked high, smelling of pitch and pine. A carved wooden wolf’s head hangs over his door — said to be the oldest carving in Wolfsward.
- Roleplay Hooks: Beryn often complains about smugglers misusing his barrels for contraband, but never pushes too hard — perhaps because one of his apprentices is tangled in the trade.
The Dwarven Still
- Proprietors: A crew of five dwarves led by Bromri Uvaren (CG Dwarf, early 70s, bushy white beard, mischievous eyes).
- Product: A strong, smoky spirit known locally as “Hallowfire” — raw, biting, and already beloved by caravan guards. They experiment constantly with barley malt and peat-fired kilns.
- Special Flavor: The stillhouse is a squat stone structure that always smells of smoke and yeast. At night, golden light and song pour from its shuttered windows, accompanied by the thump of dwarven boots on the floorboards.
- Roleplay Hooks: The dwarves are touchy about “recipes” and claim rival clans want to steal their secrets. They might hire adventurers to escort grain shipments, fend off raiders, or discreetly investigate missing barrels.
The Open Market Square
- Layout: A hard-packed dirt square ringed with wooden posts for temporary stalls. At most a dozen merchants set up shop, though in winter the square is nearly barren.
- Seasonal Offerings: Fresh produce (apples, onions, root vegetables), salted fish and meats, eggs, herbs, honey, pottery, woven goods, and trinkets. At harvest, dwarves from the Still sell Hallowfire in clay jugs.
- Atmosphere: Bustling and noisy in autumn, quiet but steady in spring. Farmers shout prices, children chase goats, and caravan guards haggle over dried rations.
- Special Flavor: The square is where news travels first — traveling peddlers bring tales of bandits, giants, or distant wars. A weathered wooden post in the center serves as the “notice board,” though Roderick Marn often learns news faster than the parchment nailed here.
- Roleplay Hooks: Rumors of missing caravans, bandits near the old tollhouse, or whispers of strange herbs from the Grimwold Marches can all filter through the square.
People to See…
- Roderick Marn (Innkeeper): Retired caravan trader, scarred, keeps maps of trade roads. Fatherly but shrewd.
- Grathen Ironhide (Smith): Practical, thick-armed, smokes a clay pipe while hammering.
- Brenn Stonecut (Carpenter/Cooper): Loud, always with wood shavings in his beard.
- Dorri Coppervein (Dwarf Maltmaster): Oversees the dwarven malt experiments. Excited to make Hallowford known for spirits.
- Lira Dunswell (Market Organizer): A farmer’s widow who runs the market with a firm but kind hand.
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