Oakhaven

The village forms a defensive semi-circle of timber houses facing the dark Whispering Woods. Every window is small and every lintel is draped with braided garlic. In the central square, a massive well sits beneath heavy oak planks secured by rusted iron chains. To the north, the Church of Saint Solas looms over a massive graveyard, its cracked stone gargoyles staring toward the forest with an expression of eternal vigilance.

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Farming Village

Oakhaven

Salt the thresholds and watch the treeline.

TypeFarming Village

Population180 souls

WealthSubsistence

GovernmentCouncil of Elders

ReadinessConstant alert; every household owns a heavy crossbow.

“Watchful dread, heavy with the scent of wild garlic and woodsmoke.”

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Connections

Geography

RegionThe Western Borderlands

ClimateDamp and temperate with persistent morning fogs.

TerrainA limestone ridge bordering the dense Whispering Woods.

Travel Links

The Old Timber RoadThe Low-Way path to HarwickThe Hunter's Trail

Culture

Grim survivalism combined with a fanatical devotion to keeping out the dark.

Races

Humans (85%)Halflings (10%)Half-Orcs (5%)

Religions

The Church of Saint SolasSmall shrines to the Harvest Mother

Arts & Entertainment

Folk songs focus on 'The Grey Man' and warnings against entering the woods after sunset. Woodcarving is the primary craft.

History

Founded by the noble House Von Hult to harvest Ironwood, the village suffered a catastrophic blight a century ago. Official records claim the church purged a plague that took the nobles, but the villagers know the family didn't die out; they changed. The current settlement survives on the unspoken agreement that the forest wolves only take what the village offers up to the stone vaults below the church.

The FoundingThe Rise of House Von HultBaron Von Hult builds the Great Church and the central well to establish a permanent timber camp.

The Blight YearsThe Great SilenceCommunications with the capital ceased for two years. When explorers arrived, the village was populated but the Baron was gone.

The PresentThe Breaking of the ChainA heavy wolf attack three moons ago proved that the old wards or offerings are no longer sufficient to hold the forest back.

Government

LeaderHeadman Silas Thorne

Council of Elders

Key Laws

Garlic must be displayed on every doorway.No citizen may approach the boarded well after dusk.The graveyard is restricted to the Undertaker and the Priest.

Problems

The Blood Debt is Coming Due

The 'wine' used in church rituals is actually blood meant for the crypts, and the village livestock is thinning too fast to keep the supply steady.

Economy

Industries

Garlic FarmingTuber CultivationLimited Ironwood Harvest

Scarcity

Fresh livestock and metal tools.

Wealth LevelSubsistence

Exports

Dried Garlic BundlesIronwood Timber

Imports

Silver barsHoly oilFine wine

Defenses

ReadinessConstant alert; every household owns a heavy crossbow.

Fortifications

Semi-circle housing layout acting as a wallThe fortified stone Church of Saint SolasA perimeter of salt and silver dust

The Wardens of Oakhaven(12 volunteer guards)

A group of somber veterans who patrol the tree line with silver-tipped spears.

Law & Order

crime Level: Very Low
enforcement: The Wardens enforce curfews and inspections of garlic stock.
typical Punishment: Public shaming in the square or exile into the Whispering Woods for severe offenses.

Silas Thorne

NPC

Headman

A man of sixty winters with a face like cracked leather and eyes that never stop scanning the woods.

Father Albus

NPC

Priest

Pale and balding, he wears robes that are three sizes too large and stained with red wax.

Martha Miller

NPC

Innkeeper

A tall, muscular woman with scarred knuckles and a single silver tooth.

Elias the Grave-digger

NPC

Sexton

A spindly, soot-covered man who always carries a shovel and whistles low, discordant tunes.

The Ironwood Smithy

Shop

Blacksmith

The forge burns day and night, primarily focusing on reinforcing the village shutters and sharpening spears.

The Millstone Inn

Tavern

Weary Wardens and nervous farmers.

A low-ceilinged building with massive beams and a hearth that never goes out. It is the only place in town with light after dark.

The Circle of Thorns

Faction

Cabal

A secret group led by Silas Thorne who believe the village can only survive through a horrific compromise.

The Pale Watch

Faction

Vigilante

Aggressive young hunters who believe the legends of vampires are just superstitions holding the village back from expansion.

The Boarded Well

Point of Interest

A heavy stone ring in the square. Though residents claim the water is poisoned, many report hearing dry, rasping laughter coming from between the oak boards during a full moon.

The Weeping Grove

Point of Interest

A cluster of white trees just inside the forest edge where the wolves are seen most often. The bark is always wet with a sticky, reddish sap.

Calendar of Events

Late Summer

The Garlic Harvest

The busiest week where everyone works to prepare the years supply of protective braids.

The harvest has failed in three fields, leaving several families without enough protection for winter.

Mid-Winter

The Night of Lanterns

Residents place lit candles in the graveyard to guide the spirits away from their homes.

The entities in the graveyard use the light to spot the living who have strayed too close to the church.

Secrets

The well is not a water source; it is a chimney.

The entity below is the only thing the wolves fear. If it is killed or leaves, the village will be wiped out by the forest within 48 hours.Dropping a torch down the boards reveals a set of stairs and the smell of stale incense rather than water.

Rumors

Martha Miller isn't digging for her brother; she's looking for the Von Hult treasury.

The wolves in the woods are actually the former villagers of Oakhaven who failed the Blood Debt.

Silas Thorne doesn't actually have a limp; it's an act to avoid patrolling the woods.

Plot Hooks

The Missing Shepherd

Silas Thorne hires the players to find a shepherd who disappeared. He claims wolves took him, but no blood was found.

InvestigationSilas ThorneA map of the Ironwood trails and 50 gold pieces.

The Silent Bells

Father Albus needs the players to spend a night in the belfry because he's convinced someone or something is greasing the bell gears so they won't ring.

DefenseFather AlbusThree potions of healing and a silvered longsword.

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