Alderfen

Alderfen is a plains village tucked south of the Great Alderwood and west of the Wilderpeaks, where skilled woodworkers turn alder and oak into sought-after furniture and instruments; roads hum with wagons in season and the Sighing Glade draws quiet pilgrims seeking the spring's odd blessings, while merchants press for more timber and forest guardians frown at every new axe mark.

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Village

Alderfen

Where the plains meet the alder and the spring remembers names.

TypeVillage

PopulationAbout 320 villagers and seasonal workers.

WealthModest but comfortable due to specialized crafts.

GovernmentVillage council led by a reeve.

ReadinessA civilian militia trains irregularly and the village keeps hidden traps along the trails.

“A layered village of ringing axes, laughing children, and whispered reverence for the trees.”

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Connections

Geography

RegionSouthern plains at the western edge of the Great Alderwood and east of the Wilderpeaks foothills.

ClimateTemperate with warm summers and crisp, snowy winters.

TerrainOpen grasslands rolling into dense forest and rocky foothills.

Travel Links

A packed cart road runs east to the market town of Theren.A narrow logging trail snakes north into the Great Alderwood.A rough pack-track leads northeast toward the Wilderpeaks passes.Seasonal river barges connect to lowland ferries at Riverford.

Culture

Practical craft, cautious reverence for the forest, and a communal pride in honest labor.

Races

HumanElfHalf-elfDwarf

Religions

Cult of the SpringwellAncestor reverenceLocal nature rites

Arts & Entertainment

Woodcarving competitions, open-forge demonstrations, and evening songs that recount the glade's tale.

History

Founded three generations ago by traveling woodcutters, Alderfen grew where plains meet the Great Alderwood and Wilderpeaks' foothills; villagers balanced logging with reverence until a hidden glade revealed a small magical spring that healed and sped wood growth, bringing prosperity and pilgrims; recent demands from merchants and a ridgeland tax have strained the village's customs and its fragile alliance with the forest.

FoundingSettlement of the Alder StandFounders cleared a bend in the plains and built the first logyards around an old alder stand.

Age of WoodThe Noble CommissionCarvers rose to renown after a traveling noble commissioned a famed inlay that spread Alderfen furniture across the region.

RecentRevealing of the Silver SpringThe Sighing Glade's spring was revealed by a lost child, and its subtle miracles shifted village practices and pilgrim traffic.

Government

LeaderEdrin Vale, elected reeve and mediator.

Village council led by a reeve.

Key Laws

Cutting of sacred trees in the glade is forbidden without council consent.All major timber sales must be recorded with the Reeve's Council.Visitors who draw water from the Sighing Glade must leave an offering.

Problems

Tension between trade and conservation intensifies as merchants push quotas.

Merchant demands for timber conflict with Wardens' restrictions, and the council struggles to balance income and tradition.

Night thieves target stored timber and carved goods.

A rash of nighttime wood thefts has worried sellers and strained militia patrols.

Economy

Industries

Woodworking and carvingSeasonal loggingPack trade and wagon repair

Scarcity

Metal is scarce and expensive outside militia needs.

Wealth LevelModest but comfortable due to specialized crafts.

Exports

Fine carved furnitureHandmade instrumentsSeasoned timber

Imports

Iron tools and nailsSpices and saltDrapery and glassware

Defenses

ReadinessA civilian militia trains irregularly and the village keeps hidden traps along the trails.

Fortifications

Raised timber palisade around the granary.Watch post atop Rook Ridge with signal lanterns.Hidden stockade along the logging trail used in emergencies.

Hearthwatch Militia(About thirty able-bodied fighters.)

A hastily organized local militia that doubles as cartwrights and woodmen.

Law & Order

crime Level: Low to moderate with spikes in theft during market season.
enforcement: Local militia and the reeve enforce laws with fines and community service.
typical Punishment: Fines, forced labor on communal projects, or temporary exile for serious offenders.

Edrin Vale

NPC

Reeve

A steady presence who negotiates with traders and keeps the village ledger.

Marta Leafturn

NPC

Master Woodcarver

A precise hands-on teacher who offers commissions to skilled outsiders.

Silme Thorn

NPC

Herbalist and Warden

A silent ranger who reads animal trails and harvests healing herbs.

Jorik Bramble

NPC

Cartwright and Militia Sergeant

A gruff former campaigner who trains villagers in basic defense.

Nessa Mire

NPC

Tavernkeeper

A quick-eared tavernkeeper who remembers every face and favors travelers with a warm bed.

Leafturn Workshop

Shop

Workshop

A crowded workshop where apprentices sand, glue, and inlay beside the master.

Bramble Cartworks

Shop

Smithy

A low-ceilinged smithshop where wheels are rebuilt and axles welded.

Hearth & Hoard

Shop

General Store

A shelved shop of basics, local wares, and the occasional imported trinket.

The Sighing Sprig

Tavern

Carters, guild apprentices, traveling carvers, and the odd pilgrim.

A warm inn of low beams, carved benches, and a hearth that smells of pine.

Woodwrights Guild

Faction

Guild

A guild of master carvers who set standards, train apprentices, and control major commissions.

Forest Wardens

Faction

Order

A loose order of herbalists and rangers who patrol the forest and oversee the glade.

Reeve's Council

Faction

Civic Council

The village's ruling body that balances taxes, trade deals, and disputes among families.

Hearthwatch Militia

Faction

Militia

Volunteer defenders who protect caravans and answer the reeve's call in emergencies.

Sighing Glade

Point of Interest

A secluded hollow where a silvered spring bubbles in a moss-ringed pool.

Old Alder Stump

Point of Interest

A carved ancient alder stump used as a meeting spot and source of local legends.

Rook Ridge

Point of Interest

A rocky rise used to watch caravans and signal danger with lanterns and flags.

Riverford Crossing

Point of Interest

Shallow fords where pack horses cross and small market stalls form on market days.

Calendar of Events

March 21, 2026

Festival of the Silver Spring

A dawn ritual at the Sighing Glade to honor the spring and bless new tools.

The fountain may choose one attendee to receive a strange, unpredictable blessing.

April 10, 2026

Carver's Market

A traveling market of carvers and traders brings rare tools and commissions.

A prized carving is rumored to be a sealed map fragment to something older than the village.

Secrets

The spring is bound to an ancient dryad whose sleep controls the water's potency.

RegionalLook for sap stains that glow faintly at moonrise.

Edrin Vale keeps an off-books ledger used to pay bribes to merchants and cover up illicit sales.

LocalCheck the ledger kept under the reeve's floorboard for unexplained entries.

Rumors

A noble once bought a carving that whispered at night.

The glade will sometimes rearrange offerings into patterns.

A hidden root path leads under the forest to an old ruin.

Plot Hooks

Whispers at the Spring

Someone offers coin to investigate who has been siphoning the glade's power at night.

InvestigationSilme Thorn200 gold or a blessed carving.

Guard the Wagon Trail

A merchant wants guards for a timber convoy threatened by bandits along the pack-track.

EscortEdrin ValePayment from the merchant and future trade favors.

The Missing Inlay

A treasured masterwork was stolen and the guild seeks discreet recovery before the Carver's Market.

RetrievalMarta LeafturnA custom commission and guild privileges.

The Chosen and the Bloom

The fountain chose a stranger and strange growths have appeared in the glade; the priest asks for aid.

MysteryBrother HalvenA small blessing and healing waters.

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