Driftwood Hollow
Village Description
Driftwood Hollow is a small coastal fishing village located near Oathwatch Academy on Eldwatch Isle. Its name evokes a sense of rustic charm, with weathered wooden buildings and winding cobblestone streets. The village is home to a close-knit community of fishermen, merchants, and craftsmen, who rely on the sea for their livelihood. Driftwood Hollow is believed to be a village with secrets of its own, privy to knowledge unknown to the rest of the Kingdom.
The village takes its name from the curious abundance of driftwood that washes ashore—pieces of timber that often bear strange markings or exhibit peculiar properties. Local artisans have developed unique techniques for working with this material, creating elaborate carvings that seem to shift and change depending on the light and the viewer's perspective. These driftwood artifacts have become sought-after curiosities among collectors, though the craftspeople refuse to sell to those they deem unworthy.
Buildings in Driftwood Hollow follow no unified architectural style, creating an organic patchwork that speaks to the village's resilience and adaptability. Many structures incorporate salvaged materials from shipwrecks or ancient ruins, resulting in facades adorned with fragments of mysterious origin—carved stones bearing unfamiliar symbols, weathered figurines whose features have been worn smooth by time and tide, windows of colored glass that cast kaleidoscopic patterns when the sun strikes at particular angles.
Despite its humble appearance, Driftwood Hollow is rumored to hold secrets that the rest of the Kingdom is not privy to. Some say that the villagers are descendants of the lost fey kingdom of Nytheris Iluthar, preserving ancient traditions and guarding forgotten knowledge. Others claim that the village is a haven for smugglers and spies, who use its secluded location to conduct their illicit activities. Whatever the truth may be, Driftwood Hollow remains an intriguing and mysterious place, offering a glimpse into a world beyond the walls of Oathwatch Academy.
The relationship between Driftwood Hollow and Oathwatch Academy remains complex and ambiguous. Though many villagers earn supplemental income by providing services to the institution and its students, an undercurrent of wariness permeates these interactions. Certain topics elicit immediate silence when broached in public spaces, and particular areas of the village remain subtly but firmly off-limits to outsiders...
Rumors & Legends:
- The Shadowed Cove: Some say there is a cave beneath the cliffs where the smugglers hide more than just stolen goods—possibly an ancient relic of fey origin.
- Vanished Travelers: Several outsiders who came looking for “secrets of the lake” have gone missing over the years. No bodies were ever found.
- The Village Guardian: An unseen force is said to watch over the village. Those who threaten Driftwood Hollow often disappear overnight, only for their boats to be found drifting on the lake, empty.
People and Places of Note in Driftwood Hollow
Notable People:
Mayor Aldric Thornwell
Seline "Sel" Fairbrook
"Captain" Veylin Marsh
Grandmother Irwen
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