Hut of Sorrows
Although the authorities of Valtarus would dearly love to raze the Hut of Sorrows and bring its inhabitant, Umwara, to justice for her use of magic, they are able to neither prove that she's a magic user nor locate her hut.
Purpose / Function
A kind soul but one who prefers to live quietly and alone, Umwara provides healing to those in need but cannot be found otherwise, supposedly due to magical spells on her hut. She provides teas, salves, and other medicines made from materials she gathers in the wilds of the Valta Mountains. Although rumoured to be a practicioner of the dark arts, no magic has ever been detected in the vicinity of her hut or on her person. Umwara claims that her medicines are products of simple herbal lore and the time-consuming but perfectly mundane preparations that have been passed down through the women in her family.
Her primary areas of focus are treating wounds, respiratory illnesses, and childbirth.
Architecture
The Hut of Sorrows is a small building in a forested area of the Valta Mountains near the Dark Tree. It has a stone floor and low stone walls, with a steep thatched roof. A wattle screen separates what is presumably Umwara's living area from her treatment area, which includes a kitchen serving as her alchemical labratory.
Those who have been inside the hut say it is held up by miracles and good will, since the roof appears ready to collapse and couldn't possibly stand up to the scratching and clawing of a slakmar. Many have offered to help her with repairs in exchange for her helaing services, but she always refuses, saying, "The mountains look after their own." While her critics insist that is an admission of guilt for the use of traditional Valtaran blood magic, most interpret the remark as a kindly old woman refusing assistance in order to avoid being a burden on those around her.