Briarbrook

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more pleasant village than Briarbrook. I could sit in the shade of the hills by the water all day and just listen to it bubbling over the stones on the bank.

Briarbrook is a large village which acts as a hub for a number of villages and farmsteads in the southern reach of the Duchy of Northampton. The village is nestled against the Brambletwist Hills that mark the boundary between the Duchy of Northampton and the Duchy of Brisburgh, almost within the shadows of the Cragoran Mountains. While the River Brist lies a few leagues to the east, a major tributary runs through the center of the village and provides an ample supply of both fresh water and fishing opportunities.

Demographics

The village consists mostly of folk of Rikenian origins, although there is a mix of mountain tribe and Bravani blood. Most residents are farmers or traders in foodstuffs. Caravans between Briarbrook and Halston are almost a weekly occurrence, so there are often visitors in town. There is a small inn to accommodate them called the Bloody Thorn.

Government

Like most small settlements in the Kingdom of Brisland, Briarbrook is overseen by a local Baron. The King's law applies to the land, as does the law of the Duke of the Duchy of Northampton. Regardless, Briarbrook normally enjoys a sort of independence one finds from being relatively isolated and unimportant. The people of the village produce a bounty of agricultural goods and fish from the brook, send their tithes to the Duke, and are allowed to live a relatively quiet life in return.

Type

Village

Population

1,000

Owning Organization

Duchy of Northampton

Brambletwist Hills

While much of the land around the village consists of serene farmlands and grassy plains, Briarbrook lies at the foot of the Brambletwist Hills. The south-west portion of the village even rises up into these highlands. Beyond the village, the land here consists of incredibly harsh terrain. The hills form a natural border between the two duchies, and in the past served as a buffer between the two smaller kingdoms. These highlands rise sharply into rough, uneven terrain covered in the namesake brambles and a growing pine forest. While some intrepid hunters try to brave the terrain in hopes of finding some elusive prize, most avoid the area altogether.