Alderleaf Farm
From a dell in the hillside near the village faint white smoke billows from a small chimney popping out of the sod like a groundhog. A low wall of bracken encircles a natural looking garden lush with vegetables and greens, where a few chickens prowl around looking for insects. A low gate, overgrown with moss and ivy lies across a faintly trod footpath winding through the garden towards what only now reveals itself to be a cozy-looking dwelling. Large round windows with deep planter boxes filled with blossoming strawberry plants beckon you forward towards a finely crafted but old looking door. As you approach to knock, you notice an array of notches carved in at different heights, accompanied by names and dates. A knock on the door brings a middle-aged halfling woman, Qelline, to the door, who welcomes you inside with open arms.
Purpose / Function
Alderleaf farm serves as the homestead for a halfling family called the Alderleafs. While modest, it is usually sufficient for the family's needs.
The Alderleafs have a small, wild-looking natural herb and vegetable garden, with a special emphasis on root vegetables and leafy greens. The farm also hosts various livestock belonging to the Alderleafs, notably rabbits and chickens.
Alterations
Alderleaf Farm is one of the oldest buildings in Steppehaven and bears the marks of generations of Alderleafs who call it home. The wooden beams around the doorframe are scored with tally marks showing the growth of various Alderleaf children through the years.
Architecture
The Alderleaf Farmstead is, in the traditional halfling style, unobtrusive and is easy to overlook. The home is built into the side of a gentle hill itself, and would be easy for a casual observer to overlook, situated as it is in a small dell and integrated into the surrounding environment. The homestead is enclosed with a natural looking hedge wall, carefully and almost imperceptibly maintained, but effectively containing the garden and livestock.
The inside of the Alderleaf's home is a single open space, warm and welcoming, though medium size characters have to stoop slightly at the doorframes. Arching wooden ceilings support the sod roof above, while a cooking hearth keeps the home a cozy warm temperature. Broad, circular windows allow natural light to pour in, and are often left open to let the smell of the flowers planted in the windowboxes to waft through the home. The furniture inside the home is simple but comfortable looking, and draped in soft looking blankets and furs.
A small cellar is located through a latched door in the floor of the home. Inside the cellar, various foods are kept preserved in boxes, barrels, and jars.
Defenses
The Alderleaf farm has no defenses to speak of. In a crisis, the Alderleafs bar their doors and take their family into the cellar to hide, hoping to escape notice. Should the worst come to pass, a small tunnel hidden in the cellar leads outside.
History
Alderleaf Farm is one of the oldest farmsteads in Steppehaven, and the family traces their origins in Steppehaven back to well-before the founding of the town itself. Qelline and her son are all that remains of the family line in Steppehaven now, but various family heirlooms like a Great-grandmothers quilt, grandfather's pipe, and father's hat are all displayed with love.
Tourism
The Alderleaf Farm hosts very few visitors, though Qelline is always a welcoming host. The most common visitors are distant Alderleaf relations from out of town, or the occasional local farmer or trader visiting on business.
As a result of Qelline's welcoming and charitable disposition, it is also not unheard of for Alderleaf Farm to host good-natured travelers Qelline has only met that day who are in need of free lodgings.
Type
Farm
Parent Location
Owner
Characters in Location
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