Stonewood

The Kingdom of Many Kingdoms

The edge of the forest was approaching, in the distance, the two could see vast amounts of farmland and the trails weaving in and out of them. They could faintly hear the horses and carriages that brought people and merchants in and out of the city, which was always open to travelers.

Upon arriving in Market Town, they were met with the chaotic hustle and bustle of everyday life in this part of Stonewood. The castle-like buildings that towered over them seemed almost magical and the streets were an explosion of color that weaved in, out, and around each other. There was no shortage of places to go for supplies, the only challenge was deciding where they would go first.

Stonewood's Flag

Welcome, traveler!

I

t is no secret that the largest population of Knights lies in Stonewood, a generally peaceful and charming Kingdom that can be found near the center of Stonewood Forest (Which is also its namesake).

For the budding adventurer, Stonewood is often either a starting point for their quest or the first stop on their journey. Regardless of your needs, be it armor or weapons, food or shelter, or even magical goods, the abundance of Knights means there are no shortages of excellent craftspeople who sell their works to anyone with the coin. You can also find Quest Boards posted all across the city should you want to take up work now and again, in fact, some Guilds even make a living out of it!

Aside from its demographic, the Kingdom is also known for its surplus of marketplaces, trading outposts, and fertile land, making it a centerpiece for trade between the 3 major powers.

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Map of Stonewood

Open full size

A simple map with the general layout of Stonewood.
Its accuracy is not guaranteed.

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The Forest

The forest that surrounds the Kingdom is named Stonewood for a reason, the trees are magical. It's not exactly known why, most think it's because the Feyspring River brings "magic water" from Dragonspine Mountains directly through the forest. Aside from its massive size and the occasional gray patches scattered around its trunk Stonewood trees might seem pretty ordinary, but, when processed into pulp and cured, it's capable of hardening into stone.

The process is much easier said than done, the trees themselves are much harder to cut down, but the fact that the trees can do this at all makes it a valuable resource. Stonewood Forest is the only one of its kind, so lumber is both the Kingdom's biggest export and its main building material.

While it's useful for construction, the material is usually subpar for making tools, weapons, or armor since it leads to the item being extremely brittle and hard to use. A determined (or stubborn) craftsperson could probably use magic to produce something of high quality, but like, why would you do that?

The Aesthetic

Because of its architecture, Stonewood also earned the nickname "The Kingdom of Many Kingdoms". You'll find that most buildings have a seamless mix of the wooden structures you're used to and the stone brickwork that makes up Castle walls. Some buildings can have towers sprouting from their roofs, some can stretch across city streets to join with those on the other side, normal homes can resemble forts, their fences can look like battlements, and the taverns near them can look like Keeps!

This style makes each street seems like an entirely new Kingdom to most who visit for the first time, and even that's without mentioning the vibrant colors of both its people and their decorative culture.

Banners of all colors, shapes, and sizes hang from virtually any surface. And the Knights that take residence here, especially with their extremely personalized clothing and armor, make each street look like a river of all the colors of the rainbow to anyone looking down from above.

"So you mean to tell me, the Kingdom of Stonewood, is in the middle of Stonewood Forest, a forest that consists of Stonewood Trees?"

"Yes."

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Some Fun Facts and Misc. Info I found in my Notes

Demographic

While the population is more or less dominated by Knights, you'll still find plenty of Elves and Valkyr either traveling or making a home for themselves. In fact, sometimes Elves and Valkyr are even named with Knight traditions and vice versa.

As most people would probably guess, Guild traditions aren't exclusive to Knights, it's not uncommon or weird to see multi-racial Guilds going about their day. It's just something you tend to see a lot.

Jobs

Because of the chaotic diversity that Affinities introduce, jobs might get a bit complicated. Knights who have specific Affinities are in high demand for jobs that match it. However, this doesn't mean others get overlooked.

For example, a Bee Knight, despite the obvious lack of hive-related jobs, can instead work on a farm pollinating crops to produce a better harvest. In the same bug-related vein, a Spider Knight might work at a mill to spin fibers used for clothing, armor, tools, etc. It's not uncommon for a Knight to have a job completely unrelated to their Affinity, it's something people just expect at this point.

The Festival of Affinity

The Festival of Affinity is a tradition only held in Stonewood and it's exactly what you think it is. A festival held during the first week of Autumn, which is when Affinities were first discovered, meant to celebrate the Knights and the magic that makes them who they are.

It also serves as an invitation for those from all parts of the world to experience the culture that Knights offer, whether it be the food, entertainment, stories, or even a Tournament of Arms lasting multiple days.

...Funerals?

Knight funerals are celebrations, first and foremost. It's a time to share stories of the life, the accomplishments, and more often than not, the adventures of those who pass to wish them luck on their journey into the afterlife, wherever that may be.

Over the years the tradition of the Legend Knight made its way into funerals as well, often being a retelling of their version if they had one. To Knights, death isn’t a morbid or shunned topic, although it’s still a sad one. Instead, death is simply the epilogue of someone’s story as it was meant to be, and a time like this means a grand feast is most certainly in order.

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To be Continued Maybe Probably Perhaps Most Likely

^{Reading Time: 7 min. (1370 words)}

Some Music

Places of Interest

For writing and D&D purposes

Kingshelm

• The Capitol of Stonewood

• This is where you'll find the King, The Wardens, and the Kingsworn.

• For obvious reasons, no one is allowed to enter without their knowledge.

Greenrock Bank

• It's, uh, a bank, a bank run by the Greenrock Guild.

• Players can go here to convert their currency for convenience. One can only carry so much Copper.

• I don't know what else to tell ya.

Woodland Clinic

• A hospital where adventurers can seek treatment for whatever ails them.

• Gonna be honest with you, I don't know how hospitals work in D&D.

College of Wizardry

• The most esteemed Institution of Magic in this entire region. Not everyone can learn how to use magic, but those who can would be wise to seek education here.

• For a price, players can potentially gain a level in a spellcasting class of their choice.

Feyspring Harbor

• Named after the largest river in this region, all trade and travel by water happens here.

• Adventuers can use this port for trade and travel.

Honeymeadow Farm

• One of the many farms covering the southern edge of Stonewood. This farm, in particular, is run by the Honeymeadow Guild, and it centers around wheat and livestock. Super wholesome place.

• Wheat Knight has a side quest posted in The Sleeping Squire.

Market Town

• The largest cluster of marketplaces and shops in the city, it's appropriately named, I believe.

• Here you can buy all the official/basic items.
  (The ones I didn't make)

The Sleeping Squire

• A very popular Tavern known for its excellent hospitality and patronage.

• This tavern provides side quests and can serve as a hub location that the party can always come back to.

Trinkets and Spell Scrolls

• This is the store you wanna visit for the cool stuff (The stuff I made). The place is run by Shop, a charismatic and respectful gentleman who's always looking to make a new friend.

• Offers a wide variety of Magical and Non-Magical Items, ranging from mundane to powerful.

Adventurer's Glamour

• This place is like Trinkets and Spell Scrolls but for armor and clothing specifically. It's run by an eccentric and flamboyant woman named Vanity.

Steelguard Forge

• A "Forge and Shop" where the Steelguard Guild resides, here you can commission and customize weapons and armor.

• The Knights in this Guild are Forge, Barrel, Flame, and Hug. Also Barrel works at The Sleeping Squire.

The Breadsmith Guild

• A small bakery that specializes in desserts, run by the Breadsmith Guild.

• Some of their more expensive goods have magical properties, useful for any adventurers with some coin to spare.

Beard and Barrel Brewery

• I mean, it's a brewery, a place where beer is brewed.

• You can buy the beer.

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Related Sauce

Master Jontaro

Jon

       

While I would love to go on an adventure, writing them is enough for me.

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