Caer Danval
Caer Danval is characterized by the small but imposing stone fortress (the caer which it takes the name from) which overlooks the village below with a view on the other side of Eivar's Mirror, an invaluable watchtower to spot incoming threats from the mountains and as such the Fjord's first line of defense in the West.
For this, the village is circled by two circles of spiked wooden palisades, using the wood from the ancient oaks in the northern forests, and its single entrance is a stone, Ogre-proof gate as demonstrated in the past. Nowadays, with the lake frozen and the ferries stopped, the gate is the only landbound way into town, while the natural barrier of the lake's currents, which deterred attacks from Shadowfiends in the past, is now crossable with care. All of this has added to the town's growing paranoia - the inhabitants even went so far as to dot the icy coastline with sharpened pikes and wolf traps to prevent attacks from the lake.
The uneasy atmosphere is enhanced by the lack of mead deliveries from Farwaters, a feeling of abandonment, and multiple sightings of strange deformed creatures in the area, To make it worse, Speaker Crannoc has apparently taken to his bed and has not made a public appearance in weeks, sending in his stead Knut, a squire turned de facto head of the local militia. From the Caer, where the Speaker resides, the lights are now being turned off at night, and the wary villagers patrol the streets themselves with torch and harpoon at the ready.
The town's Speaker is Crannoc Bann, a rough human in his late forties ill-loved both by the local folk and the other members of the council. A bully and a loudmouth, he is the kind of person who would sooner punch through a table rather than listen to his interlocutor. While a sizeable part of the township thinks his brash and strong approach to problems has allowed them to stay alive so far, dissent is growing, and his recent no-shows are almost cause for celebration.
Less cause for celebration is given by the fact that the Goddess seems to have abandoned the townsfolk, and while they are still fervent believers they start to doubt her. Regardless, while the villagers are aware they are the town's defense, they are still mostly persuaded the Goddess is giving them strength, and they are more than willing to offer tribute.
For this, the village is circled by two circles of spiked wooden palisades, using the wood from the ancient oaks in the northern forests, and its single entrance is a stone, Ogre-proof gate as demonstrated in the past. Nowadays, with the lake frozen and the ferries stopped, the gate is the only landbound way into town, while the natural barrier of the lake's currents, which deterred attacks from Shadowfiends in the past, is now crossable with care. All of this has added to the town's growing paranoia - the inhabitants even went so far as to dot the icy coastline with sharpened pikes and wolf traps to prevent attacks from the lake.
The uneasy atmosphere is enhanced by the lack of mead deliveries from Farwaters, a feeling of abandonment, and multiple sightings of strange deformed creatures in the area, To make it worse, Speaker Crannoc has apparently taken to his bed and has not made a public appearance in weeks, sending in his stead Knut, a squire turned de facto head of the local militia. From the Caer, where the Speaker resides, the lights are now being turned off at night, and the wary villagers patrol the streets themselves with torch and harpoon at the ready.
The town's Speaker is Crannoc Bann, a rough human in his late forties ill-loved both by the local folk and the other members of the council. A bully and a loudmouth, he is the kind of person who would sooner punch through a table rather than listen to his interlocutor. While a sizeable part of the township thinks his brash and strong approach to problems has allowed them to stay alive so far, dissent is growing, and his recent no-shows are almost cause for celebration.
Less cause for celebration is given by the fact that the Goddess seems to have abandoned the townsfolk, and while they are still fervent believers they start to doubt her. Regardless, while the villagers are aware they are the town's defense, they are still mostly persuaded the Goddess is giving them strength, and they are more than willing to offer tribute.
Demographics
300 humans cohabit uneasily with a contingent of 40 Dwarf Settlers, as both groups had arguments in previous decades about the location of their lodgings, and fundamental disagreements on the town's defensive strategies. However, they will present a united front against any attacker, as they have since the town's creation.
Defences
The town's Caer is characterised by a square tower which doubles as a lighthouse in times of peace, and which gives a clear unobstructed view in the area from the Vandbjorn to the slopes of the God's Teeth range. It is manned by a force of ten men, and is home to the handful of Missionaries and the Speaker himself.
Everyone in town has taken arms to defend the settlement at least once, and is ready to do so again, making everyone in town a soldier in times of need, apart from the elderly and the few children living in town. And even them contribute with slings and trap maintenance when need be.
Founding Date
8 C.R.
Alternative Name(s)
The Watchtower
Population
340
Inhabitant Demonym
Danvali, Caer-Folk (along with Caer Korith)
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