Hawksfirth and Area

HAWKSFIRTH

Located on the northern edge of the Norrinwood, the village of Hawksfirth has long been known as a modest little place of recluses and geniuses who like to hide from the world. Filius the Clever hails from here, and in modern times there are a number of Guilds and other bodies who specialize in services that one would not normally expect to find in a village of this size. There are about a dozen resident magicians, as well as artificers, crafters of all manner of weapons and armour, veteran warriors, military heroes, and many others. Many of these larger-than-life characters live near to Hawksfirth, their homesteads dotted throughout the woods nearby. Quite a few have cultivated small farms too so it is not unusual for travellers through the area to suddenly stumble out of dense forest into a cleared section of farmland with an idyllic river and a homestead nearby. Hawksfirth has a reputation of being somewhere where one might ideally go to escape the troubles of life. "I'm about ready to pack off to Hawksfirth!" and other variations of this sentiment being common, especially amongst world-weary adventurers.

Notable Places:

• The Guildhall: A large stone-walled building, once an inn house. It contains a large meeting hall and several smaller rooms, and is shared amongst several local merchant guilds.
• An ancient statue of dark stone, said to entomb the bones of a local god of travel.
• Osbeold's Ironworks: The workshop of a male human blacksmith named Osbeold, known for his collection of magical hammers.
• The Hunter's Rest: This inn is a single storey building of stone walls, with a small fenced yard. Accomodations consist of a mezzanine with several wooden cots. The inn was rebuilt recently after a devastating fire. The innkeeper is a tall male human named Gerey. He is a retired assassin, and keeps a pair of sharp daggers at his belt.

A few NPCs:

• Messba: Female Elf Soldier. Messba is overweight, with curly auburn hair and green eyes. She wears studded leather and wields a flail. Messba is vulgar and insensitive, but is a hero of several important battles during the Grim Epoch.
• Balda: Male Human Professional. Balda has copper hair and brown eyes, and a matted beard. He wears expensive clothing and a feathered hat. Balda is wrongly sought by the paladins of the Solios Temple for heresy.
• Jane: Female Human Scofflaw. Jane has golden hair and brown eyes, and pointed ears. She wears simple clothing and an iron amulet. Jane is haunted by the memories of a past life where she was apparently an emberling.
• Kateer: Female Human Craftsman, Neutral. Kater is fair in appearance, with cropped brown hair and light blue eyes. She wears modest garments and a green cloak. Kater seeks to free herself from an ancient curse.
• Kameer, Male Human Ranger, Neutral. Kater's sister, Kamel is short and slender, with auburn hair and hazel eyes. He wears leather armor and wields a spear and javelins. Geoffry is timid but quite masterful.

Government

Hawksfirth is governed by a consortium of Guildmasters named the Court of Five.

History

This village, on the edge of the Norrinwood, was the target of attacks by undead from Blackcrystal Keep around 5150 EC. The village would have been overrun were it not for a heimfolk artificer and inventor named Fillius the Clever who created an army of automatons, blessed by a Cleric of Solios, who beat the undead back. Filius was initially labelled a hero, however later it was claimed that his inventions were rampaging throughout the countryside levelling villages. But this turned out to be the work of Yerick Albar, a former partner of Fillius, who was jealous of the inventor and thought that Fillius was stealing all the glory of what he perceived as their creation, for himself. This was true - Yerick had a part in the creation of the automatons and Fillius should have given him more credit, but Yerick allowed the resentment to rancor and it turned him evil. He decided to teach Fillius a lesson by using the same inventions to cause chaos.

Geography

Sits on the northern edge of the Norrinwood forest.

Natural Resources

Forestry, craftsmanship.

Type

Village

Population

Approximately 850; mostly human, some heimfolk and callenthi.