A town built around the ruined home of an long-dead adventurer
Literally named for the ancient ruined castle of Keatonvale that overlooks the town, Keatonborough was settled long before the rise of the Nodoran Queendom. A primary hub of farming and crafting, Keatonborough produces a great deal of the crops consumed by the Raymarath and Queensgate as well as using some of those resources to make alcohol that is sought after across the Queendom.
Keatonborough is a city of plenty, for some, and little for others. Between the noble families of Rothmann and Anderbrook nearly all of the township is owned by two families. These bloodlines own most of the households and almost all of the businesses save a few, holding leases over the heads of the workers as means to get the most out of their labor. Only the Wiley Wench remains as an independently owned tavern along with the Emporium of Goods and Gadgets manage to stay in business without finding themselves under one controlling thumb or another. The Broadleaf family also stands apart, but not for a lack of effort, but for a near-riot in Raymarath and Queensgate when it was though that the Anderbrook family would ruin the safeguarded recipe of everyone’s favorite ale.
Yet life is far from the hardest it could be: tending to the fields, raising crops or farm animals, allows for steady work and access to well maintained, if not personally owned dwellings. The off-seasons see these townsfolk crafting all manner of goods from dried stalks and cured leathers. While not controlled through fear, the actuality is not far off and it only takes an unexpected illness or failure of a collection of production quota for a family to find themselves squatting in an alley instead of bedding in a warm home.
Points of interest:
While the Nodoran armed forces protect all of the Queendom, a local militia has set up within Barracks of the Burning Sun, dedicating themselves to the defense of the town of Keatonborough but, most importantly, the farmlands that radiate from it. Finding itself the largest population center within possible distance of a raid by the goblinoids of the Old World, the warriors of the Burning Sun are ever vigilant and will aid neighboring communities, ofttimes coming into conflict with the Blood Wolf Brigade.
Most famous across all of Nodora is the Broadleaf Brewery known for high quality ales and seasonal selections. A multi-building business that fashions alcohol of many varieties with grains and barley, leaving the fruity beverages for those in the north. So flavorful and consistently wonderful are their beverages, that it has often been rumored that a Djinn of some sort is invoved, but, far more likely the efforts of a master alchemist leads to the creation of the wonderful Broadleaf beverages. The Broadleaf Shrine, visited often by many of the farmers and laborers, where offerings of libations are made to Erytthu the Plentiful One, god of agriculture.
Keantonvale Castle is seen to be in full repair with lights shining out of the windows in the dark stone and banners fluttering when Vohd is full, although the townspeople are aware of how dangerous it is to enter during these occasions and try to steer adventurers away. No few have been lost to their folly and on a few disastrous occasions, the calamity overflowed into the town proper, killing dozens and burning down a significant portion of the peasant dwellings.
While owned and operated by the middle child of the Rothmann family, the Kindly Barbarian takes it’s name from the scared but jovial barbarian behind the aged bartop, not the money-grubbing Easton Rothmann whom cares about the books, not the quality of the brews. The Kindly Barbarian is still a good stop over to enjoy Broadleaf brews and hear live music when a break from the road is needed.
In order to feed the vast collection of crops and farm critters, irrigation ditches and manmade waterways are pulled from the Shrouded Waters Lake into the fields as needed. Some say there is a beneficent lady of the water within the lake, others say only a shrieking banshee leaps from the waters, although most of those that visit see neither.
Squatting atop a low hill on the north-western edges of the crop fields sits the Spiritstone monument. A towering ancient megalith sits in the middle of a ring of stone arches. While the original reason for it’s construction is long forgotten to the march of time and fall of empires around it, the monument is a solid slab of a stone unknown to Thylasx and is thought to allow communication with other realms and possibly travel were one to possess the correct knowledge or key. Nestled on the opposite side from Keatonborough in the shallow valley sits the orc encampment of Spirithome.
The Theater of the Third Eye Staring is an ancient stone walled outdoor theater. While it has largely gone unused over the years, a show of some sorts is always on when the moon Dacen is overhead and surely nothing can be as it seems during these dreamlike exhibitions.
Key figures
Defender of the grasslands around Keatenborough and friend to the people of Spirithome, Alderbeard strides about overlooking the beauty of nature and the gifts of the Root of the World, often accompanied by his companion Willowtwig a gnome druid. She is rather friendly and open to conversation with adventurers whereas Alderbeard finds such interactions tedious at best.
Fitz Van Witzels is a master engineer and is famous for his traps, be it of the hunting or dungeon defending variety. Not requiring a large space for his own work, his shop is situated at the back of the XXX store
Within the camp of Spirithome resides the orc Spirit Talker Maurmog of Many Tongues. It’s said that he can speak any language spoken to him and comprehend any writings presented to him in their original form.
Anita Rothmann, Collum Anderbrook and Bright Commander Halrich form the governing body of Keatonborough known as the Triumvirate, making decisions together for the betterment of the town, and secondly that of their population.
Retired adventurer and explorer, aged magic user and owner of the Dangerous Borders Book Store at the heart of Keatonborough, Dorrik Don Derrington, or Dorrik the Augurist. Acting as a Prognosticator a silver platter, goblin finger bones and his own shed blood, and offers both information and actual bound books to adventurers that he deems worthy: this usually means not chaotic or evil in tendency.
Adventure Hooks:
Why is the town linked to the movement of the moons? What is going on in the Keatonvale Castle? What preposterous play will be shown in the Theater next?
What turned Spirithome from a quick stay to a named village and what is Spirit Talker Maurmog talking to?
is the weird waterlogged lady in the lake offering free swords to make on a hero or merely harsh language?