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V I C T O R Y E L M A T A G L A N C E

Ruler: Victory Elm Council of Elders, led by Grayvin Feldspar Government: Council Alignments: LG, NG, N Population: 150 (101 humans, 11 dwarves, 3 elves, 9 half-elves, 4

half-orcs, 22 halflings) Notable Folk: Renette Millora (Millora’s Vineyard), Cyrrun

Belatros (Elm Keeper’s Home) Languages: Common, Druidic, Dwarven Resources & Industry: Produce, wine, tourism

Over a century ago, the Victory Elm survived destruction at the hands of hill giants marauding the countryside to clear the way for their fire giant and frost giant leaders. When the lesser giants were unable to uproot the lone elm tree, the human armies rallied and routed the hill giants. The fire and frost giants arrived expecting an easy fight, but the humans proved resourceful and resilient. As the days wore on, the giants fell to bickering with each other—which eventually led to infighting; eventually, the now disunified force abruptly left. The remaining humans intended to rest and return to their homes, but many of them realized the tree stood on arable land which they could petition to own. The ruling baron granted them the land, and they brought their families to the new village, named Victory Elm after the tree dominating the area. The settlers planted fruit trees and grew a variety of staple crops. Cyrrun Belatros, an elven ally, stayed to tend the tree and help manage the land. He is the only living villager who remembers the so-called Giantwar. Everyone else is at least one generation removed from the slaughter. The village prospered over the years, but recently the Victory Elm itself developed a strange blight which has spread to the surrounding crops. Aggressive termites and wasps infested the tree, and Cyrrun fell ill before he could eradicate the infestations. With rumours surfacing about a new massing of giants in the hills, Victory Elm faces several new and recurring threats from within and without.

V I L L A G E L O R E

A PC may know something about Victory Elm, its history and surrounds. A PC making a DC 10 Intelligence check knows one or more pieces of information from the list below. A successful check gains all the information revealed by a lesser check. DC 15: Victory Elm was the site of a pivotal battle in the Giantwar, where the human armies turned the tide of the war. Many of the survivors stayed and built a village around the noteworthy tree. The village serves as a reminder of the Giantwar. DC 20: The tree has recently shown signs of blight and a persistent colony of termites infests it. The villagers are concerned about what this portends, and they have become suspicious of strangers as well as their neighbours. DC 25: Shortly after the tree sickened, its druid protector fell ill with a mysterious malady which sapped his energy and intellect. Other villagers have started to show similar symptoms.

V I L L A G E R S

Appearance: Many are human and have the red hair and bright blue eyes common to the armies serving during the Giantwar. The village has welcomed countless others, so its folk now exhibit greater variety in race, complexion and hair colour. Dress: Dress is utilitarian among the people who work the land, while those who receive visitors wear ceremonial armour harking back to the Giantwar. Nomenclature: male Grayvin, Pellian, Zay; female Annalinda, Celise, Voondra; family Belatros, Feldspar, Millora, Wergar.

W H I S P E R S & R U M O U R S

While in Victory Elm, a PC may hear one or more rumours. A PC making a DC 10 Charisma check learns one rumour from the table below. A PC exceeding this check learns an additional rumour for each 5 points by which he exceeded DC 10.

D6 RUMOUR

1 I’ve heard noises coming from underground. I wonder if the cause of our troubles originates there.

2 The giants must sense something is up. The other night, I saw a hill giant less than a mile from the village.

3* Cyrrun Belatros is a doddering fool who accidentally poisoned the elm and himself along with it.

4 Many bees we rely on to pollinate our plants have disappeared. Instead, we have these damnable wasps.

5* I couldn’t sleep and stepped outside, where I witnessed the moon turn blood red for half a minute.

6 I saw Janna Wergar skulking back to her home carrying a massive sword which looked newly forged.

*False rumour

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N O T A B L E L O C A T I O N S A T A G L A N C E

Most of the village comprises peasant homes. A few locations, however, are of interest to adventurers:

1. Arboreal Arch: Villagers stand watch here. Prior to the recent troubles, they politely inquired as to visitors’ business. Most remain polite, but some have taken their responsibilities very seriously and act belligerently toward suspicious visitors.

2. The Boughery: A steady stream of visitors requires food and lodging, and the Varbin halfling clan is delighted to provide these services, as well as gossip, to visitors. The common room of each lodge house hosts a well-tended tree sitting under an open roof.

3. Millora’s Vineyard: Seizing upon Cyrrun Belatros’s information regarding the soil’s suitability for grape growing, the dwarven exile Pelgi Millora and her children traded in their warhammers for tools and seeds. She freely shares her wine with the village but also sells bottle and barrels to visitors.

4. Communal Well: One of the first structures built in the village, the communal well provides fresh water for the residents. Because the villagers hold the elm as sacred, they have turned to this relatively mundane location as a meeting place to plan

celebrations, deal with mundane matters of governing and, lately, air grievances.

5. Elm Keeper’s Home: Cyrrun Belatros built his home with the elm’s growth in mind. It now stands a few feet above the ground but exists harmoniously with the tree.

6. Giantwar Museum: The only part of the elm’s surrounding open to the public, this building contains memorabilia from the human armies as well as captured giant weapons of war.

7. Northern Gate: The northern approach is where the giants’ threat originated. The gate closing off the village is purely symbolic, but recent worries have caused villagers to consider stationing a guard there.

8. Seed Store: Rickard Wergar grows staple crops at his family’s house, which has a hidden cellar storing a variety of seeds, including elm tree seeds, should a replacement for the Victory Elm prove necessary.

9. Semm’s Place: Primarily a place for herbal remedies, this small compound also has small shrines to many pastoral deities.

10. Giantwar Memorial Graveyard: Those who died here during the Giantwar are buried here, along with their descendants.