Introduction:

The Renewal Festival

You find yourselves in the village of Stillford, a small hamlet in the foothills of the Cloud Peaks. Stillford rests along Farm-to-Market road that runs from the fertile Amber valley in the North to the town of Riverbend to the Southwest.

Stillford receives its name from the Ironstone brewery that sits alongside Stillford Creek on the South edge of town. The brewery is run by the dwarf, Werias Ironstone. It has been in his family for generations.

Stillford is a small town with only the most basic of amenities. The town square is dominated by an ancient oak tree. The Sleeping Goose Inn and Tavern, the mayor’s residence, lockup and general store ring the square. A small joint shrine to Ehlonna, goddess of nature and Pelor, the sun god lies across the street. The shrine is run by Eilnys Silverhair, an elven priestess and her assistant, Mildred.

Stillford is unusually bustling at the moment. The month of Chloria (March) represents the start of spring and the reopening of the trade roads. The residents of Stillford are currently celebrating the festival of Renewal. The local Druid circle has arrived to preside over the various rites and rituals that will assure a successful planting season. At the end of the festival, the Farm to Market Road will officially open and the trade season will commence.

It is late evening and you find yourselves in the Sleeping Goose. A stooped and weathered old man stands behind the bar and a young, buxom waitress tends to the customers. Most of the patrons are local farmers, but there is also a group of caravan drivers seated by the foot of the stairs and a well-dressed, portly fellow in the corner by the fire.