Rondel

Rondel is a rustic, riverside settlement in the Duchy of Hundredhill, about 60 miles north of Middlemarch. Known for its apple orchards, turnip farms, sheep pastures, and fishing, Rondel has a population of roughly 200 (mostly humans with a handful of ale-swilling hill dwarves and river-rafting halflings).

The local Lord of the Manor, a minor Knight called Sir Hugh Moxley, is routinely absent. He leaves the business of managing the village to his trusty Reeve, a man named Crane.

Nothing of consequence ever happens in Rondel. The citizens pay their taxes to appease the king and the dragons, and local festivals throughout the year keep spirits high. It’s a quiet burg inhabited by quiet people. The springs and summers are beautiful and warm, if a touch humid. The falls and winters are cold, wet, and foggy. It rains a lot, so folk are used to staying indoors by the fire for half the year.

Important features in the village include:

The Fat Stag: The local inn is named after its most celebrated feature—a black stag’s head mounted above the common room hearth. It’s not such a big deal, but the innkeeper, Henry Horner, is fond of inventing tall tales about how the stag met its end, the most popular being that it was chased into the village by hunters, blundered into the tavern to escape their arrows, and slain by multiple magic missiles after it overturned a table where a traveling wizard and her young apprentices were playing cards. Since the Night of Wild Magic, the mounted head has begun to animate and talk, much to everyone’s consternation.

Rondel Brook: The village takes its name from the small river on whose north shore it rests. A small halfling riverraft community used to be situated near the bridge that spans the river (eventually leading to the Wyvern’s Tail River, which crosses through Middlemarch), but irksome sprites left behind by the Night of Wild Magic drove the halflings farther downriver.

Vicar’s Manse: The vicar’s house is made of stone with a sagging tile roof. The vicar’s wife, Charity, has not been seen since the Night of Wild Magic, and folks claim to have heard strange noises issuing from the vicar’s locked barn, leading to rife speculation that poor Charity was the victim of a magical curse.

Webb’s Apothecary: The half-elf apothecary, Leshanna Webb, brews potions and poultices when she’s not dabbling in witchcraft, the practice of which is perfectly legal. The Night of Wild Magic has caused her potions to sprout wings and fly away, but also caused her house to sprout giant bird’s feet. Occasionally the house “goes for a walk” without Angela’s consent—often with her trapped inside it, yelling and swearing.

Worg’s Bane Tower: An old stone watchtower north of the village, built over a century ago to warn villagers of goblin worg-riders, harbours a tall, bearded ranger named John Harmridge, tasked by the Lord with scouting the northern reaches above Rondel. It’s a daunting task, but “Tall John” (as he is known to many locals) has never shied away from a challenge. He’s slain his share of goblins, worgs, and other monsters, and he prefers to be left alone except on nights when he drinks himself silly under Henry Horner’s roof and haunts others with sobering tales of bloodshed and murder.