Willow Grove
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History: The small town of Willow Grove, located in northern Drillian on the Chandler Cowles River, was founded many centuries ago by fortuitous accident. A group of adventurers, wishing to follow in the footsteps of Chandler Cowles, ran into trouble when some of the members fell ill. Whether by divine intervention or simple luck, in searching for a place to camp to take care of their sickly members, a storm tossed them on the riverbank near a grove of willows. It was exactly the cure they sought, and though they originally planned to move on, the land was welcoming. They decided to name their new settlement by the very feature that saved them.
Willow Grove sits between a small embankment and narrow floodplain. Seasonal flooding is a short affair and relatively easy to predict, but anticipated for the renewed fertility to the farm lands and filling of the two town wells. Early in its founding, a windmill was erected to allow drainage of flood waters. Better cultivars of oats and wheat, the main crops grown, and a better understanding and ability to predict the flooding, have rendered the windmill mostly useless except during unusual flooding events; however, many believe the windmill to have gained a better purpose: to keep away The Mist.
Although none of the inhabitants of Willow Grove remembers when The Mist appeared, all do believe the windmill to be key to keeping it away from their town. While it may no longer be used to empty the fields of floodwaters, it is still functional for the sake of superstition. Some residents even keep small homemade fans or replicates in their home hoping for the same protection.
Details: In addition to their crops, there is some fishing and ranching in Willow Grove, but not on any scale of major importance. As part of the Drake Estates, the few exported goods are kept within the domain. While the Drakes have paid little heed to the small town of Willow Grove, rumors say a descendant once resided in their town. No one can say who or when, but half the town swears by the truth of this rumor. The other half believes it to be hogwash, perhaps wanting as little to do with the family as possible. As long as they keep their fealty, and keep their heads down, they believe their small town will continue to prosper, and that is all that matters to them.
The buildings near the river are all wooden houses, often with wattle-and-daub walls, and noticeably built on stilts to accommodate the seasonal floods. Those built on the embankment are more often made with some stone and may have a basement, but lack the protection of stilts as they rarely need them. The small Suomi temple and an assembly hall are the only buildings made fully of stone and can be found on the embankment and closer to the forest than the river.
PC Notable Individuals:
- Jared (Guy) - link to be added later; royal scout
Other Notable Individuals:
- Darsica Leafbrook, halfling mother of Kelsys, and the oldest inhabitant of Willow Grove as well as one of the only halflings. Although she was not alive at the time, she swears that her mother swears that The Mist is a relatively new phenomenon while most others believe it has always existed. While she is not superstitious like the rest of the town, she is suspicious as to the cause of The Mist.
- Kelsys Leafbrook, halfling wife of Laton, and descendant of one of the original settlers. With help from her husband, she runs one of the handful of farms in Willow Grove. In addition to their crops, they raise one of the largest herds of sheep which are said to be top quality in wool and meat production.
- Laton Leafbrook, halfling husband of Kelsys and former adventurer. In his younger years, Laton mistakenly thought he want to go on an adventure. One of his first stops was in Willow Grove. He instantly fell in love not just with the town, but with Kelsys and her farm. He gladly gave up his short time span as an adventurer for them.
- Finland Leafbrook, halfling son of Kelsys and Laton, brother of Davric. Finland is a kind, enthusiastic individual who simply wants to do best by his family and their farm. While he enjoys their sheep herd, he prefers working with the crops.
- Davric Leafbrook, adopted human son of Kelsys and Laton, brother of Finland. No one is certain of Davric's heritage. The Leafbrooks found him as a baby on their doorstep one day and took him in as their son without question. He is incredibly helpful around the farm, especially with caring for the sheep. While he is sometimes bothered by his obvious human heritage, he loves his parents and brother without question.
- May Bloodworth, female human, current leader of Willow Grove, and claimed descendant of one of the first settlers of the town. Although she can be haughty, and some of her decisions have been questionable, overall the town feels she has done a decent job her first few years in office.
- Rolph, human priest of the Suomi temple of the rank Baron. He did not wish to be sent to Willow Grove where the plains flood, the bugs bite, and the townspeople care more about trying to survive than following their faith. Currently he finds solace in making elaborate death masks for all the living town inhabitants as he is convinced they will all soon die in a great flood.
- Aveline, human fisherwomen and dockmaster. She is one of the very few who make their living fishing rather than farming in Willow Grove. As the visitors to the town are far and few inbetween, she was given the job of dockmaster as well as she seems to be the one found there most often.
- Witton, human male and retired rancher. He can easily be found lounging on the riverbank or drinking in the local tavern, but he once spent his days raising the only cattle in Willow Grove until one of his herd almost killed him. While a large feast immediately followed the accident, it did leave the town without cattle and Witton a cripple. With limited ways to spend his time, he finds what joy he can in being the main source of town gossip.
- Barnard, human male, sheriff, and part-time dockmaster. He cares more for trying to keep law and order in the town, but with few problems to ever attend to, he is often reluctantly dragged in to assist as dockmaster when Aveline is unavailable, a task he intensely dislikes in comparison.
- Wyatt, human male farmer and relative newcomer. Although most farmers and ranchers in Willow Grove have been around for generations, he has only lived in the area for a decade at most. His rather mysterious appearance, and ability to grow crops in an area previously believed to be unmanageable, makes the town slightly suspicious of him. While he claims to simply want to live the quiet life, most believe he has other motives.
