Trostenwald

Trostenwald is a small rural town in the Marrow Valley in the Western Wynandir region of Wildemount. The town is bordered by the blue waters of the Ustaloch. The town is under the rule of the Dwendalian Empire and is a trade stop on the Amber Road. The town also serves as the place where the new party first meets.

The town is most notable for its unique strain of grain and wheat, which led to a boom in breweries around the turn of the century. Of the initial glut of breweries, three brewer families have survived and prospered to this day. The town now primarily exports fish, crops, and ale.

Trostenwald also has a contingent of Crownsguard who act as law enforcement for the town. The Lawmaster (local Dwendalian leadership) is a dwarf named Norda.

Demographics
In the southern, more rural region of the Empire, especially near Felderwin, which is one of the largest, tilling and farming areas of the entire Empire, there is a very heavy halfling population. While this city is not the core of it, a larger 20-25% of the population in Trostenwald is halfling.

The Ustaloch
The Ustaloch (Zemnian for "eastern lake") is a kidney bean-shaped body of water that borders the town's wards on their eastern sides. This freshwater body is fed by a river that leads to the mountains to the north. The other side of the lake contains open fields. The lake has muddy banks and two small islands within the center of it. Seen on the horizon from the lake's edge, the islands are around three miles out into the water and about 600 feet from each other.

The larger of the two islands is named Crookedstone and is a few hundred feet across with a grove of 10- to 15-foot-tall trees on it and a jagged, rocky shore. In the center of the island, there are ruins of old stone walls that had made up a single-story structure about 15 by 30 feet across. There had been tales that an old witch had once lived on the island about a hundred years ago. The citizens of Trostenwald never go to the island, believing it to be cursed. The smaller island is only around fifty feet across and is largely barren with five or six dead or dying trees on it.

Creatures
Besides the fish, crabs and small crustaceans that fisherman make their trade on, giant water snakes dwell within the depths of the lake. There have recently been more and more instances of these snakes coming out of the water and attacking folks on land. These snakes were between 20-25 feet long and one of these snakes had been destroying a home within the loch ward before being killed by Beauregard, Fjord, and Jester.

Loch Ward
Bordered by the Ustaloch, the Loch Ward is the most eastern and central ward of the town and is where the docks and fishing village are. The five to six main dock structures of this ward protrude out into the lake from between ten to thirty or so feet and service the small fishing boats that work on the lake.

The Old Mudhole Tavern
A small dark tavern containing four tables, it was described as being like a dive bar and smelling of old wet wood, ale stain, and peanut. Vosna, the barkeep, is a man in his thirties and an avid reader of the works of Samuel. He had been in the process of reading a tasteful romance novel of theirs, written in Zemnian, called the "Rose Embrace".

Loch Ward General
This large wooden barn type building in the loch ward had a door that opened two ways and was run by an old woman named Harper Mints.

Among the goods that lined the walls of this general goods store tools were tools for farming and building, packs of supplies, lumber, and iron nails. Though was notably missing pickles, which Jester pointed out were generally found at such a location and that they'd be good for business. Jester bought a large map of the Dwendalian Empire at this store for 7sp.

Beauregard bought a healers kit at the store 5gp, to replace the one she had given to Jester as a gift, and which she had previously overpaid for due to Jester having changed the price cards.

Natural Remedies - Herbs and Medicinal Things
This shop was a small humble shack that has a strong musty pungent smell of fungi, which can be detected even while approaching from the street. It sold herbs, incense, medicinal things including means of tending to wounds and loss of stamina. Though many come in for 'performance-enhancing' fungus. The proprietor of the shop was a tan-skinned half-elf man in his late-20s with darker hair that was a bit ratty and clustered. After having finished their transactions and having been intimidated by Beauregard, he awkwardly gave the name "Davies".

On the outside where the doorways open there are strings of herbs that are tied up and left to dry out. On the inside, there are shelves upon shelves of flora and fauna that are being cultivated in pots for various remedies and for sale. Some of the fungi have grown beyond their shelves.

Skein
After Mollymauk was hinting and fishing to perhaps buy some drugs, the owner retrieved a small satchel filled with fine blue-grey dust. The owner informed the party that it was a dried and ground fungus called Skein, called that because when you eat you can see the weave of time. An effective and popular drug it was mostly seen on the outskirt where it was not so heavily controlled and where there wasn't a huge jail time for it if caught. Mollymauk, Yasha, Fjord, and Beauregard each bought a (1gp) golden experience of the drug within a corked glass vial.

Health Potions
The store had four basic health potions that the owner wanted 240gp for the batch.

Through Fjord negotiating based on the going rate in neighboring towns and Beauregard intimidating the owner to ensure the party keeps his side business a secret, Fjord bought one healing potion for 50gp, receiving an extra vial of Skein for fun.

The Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities

 * &rarr; Main article: The Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities.

The carnival had set up east of the Loch Ward on the southern bank of the Ustaloch, having their first show on the day of Grissen (see Calendar of Tal'Dorei). This was where Mollymauk Tealeaf and Yasha worked, with Molly as an entertainer and Yasha as a security guard.

This carnival became the site of a ravenous zombie attack when an old man suddenly keeled over and transformed. The party was able to kill the zombie with minimal casualties. However, all of the performers except Yasha were taken into custody for suspicion of wrongdoing.

Rinaldo's House
This house belongs to Rinaldo, a meek middle-aged man with kind eyes, an unkempt chin beard, and cracked calloused fingers. It was in the process of being repaired, as this was where Beauregard, Fjord, and Jester had saved Rinaldo's daughter from a giant snake that had come out of the loch. He had taken a collection of 4gp, 22sp, 48cp from among the other local fisherman as means of rewarding the party for their service for having come and aided when no one else would. A scrawny young man around 14 or 15 with a puffy red afro and pale skin, who lived three houses up, had been helping the Rinaldo with various jobs and was using a large heavy butchering knife to carve the skin off the snake and fillet it for meat.

The damage sustained to the dwelling included: destroyed furniture and cabinets, its door being ripped off its hinges, and the roof partially collapsed.

Noah's Boat
Noah was a sailor and the owner of a large fishing vessel in the Loch Ward. The party, with Fjord's help, came to an arrangement and acquired safe passage to Crookedstone island in the center of the lake in exchange for a bottle of fire whiskey, though he settled for a bottle of cheap wine. A man in his mid-40s, he had a five-o’clock shadow and a small scar on the bottom left side of his chin. He wore a heavy knitted cap that was folded back on his shoulders and a long coat.

On the passage back to shore, the party (bringing along Kylre's head) tried to buy Noah's silence with six gold pieces, but after seeing Fjord disguised as a Crownsguard he immediately gave up the party in an attempt to absolve himself of any blame, saying that they had taken over his boat and forced him to take them to the island.

Hills Ward
Most of the money made by the surrounding rural farming community ends up in the center of this ward.

Crownsguard Stockade
The Crownsguard Stockade is a tall, single-story, rectangular building made of large stone. It is the main operating center for the Crownsguard in Trostenwald. Built for function, it was evidently made to be defensible rather than aesthetic beauty. The front of the building has two double doors flanked on each side by banners of the Crownsguard. The interior of the building is an open area with two central chairs for guards who are posted to watch the main gates of the front door. Beyond these chairs on the right is the lawmaster's office.

The Lawmaster's Office
A simple darkened room with a stone desk in the far end of the room from the door. The room also containing crates filled with pieces of paper, gathered evidence and confiscated weaponry.

Jail
Bypassing the lawmaster's office is a stair that leads a heavy locked door, that opens from the other side into subterranean basement area used for holding prisoners. Consisting of a long hallway, the length of holding area is flanked on both sides by ten iron-barred cells. The bars of each cell being two inches apart, and there is a general smell of mildew, compost, and urine that permeates the area.

Judgement Chamber
A large chamber with a stark barren stone interior with benches. In the center of the chamber, there are four or five steps leading down into a pit where prisoners are kept during the trial. Above the pit is a desk where the lawmaster sits in overseeing trials and rendering her judgement.

Hillsbrook Parchment and Binding
This shop is a boutique in a layout like a cross, with windows at the ends and a door at the back. The shop contains lots of books on farming technique, as well as books on how to grow and care for different types of vegetation, plants, and various beasts of burden. There are also books on the different seasons on what's best for different types of grain and wheat. There are a couple of books that deal with discussion on the Menagerie Coast, that talk about the Clovis Concord, and a discussion on the political structure that maintains the city states there.

The person who runs this shop is an older man by the name of Sheenah. The closest library is in Zadash up north. That is where the library of the Cobalt Soul resides. It's a bit pricey to peruse their selection.

Caleb found a book on hoe technique here called Jamison's Hoedown, priced at two silver pieces by Sheenah.

Warm Dew Bathhouse
Serving upper-class clientele, this small bathhouse was seen a bit pricey, Yorda mentioning that a single bath cost 5sp.

Taking Nott with him as his daughter, Caleb entered this establishment disguised as a handsome man with beautiful blond hair in fancy green robes and vomit stains down the front.

Upon entering the bathhouse, they were greeted by a thin, almost sickly looking, young human man in his mid-20s wearing long white robes and a yellowish scarf. For the two of them to have adjoining baths for two hours he charged 8sp.

Layout
In the entryway, there were marble busts and tapestries that are pulled back over the windows on either side which led into a hallway with the smell of lavender and the sound of soft music played by a resident violinist. This hallway led to two adjoining bath chambers separated by a low wall that came up to eye length, allowing for conversations but preserving privacy.

Sunlight beaming in through glass fog windows that obscured any details, these chambers each had two central basins filled with freshly steaming water. These basins were designed with a hinged desk piece that folded over the water so that books, food, and drinks could safely rest while a guest bathed. Guests were also provided with linens, towels, and a pitcher of cucumber water, these last two Nott had, upon her visit dumped onto the ground and ate all the cucumbers from, and tore into strips to replace her wrap bandages. Additionally Nott would go on to steal the brass doorknob to the room, and a decorative flower vase, and its contents which she later gave to Yasha.

North Ward
The general work around the water in this ward consisted largely of individuals moving crates around.

Market Area
A small market street where simple wears, vegetables, meats, and handcrafted goods could be purchased. It's within this market that the party discovered that the name of the old man who had transformed into a zombie creature was called Enon.

Burnished Biblios
This store is located on the southern portion of the North Ward by where it borders the Loch Ward on the outskirts of the market street. Looking like a closet or a sort of storage shed had been pushed up against or bolted onto another building, it was made out of driftwood-looking, heavily weathered wood, had one door leading in, and the windows were blocked out by materials stacked up against them. There was a general dusty and moldy smell to the shop due to water damage in a far corner. It was described as a cluttered, crammed mess, with every space being taken up by stacks of knick-knacks, small stuffed animals, toys, books, art pieces, glasses, and goblets.

Open for business at any hour, this book and trinket shop is owned by Oglen Hornsblower, a crotchety looking, scrawny old gnome, who had bought, traded, and found the various items in his collection. He had a cotton ball of hair around his head with a perfect u-shaped bald spot on top, small beady eyes, a bulbous nose and a matching tuft of hair on his chin. After some interactions, it became apparent that Oglen did not speak Zemnian.

Items of Interest
Caleb found two books of interest in the shop. One of the books appeared to be an old note and sketchbook written in a strange language and although it didn't radiate any magical aura it had hints of arcane nature in the back of the book. The other was a book written in Zemnian and translates to "Fiends of Folklore". Using his smell to determine the books values, Oglen wanted 3gp in exchange for the book on fiends, and 10gp for the sketchbook. Oglen was not a fan of Caleb's cat familiar, which Caleb proposed trading for the books.

Nott found and stole a shiny but dented brass baby-bottle and a tarnished platinum flask, which she switched out for her own flask filled with whiskey.

During their third visit to the establishment, Caleb managed to convince and then sell "Fiends of Folklore" back to Oglen for 1gp. During this time, while Oglen was distracted by that conversation, Nott stole back her original flask.

Upon later study, the sketchbook was determined to be an old spell book. Although one of the arcane inscriptions at the back of the book was incomplete due to fire damage, the book did contain two complete spells; Arcane Lock and Unseen Servant.

Baumbauch Family Brewery
Beauregard spent a night learning the Way of the Cobalt Soul from Expositor Dairon and Archivist Xenoth in one of this brewery's warehouses.

The Nestled Nook Inn
This two-story building located in the is where the party first met, and the first location described for the second campaign. Caleb and Nott slept in a second-floor room of this inn after an apparently rough evening. Beauregard, Fjord, and Jester met a patron at this inn to collect payment, which in turn led to the two groups meeting. Jester had etched a dick into one the tables at this inn. The inn has three rooms upstairs with a communal washroom at the very end of the hall. Although the hall does not contain windows, each of the rooms has a window, as well as a single bed, a nightstand, and a chair.

Employees

 * Yorda: A 40-something-year-old woman who is the tavern-keeper, rents out the rooms and seems to manage the inn. She had shoulder length blonde hair and weathered skin.
 * Adelaine: A redhead barmaid who rushed from table to table taking orders and going to and from the back kitchen to get meals for customers.

Job Board
The board currently has one sheet posted by someone in the Hills Ward looking for folks to do an extermination run near the southern portion of the Ustaloch. It looks like there seems to be a vole infestation.

Post Office
They have fast horseback courier services that run all along the roads in the empire and with approval outside the empire to the south and west. The courier the party met was a young boyish girl with shortish brushed hair, freckles and a bit of dirt on her cheeks, she wore leather armor.

Jester utilized these services to send a letter to her mother requesting money to be sent to her in Zadash. Delivery from Trostenwald to Nicodranas on the Menagerie Coast cost her 5gp.

Beauregard pretending to be a representative of the Baumbauch family, frauduently collected 3 parcels from the courier, paying them 1gp for their delivery.

Notable Houses
The Baumbauch House is one of the three brewer families in Trostenwald. Beauregard, Fjord, and Jester helped to load crates for this house and swindled from their employees. They met Dimmidon Baumbauch during this job, though they came to calling him 'Dimmi-douche'. This house also has the blessing of Fryda Langer, the Starosta.

The Husseldorf House is one of the three brewer families in Trostenwald. The party visits their brewery during a brewery tour. They met Voss and June, two women who run the brewery facility.

The von Brandt House is one of the three brewer families in Trostenwald The party visits their brewery during a brewery tour.

When the party arrives in the town, there is a new visiting carnival called "The Fletching and Moondrop Traveling Carnival of Curiosities". This carnival is the site of a zombie attack that the new party helped stop.

Trivia

 * The town was originally spelled "Trostenwold" by Kelly Knox in a Geek & Sundry article, but the name is spelled "Trostenwald" on the official map by Deven Rue. The Geek & Sundry article's spelling was corrected to "Trostenwald," so this article assumes that the map has the correct spelling.