The Quail Valley

Overview:
The Quail Valley is a rustic area far from the reaches of the "civilized" lands of the west and nestled neatly in the middle of the Gaskar Mountain Range. Officially part of the "Free Range" no nation currently lays claim to the fertile land found within the valley, and instead it is governed by a regional lord (in this case, Lord Kyle). The Quail Valley is bordered on the north by the Frozen Wastes and home of the frost giant nation, and to the south, east, and west by extensive tracts of the Gaskar Mountain Range. The Quail Valley sees little traffic outside the occasional merchant caravan traveling between cities that lie far to the south and the border colonies of the north, supply barges which travel the River Wren and Quail carrying supplies of ore from Twain, and the occasional adventurer looking for excitement and treasure.

Villages and Towns:

• Pembrose: Run by Lord Kyle, this is the largest of the three villages in the valley. its marketplace is also the valley's economic center.
• Bostwick: A village at the valley's north end, Bostwick is home to Jeffar, priestess of the Churck of the Ever Shining Sun, and the powerful Mayor Wycheck.
  
• Twain: A village at the valley's east end near the Thorfax mines. Although the smallest of the three villages, it is home to Crus, a former adventurer of some note.

Rivers:

• Quail River: Fed by tributaries running out of the Gaskar Hills, the Quail flows west to east and provides a means of transportation between Pembrose and Twain. A well-worn road travels along its northern bank.
  
• River Wren: The river flows south to north and is a thoroughfare between Bostick and Pembrose. A fairly sturdy dirt road can be found along its eastern bank.

The Wilderness:

• Farmlands: The land that borders both the Quail River and the River Wren are well irrigated and easily farmed. Most of the farmers live within ten miles of one of the three villages (allowing for easy travel within a day), and are propersous enough that they do sell a portion of their crop to the villages for export. There are; however, several small homesteads dotting the landscape along both rivers who subside on what they grow and enjoy trading room and board for everything from exciting tales from the outside to goods and services.
• The Forrest of Nin: The Forest of Nin is a dense old growth forest that is thick with fallen moss-covered trees and knee-high (to a human at least) underbrush. From spring to fall the high leaf cover shadows the forest floor, providing excellent camouflage for the forest's many denizens. The forest is hilly in places as well, and several caves have been known to dot those areas. Travel is difficult for most people, let alone riding animals, which makes much of the forest unexplored wilderness waiting for exploration.
• Gaskar Hills: The surrounding hills are lightly wooded and gently flowing before climbing steeply into the mountain range. Numerous streams and brooks trickle down out of these hills, feeding both the Wren and Quail rivers. Little undergrowth exists in these areas, and they are regularly forested for building materials in the valley. Aside from providing the valley with much fine ore from the Thorfax Mines, the Gaskar Hills have been known to be less hospitable than the Forest of Nin and as such the locals avoid traveling too far off the beaten path and away from the civilized areas.
  
• Gaskar Mountains: The mountain range surrounding The Quail Valley is nearly impassable to all but the most skilled mountaineer or dwarf. Snowy peaks cap the mountains year-round although the temperate nature of the area allows for regular melting to feed the local rivers and streams.
  

Pembrose

Description:
Located at the confluence of the Wren and Quail rivers, Pembrose, with its 600-plus residents, is by far the largest settlement in the valley. The fertile riverbed provides excellent farmland; the Forest of nin supplies lumber; and the two rivers, along with their adjacent roads provide ample means of shipping goods in and out of the valley. The village borders the River Wren, and there are several docs and warehouses along its banks. A large central market where commoners and adventurers alike can find most anything that they need dominates Pembrose. Lord Kyle's manor sits on the village's northwestern perimeter, surrounded by farmland and his private hunting grounds.

Places of Interest:

• Lord Kyle's Manor: Home of the lord of the valley and the largest residence in the valley.
  
• The Town Square and Market: A central gathering point for Pembrose with a large statue of Lord Kyle's father triumphantly placed in the middle.
  
• Culwert's Perfect Armory: Odger's quiet workaholic brother runs this armory.
  
• Odger's Excellent Arms: Culwert's chattier younger brother runs this weapon shop.
  
• Tinker's Trinkets: The gnome Tinker runs this eccentric pawnshop.
  
• Osgood's General Store: Osgood sells the basic sundries an adventurer could need.
  
• Regis Baum's Fine Wines: Business and home to the second most prosperous family in town.
  
• The Green Table: The local's tavern of choice. Rowdy and uncontrolled on weekends when the locals gather for fun, entertainment, and the occasional brawl.
  
• Constable's Office: Constable Wershaw runs the town like a well oiled machine from here.
  
• The Lonesome Drake Inn and Brewery: The only inn in town and significantly more well refined than The Green Table. The local middle-class prefers to spend its nights and weekends gathering here.
  

Lord Kyle - Lord of the Quail Valley

Lord Kyle:
Kyle's wealth so outrageously dwarfs that of anyone else's in the valley that he makes a serious effort to appear "common". He is a fairly young and attractive human with blond hair and a bright wide smile. He is extremely well mannered, and enjoys hearing tales of the adventure and excitement his post prohibits him from entertaining. Always a sucker for a good tale, he has been known to hire adventurers whenever they pass through for a variety of tasks his own people can't handle. Lord Kyle is the latest in a line of aristocracy that have watched over the valley for the last 143 years, only recently taking over his duties when his father died of natural causes at age 73.

The Manor:
Situated a quarter-mile northwest of Pembrose, this twelve-room, three story estate is surrounded by one hundred acres of farmland, private hunting grounds, and an orange grove. The gates to his home are twelve feet high and guarded by two men-at-arms. A barracks also exists on the grounds where the remainder of his staff (which includes a cook, maid, two stable boys, a butler, and several farmhands) all live on-site. The local farms that serve him tend to his six horses, twenty-five head of cattle, forty to fifty chickens.

Adventure Hooks:
He has recently approached the PCs to deal with a hobgoblin threat at a local abandoned border fort.

Tinker - Gnome Shopkeeper

Tinker:
Tinker is a red bearded gnome who suffers from the same boundless energy as the rest of his race. Known to be a former adventurer himself, Tinker has made a nice life for himself in the town of Pembrose selling trinkets, jewelry, and anything else he can get his hands on. Tinker is renowned to be tight-fisted with everything from tales from his past to the potion on his shelves.

Tinker's Trinkets:
This store is both a boon and bane to adventurers that make their way to Pembrose. Tinker can eventually find nearly anything his clients may desire; however, his prices are known to be outrageous and he shows little sign of favoritism to anybody. His store also contains many breakable items up-front near the door to profit on potential "you break it, you buy it" scenarios his equipment ridden adventurer clients may bring.

Adventure Hooks:
None

Odger - Master Weaponsmith

Odger Redbeard:
Odger is a younger, yet nearly identical looking dwarf to his older brother Culwert, although he always appears to be in much better spirits. Odger is a capable weaponsmith, but tends to run his business a bit looser than his brother, running odd hours and spending much time drinking at the Green Table with the rest of the locals.

Odger's Excellent Arms:
Located next to his brother's shop in the Pembrose Market Square, this weapon shop contains enough armaments to equip a small armory. Odger runs a fair amount of trade north to the ongoing border skirmishes with the Frozen Horde outside the valley, and maintains his collection in full view prior to shipping them monthly on a barge traveling north. Odger's store contains an above average number of masterwork weapons for sale, all of which are of beautiful craftsmanship.

Adventure Hooks:
None

Culwert - Master Armorer

Culwert Redbeard:
Culwert is a venerable dwarf with a huge paunch and a nearly permanent "suntan" caused by the fires from his ever-burning forge. He wears a large scowl most of the time and can be found working in his shop at least ten hours a day. He is very tight lipped and prefers not to talk to his customers beyond what is required during business transactions; after all, time is money.

Culwert's Perfect Armory:
This armory is located next to his brother's shop in the Pembrose Market Square, and is stocked to the brim with standard-issue and fine masterwork armor forged from the iron gathered from the Twain mine to the east. His business sees swift trade out of the valley, and as such Culwert runs a tight ship with the help of his forge-boy Squirt.

Adventure Hooks:
None

Constable Wershaw - The Lawgiver

Constable Wershaw:
Constable Wershaw is a thickly built half-orc with a near-permanent scowl on his face, and a reputation for a no-nonsense attitude. He can be just as likely to be found in the local constabulary as he is on horseback scouting the surrounding area, or merely strolling through town keeping his eye out for the rare troublemaker. He is a skilled swordsman and a known veteran of at least two large-scale conflicts before he settled down in this peaceful town (which he prefers to keep that way). Wershaw is easily one of the most respected individuals in the entire valley, a reputation he is proud to maintain.

The Constabulary:
This one-story brick building is easily the most well fortified building in Pembrose. A pair of thick iron bound wood doors leads to a crowded armory where the militia stores its gear and rests between patrols. A set of stairs leads to a dark cellar where the dungeon cells await the unruly and unlawful. Although certainly more comfortable than most dungeon environments, only a little light, and thin straw mattresses await those who are locked up.

The Law:
Constable Wershaw commands a small militia of well-trained soldiers to keep the peace in Pembrose and the surrounding countryside. Lawbreakers must deal with his swift and formidable punishments, as he will not tolerate unruly behavior or impudence. Crossing Constable Wershaw is known throughout the valley as a good way to find one out of gold via fines or locked in his dungeons for a long time. Adventurers in particular often find their fines doubled, tripped, or even multiplied tenfold in an effort to keep things peaceful in the town of Pembrose.

• Littering: 1gp fine per incidence.
  
• Public Drunkedness: 12 hours in dungeon
  
• Disturbing the Peace: 1 day in dungeon and a 5gp fine per incidence.
• Petty Theft (less than 5gp in value): Hard labor under a work-share program with the local farms for 1 day per gold piece stolen, non-work times spent in town dungeon, equal restitution to the victim.
  
• Theft (more than 5gp in value): Hard labor under a work-share program with the local farms for 1 week per 5 gold pieces stolen, non-work times spent in town dungeon, equal restitution to the victim.
• Assault: Public flogging, one week in public stockade, one month in dungeon, 50gp fine.
  
• Rape: Death by dunking.
• Murder: Death by flogging.
  

Adventure Hooks:
None

Regis Baum's Fine Wines

Overview:
Pembrose Red, a light fruity table wine, is bottled, sold , and distributed from this large, two story building. The wine shop itself is bright and airy taking up the entirety of the first floor of the building. The second story is a comfortable six-room home which exudes a level of richness the rest of the town (beyond Lord Kyle's Manor) lacks. The wine is stored and distributed from a large warehouse next door to the shop. The wine itself is harvested and made by their head vintner, Dylan Boxtogger who's ability to harvest the grapes during the perfect time each season from the hills in the surrounding areas is legendary.

Regis Baum:
Regis is a hefty man in his mid-50's who's rewound for driving a bargain harder than anybody else in the valley, with the possible exception of Tinker the gnome. He can be regularly found maintaining the shop or out in the hills with Dylan examining his upcoming harvests. Regis has a reputation as a bit of a ladies man and always attempts to show his ability to charm women when an attractive female patron walks in.

Winfred Baum:
A very handsome woman in her mid-40's, Winfred Baum prefers not to get her hands dirty in the fields, and instead would rather gossip around town or on the rare occasion, sit in the store and complain about how business could be better in a more metropolitan locale. Winfred wears a stunning hexagonal diamond pendant which she obviously flaunts to display her wealth and station in Pembrose.

Adventure Hooks:
None