Town of Moonfen

Moonfen is a quiet, mist-shrouded Elven village of sheep-herders, druids, and watchful guardians nestled on the fringes of the Moonfen Forest, where the trees drip with dew and whisper with the breath of old magic. Built along stone terraces and shallow hillocks, the village is half-buried in mist at dawn and dusk, giving it a dreamlike quality even in the daylight.

The flocks here are smaller but purer, bred for Moonwool, a silvery, shimmering fleece with natural resistance to enchantments and illusion. Moonfen's sheep are said to graze only under the stars or in the half-light of fog, and they move as though sensing distant rhythms of the world.

Though rustic, Moonfen is as strategic as it is mystical: it guards the veil between civilization and the unknowable Moonfen wilds.

Royal Sponsorship

Moonfen's lands and ranches are officially sanctioned by King Rhysanus, part of the greater effort to stabilize the Vale and reclaim its natural glory. The sheep here are sacred, not just for their wool, but for their proximity to the Moonfen's magic, making their fleece suitable for cloaks, glamours, and illusion-resistant garments.

The King's agents regularly pass through to check for signs of fey activity, leyline shifts, or arcane disturbances. There is no permanent royal garrison, but a hidden watchpost is manned by Moonwardens, a reclusive scouting order reporting directly to the royal court.

Setting and Environment

• Forest Encroachment: Buildings are constructed between mossy stones, ancient tree roots, and crumbling ruins of pre-Human occupation. Lanterns and runestones glow faintly to keep spirits and beasts at bay.
• The Silverpastures: Rather than open hills, sheep here graze in cleared glades, stone-walled meadows, and terraced ridges lined with warding runes.
• Mist-Stone Paths: Roads are uneven and winding, paved in hexagonal fae stones which hum faintly in moonlight.

The village is known for strange dreams, prophetic insights, and occasional song-haunted nights, when the wind sounds like choral voices.

Strategic and Political Importance

• Moonfen serves as an early-warning outpost on the border of untamed magical terrain.
• Its wool fetches twice the price of Faerlyn's, but production is slower and seasonal.
• The Order of the Silver Oak (a druidic ministry loyal to the King) has a presence here, quietly guiding the villagers and tending to the old stones.

Governance

Moonfen is overseen by Hearthwarden Rothalyn Myreleaf, and by a council of ranching families, craft-masters, and priestesses.

Menu

1. The Hollow Hearth: Communal hall and village meeting house. Built from live ashwood and sunk halfway into a hill, it glows with blue flame during rituals. Keeper: Aelethra Moondew, an elderly priestess with prophetic dreams.
2. Woolmist Enclave: Home of the three main ranching families. The buildings are interconnected by vine-covered walkways. The matriarchs speak in riddles and dreams.
3. The Moonward Pens: Contained pastures surrounded by thornhedge barriers and whispering stones. The sheep here glow faintly when startled.
4. Silver Fleece Loomhouse: Central workshop where Moonwool is spun, sung into thread, and blessed. Master Weaver: Tylion Ethasai, who has one blind eye that sees illusions.
5. Glimmist Well: The sacred water source. Crystal-clear and lightly glowing, it feeds a small stream through the village. Occasionally whispers echo from its depths.
6. Hollowroot Apothecary: Half-buried herbalist's shop known for tinctures against madness, sleepwalking, and fae-sickness. Run by Delvana Rootcloak, a gnome herbalist.
7. Watchpost Eluneth: A hidden outpost concealed in a hollow tree. Moonwarden scouts emerge from here when called.
8. The Silverwool Trading Post: Sells enchanted wool, weavings, and sometimes relics "found" near the forest edge. Trader: Sarun Velith, a soft-spoken half-elf with a shady past.
9. Moonfen Shrine: Altar ring dedicated to the Spirits of Mist and Light. A floating stone hovers above it during high moons. Rituals here include silence, salt offerings, and dream incense.
10. Mistcaller's Hollow: Home of Velarien Mistvein, an old ranger who can summon low-lying fogs and conceal the town in emergencies. Mentor to the youth.
11. Starwatch Perch: Small stone tower used to observe the stars and detect leyline drift. Manned by Veysha the Stargazer, a mute seer who writes in runes.
12. Foghorn Belltower: A strange, bent spire that rings without sound. Only magical beings can hear it. Used to ward off spirits.
13. Shearer's Cottage: A three-family cooperative of shearers, whose curved blades are blessed against fey tangles and bloodworms.
14. Stonebound Barn: The community's emergency store of wool, herbs, tools, and dried food. Guarded by glyphs.
15. The Murkmill: A slow-turning water mill that runs on the Glimmist Stream. Operated by Tholen Faershade, who drinks too much and talks to crows.
16. Lanternkeeper's Home: Dwelling of Nyrril of the Gleam, who lights, crafts, and magically tunes all lanterns in the village. Her lamps can show hidden paths.
17. Brambleshade Inn: A mossy guesthouse for passing dignitaries, herbalists, and pilgrims. Offers safety charms to guests. Proprietors: Iliaran & Dellin, married stewards.
18. Old Stone Circle: Uninhabited, but used for solstice rites. Runes here glow faintly when storms approach.
19. Tannery & Felt House: Hidden on the far edge of the village. Makes Moonfelt, thick magical wool used in elven boots and gauntlets. Tended by Meraun Wyrdcloak and her half-wolfhound companions.
20. Hearthwarden's Home: Official residence of Rothalyn Myreleaf. A soft-voiced man with a serpentwood staff and sad, far-seeing eyes.
21. Shadewatch Gate: A standing arch of living trees marking the path into Moonfen Forest. Maintained by an Elf named Saevira, who cannot leave but sees far into the woods.