Starfall Weekly

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

nightdruid

May 24, 2006 13:54:01		Hey guys,

I'm starting something totally new today. In a
nutshell, I'm writing up a SJ village in the vein of
Shadowdale/Hommlet. Instead of trying to do
everything at once and have it ultimately go nowhere,
I want to just do one piece at a time, and post them
on a weekly basis. Each piece will cover something
related to the village, be it a business, rumors, an
NPC, spell, monster, etc. Whatever catches my fancy
that week. Anyho, here's the overview. Enjoy!

Adam

Village of Starfall (Elven Outpost Star of Sehanine)

Overview: Starfall is a small village of about 200
permanent residents located in heart of a small group
of about a dozen or two asteroids. The village has
been built upon the ruins of an ancient elven outpost,
the Star of Sehanine. Much of the old base is now
buried under centuries of dust and rock; only the
central tower, the tree-like wings and the tails of
the archaic Man-O-Wars remain uncovered. The village
is built on a circular platform 150’ wide. The
underside is a grass-covered hill about 150’ wide at
the base and just under 80’ tall. From afar, the
whole looks like an upside-down grassy hill, with a
simple town surrounded by tall trees built on the flat
part. There are seven spars around the perimeter of
the town. Each leads to a blue, translucent road that
heads off to a nearby asteroid. The roads facilitate
travel by foot to seven nearby asteroids that are on
average a day’s walk away.

The dominant feature of Starfall is its mill. The
central tower, the only originally elven structure to
have survived intact, has been converted into a mill.
Four draft ponies, which resemble miniature
Clydesdales, turn the millstone and grinds grain
farmed on nearby asteroids. Wheat is brought in by
pony-driven carts, arriving every few days to be
milled. Surplus flour is sold to passing trade ship.
The village usually sees one ship, usually a
tradesman, wasp, mosquito, or dragonfly, once every
other standard week. The ship is most often bound for
a major port, such as the Rock of Bral.

Space is a premium in Starfall. Topside buildings are
always two or three stories tall. Many residents and
businesses have set up shop in the remaining interior
levels, occupying the space underneath the seven
spars. Rumors persist of levels below that, although
no known entrances exist. No effort to excavate the
area has occurred in recent memory due to fear of
causing a catastrophic collapse of the hill.

Starfall is a human village, with a smattering of
other races. For the most part the residents are
simple farmers and shopkeepers. They do not possess
much in the way of wealth or treasure. Trade is
through barter rather than by coin. It would be an
unprofitable target for pirates and slavers alike as
the village has little loot to be taken and the
villagers fight like devils. Though a single
deathspider could raze the village, the neogi,
illithids and other major slavers do not know its
location, or do not consider it worth their bother.

Like any village, Starfall has its share of problems.
Outlying farms have been raided by kobolds, goblins,
and other small humanoids. A lumberjack was recently
mauled by a rogue owlbear. A group of elves has been
harassing travelers, demanding tolls for use of the
Star Roads. A recent ship brought an infestation of
giant rats that threaten to ruin the grain stores.
Wilder rumors claim a vampire have been feeding on
livestock and even attacked lone shepherds. Legends
claim that there are ruins to an ancient civilization
on one or more of the asteroids, and even go so far as
to claim that the whole asteroid group was once part
of a larger world. Titanic magic tore the planet
apart and destroyed whoever lived upon it.

The village is a good place for neophyte characters to
begin building their reputations as adventurers in the
Spelljamming setting. All of the asteroids in the
group are joined by Star Roads, allowing them travel
to any given asteroid without need of a ship.