The rutted King's Road leads to the foot of a broad hill that holds the walled village of Winterhaven. The village is nestled in the southern foothills of the Cairngorm Peaks. The walls are weathered stone topped by defensive palisades. Small thatched homes stand around Winterhaven, each fronting a small piece of farmland or pasture. Beyond the farms to the west and south lie the dark woods and to the north, tall mountain peaks.
Most residents of Winterhaven have never traveled beyond the village vale. The majority of the villagers are farmers, thought the walled heart of Winterhaven employs various craftspeople as well. Wagon's occasionally head east down the old King's Road from Winterhaven to find trade with the next village, which lies five days away. Sometimes wagons come into Winterhaven, causing villagers to excitedly gather in the Market Square to hear news of the outside world and to buy new and exotic goods.
Leadership: Ernest Padraig, the Lord of Winterhaven, is descended from the noble family that ruled the area under the edict of the old empire. Folks around Winterhaven were happy with Lord Padraig's father's authority, and they have found answering to the rules of the new lord no more arduous. On the other hand, Padraig doesn't have absolute power. For instance, he has been unable to raise a force among the villagers to deal with the kobold problem on the road.
Padraig commands the Winterhaven Regulars, a core group of ten soldiers who perform guard and police functions in and around the walled portion of the village. The Regulars patrol in pairs. To augment this force, Padraig can muster a group of about fifty civilians, given a days notice. However, he can only do this if the village itself is threatened - the villagers have no desire to patrol the road beyond the farms.
Demographics: The population of Winterhaven is predominately human, with a scattering of dwarven families, and a handful of individuals from other common races, including a couple elves.
Economics: Winterhaven is primarily an agricultural village based on the barter and trade, though Lord Padraig keeps a monetary system afloat with his own coin. Adventurers should have no trouble purchasing appropriate items for which they have sufficient coin.
