For centuries, the people of Aldwater have guarded and revered the wooden labyrinth holding the their ancestors' remains. Only the Spiritspeaker ever ventures inside, using an ancient relic to hold council with the dead. The wisdom of the council is vast, but not without fault, and for several years the advice of the ancestral spirits has done nothing to halt Aldwater's increasing plight. Each season, the fishermen and trappers bring back a little less, and the children grow up a little hungrier.

In desperation, the Spiritspeaker recently allowed outsiders to petition the ancestors with questions, in return for donations. The influx of strangers in search of answers to lost questions and ancient riddles has brought much needed income to Aldwater, but resentment and anger brews among those who feel their most sacred traditions have been violated.

• Ruler: Leodus Breurk

• Government: Magical

• Population: 134 (125 humans, 1 gnome, 2 half-elves, 1 half-orc, 5 halflings)

• Alignments: LG, CG, N

• Languages: Bullywug, Common, Draconic

• Resources & Industry: Fishing, hunting, trapping

For centuries, Aldwater has stood where the waters of Blackraven Creek run into the Deepmire Marshes. A fertile estuary, this intersection was once home to abundant fish and game. Though far from trade routes and civilisation, the villagers dwelled here in harmony with the surrounds for hundreds of years.

But there is more to Aldwater than meets the eye. When a wise shaman of the village died, the citizens determined their council was still needed. They placed the body on an island at the mouth of the creek, and devised a ritual to commune with the deceased’s soul. Over time, the complexity of the ritual and the number of corpses grew. Now the island shrine has grown into a wooden labyrinth holding the remains of each generation’s elders.

At regular intervals, the spiritual leader of Aldwater, Leodus Breurk the Spiritspeaker, enters the labyrinth to commune with his predecessors’ mummified heads using an ancient relic called the Crown of Eternal Council.

While wise, the collective knowledge of the council is limited to what the individual members knew at the time of their death. The council’s traditionalist advice has not been adequate to deal with a recent decrease in the populations of fish and marsh animals the villagers rely upon to survive. The villagers suspect this decrease is caused by subtle changes in the environment, but strange mutations in some of the animals hint at more sinister forces at work. Fear of hostile bullywug tribes and savage monsters has so far dissuaded the villagers from travelling deep into the Deepmire Marshes to investigate. Imaginations run wild, and the villagers are becoming desperate.

Faced with the prospect of starvation, Leodus Breurk made an unprecedented decision. When a wizard from the nearby village of Fulhurst Moors approached him seeking information about ancient sacrificial sites in the marshes, Leodus agreed to ask the ancestors for the information in return for a sizeable donation.

Since then, Leodus has petitioned the ancestors for advice on behalf of dozens of different strangers, and word is slowly spreading. Each new visitor brings much needed gold, which the villagers use to purchase food and better hunting equipment. They stave off starvation one windfall at a time.

However, many villagers feel the new practice is tantamount to sacrilege. A rift is growing in Aldwater, and there is no easy solution. Should the village sacrifice the dignity of their ancestors? Or must they starve?

Notable Locations

Most of the Aldwater comprises peasant homes. A few locations, however, are of interest to adventurers:

1. Brexander Greenroot’s House: Here dwells the village’s most experienced marsh guide, and a vocal opponent of the Spiritspeaker’s new policy.

2. Guardian’s Hall: The warriors who guard the Labyrinth of the Ancestors and serve as the village militia dwell here.

3. Hyle’s Marsh Tours: Hyle Merrin, a jealous marsh guide, runs tours from his waterfront hut.

4. Juhani’s Goods: The semi-competent, often drugged, Juhani Munk runs the only real shop in the village.

5. Labyrinth of the Ancestors: This wooden maze contains the earthly remains of Aldwater’s dead.

6. Spiritspeaker's House: This elegant and well-furnished building is home to Spiritspeaker Leodus Breurk.

7. Smallharbour: From Smallharbour the honest Kynell Lawain ferries hides and fish up the waterways and returns with trade goods from nearby settlements.

8. Terric Modan's House: Here dwells Terric Modan, orphan, outcast and budding sorcerer.

9. The Roaring Dragon: The newly established inn, which many locals jokingly refer to as "The Burping Lizard", is often busy.

Want More?

Village Backdrop: Aldwater by Jeff Gomez and Jacob Trier is available at our store both in paid and free editions. Download your copies and add Aldwater to your campaign today!