Dunstone’s granite walls sprawl lazily across a hilltop south of the massive Mottled Spire. In bygone times, monsters sallied from the Mottled Spire’s twisted canyons, their onslaughts only stopped by the brave Dunstonian forces. Now after generations of quiet, the town’s once formidable moat is used by grazing sheep and playing children. The insular community has become peaceful but peace has led the town to become stuck in its old ways. A new ruler seeks to slough off Dunstone’s years of quiet and idleness to usher the town into a new era. Guilds practice their crafts, preparing to send their goods throughout the Duchy of Ashlar. Yet, the Mottled Spire and the environs beyond are never quiet. A vile creature has emerged from Gloamhold’s depths to prey on the unsuspecting townsfolk.

• Ruler Benjam Oksanen

• Government Overlord

• Population 3,574 (3,493 humans, 18 dwarves, 4 elves, 5 half-elves, 11 half-orcs, 33 halflings, 10 gnomes) 

• Alignments LG, NG, N, LN, LE, NE

• Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven

The town of Dunstone hunches under the menacing gaze of the nearby Mottled Spire’s, granitic bulk. A crumbling 12 ft. wall of granite encircles the original town, also protected by an old, moss covered fortress. The fort watches over sagging row houses meandering across a low hill towards the Selka River. Here surly guardsmen oversee a rickety wooden bridge spanning the river and the path towards the Mottled Spire. In bygone days, monsters crawled out of Gloamhold and down from the Mottled Spire to die against Dunstone’s walls and formidable moat. Now the moat is a grassy slope where pigs graze and children play.

The last bastion of civilization before the Mottled Spire, the townsfolk are a resilient and hardy folk. Often cut off from the rest of the Duchy of Ashlar during the deep winter, locals trade whispers and gossip amongst themselves. A tightknit community, strangers are treated with suspicion until they prove themselves to be honest and hardworking folk like the Dunstonians. The townspeople engage in farming, raising livestock and crafting trade goods. Except for traveling merchants, few from Dunstone travel into the larger world, though an occasional brash youth dares the hardships of the Mottled Spire. All remember the failed expedition of Greystone.

Lord Benjam Oksanen rules Dunstone fairly though he is approaching the end of his years. His young grandson, Aavo, will inherit, Aavo’s father having perished long ago in the Mottled Spire. Aavo seeks to revitalize Dunstone’s sagging fortunes by granting tax incentives for merchants to carry Dunstone’s goods throughout Ashlar. He also wishes to bolster the meagre forces of the Knights of the Eternal Watch, a knighthood with ties to the local Temple of Darlen, and mount further expeditions into the Mottled Spire. Finally, Aavo eagerly seeks promising adventurers to map the many canyons and trails crawling through the granite behemoth to Gloamhold itself. An influx of wealth might just break the lethargy hanging over a town clinging to its old ways. Yet, even Aavo is not aware of the growing threat in Dunstone. Something sinister crawled up from the depths of Gloamhold, a creature with a malign alien intelligence seeking to integrate itself into the town.

Trade & Industry

Dunstone’s industry relies primarily on its farmers who grow produce and raise livestock, particularly pigs and sheep. Excess goods sell at the Farmer’s Market with the Connite priests buying food which would go to waste for the town’s poor and struggling families. Slaughtered livestock is sold to members of the Butcher’s Guild and the many taverns. As winter approaches, the meat is salted and stored for the lean, cold months. A few townsfolk make their living fishing trout in the fast flowing Selka River. A good day’s catch can command a tidy sum, particularly from the inns and taverns. It’s not uncommon during a cold winter when parts of the Selka freeze over, to see small fishing huts dotting its frozen surface.

Many craftsmen live in town, producing clothing, dyes and simple pottery. The Brewers’ Guild is Dunstone’s fasting growing guild. In addition to beer and fruit wines, Dunstone is becoming known for its hard liquors due to the excellent sources of nearby peat. The Butchers’ Guild also commands much power and respect in Dunstone, serving both the farmer raising the meat and the inns, taverns and common folk.

Brewers’ Guild: Brewers have been in Dunstone since its beginning but did not start to organize until the arrival of Verna Brandybottle. Verna’s immense knowledge of distilling hard spirits and her willingness to share techniques (but not her famous recipes) lead to the founding of several small distilleries. Dunstone liquors have a particularly smoky character. As bottles of liquor reach new markets, the distilleries find demand for their products increasing. The distilleries, while secretive of their recipes, work together to promote their products.

Butchers’ Guild: Dunstone’s butchers organize themselves along specialities. Some service the common folk, offering various cheap cuts of meat. Others specialize in one or two animals, working with specific farmers to offer premium cuts of meat for upper-class (or rich) customers. Certain inns and taverns have exclusive contracts with certain butchers to offer consistency in their fare. Despite their specialities, all butchers adhere to specific regulations imposed by their guild leader, Whurkus Kildann, to stabilize prices and ensure only quality and safe meat is safe. Kildann promotes this front to hide his own suspect activities (as well as cleverly ensuring he has no black-market competitors).

Notable Locations

Most of Dunstone comprises peasant homes and businesses of little note. A few locations, however, are of interest to adventurers:

1. Dunstone Keep: Home to the Oksanen family, rulers of Dunstone, the keep serves as a bastion against predators emerging from the Mottled Spire. The lord’s grandson, Aavo, has taken over the duties of rulership in hopes of reinvigorating the town.

2. Tower of the Sword: This stout tower houses the local church of Darlen and a sacred relic of the Father. A garrison of the Knights of the Eternal Watch also headquarter here, charged with the task of keeping the town safe.

3. Bastion of Peace: Worshippers of Conn gather here, a place that is the heart and soul of the community.

4. Sheep Knuckles: This strange inn sticks out in Dunstone but is a beloved drinking spot for the locals. Various forms of entertainment take place here nightly.

5. The Gilded Swan: One of Dunstone’s most prominent inns, it has secretly been taken over by an intellect devourer. Various hedonistic delights can be had here for a price.

6. Kildann’s Cuts: Renowned for its quality meats, its owner, a wanted fugitive, also offers a special menu comprising the flesh of exotic creatures.

7. Rekola Manor: Once a wizarding school, the manor and family have fallen into decay. Its current patriarch seeks to repair the family’s fortunes.

8. Brandybottle Distillery: This halfling-owned distillery is known for its fine spirits. Its owner, Verna Brandybottle single- handedly started a brewing revival in Dunstone.

9. Fisfelond’s Smithy: An inconspicuous smithy, its aging elven weaponsmith makes renowned weapons for the true of heart or for Dunstone’s protection.

10. Farmer’s Market: The local farmers congregate here to sell produce in a festival-like atmosphere with lively music and fresh beer.

11. Trade Market: The trade market allows various guilds to sell their wares and intermingle. Special events occur frequently to showcase a particular guild or business’s wares.

Notable Folk

Most of the population are nothing more than hardworking peasants. A few, however, are of interest to adventurers:

• Aavo Lahti (location 1; LN male human fighter 5/thief 5/bard 2) A young idealist, Aavo help to turn Dunstone around.

• Benjam Lahti (location 1; LN old male human fighter 5) The ancient lord rules Dunstone and is resistant to change.

• Dulannis Fisfelond (location 9; LG male elf fighter 6) Dulannis has lived in Dunstone for decades and makes high-quality weapons.

• Joonas Mattila (location 2; LG old male human cleric [Darlen] 5) Joonas is high priest of the local Temple of Darlen and leads the Knights of the Eternal Watch stationed therein.

• Mari Parviainen (location 11; NG female half-elf) Mari works closely with Aavo in revitalizing Dunstone.

• Marjo Oiva (location 3; NG old female human cleric [Conn] 4) The aging priestess of Conn, Marjo works with the town’s newest generation.

• Roosa Lajunen (location 4; CG female gnome illusionist 3) An inn keep and amateur magician, Roosa is often plagued by strange dreams.

• Soili Kotka (location 10; LG female human) Soili organizes and plans the frequent farmer’s markets and is the town’s biggest gossip.

• Thrayxix/Jyrki Klemetti (location 5; CE intellect devourer) Thrayxix poses as a businessman while creating a secret thieves’ guild and plotting Dunstone’s ruination.

• Verna Brandybottle (location 8; NG female halfling) Verna hails from the Lonely Coast. She runs the Brandybottle Distillery and heads the Brewery Guild.

• Vieno Rekola (location 7; N old male human wizard 4) A feeble old wizard, Vieno laments his family’s decline in the magical arts as he seeks new items and spells.

• Whurkus Kildann (location 6; LE male dwarf thief 4) Wanted in his native lands, Whurkus heads the Butcher’s Guild and is known for his exotic meats.

Want More?

While designed for the Ashlar and Gloamhold campaign setting, the town of Dunstone is easy to insert into almost any GM’s personal campaign. Other Dulwich resources include:

• The Towns of Ashlar Collection: The Towns of Ashlar Collection presents both Dulwich and Dunstone. Both towns are designed for the Ashlar campaign setting, but can easily be inserted into virtually any GM's campaign. The collection is available in 5e, OSR and 1st edition Pathfinder versions.

• Free Town Maps: The Ashlarian Town Maps free download contained tagged and untagged maps for Dulwich and Dunstone.

• Delthur’s Folly: This Dungeon Backdrop is nominally set near the town, but is easily adapted to almost any campaign. Delthur’s Folly appears in GM's Miscellany’s Dungeon Backdrops (which is available in 5e, OSR and Pathfinder editions).