Week

A view of Week's artificial inlet

Week is a village in the county of Chrichheim, constructed on the shore of Loch Mor. It has a population of 680, making it a decently-sized village, but it's population has begun to decline due to competition from other settlements on the loch.

The village was originally founded as a fishing settlement but over the years has developed a few other key industries, most notably a glassworks and a distillery. Like most settlements in Chrichheim, Week is accessible by road but it is perhaps more easily reached via the waterways, as the village possesses an artificial inlet that acts as a dock. As well as this dock, other notable constructions in the village include the library, the heritage centre, the old watchtower, and the local inn - The Watchful Crow.

## **Characteristics**

### **History**

   Week has been controlled by Clan Sinclair for as long as the village has existed. Historically, the village has served as the Sinclairs' primary settlement, with their clan castle being constructed a few miles north-east of the village. The clan even fought a few battles against rivals for control of the land. But, in modernity, the Sinclair Clan spends much of its time in Dunedyn and, for the most part, neglects the village. The exception to this is Paul Sinclair, who still leads the village with a small council of locals.

### **Geography**

Week lies on the shore of Loch Mor, a huge lake and the largest loch in Chrichheim. An artificial inlet, created several centuries ago, serves as the village's central harbour and connects the town to other settlements built on the shore of the loch. There are also roadways that connect Week to many of the county's larger towns however, as Week was traditionally a fishing village, the area is very much defined by its relationship with the water.

### **Economy**

   Though Week is home to its fair share of artisans and specialist shops, the village's local economy is reliant on a few primary industries. Traditionally, fishing has been Week's primary industry and it continues to grow to this day. Out of all professions, a majority of Week's residents are fishermen.

There are also two, more recent, industries that have risen to prominence: distilling and glassblowing. The Old Week Distillery was constructed about 200 years ago and specialises in aging malt whisky. Some of the barley for this whiskey is grown on a small local farm, but the rest must be brought in from across the loch. Week's glassblowing industry derives from the loch's sand, which contains small quartz crystals that are ideal for the creation of glass. However, the local sand tends to turn the glass green and so the glassworks focuses on producing glass weights and ornaments rather than practical, clear glass.

### **Culture**

The local culture of Week is largely tied to Loch Mor. Perhaps the village's most notable festival is the Fishing Boat Gala, a competition between local fishermen to see who has the best-looking boat.

There are also several cultural buildings around the village. This includes: the old watchtower (which is now a ruin), a local heritage centre, and a village library.

## **Layout and Inhabitants**

Like a lot of Imperial settlements, Wick is constructed around a few major roads with buildings constructed in blocks created via smaller side streets. Despite being in a hilly province the village's terrain is mostly flat, with the exception of the small slope that the village's old watchtower is built upon.

Wick has many important areas and buildings that range from commercial places (like the Fisherman's Plaza and various shops), institutional (like the village hall and the local school), and cultural (like the old watchtower and village library).

### **The Watchful Crow Inn**

The Watchful Crow Inn is a tavern and inn which opened about 20 years ago in the former post office building. It boasts a sizable tap room, a beer garden, and about 4 modest rooms for travellers and guests to stay in. Since its opening, it has become Week's main drinking establishment and is now the sole inn in the entire village. As well as their rooms, they sell food and drink that is all inspired by traditional Chrichheim cuisine - in addition to the typical breads and cheeses.

    The inn's current owner is Gabriella Duffy, an 80-something imperial woman who has a reputation as the 'wise old lady' of the village. Though kind and compassionate, she claims to be haunted by the ghost of her ex-husband and believes that his spirit will follow her wherever she goes. The fact she has a glass left eye implies she was either born with a small deformity or that she suffered some kind of injury at some point in her life.

The Watchful Crow is also the local headquarters of the Adventurers' Guild, who rent a small room at the back of the inn as a makeshift office. Though the village doesn't get a huge amount of adventurers, there is just enough work in the area to justify a small amount of guild presence. The Adventurers' Guild is represented in Week by Sacnite, a lizardman. Raised as a diplomat, they abandoned their duties very quickly and instead adapted themself to the local Imperial culture. Though Sacnite claims to be an adventurer and works for the Adventurers' Guild, they have never done any adventuring contracts and instead spend their days performing administrative duties for the guild.

### **Mackin Pots**

Mackin Pots is a pottery shop and clayworks found in the northern part of Week, just south of The Watchful Crow Inn and across the road from Week Glass. This business has been local to the village for generations and uses Loch Mor's natural clay deposits in the creation of their pots and crafts. For the most part, Mackin Pots creates ceramic containers like pots and pitchers for practical use by the village's residents. They also occasionally make artistic pieces like sculptures - but these commissions are fairly uncommon.

The current owner of Mackin Pots is Colton Mackin, a 25 year old half-elf, who has been forced to take over the business after the untimely death of his father - the previous owner. Though he has very little business experience, he has been trained from birth in the art of shaping clay and so is able to keep the business going from his skills alone. Nevertheless, he has dreams of expanding his business beyond the limits of Week and to make a fortune using his craft in the big city.

### **Week Glass**

Week Glass is a glassworks and shop located in the north-west part of the village, across the road from Mackin Pots. It is a somewhat recent addition to the village, only existing for about 50 years or so, and was originally constructed in order to expand Week's economic options. The glassworks uses sand sourced from the bottom of Loch Mor, which contains small quartz crystals, although this sand has the strange side-effect of tinting a lot of the created glass green. Due to this, the store mainly sells ornamental and artistic pieces rather than practical glass products (though they do sell these to).

Week Glass was founded and is still owned by Munda Longfoot, an 82 year old Halfling. Blind in one eye, she crafted a special eyeglass for herself in order to see out of both eyes; this creation has become something she is greatly proud of. Munda once had an intense entrepreneurial spirit and had intended to create a dedicated sand refinery in Week's wider area with the ultimate goal of founding additional glassworks in Chrichheim's larger towns. But, for reasons unknown, she has grown lazy and complacent in recent years. The refinery was never finished and now sits neglected and even the glassworks itself has been losing business.

With Munda taking a laissez-faire attitude to the business it has fallen to Noel Johnston, the demi-bear head glassmith and Munda's boyfriend, to take responsibility for the business. Despite having very little business experience and education, Noel's focused demeanour has kept Week Glass afloat thus far. Nevertheless, he grows frustrated at Munda's lack of focus and wishes to see his partner's drive restored. Noel is also a trans man, though this is something he has kept secret from all bar Munda.

### **Week Graveyard**

Traditional Chrichheim funerary practices revolve around burial rather than cremation, so many settlements in the county have graveyards. Week is no exception, with their graveyard being found in the north-east part of the village. This graveyard has existed since the village's first founding and was originally constructed a small distance away from the actual settlement. But as Week expanded it quickly closed that gap and now some residents live across the street from the dead.

Week's graveyard also have a small shrine dedicated to Zegram, the God of Death. The shrine is overseen by a single priest or experienced acolyte and a small group of lesser acolytes, usually 2 or 3, belonging to the Cult of Zegram. These people are responsible for maintaining and overseeing the shrine and the graveyard, as well as typical religious practices. The current head of the shrine is Gabriel McDonald, a 32 year old imperial. His overseeing of Week's shrine is his first post in a leadership position.

### **Fisherman's Plaza**

Fisherman's Plaza is the name given to Week's western square, surrounded by small shops and local businesses. the plaza derives it's name from the many fish shops and fishing-based shops that can be found here. Many of these shops are owned by local fishermen, the wealthier among their ranks that can afford a physical shop rather than a market stall.

As well as all the fishing-based shops, Week's largest general goods store can also be found in Fisherman's Plaza - known as MacLean General Goods. This simple but vital shop sells all manner of items and goods, typical of stores of its type. The 'face' of MacLean General Goods is Millie MacLean, an 18 year old imperial. Though it is actually her parents who own the store, it is Millie who does much of the actual managing. She is happy to do this, though, as Millie has every intention of inheriting the store officially someday.

### **Ebenezer's Forge**

Ebenezer's Forge, located on the outskirts of the village market, is Week's dedicated and only blacksmith. Blacksmiths are a staple for Imperial settlements and Week is no exception, as the village has had a blacksmith since it's original founding. Ebenezer's Forge, however, is a more recent name and was only named as such after it was bought by the current owner. As the village blacksmith, Ebenezer's Forge mainly creates tools and utility items alongside repairing the possessions of Week's inhabitants. They are capable of creating simple weapons and armour, but this is quite the rare request indeed.

As the name suggests, the current owner of Ebenezer's Forge is named Ebenezer Watson, a 62 year old imperial. Ebenezer is a former soldier from Isernheim, who served in the Imperial Army until he earned enough money to buy his own blacksmithing shop. He has served Week as it's resident smith for about 20 years now and has become an important pillar of the community. This is something he values greatly, as all Ebenezer wants is a simple life free from the politics and needless complexities of typical Imperial society.

### **Village Market**

Week's village market is a fairly simple, stereotypical village market. Various merchants and traders sell their wares and goods here, from fruits and vegetables to tools to clothing to everything in between. The market also acts as a village square of sorts and is a thusly a popular meeting spot for both travellers and Week's inhabitants. The market is also the location of Week's local blacksmith, though this is a fully-constructed building rather than a market stand.

### **Village Library**

The Week village library is located next to the Church of Lakea, in the Week Central Park. It is a purely cultural building, home to a good variety of different texts, books, and stories. The library also exists to preserve valuable books and texts about and/or from Week, work that it does in cooperation with the Week Heritage Centre. Access to the village library is free and is funded by a combination of donations and the local government. Occasionally, the library will display exhibitions that showcase some of their older and more valuable pieces, including private texts that date back to the village's founding.

The current manager of the village library is Cillian Spence, a 25 year old imperial. He prides himself on his intelligence and wisdom, much of which has been obtained from and cultivated by the books he watches over. However, he is lacks much practical experience. Ironically, Cillian is known to have problems controlling the volume of his voice and will sometimes speak a lot louder than he thinks he is. He is also in a relationship with the manager of the Week heritage centre, Ino.

### **Church of Lakea**

Located next to the library, in the Week Central Park, lies the Church of Lakea. This building is the largest religious building in the village and is dedicated to the elemental Goddess of Water. Historically just a small shrine, the church has grown alongside the village and has remained very popular with the locals - especially the local fishermen and their families. Being a village built alongside a loch and is largely reliant on its bounties, the Goddess of Water is a very important deity here.

The church is currently lead by Father Jacob Wright, a 75 year old imperial. Despite his age, Father Wright has only been the local priest for about a decade. He claims to have once been a priest of Bane, the God of Order, but became devoted to Lakea after a near-death experience whilst out at sea. Since then, he has become a bit of a Lakea fundamentalist who obeys the teachings of his cult to a T. Nevertheless, he works his duties to the village well and oversees such events as weekly sermons, traditional ceremonies, and even weddings.

### **Village Hall**

Week's village hall is located on Murimarth Square, in the south of the village. It serves as the village's governmental and administrative centre. The hall was once the main meeting place of Clan Sinclair, Week's traditional leaders, though the negligence of the clan means that such meetings no longer in place. In its stead, smaller meetings between local representatives ensure that Week is lead and run efficiently and fairly. As well as the meeting room, the village hall also houses offices, a barracks for the local police officers, and a small jail.

    Though Clan Sinclair neglects their local duties for the luxury of Chrichheim's capital, one member still continues to watch over and lead the village. This is Paul Sinclair, a 38 year old imperial man and a lesser member of Clan Sinclair. Though born and raised in Dunedyn, he returned to Week as soon as he became an adult so he could, as he sees it, return to his clan's ancestral duties and consequently restore their name. As a leader, Paul has a reputation as being a staunch follower of the law but also a believer in personal freedoms and individual rights. These tenets have made him a firm, but fair, leader of Week.

The current head of Week's Police Service is Stella Adamson, a 47 year old imperial. Adamson is a classic career officer, a woman who worked her way up the ranks to be head of Week's small detachment of police. Originally from Dunedyn, she has had to get used to the country life and the local quietness that tends to come along with it. Adamson places great importance on the law and, under her leadership, Week's police service has become a small but very effective force. Though Week itself is not a hotbed for crime, the surrounding countryside keeps her and her officers busy.

### **Murimarth Square**

Located in the south of Week, Murimarth Square is a plaza dedicated to the Imperial God of Weather. The plaza is centred by a statue of the God of Weather which also acts as a shrine for the villagers. It is not uncommon to see fishermen at the statue every morning, praying for calm weather before heading out onto the water. Around the square, there are multiple buildings including businesses, houses, and administrative buildings. The village hall and school are both found in Murimarth Square.

One of the more notable businesses that can be found in Murimarth Square is technically two shops that come together as one business. The first of these shops is a small café/eatery that is tailored to families and relaxed dining. Right next door is the second shop, a tavern and bar that is tailored to travellers and restless sailors. Together, these two stores come together as The Calm Waters Bar & Eatery. The business is currently owned by Julia Baxter, a 38 year old imperial woman. Born into a countryside farming family, she travelled to Week in order to establish her own business in a larger settlement, while still remaining connected to her more rural roots.

### **Village School**

Week, though quite a large village, is still not large enough to warrant more than one institution of education. As a result, the village school caters to all age demographics. As per Imperial law, all citizens between the ages of 4-15 are entitled to free education in the Common language, basic mathematics, and lessons on Imperial history, culture, and society. The village school in Week must, then, supply this service to all those in the village that wish to use it. Outside of compulsory services, the village school also offers optional educational options for those that can afford - which in Week isn't many.

The current headmistress of the school is Lucy Fisher, an 80 year old imperial. Fisher is known to be a very, very cleaver woman. However, she also has an unbearable superiority complex and sees all others as beneath her due to their 'inherent stupidity.' Ironic for the head of a school, she is also ageist and hates children and young adults. Due to her personality, Fisher is not particularly well-liked by the community and is only tolerated because of her intelligence and the lack of a valid replacement.

### **Old Week Distillery**

The Old Week Distillery is an aging malt whisky production facility found in the southern part of Week. The distillery has a visitor centre and a shop, which sells Old Week Single Malt whisky at a number of ages. Some of these brews are renowned in the province as being of particularly high quality. The distillery was constructed some 200 years ago in an attempt to invest in the growing village and expand their fishing-centric industry. Initially, barley for the creation of whisky had to be imported from other settlements across Loch Mor but the distillery is now able to supplement these imports with barley grown on a small local farm.

The current manager is Andrew Davis, a 35 year old imperial. Davis is a man of old money, the descent of an old noble clan from Chrichheim's oldest histories. Though his clan is no longer influential enough to exist as 'true nobility' he still possesses enough residual wealth to buy out and run the distillery. Owning a distillery was, as he claims, a childhood dream for him - although the actual reasons as to why he wanted to do this have never been admitted. It might have something to do with his own habits, for Davis has been repeatedly caught drinking from the distillery's own whisky supply.

### **Week Heritage Centre**

The Week Heritage Centre is a local museum of sorts, dedicated to the preservation and display of local culture and history. The centre is particularly focused on the village's earliest years as a simple fishing settlement as well as how the village's fish played a role in Chrichheim's larger history. A more recent addition to the centre showcases a plethora of local art from the village, both old and modern, from a variety of styles and artists.

The current manager of the heritage centre is Ino, a high elf. Though her heritage lies across the Great Sea in another land entirely, she was born and raised in Chrichheim and has been fascinated with the county's history and culture for as long as she can remember. Upon becoming an adult, she moved to Week to branch out on her own and eventually came to manage the heritage centre after the previous manager retired. Ino herself is incredibly intelligent on all matters to do with local culture and history. However, in classic stereotypical fashion, she lacks much practical experience. Ino is also in a relationship with the manager of the village library, Cillian Spence.

### **Watertight Wood**

Watertight Wood is a carpentry shop and woodworks sound in the south-west of the village, near the old watchtower. As the name might suggest, the business primarily focuses on maritime woodworking, including the construction of new fishing boats as well as the repairing/maintaining of existing ones. In addition to these services, though, Watertight Wood also has a shop that offers a variety of wood-based products from firewood to pure timber to wooden mallets.

The business is currently owned by Darcey Mitchell, a 43 year old imperial woman. She inherited the business from her uncle, who had no kin of his own, and was swiftly accepted by the rest of the village due to her skills in carpentry and her positive, communal attitude. However, Darcey is only able to communicate in a raspy whisper after a horrible encounter with bandits left her with a partially-slit throat. Though she survived the encounter, speaking is now a difficulty for her. As far as she knows, the perpetrators were never caught and this has left Darcey with a deep hatred of criminals.

### **Watchtower Stables**

The Watchtower Stables are Week's dedicated stables. Due to the area's lack of travellers and visitors, it is the only business of its type in the village. Located near the old watchtower, the stables offer accommodation for mounts and storage for carts. As well as this, they also have a shop which offers goods like animal feed, horseshoes, tools for repairing wagons, and other items that travellers might find useful.

The current owner of the Watchtower Stables is Cali Boyle, a 41 year old imperial who came into possession of the stables after a particularly intense game of cards. Cali is considered a bit of an outsider within the local community. This is partially because of how she came to own the business, which some have seen as bizarre and unfair, but Cali's obsessive perfectionism might also play a role. Cali herself is too fixated on her work to care about her communal distance.

### **Watchtower of Old Week**

The Watchtower of Old Week was built many, many centuries ago back when Week was a small fishing hamlet on the shore of Loch Mor. The watchtower is thought to have been a defensive measure for the village's citizens, to provide an early warning against invading clans and attacking monsters. Sitting atop a small slope, the highest natural point in the village, the tower has 4 floors - including space for a small sleeping area.

The watchtower is now a literal shell of its former self. Though much of the general structure remains standing, it continues to crumble away just as it has been for many years. Local leaders have no interest in restoring the building and it now has a reputation as a place for secret night time rendezvous.