Hearth

Art by Tomas Duchek

*"Ye willnae fin' anither place in th' warld that'll remin' ye sae much ay stew."* — A local housewife's peculiar description of Hearth

## History

### Early History

Archaeological evidence suggests that Hearth is the original homeland of the halflings. These early halflings developed pocket communities across the region and turned to agriculture to support their growing populations. Humans did not come to the region until the later years of the great Thruhmuth empire whose rule spanned much of the known world's map. These invading humans, generals and nobles of the empire, hoped to exploit the smallfolk and take advantage of their nutrient-rich farmlands. The halflings were unable to offer even a token resistance against the military superiority of the empire.

### The Monarchy

As the empire eventually fell, the nobles and high ranking members of the empire who had settled in Hearth began clawing for any modicum of power they could hold on to. Old allies became bitter rivals and their squabbles plunged the nation into a long, drawn out war that became known as the Crown Wars. Resources were gobbled up and once-fertile land was devastated by unsustainable farming practices all for the sake of keeping up strong armies. When a victor finally emerged, King Rennik I, Hearth was in a desperate state of economic failure and much of the population was on the brink of starvation.

Hearth's recovery from the Crown Wars was slow but the stability of the monarchy allowed people to focus on rebuilding. King Rennik I consolidated his power in the northern reaches of Hearth and built up a capital around his castle. King Rennik I's line ruled from there for many generations, always with the eldest child taking the throne, until inbreeding lead to crippling deformations and compounded mental health concerns within the family line. As the once strong stock of the first king dwindled, so did the monarchy's hold on Hearth.

Things came to breaking point when King Gregor II took the throne after his elder brother's untimely death. The young king was plagued by vivid hallucinations and extreme paranoia that lead to most of his kin and court being sent to the executioner's ax. Eventually the king had himself, his staff, and the remaining members of his court sealed within his throne room where they slowly died. This final act brought a final end to the monarchy of Hearth and earned King Gregor II the title of "The Mad King".

### The Plague

As King Gregor II sealed himself in his throne room, the plague was sweeping through the streets of the city. No other part of Hearth was hit as hard as the densely packed capital. Many thought that the curse that touched the lands of Stralová had finally seeped out beyond the woods and was poisoning the population while others thought that the Mad King had somehow unleashed this death upon the world with his insanity.

### Forging Forward

Hearthsteaders are a hearty folk and continue to recover after the events of the past. With no more monarchy lording over the land, makeshift governments have started popping up and vary region to region. Remnants of castles and even entire abandoned fortresses are slowly being picked away at over time as citizens repurpose the old stone and any other materials they find; a symbolic gesture that reflects the broken and dismantled monarchy.

## Geography

Hearth's environment is incredibly diverse thanks to its varied elevations from the snow-capped mountains to the lowest bogs. Glacier fed rivers provide fresh water and empty into sizable lakes. Though temperatures tend to be lower on average, winters are quite mild if not long. The entire region is prone to frequent precipitation and persistent cloud cover.

Numerous small towns and hamlets dot the nation, but a handful of communities have grown to notable size.

* Hambly: By far the largest settlement by both population and physical size, Hambly is the closest thing Hearth has to a major metropolis.
* Hazelden: The strategic coastal placement of Hazelden has ensured that money and goods flow easily through their docks.
* Jordan: Rapidly growing, Jordan has put itself on the map as a tourist destination thanks to their annual highland games hosted in the late summer.
* Thorn: Orcs make up the primary population of Thorn, making it an anomaly within the otherwise human and halfling dominated nation.
* The Old Capital: No longer even bearing a proper name, the Old Capital, as it's called now, is a dying and cursed city.

### Ancient Ruins

The skeletal remains of ruined fortresses and watchtowers can be found just about anywhere within Hearth and are popular hiding spots for bandits waiting to pray on unsuspecting travellers. The largest of these are the remnants of sprawling strongholds that were used as points of power during the Crown Wars.

Though not yet ancient, the Castle of the Mad King is often counted among the ruins of Hearth. Most who have seen it swear its haunted by a phantom guard as well as the Mad King himself who can be heard wailing his misery through the night.

### Barren Wood

The Barren Wood is a sizable forest where light struggles to reach the floor in its deepest reaches, hiding all manner of secrets under its boughs. The veil between worlds is stretched thin over the wood and the effects of this phenomenon creep through the rest of Hearth. Many legends and ghost stories are rooted in the mysteries of the Barren Wood. The forest itself stretches eastward into Stralová and is composed of both deciduous and coniferous trees, and plays host to many other types of flora typically found in temperate and cold forests.

## Government

With the fall of the monarchy, settlements and distinct rural regions have been left to govern themselves in a ramshackle form of decentralized democracy. Most towns elect a mayor and, in the case of larger settlements, a council to govern. There are several places that have opted for different methods of choosing leadership, such as the shaman leadership of Thorn and the lottery-chosen speakers of Hazelden.

In order to protect the interests of Hearth, loose treaties and agreements between regional governments are being negotiated. Their primary function is to secure military cooperation against outside threats to Hearth's independence.

## Economy

Hearth depends largely on farming. Their primary crops include wheat, barley, rapeseed, potatoes, carrots, beets, lettuce, and raspberries. These crops are sold both locally and exported to other markets. Its common to see highland cattle grazing in fields that are being rotated out though these heard animals are rarely found on markets outside Hearth.

Fishing is the major industry of the rocky eastern coastline, including crab fishing.

Hearth relies on the markets of \_\_\_\_, \_\_\_\_, and \_\_\_\_ for \_\_\_\_ and \_\_\_\_. Although expensive, the housewives and chefs of the nation are eager to buy up the exotic spices of \_\_\_\_ and offering dishes prepared with such seasonings is considered a show of wealth.

## Culture

Hearthsteaders are a community-minded people who believe strongly in good intentions, good food, and good stories. The willingness of Hearthsteaders to forgive and forget past misdeeds so long as you work hard to do better next time leads to a low rate of repeat criminal offenders.

### Religion

Hearth considers itself to be welcoming of all religions so long as they are harmless to others. It's common to hear religiously generic blessings and references to the Light in place of a specific gods to avoid offending anyone's personal religious choices. Most Hearthsteaders attend a weekly mass where thanks are offered to unnamed gods for bountiful harvests and community wellness.

### Hearthen Slang

When spoken at its normal pace, Hearthen Slang is barely recognizable as a form of Reacher Common. The language evolved from local accents, colloquialisms, terminology, and abbreviations that often confuse visitors, much to the amusement of Hearthsteaders everywhere. It's written phonetically in the Reacher Common alphabet which can be deciphered by non-speakers if slowly read out loud with sufficient context.

## Inhabitants

Hearth hosts a wide variety of people and creatures who call the land home, though humans and halflings make up a strong majority of the population.

### Elves

Elves migrated through Hearth well before the arrival of the empire and a small number of the travellers decided to remain in the area. The elves of Hearth are a reclusive bunch, preferring to stay hidden within the Barren Wood.

### Fey

It's hard to pinpoint the exact makeup of the fey population lurking within Hearth, but they are the source of many tales and legends surrounding the Barren Wood. People are encouraged to look twice at anything that looks too good to be true; you never know when you're dealing with a clever fey!

### Orcs

After the plague, a tribe of orcs settled on the very southern end of Hearth, forming the village of Thorn. Though they keep many of their orcish traditions alive, such as ancestral and totem worship, they lack the savagery often attributed to orcs. They send annual gift offerings to their closest settlement neighbours as a sign of goodwill.

## Threats

Something about the Barren Wood attracts all manner of accursed creatures, though none so deadly and violently malicious as the hags. At least one coven is confirmed to have formed within the wood, though other sightings suggest there are others spread out around Hearth. Missing children and inexplicable corruption are a good sign there's a hag lurking nearby. Hags can provide challenges for characters of any ECL.

Hill giants have formed a strong presence in the northwest region of Hearth and are a constant threat to Hazelden. The giants enjoy taking local captives as slaves and as an easy meal over the winter. Hill giants usually provide challenges for characters with an ECL of 4-7.

Though almost any fey can be found within Hearth, the most imposing fey threat is that of the Wild Hunt. Hunts are rare but deadly and only the strongest could even think to stand against them. Malevolent fey can provide a challenge for characters of any ECL, but the Wild Hunt should only be faced by characters who are ECL 11.

Trolls skulk about the lesser travelled regions of Hearth, but attack viciously when an unsuspecting passerby happens into their territory. Occasionally a troupe of trolls will attempt to expand its territory by attacking a nearby settlement and more often than not, that settlement seems to be Thorn. The most common trolls found within Hearth are moss trolls, mountain trolls, and standard trolls. Trolls can provide challenges for characters of any ECL.

Ghosts and haunts provide their own challenges to would-be explorers. With the wall between worlds so thing in the Barren Wood, restless spirits find it easy to find their way back to the Material Plane to seek their revenge or otherwise find peace before they can move on. Ghosts and haunts can provide challenges for characters of any ECL.

The elusive and mysterious owlbear can be found deep in the forests and in the lower portions of the mountains. Juveniles fetch a high price on the market and exotic pet merchants are willing to pay a pretty penny to adventurers brave enough to bring one back. Owlbears can provide a challenge for characters with an ECL of 1-4.

Rumors of a Linnorm roosting along the northern coast have spread through Hearth, but no sane individual dares to investigate further. The linnorm can provide a raid challenge for players.

The twisted energies of the Barren Wood and the curse of neighbouring Stralová have warped some of the local flora and fauna into wicked creatures. Any animals and plants that can be found in temperate or cold climates, and in mountainous, hilly, or coastal areas can provide challenges for players of any ECL.

Creature templates that are thematically appropriate for sessions taking place in Hearth include: Accursed (CR +1), Blighted Fey (CR +2), Dream Eater (CR +2), Fey Animal (CR +1), Fey Creature (+1 or +2), Fey-Touched Creature (CR +0 or +1), Fungal Creature (CR +1), Fungoid (CR +1), Ghost (CR +2), Nightmare Creature (CR +1), Plagued Beast (CR +1), Possessed Creature (CR +1)