Orlane

The town of **Orlane** is a lonely settlement bordering the Gretan Sink. The town gets avoided by most caravans after a series of disappearances occurred. These disappearances where caused by a brainwashed cult of a Naga worshippers before the beast was slayed by a group of mighty adventures. While the cult might be gone now the reputations still sticks and now the Orlanans are glad if they even get one visitor.

Orlane sits in the middle of the hilly outback, with arid grasslands as far as the eye can see. The village finds itself positioned in an fertile dale which has allowed for successful farming, and has a small lake in the centre of it which has a small stream running through it. Farther down the stream is a nearby swamp. The Temple of harvest is build on the highest hill in the area and overlooks the rest of the town.

## History

250 years ago during a year of drought extreme drought three homesteaders, Johnass Merridie, Martin Cralloon, and Zerge Ormond, decided to take their luck to the outback. They brought their wives and children with them and set off onto the road. For months they rode their wagons through the hills, searching for a place to build a new life. Everywhere they went they found nothing but dry grass and sand, not ideal for farming.

On a slow day during the travel break the youngest daughter of Johnass, a lass of four named Orlane, went to chase after a pretty Spinifex Parrot. She disappeared for the group and eventually the group went to search for her. Then they heard Orlane scream, and they rushed to her without hesitation. The Parrot had led her to a watering hole down a little dale, and it just so happened that a Thylacoleo also went to grab a drink in this lake. The beast had smelled the little girl, with a mighty swoop of his claw he threw the little girl into the ground. The men quickly grabbed their sword and began to battle with the beast, while the wives tried to save the little girl. The beast was slain but the girl did not make it. The man inspected the perimeter and found it to be a beautifully fertile land, ready for farming. They buried Orlane on the top of the highest hill, where eventually in the future the temple would be build, and named their new homestead after the lost little girl, so she might always be home.

As the years went on more people joined the settlement, bringing their own crafts and turning the town into the trading post. Eventually the locals began constructing a temple to Floris god of agriculture. The town prospered until tragedy hit in the form makanium, which was discovered in the nearby settlement of Kell's Dift. Kell's Drift became a important mining town in Greta while most people began to all but forget Orlane. 5 years ago a naga made its way to the small town, brainwashing the head of the church. He began to convert the village to the naga cult until 1 year ago he was stopped by a group of adventures.

## Buildings

### Farm house

This wooden house is surrounded by attractive flower gardens and a small barn stands beyond. The farmer, Hewitt Twaine, lives here with his two grown sons, a teenage daughter, and his wive. His barn is well-stocked with corn and wheat, and a dozen woolly dogs are penned in the back.

### Constable's quarter

This nondescript square wooden building has heavy shutters closed over the windows. The door looks stout, but stands open. No people are visible. Behind this building is another long, low structure. Inside, the constable John Maccain has only been constable for eight months after his predecessor died. The barracks that used to be occupied for the caravans travelling through the area. When the Baron’s bureaucrats travel through Orlane they stay at this location as well. It is presently empty.

### Dairy farm

The house and barn are clean, whitewashed wooden buildings. Several cows stand around outside the barn. Nowell Graven, the dairyman owns the barn. He has been blessed with five daughters, who share the house with him, his wife, and his mother in law.

### Weaver

A sign with a spinning wheel and a loom hangs outside this recently build building. Several bales of wool are stacked on the wide porch. The front part of this building contains a shop. Here Galen Weaver , the weaver, runs his large loom while his young wife works a spinning wheel. Many piles of wool, yarn, and cloth lie about in a state of confusion. A small bell will ring if the door is opened, bringing the weaver from his home behind the shop. He is a young man, newly married and moved to Orlane, trying to make a go of his first business.

### Ruin of the Golden Grain inn

This is the smoking husk large wooden inn. This inn used to be a meeting place for cultists inside of town but has been mysteriously been burned to the ground. Small carvings of sheaves of wheat can be seen along the burned remains of the roof. The inn was whitewashed at one time but the paint has mostly flaked off from the heat. A corral and table still stand up straight off to the side but have been left abandoned.

### Bank

This is a larger and finer home than the rest in the town, save for that of the Mayor. The foundation is laid with stones and carefully fitted with mortar, and the yard is surrounded by a fine stone wall with a metal grating at the top. The gate is of metal and is closed. This is the home of Haskal Roclyn . He is the local money changer, banker, and owns much of the town. He owns several of the more prosperous farms and rents them to poorer farmers for a lion’s share of their harvest. He has been a cult member since quite early, but leaves his home rarely. The doors and shutters of the house are locked tight from inside at night, and even in the day the front door is guarded by his son Eroll.

### Livery stable

This is an exceedingly run-down structure of wood. Faint traces of a former paint job cling to small parts of the walls, but in some places the bare wood has started to rot. A fenced walkway leads from the road to the back of the house, and bird droppings are scattered liberally about. This is the village stable. Much of the ground has been trampled into mud. The front of the dilapidated house is sheltered by a wide porch. All appearances to the contrary, the liveryman is quite well-to-do. He is simply not concerned with presenting a front of wealth and polish. The liveryman, Kilian Gade, his wife, and their three small children live here. His stable contains four Demon-Ducks of Doom, two Dire Wombats, three terror bird, two Dromornises, and two small carts.

### Small cottage

This small square building has been freshly whitewashed. There are visible signs of recent repairs and improvement, but heavy curtains hang over the windows and the door is shut. There is no sign of movement inside. The Dwarf who inhabits the building is named Mister Lestrade, who is a private eye hired by the mayor to investigate strange occurrences in town. Lestrade is a huge fan of Pipe-weed and smoke can regularly be found coming out of his windows.

### Mayor's manor

This house is set well back from the road, and is partially screened by a pair of medium-sized apple trees. This is by far the most imposing house in the village. The walls have been regularly whitewashed and the roof gleams with new wooden shingles. A wide porch crosses the entire front of the house, and columns of wood support the overhanging roof. The columns have been carved into leafy patterns by a skilled craftsman. This is the home of the village mayor and his family. The mayor is Zakarias Ormond, a retired but still capable warrior. The mayor’s cheerful wife and two daughters live here, as well as two older sons who are training to join the town militia. Behind the mayor’s house is his woodcarving workshop, with tools, wood shavings, and some fine pieces of hardwood lying about. He did the carvings on the columns before his house. He is half-finished with a remarkably lifelike bust of his wife.

### Tailor

A sign crudely depicting a needle and thread hangs before this establishment. The building is a small, ramshackle structure in need of considerable repair: a shutter hangs loosely, shingles are missing from the roof, and the walls show signs of rot in several places. This is the shop and home of the village tailor, a meek bachelor who goes by the name Myron Tweed.

### Village store

This is a fairly well-kept establishment with an assortment of farm implements, cooking utensils, and chairs on the porch. The door stands open, and above it hangs a sign depicting a pot, a plow, and a lantern hangs over it. The store is owned by Oran Dovahn, his wife Cindy, and their two sons. Mundane village items are available. There is a table and several benches in the store. When the new visitors come to his shop, Oran will invite them to sit and try some wine of the local wine. It called Ollwin's Red Serpent and comes from the local winery behind the Sleepy Serpent. Their house is 40 feet behind the store. It looks very run down as opposed to the store.

### Rundown farm

This house is in desperate need of repair. The front door, porch steps, and visible roof supports are missing. The roof has obvious gaps in it and the nearby barn is in worse condition, but chickens running about the place suggest it is still inhabited. A farmer and his adult son live here. The two men are rude and not very talkative, they claim to be busy with work around the farm. In fact, only small crops of corn and oats are in the fields.

### Carpenter

A wooden board in the shape of a saw hangs before this well-constructed building. The front part of the structure is open, and inside of this breezy area the carpenter is at work. Many tools such as saws, hammers, nails, and prybars are scattered about, and some boards are mounted on sawhorses. Zell Greenen the Carpenter lives here with his wife Yenny and two teenage kids, a daughter and a son. The carpenter serves as a furniture maker as well as a builder, and numerous examples of his handiwork are placed around his shop. Tables, chairs, and desks-all of exquisite craftsmanship-may be seen in a casual inspection. The table that is presently under construction, however, is much more shoddily put together, as are the pair of chairs he has just completed. The latter await a coat of stain, whereas all of the other furniture is finished.

### Blacksmith

This is obviously a smith, though no sign hangs here. The walls of the shop part of the house are removed, and two brawny lads operate a bellows while a giant of a man named Brock Gebron hammers thunderously upon a piece of metal that will soon become the blade of a shovel. Soot and smoke abound. The smith, his wife, their two sons and daughter have lived here for years. The man still does his work with the mechanical precision that has allowed him to maintain the quality that he has always been known for. Brock has never learned how to work with enchanted materials. A short-tempered and irritable man, the smith is unpleasant and rude in conversation with potential costumers.

### Abandoned Foaming Mug inn

The doors and windows of this large building are boarded up. A sign lies face-down in the weeds before the porch, which may be reached by climbing three broken steps. The roof has several gaping holes, and the general appearance of the place suggests that it has been long abandoned. The sign in the weeds, if looked at, reads in faded paint: FOAMING MUG INN. This establishment has been abandoned for nearly a year, following an attempt by the cult to kidnap the proprietor and his family. The attempt was foiled by the courage of several citizens, and a fierce fight followed, during which all of the citizens at the inn, as well as several cult members, were killed. The front door is boarded up and villagers tell people to stay out of the building. Inside the ground floor is in a state of total disarray, left as it was following the fight. A cellar door is visible, hanging on one hinge, and a creaky staircase leads into darkness. The cellar is a gloomy place and smells musty and rotten. Most of the cellar is one large room, containing several crates of spoiled food stores and three kegs of wine. Two doors lead to a fruit cellar and stairs down to the basement. The former is empty.

### Decrepit farm

The doors and shutters swing freely here. The whole appearance of this farm, home and barn, is of abandoned desolation. A plow stands choked by weeds in the field, an ox yoke lies in the yard in tall grass. Inside the house, searchers will find articles of clothing, cooking utensils, and mouldy scraps of food in closed cupboards. It is obvious that the residents left suddenly. There are two bedrooms in the house, one with a double bed and the other with two small beds. The house looks like everyone who lived here just left one night, and as far as anyone in town will say or is aware, that’s what happened. They just left, without their clothing. The locals are freaked out by the place and they leave it alone.

### Farmhouse and barn

This farm looks moderately prosperous. The house and barn are in good repair, although several flower gardens that used to bloom in the yard have become choked with weeds. This is the home of a woman Clarence Koebel and her three grown sons. Her husband died many years ago, but the four of them have managed the farm quite well.

### Farmhouse and small outbuildings

The smell of this area identifies it as a mudfish farm. In addition to the mudfish, many chickens scratch about the yard, while a rooster and a pygmy Moa strut regally. The farm is owned by a proud farmer named Goran Lowweather, his son Urlan and wife Sera.

### Small neatly kept cottage

Brilliant flower gardens surround this quaint little home. Clean shutters flank several large windows, and fancy curtains are visible inside. The building is sheltered by several large elm trees. This is the home of Vilma Merridie, an elderly widow. She is physically weak and unable to walk more than a few feet between rests. She wears a number of jewelled rings. She and her husband moved to the village 50 years ago, occupying the farm together until his death. For the last eight years, she has lived in this cottage, doing small mending and tending chores for her neighbours to earn a few coins. Mostly, she lives off the rather considerable sum that the couple accumulated over forty years of farming.

Their old abandoned farm is a fairly well-built house that has had all of its windows and doors boarded over securely. The barn is also closed up but not boarded. The floorboards in a corner of the bedroom are torn up, exposing an empty space beneath, and even the furniture has been removed. The barn is likewise empty.

### The temple of harvest

This is the only stone structure in Orlane. It is a temple to the god of plants and agriculture, Floris. A wall of Limestone blocks surrounds the temple, and sturdy wooden gates give access to the courtyard. The temple is on the highest piece of land in Orlane, a full twenty feet above the stream and pond. The gates to the courtyard will be standing open during the daylight hours, but will be shut and barred with the setting of the sun.

### Shabby farmhouse and barn

This residence gives the impression that it has seen much use and that its owners have had little time for improving its appearance. The inhabitants consist of a husband Wilhelm Demagio, his wife, their adult daughter, their son, son-in-law, and the younger couple’s small child. The farm is well run, though battered. Large stores of barley, wheat, and corn are in the barn. A small vineyard west of the house is lush with ripe grapes.

### Prosperous farm

This building looks solidly constructed and has been recently whitewashed. The barn is a clean structure, though not painted, and several goats wander in a small corral. A pen housing an immense Mudfish is visible just south of the barn. The farmer is actually a former adventurer named Alan Clayborn. He has been retired a while and isn’t up to full adventuring form any more, but he is still no slouch. He and his wife Marieke settled here on his earnings, much of which he’s spent but he still has some set aside. They have three small children. The couple has been very successful as farmers, and the barn is well stocked with corn, oats, and beans. Besides their five goats and the pig, they are the proud owners of two Terror birds.

### Sleepy Serpent inn

A large, colourful sign pictures a red dragon with its head resting contentedly on its paws. A plume of smoke rises from the serpent’s nose and its eyes are closed. This inn is smaller and older than the Golden Grain. Several beds of flowers brighten the front. The inn is run by a Belba Cralloon and her husband Ollwin. They possess the knack of making a weary traveller feel at home.

### Millhouse, waterwheel, and pond

Around this large mill is scattered much in the way of children’s toys, tools, and farm implements. The most imposing part of the structure is the tall millhouse, but it is obvious that a family lives in another wing of the building. This is obviously the home of the village miller named Kenton Miller and his family (a wife and nine children!).

### Banksia grove

The narrow trail winds among majestic Banksia tree, at times disappearing into thick briar. The bushes between the trees are thick, full of brambles. The Banksia trees themselves average 20 metres tall, and they are the only trees here. They are widely spaced, allowing more sunlight between their ancient boughs. The venerable hermit has a ramshackle cottage on the far side of this small grove. The bent and graybearded resident is a loner, and none of the village people have gotten to know him. He is actually a druid named Ramne. Ramne is always seen with his gnarled wooden staff which is the focus for most of his spells. Ramne has been living in this one room hut for over a decade, and is quite comfortable here. He rarely leaves his grove, as his legs are weak and he tires very easily. Ramne has a familiar, a pure white dingo named Pierce who may be found perched on Ramne’s shoulder as a coat.