R E F L E C T I O N S

Yaro's Crossroads is located, appropriately, at the crossroads of what passes for two major roads in this part of the Land. A small but clear mountain spring runs next to the village, which is surrounded by a small patch of farmland, though beyond the cleared land, the terrain quickly reverts to forested wilderness. The village is at the edge of the Great Polar Forest at the extreme north of the Land, a rugged, mountainous area.

The nearest major town, Spero, is a full two days' ride away; the nearest city, the port city of Valano, is two weeks' ride away. None of the village's living inhabitants have ever seen a city. This land is technically part of the kingdom of Idros, though any sign of the King's authority is very rare. Idros is a frontier kingdom, of little importance in world affairs, though its scouts are the envy of armies the world over.

The peasants of the village are freemen. They make their living through farming and hunting. Their diet is supplemented with the occasional fish from the stream, as well as fruits, nuts, mushrooms, and the like, gathered from the forest. Only a few can afford to make their living through a trade; the notable craftsmen are the blacksmith, the carpenter, the stonecutter, the tanner, and the furrier.

Merchants from Spero come to the village once every few weeks during good weather, buying tanned leather, furs, and other goods, and trading items that the villagers can't make themselves. Money is rare; while most people possess a few copper pents (the smallest unit of currency), only those who barter regularly are lucky enough to possess silver quirenes (the common medium of exchange).

The most prestigious family in the village is Yaro, the village's namesake. Codrus Yaro established the village five generations ago, as the sergeant in charge of a watch-post of the King's Rangers during the Orog Incursions. After the monsters were chased back into their mountain caves, some men elected to stay on regardless, becoming the first citizens of the village. They brought their families with them, and other settlers followed. It was, for a time, a place where no questions were asked of a man who came and worked hard; some of the villagers' ancestors may have less than savory pasts, while others trace their lineage back to a (real or imagined) hero of the Rangers or King's Army.

Gunnar Duff. One of the local farmers. Father of Keegan Duff. A no-nonsense, practical man, unforgiving and intolerant. He is a harsh, humorless man, and one of the more prosperous of the peasantfolk, thanks to his ceaseless toil. His wife is much the same.

Reeve Hawkins. In his youth, he failed the difficult trials to become a King's Ranger, and returned to the village of his birth, having gained a commission as nothing more than a tax collector. Nevertheless, he's considered the best hunter and woodsman in the village, making his living as a hunter and trapper. Keegan Duff is responsible for the death of his eldest son, Will.

Widow Nan. In her youth, before she fell victim to a disfiguring disease, she was one of the prettiest lasses in the village. She married Gadron Forrester, and had a single child, a daughter, Donia. Gadron died of illness when the child was four. Nan has a somewhat unsavory reputation in the village, and the nickname of "Poison Nan".

Goodman Orson. Formerly the village's bowyer and fletcher, one of the few men in the village to make his living almost entirely through trade -- expert enough at his craft to command some level of outside interest, his wares always fetching a good price (by village standards, anyway). He died several years ago, under mysterious circumstances, leaving his son Derik with the business.

Friar Rorah. The local village priest of the Five Hundred Small Gods. An elderly, provincial fellow, he was born and raised in the village, his craft handed down to him by the previous priest. He also acts as a barber-surgeon, as a sideline; he has a long-standing rivalry with the village midwife. His rocky little plot of land produces just enough food to feed himself and his apprentice, Keegan.

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