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  VILLAGE BACKDROP: 
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  HOPESPYRE 2.0
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  VILLAGE BACKDROP: HOPESPYRE 2.0 
  Their beliefs considered heretical by the Church of the God of the Sun and their presence viewed as a threat to the cruel ruler of their 
  homeland, the members of the Church of the Redemptive Flame ﬂed and founded a new home in remote Hopespyre. The cult now wants 
  nothing more than to live a sin-free life in their new refuge but events conspire against them. The evil elemental lord of ﬁre has set his sights 
  on the cult and schemes to subvert its good intentions. Ageing church leader Dagor Thursh edges closer to death each day, and a struggle is 
  growing for the right to succeed him, its ﬂames fanned by followers of the elemental lord who have inﬁltrated the village. 
  C RE DI TS 
  Design: Jacob W. Michaels 
  Development: Creighton Broadhurst  
  Art: William McAusland, Matt Morrow and Claudio Pozas. Some 
  artwork copyright William McAusland, used with permission. 
  Some artwork copyright Claudio Pozas, used with permission. 
  Cartography: Tommi Salama 
  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, 
  stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any 
  means, without the prior permission in writing of Raging Swan 
  Press or as expressly permitted by law. 
  ©Raging Swan Press 2019.
  CONTENTS 
  To contact us, email gatekeeper @ragingswan.com 
  To learn more about Raging Swan Press, visit ragingswan.com  
  To learn more about Raging Swan Press on Patreon, visit 
  patreon.com/ragingswanpress
  Credits 
  1 
  ....................................................................................................
  Contents 
  1 
  .................................................................................................
  Hopespyre At A Glance 
  2 
  ........................................................................
  Village Lore 
  2 
  ......................................................................................
  Villagers 
  2 
  ...........................................................................................
  Whispers & Rumours 
  2 
  ......................................................................
  Notable Locations at a Glance 
  3 
  ......................................................
  Notable Folk 
  3 
  ....................................................................................
  Life in Hopespyre 
  4 
  ..................................................................................
  Trade & Industry 
  4 
  ..............................................................................
  Law & Order 
  4 
  ....................................................................................
  Customs & Traditions 
  4 
  .....................................................................
  Village Dressing 
  4 
  ..............................................................................
  The Surrounding Locality 
  5 
  .....................................................................
  Nearby Dangers 
  5 
  ..............................................................................
  Notable Locations in Hopespyre 
  6 
  .........................................................
  1: Font of Redemption 
  6 
  ...................................................................
  2: Dagor Thursh's Home 
  6 
  ................................................................
  3: Brothers' House 
  6 
  ..........................................................................
  4: Sisters' House 
  7 
  ..............................................................................
  5: Visitors’ House 
  7 
  ............................................................................
  6: Communal Kitchens 
  8 
  ...................................................................
  7: Makers’ Hall 
  8 
  .................................................................................
  8: Secret Shrine 
  8 
  ...............................................................................
  9: Watch Tower 
  8 
  ................................................................................
  OGL V1.0A 
  9
  .............................................................................................
  
  H O PE S PYR E AT A GL ANCE 
  Ruler: Dagor Thursh 
  Government: Magical 
  Population: 156 (70 humans, 38 half-orcs, 22 half-elves, 10 
  dwarves, 8 elves, 8 halﬂings) 
  Alignments: NG, LN 
  Languages: Common, Ignan 
  Resources & Industry: Farming, magical goods 
  When the PCs arrive in Hopespyre, the following items are for 
  sale: 
  •
  Potions: healing (400 gp), ﬁre resistance (400 gp) 
  •
  Scrolls (Magic-User): ﬁreball (900 gp), light (300 gp) 
  •
  Scroll (Cleric): atonement (1,500 gp) 
  •
  Wondrous Items: phylactery of faithfulness (7,500 gp) 
  Founded 40 years ago by Dagor Thursh, the secluded village of 
  Hopespyre is his Church of the Redemptive Flame's refuge from 
  the sinful world. Members of the church live a simple life, 
  celebrating their faith and supporting one another with almost no 
  need for anything beyond the boundaries of the village. Hidden 
  deep in the wilderness, Hopespyre offers not just a sanctuary from 
  spiritual threats but also physical ones: the church of Darlen, 
  which views the Church of the Redemptive Flame as a heretical 
  cult, and the tyrant in whose bloody service Thursh laboured for 
  too many years would like nothing more than to discover the 
  village's location and do away with it forever.  
   
  Hopespyre stands around the constantly burning Font of 
  Redemption, a bonﬁre emblematic of the village's faith. Several 
  nearby longhouses dominate the other buildings. They house the 
  single men and women of the community, who support each 
  other in a faithful life as they wait to ﬁnd a marital match and 
  establish a home of their own.  
   
  Well-armed guards, constantly vigilant for threats from 
  monsters and secular and religious authorities, stand watch at the 
  village's borders. Despite that, those judged safe ﬁnd a warm 
  welcome in Hopespyre, with invitations to services and the 
  communal meals that follow. While the reception is sincere, 
  should visitors cause Thursh to fear 
  they are agents of the church's 
  enemies, they won't leave 
  the village alive.  
   
  W h a t n o c h u r c h 
  members realise is that 
  a great threat is already 
  in their midst—the 
  servants of a sinister 
  elemental lord who 
  seeks to subvert the 
  village to his own sinister 
  purposes. 
  VILLAGE LORE 
  A character may know something about Hopespyre, its history and 
  surrounds. Determine how knowledgeable the characters are and 
  then impart some (or all) of the information below: 
  •
  A group of religious heretics ﬂed civilisation and founded 
  Hopespyre as a place of refuge.  
  •
  The leader of the heretics is a former soldier who preaches 
  the sinful can cleanse themselves in ﬁre. 
  •
  The locals are welcoming, but also extremely paranoid; those 
  considered threats aren't allowed to leave.  
  VILLAGERS 
  Appearance: Women wear their long hair unbound, while men 
  grow beards of impressive lengths. 
   
  Dress: Villagers uniformly wear white linen trousers and tunic. 
  Adults also wear a red, orange or yellow shawl—the colour 
  indicates their state of redemption.  
   
  Nomenclature: male Breel, Fahis, Stoig; female Aseri, Harag, 
  Ketka; family Fireborn (this name is shared by a handful of Dagor 
  Thursh's illegitimate children), many others take ﬁre-related names 
  (Embered, Ashblown and so on) when they join the community. 
  WHISPERS & RUMOURS 
  While in Hopespyre, a character may hear one or more rumours. 
  The PC can learn this information in several ways: perhaps by 
  overhearing two locals gossiping, chatting with regulars over a 
  few drinks at the local taverns and so on. Use the table below, to 
  determine which rumours the character learns. 
  *False rumour. 
  D6
  RUMOUR
  1*
  All the half-orc children you see around here? They're 
  all related to Dagor. (While the cult leader certainly has 
  many illegitimate children and some grandchildren, not 
  all of the half-orc youth are his progeny)
  2
  Some recent converts were kept at Visitors' House for 
  months but in time accepted Dagor's teachings.
  3*
  The villagers feed an innocent to the Font of 
  Redemption a few times a year, to keep it burning.
  4
  A delegation of Darlen's church was wiped out when 
  they tried to broach a rapprochement with village 
  leaders, and their bodies were buried in the woods.
  5
  Friyet never forgave Dagor for not marrying her; she 
  was the only one who didn't realize he never really 
  loved her.
  6*
  Dagor has begun saying those who do not choose 
  repentance willingly should be burnt. (Katin Shiss and 
  his followers are carefully spreading this lie.)
  �2
  
  NOTABLE LOCATIONS AT A GLANCE 
  Most of the village comprises peasant homes. A few locations, 
  however, are of interest to adventurers: 
  1.
  Font of Redemption: This ever-burning pyre at the centre of 
  the village is Hopespyre’s spiritual heart.  
  2.
  Dagor Thursh's Home: Other than two guards, little 
  distinguishes the cult leader's home from other residences. 
  3.
  Brothers' House: The village's unmarried men live in this 
  wooden longhouse. 
  4.
  Sisters' House: This wooden longhouse shelters Hopespyre’s 
  single women. 
  5.
  Visitors’ House: Half-hostel and half-prison, visitors stay here 
  for free, treated as guests but watched with a wary eye. 
  6.
  Communal Kitchens: The village's communal meals are 
  prepared here and served on long, bench-lined tables.  
  7.
  Makers’ Hall: Craftsmen use this site, originally several 
  houses that were later connected, to make magic items. 
  8.
  Secret Shrine: Secret followers of the elemental lord of ﬁre 
  meet at this home owned by Katin Shiss' supposed sister. 
  9.
  Watch Tower: Two guards occupy these towers at all times, 
  keeping an eye out for threats within and without. 
  NOTABLE FOLK 
  Most of the population are simply well-meaning church members. 
  A few, however, are of interest to adventurers: 
  Barja Embersin (location 4; NG female dwarf thief 2)  is the 
  overprotective "mother" of the Sisters' House. 
  Dagor Thursh (location 2; NG venerable male half-orc ﬁghter 3/
  cleric 6)  is the ageing founder of Hopespyre and the Church 
  of the Redemptive Flame. 
  Denmin Thursh (location 7; NG middle-aged male half-orc cleric 
  5) is Dagor's oldest son, by his now dead wife, and a true 
  believer; he hopes to continue his father's work. 
  Friyet Halsh (location 6; N middle-aged female human) is 
  Udealia's vainglorious mother. She still resents Dagor Thursh 
  for refusing to marry her when his wife died. 
  Katin Shiss (location 8; LE male half-elf cleric 4) is secretly a cleric 
  of the elemental lord of ﬁre; he married Udealia Fireborn as 
  part of a scheme to subvert the community. 
  Shan Whistletree (location 5; NG male halﬂing ﬁghter 4) is the 
  host of the Visitors' House. 
  Udealia Fireborn (location 1; N female half-orc cleric 3) is an 
  illegitimate daughter of Dagor; she’s encouraged by her 
  husband and mother to take power as her father declines. 
  �3
  
  L IF E I N HOPE S PYR E 
  Life in Hopespyre is generally peaceful, if overly regulated. 
  However, the threat of discovery and persecution hangs over the 
  village, which casts a pall over its people, on occasion. 
  TRADE & INDUSTRY 
  Forced to remain secret, Hopespyre has little to speak of in the 
  way of economy or external trade links. Much of the village's daily 
  life revolves around religious activities and growing food. New 
  converts are expected to donate their material goods for the 
  good of the community.  
   
  Hopespyre's surfeit of spellcasters' magic and crafting help 
  bring in money either from the rare visitor or through occasional 
  trading trips to far-off towns. It should come as no surprise many 
  of the items crafted here have ﬁre-based powers, and Denmin is 
  happy to make such items on commission for guests—as long as 
  they respect the cult’s teachings and vow to never reveal 
  Hopespyre’s location. 
  LAW & ORDER 
  Though many villagers have committed serious crimes in the past, 
  few misdeeds occur in Hopespyre, where almost all of the citizens 
  have accepted Thursh's vision to leave their sins behind. 
  Outsiders are always the ﬁrst suspect, when a crime occurs—unless 
  there are witnesses to the fact (or the outsiders have impenetrable 
  alibis). If any confusion over their guilt or innocence remains, the 
  suspects are forced to “speak their truth” while inside the radius of 
  the so-called Zone of Truth emanating from the Font of 
  Redemption (location 1). 
   
  Even for those who wished to do so, the watchful guards make 
  misdeeds difﬁcult. Petty crimes are typically handled with a public 
  Forgiving, the transgressor confessing publicly and possibly 
  having his shawl changed to indicate a reduced level of 
  redemption. Dagor Thursh deals with more serious crimes 
  personally—after he communes with the ﬂames.  
  CUSTOMS & TRADITIONS 
  Residents of Hopespyre all adhere to the tenets of the Church of 
  the Redemptive Flame, most visibly in their choice of clothing: 
  adult church members mark their state of redemption by wearing 
  coloured shawls.  
   
  Those who have achieved the highest state of redemption, by 
  declaring their sins to an entire gathering and safely entering the 
  Font of Redemption to burn them away, wear red shawls. Those 
  who announce their sins to Dagor Thursh or another red-shawled 
  member of the church and allow that person to take their burden 
  into the ﬁre wear orange shawls. Finally, those at the least state of 
  redemption—who write their sins on paper that is then fed to the 
  ﬁre—wear yellow shawls. Children wear simply white linen clothes, 
  receiving their ﬁrst shawl at special Forgiving ceremonies that 
  mark their passage into adulthood. 
  VILLAGE DRESSING 
  Use this table to generate the minor sights and sounds the 
  characters experience as they explore Hopespyre.  
  �4
  D20 DRESSING/EVENT
  1
  The village gathers for a public Forgiving ceremony to 
  welcome a youth into adulthood.
  2
  Signs of riders are spotted near Hopespyre, stoking fears 
  of the village’s discovery.
  3
  An old half-orc trains several villagers in arms, demanding 
  military precision from his students.
  4
  A villager's body is found, burned to death. (He was killed 
  on orders of Katin Shiss, who feared the man had 
  discovered his secret.)
  5
  A group of young men work diligently to clean the 
  Brothers' House.
  6
  Villagers celebrate Founder's Day, the anniversary of the 
  church's founding. Young couples sneak off into the 
  shadows—and Barja Embersin spends the evening 
  dragging them back into the light.
  7
  A handful of children giggle as they make up supposed 
  misdeeds to declare to each other as sins.
  8
  Several villagers work hard in a communal garden.
  9
  White snow covers the village except for a small circle 
  cleared by the heat of the central bonﬁre.
  10
  An attractive older woman stands outside a home, 
  screaming loudly at someone inside, as a younger woman 
  with her looks away in embarassment. (This is Friyet Halsh 
  and her daughter, Udealia Fireborn.)
  11
  A strong burnt smell lingers over the village.
  12
  Sounds of hammering and loud encouragement come 
  from several homes.
  13
  Chickens scratch for insects in the grass.
  14
  Villagers' voices rise in prayer, reaching a crescendo as a 
  woman throws some papers into a bonﬁre.
  15
  A soldier in the tyrant's army arrives at the village, 
  claiming she has come in search of her own redemption, 
  but many villagers don’t trust her.
  16
  A couple of shaggy brown dogs bark furiously as a young 
  girl laughingly chases after them.
  17
  The smell of baking bread wafts from the communal 
  kitchens near the centre of the village.
  18
  A handsome half-elf (Katin Shiss) juggles balls of ﬁre for 
  the amusement of several children.
  19
  Udealia Fireborn denounces a visitor to the village, 
  claiming she heard the voice of Darlen condemning the 
  person in the Font of Redemption.
  20
  An overlooked yellow shawl, apparently discarded or lost, 
  gathers dirt on the outskirts of the village.
  
  T HE S UR ROUN DIN G LOCALIT Y 
  Hopespyre's location is a secret, one willingly shared with no one 
  who is not a member of the Church of the Redemptive Flame. 
  Quite intentionally, no roads lead to the village; even newcomers 
  to the church are typically directed to somewhere a day or two 
  away where they can be met by a trusted member and led on a 
  circuitous route to the village. Those without such a guide are 
  most likely to ﬁnd Hopespyre by sheer chance, with their ability to 
  convince the inhabitants they are no threat determining whether 
  their discovery was good fortune or bad. 
   
  The village can be placed in any remote area where a GM 
  wants to set it. It may work as a way to break up the party’s travel 
  to a distant dungeon, or as a possible surprise, but welcome, 
  refuge if the characters ﬁnd themselves in trouble while travelling 
  in a remote, dangerous or forbidding place. 
   
  In a Forest or Jungle: Lurking in the depths of a primal, 
  ancient stretch of woodland, trees and other thick undergrowth 
  hem Hopespyre in on all sides. Local elves and fey may know of 
  the village, but probably avoid the place thanks to the intolerant, 
  unforgiving stance of some of Hopespyre’s clergy.   
   
  In the Hills: Nestled deep in the hills at the head of a tree-
  choked, near-trackless sheltered valley, one does not see 
  Hopespyre until one is almost atop it. 
   
  In the Mountains: Far from civilisation, in a high-up mountain 
  valley, Hopespyre suffers from intense winds and storms. Even the 
  strongest winter storm troubles not the Font of Redemption, 
  however. Watchers can see travellers coming from miles away, 
  making it virtually impossible to reach the village unseen. 
   
  On an Island: The nameless island on which stands 
  Hopespyre rears from the ocean’s endless, eternal waves far from 
  any known shipping lane. Because of the island’s isolation, the 
  villagers make no real attempt to mask their location and, thus, at 
  night the Font of Redemption blazes brightly and is visible for 
  many miles. 
  NEARBY DANGERS 
  Regardless of where the village stands, intelligent creatures in the 
  area have learned to keep their distance, thanks to the powerful 
  magic of Hopespyre's inhabitants. Still, such dangers may threaten 
  hunter-gatherers who venture outside the village, or drive 
  adventurers nearby to look for sanctuary in Hopespyre. In addition 
  to any monsters normally found in Hopespyre's terrain, creatures 
  from the elemental plane of ﬁre may lurk nearby, drawn by the 
  irresistible presence in the Font of Redemption.
  �5
  
  N OTA B L E L OCATION S IN HOPESPY RE 
  1: FONT OF REDEMPTION 
  Hopespyre is built around this ever-burning bonﬁre, which also 
  serves as the village’s spiritual centre. Services are held daily at 
  sunrise at the Font, as are many ceremonies, including the 
  Forgiving rituals, wherein cultists give their sins to the ﬁre to be 
  burned away. Such religious activities can be led by any church 
  member who has attained a red shawl, though typically Dagor 
  Thursh conducts them. His children, Denmin Thursh and Udealia 
  Fireborn, are most likely to act in his stead when he's unable to 
  lead services for some reason.  
   
  Originally fed continuously by members of the church with 
  wood cleared to make room for the expanding community, the 
  Font of Redemption in time began to simply burn on its own, 
  which Dagor Thursh and the other cultists see as proof of their 
  beliefs. Adding to their fervour, they discovered they were unable 
  to lie while in the pyre's light.  
   
  In truth, though, their prayers attracted the attention of the 
  elemental lord of ﬁre, who saw a way to take advantage of their 
  faith. He empowers the pyre, keeping it burning at all times and 
  causes it to act as a zone of truth (those with the zone must save 
  against spells to resist telling the truth). As part of his plan, any 
  follower of the elemental lord of ﬁre within the bonﬁre’s radius of 
  illumination beneﬁts from immunity to ﬁre as if they had drunk a 
  potion of ﬁre resistance and automatically succeed at their saving 
  throws made to resist telling the truth. 
   
  While the characters are here, one or more of the below 
  events may occur. Choose or determine randomly: 
  1.
  A trio of young men and women gaze rapturously as a half-
  orc woman in a red shawl (Udealia Fireborn) walks with 
  papers listing their sins into the ﬁre where she lets the notes 
  burn away to ash.  
  2.
  The central bonﬁre ﬂickers, turning blue and then green 
  before returning to its normal colours. 
  3.
  A dwarven man tries to enter the ﬁre after declaring his sins, 
  but cries out in pain as the heat forces him to retreat. Others 
  judge his failure as a sign he was either insufﬁciently 
  repentant or truthful, or both.  
  4.
  Katin Shiss stands in the heart of the font and decries a sinful 
  world, saying it and any who haven't found redemption in the 
  church (such as the characters) need to be cleansed of their 
  wrongdoing. (He doesn't explicitly endorse violence but hints 
  at it.) 
  5.
  The village gathers as a young man and woman are united in 
  marriage by Dagor Thursh. Barja Embersin cries in joy 
  throughout the ceremony, repeatedly telling any male 
  characters how beautiful and happy life is in the village.  
  6.
  Four armed church members place their sword blades into 
  the ﬁre for a minute before withdrawing them and heading 
  toward the outskirts of the village. 
  2: DAGOR THURSH'S HOME 
  This home looks much like the rest of the village’s homes, with a 
  tidy garden out front and smoke curling from the chimney, though 
  two constant guards outside (typically LN male half-orc ﬁghter 4) 
  hint at its importance.  
   
  Here dwells Dagor Thursh; he spends much of his time 
  working happily in his ﬂower garden when he is not leading 
  services or attending to other community needs (as his ﬂagging 
  energy allows). Thursh is welcoming to friendly, respectful visitors 
  and it is a great honour to be welcomed inside his home for a 
  private audience (and perhaps confession).  
  3: BROTHERS' HOUSE 
  This handcrafted log longhouse shelters the community's single 
  adult men, providing them with a dormitory and workspace.  
   
  The yellow-shawled, lazy Oddrick Harf (NG male middle-aged 
  half-orc ﬁghter 2) nominally oversees the men and their work, but 
  in truth he can barely be bothered. He spends much of his time 
  sleeping by the ﬁre, and is only aware of the goings-on in his 
  immediate vicinity. His attitude drives Barja Embersin (location 4) 
  wild with anger—something she struggles with on a daily basis. 
  Because of Oddrick’s attitude, this place is often disorganised, 
  smelly and messy.
  �6
  UDEALIA FIREBORN 
  N female half-elf cleric 3 
  Worry lines crease the brow of this curly-haired half-orc woman. 
  Mannerisms: Udealia frequently plays with her red shawl, 
  twisting it around her ﬁngers and worrying it back and forth 
  across her shoulders. 
   
  Personality: Used as a tool by her mother since before she 
  was born, Udealia suffers from anxiety. She wants to live up to 
  her mother’s and husband's desires that she assume leadership 
  of the church when her father dies, though she has no such 
  ambition of her own.  
   
  She faithfully follows Dagor's teachings, and is happiest 
  when others share their sins with her so she can unburden them 
  by taking the wrongdoings into the Font of Redemption.  
   
  Background: Udealia Fireborn is the illegitimate daughter 
  of Dagor Thursh, the product of an affair her vainglorious 
  mother hoped would lead to personal power. She spent her 
  childhood being pushed into the centre of the church, 
  becoming a devout follower.  
   
  Now a young woman, she was romanced by and eventually 
  married an apparent half-elf convert to the village, Katin Shiss 
  (location 8). Oblivious he too sees her as a conduit to power, 
  Udealia loves him deeply and remains excited about having left 
  the Sisters' House for her own home. 
  
  4: SISTERS' HOUSE 
  This building, identical to the Brothers' House, accommodates 
  Hopespyre's single adult women.  
   
  Unlike her counterpart in the Brothers' House, the corpulent 
  orange-shawled Barja Embersin (NG female dwarf thief 2) serves 
  as an extremely overprotective mother. She keeps close tabs on 
  all her charges and their comings and goings, and patrols 
  regularly to make sure no men gain entry to her sanctum. Though 
  gruff, especially with men she doesn't know, she's an incurable 
  romantic—she believes part of her job is helping ﬁnd husbands for 
  her charges but has very speciﬁc thoughts on proper courtship. 
  She keeps an eye on any male visitors, hoping to ﬁnd some who 
  will be willing to convert to the Church of the Redemptive Flame 
  and make a home with one of her charges. 
  5: VISITORS’ HOUSE 
  The Visitors’ House provides small rooms where guests can stay 
  free of charge. (Food is served in the communal kitchens [location 
  6]). However, though the building is appointed as a simple hostel, 
  it serves a dual purpose. The solid construction and windows with 
  shutters that open only a few inches keep guests inside when 
  they're not meant to be wandering the village freely. The 
  �7
  DAGOR THURSH 
  NG venerable male half-orc ﬁghter 3/cleric 6 
  A grey beard covers burns scars on the face of this red-shawled, 
  elderly half-orc. Stooped shoulders show age is beginning to 
  take its toll. 
  Mannerisms: Dagor, at peace now with the misdeeds of his 
  youth, typically wears a beatiﬁc look on his face. 
   
  Personality: Dagor truly believes in his teachings, that one 
  can ﬁnd redemption from one's sins through ﬁre. He hopes 
  others will do the same and choose to better themselves. 
  However, he also is all too aware of the lengths to which his 
  enemies will go, and zealously guards his people's safety. He 
  would rather take extreme measures against a perceived threat 
  and have to once more enter the Font of Redemption to ﬁnd 
  forgiveness than allow his people to come to harm. 
   
  Background: In his youth, as a soldier for a cruel despot, 
  Dagor witnessed and was responsible for unspeakable acts of 
  horror. Soul blackened by his experiences, for many long years 
  he saw no escape from the army. He found his way out, however, 
  amid the ﬂames of a ﬁreball that slew most of his companions. 
  Surviving, he took the experience as a sign he ﬁnally had to start 
  a new life. Preaching that one's sins could be burned away in 
  ﬁre, he quickly attracted a following he eventually led to a place 
  he dubbed Hope's Pyre (later shortened to Hopespyre). Left a 
  widower during the journey, he has never settled down with a 
  partner again, though his charisma attracted followers to more 
  than his word, making him more than a spiritual father for many 
  in the village.
  THE CHURCH OF THE REDEMPTIVE 
  FLAME 
  Though the church of Darlen would disagree, members of the 
  Church of the Redemptive Flame believe they also follow the 
  Shining Light, god of the Law, Order, Justice, and the Sun. The 
  cult, however, puts much more focus on sin.  
   
  Teachings: Everyone sins, but everyone can ﬁnd redemption 
  through the cleansing ﬁre. A sin-free life is a better life—almost as 
  good as it will be in the heavenly afterlife—and the faithful must 
  strive to live without sin every day. When they fail, as all do at 
  times, they must confess their sins to each other and the god, 
  and then give them to the ﬁre to be burned away. If the entire 
  world were sin-free, it would become like unto heaven. 
   
  Holy Texts: The Church of the Redemptive Flame interprets 
  Darlen's doctrine through the oral teachings of Dagor Thursh. 
  His daughter, Udealia Fireborn, has begun recording these 
  commentaries in a series of scrolls she has dubbed The Light of 
  Truth, unaware of the corruptions in the message secretly 
  introduced by her husband. 
  DARLEN 
  LG greater god of law, order, justice and the sun 
  Epithets: The Justicar, the Shining Light, the Noble One 
  Symbol: The rising sun 
  Favoured Weapon: Longsword 
  Raiment: Voluminous, white cowled habits; unless expecting 
  battle, clerics do not wear armour 
  Worshippers: Nobles, paladins and warriors; enemies of Braal 
  Teachings: The strong must protect the weak. Those with great 
  abilities or aptitudes must use their gifts for the betterment 
  of their fellows. The faithful must be ever vigilant for evil’s 
  rise, but must show mercy when dealing with its tools. 
  Holy Texts: Darlen’s teachings are set down in the Scripture of 
  Law—a vast tome containing teaching, stories and lessons by 
  some of his early, prominent followers. Divine Order and On 
  Darkness’ Rise are important early commentaries penned by 
  legendary high priests. 
  Additional Notes: The holy warriors of the Order of the Watch 
  Eternal stand between Ashlar and the darkness pressing in 
  on all sides. Its members are heroes and protectors of the 
  common-folk. Some of their number delve into Gloamhold’s 
  sinister, benighted depths while others patrol the duchy’s 
  bounds or strike out into the surrounding wilderlands. 
  Temples & Shrines: Darlen’s faithful live throughout Ashlar. The 
  Watcher’s Spire—also known as the Champion’s Abbey—is 
  one of the most heavily fortiﬁed places in the duchy. The 
  faith’s paladins and warrior monks train at Tor Abbey in 
  readiness for the unending ﬁght against the encroaching 
  darkness. 
  
  inquisitive, attentive, orange-shawled Shan Whistletree (NG male 
  halﬂing ﬁghter 4) serves not only as host, but also guard. Small 
  hidden holes in the walls enable Shan to see and hear what 
  passes between guests; he immediately reports any concerns to 
  Dagor. Shan is assisted in his hosting duties by a half-dozen 
  villagers.  
  •
  Accommodation: One- or two-bed chambers, free. (Rooms 
  are single sex, except for couples Shan believes are married.) 
  6: COMMUNAL KITCHENS 
  The aroma of baking bread and bubbling stews ﬁlls the air near 
  this large building at all times of the day. While some families eat 
  in their own home, most villagers come together at mealtimes to 
  dine at long, bench-lined tables.  
   
  Among the cooks is the orange-shawled Friyet Halsh (N 
  middle-aged female human), a still-attractive woman whose 
  beauty is marred by her own awareness of it. The ambitious Friyet 
  was brought into the cult by her parents and has been constantly 
  frustrated by her inability to gain power. She went so far as to 
  seduce Dagor Thursh after the cult leader's wife died, but was 
  enraged when he refused to acknowledge the brief relationship 
  even after she bore him a child, Udealia Fireborn (location 8). She 
  now lives her life through her daughter, pouring all of her energy 
  into trying to ensure Udealia succeeds Dagor as the church’s 
  leader. 
  •
  Food & Drink: Meal (porridge in the morning, stew at night) 
  free. 
  7: MAKERS’ HALL 
  Makers’ Hall is the main production facility for magic items in the 
  community. Originally just a one-room workshop in Denmin 
  Thursh's home, the building has been expanded several times to 
  allow for more workers. 
   
  The legitimate son of Dagor Thursh, Denmin (NG middle-aged 
  male half-orc cleric 5) oversees production and spends much of 
  his time in the workshop. With his father looking mostly after the 
  community's spiritual welfare, the red-shawled Denmin long ago 
  took responsibility for the village's material needs, coordinating 
  the production of magic items and the occasional trips by some of 
  the village's most trusted members to trade them for necessities.  
   
  Though he truly believes in the Church of the Redemptive 
  Flame, Denmin tends to be more focused on its mundane needs 
  than its spiritual ones, leaving room for others to try to usurp his 
  birthright as the cult's next leader. Currently, Denmin has several 
  exceptional items for sale 
  •
  For Sale: necklace of missiles (2,200 gp; 1x 5d6, 2 x 3d6), +1 
  ﬂame tongue longsword (4,500 gp).
  8: SECRET SHRINE 
  This seemingly normal home, owned by the yellow-shawled "Lidja 
  Shiss" (CE female half-elf cleric 3), serves as the secret meeting 
  place for the handful of followers of the elemental lord of ﬁre in 
  the village. Here they plot and scheme to subvert the church to 
  their master’s own designs—to use its followers as the spark to set 
  the surrounding region aﬂame.  
   
  Lidja, whose true name is Caramin Berall, arrived at the same 
  time as Katin Shiss (CE male half-elf cleric 4), posing as his 
  widowed sister, to give him a reason to spend time at their secret 
  shrine in her home. The red-shawled Katin can often be found 
  here when he's not at the home he shares with his wife, Udealia 
  Fireborn, and mother-in-law, Friyet Halsh.  
  9: WATCH TOWER 
  This simple 10 ft. high wooden platform has a roof and guardrail 
  to protect its occupants and a ladder that is pulled up when not in 
  use. Two orange-shawled guards (typically LN male or female 
  human thief 4 during the day and LN male or female half-orc 
  ﬁghter 4 at night) are on duty at all times, keeping an eye out for 
  any danger lurking inside or outside the village. Each watch tower 
  is equipped with a hunting horn—which is sounded only when 
  danger seems close at hand.
  �8
  KATIN SHISS 
  CE male half-elf cleric 4 
  This tall half-elf's red hair clashes with the red shawl around his 
  neck, though his blue eyes and wide smile exude a calm warmth. 
  Mannerisms: Katin Shiss almost always smiles, and has a 
  pleasant word for anyone he meets. When he is not "attending 
  on his poor sister," he stays close to his new wife, often touching 
  her as a "sign of affection." 
   
  Personality: Katin is the snake in Hopespyre's garden, his 
  warm charm covering his true intention of taking over the 
  church. He cold-bloodedly plots each step, exerting complete 
  authority over his followers.  
   
  Though his wife's love for him is true and she would be 
  devastated to learn of the darkness in her husband’s heart, for 
  him it is simply a matter of convenience. His apparent doting on 
  her is merely a front to let him keep close tabs on what he sees 
  as his best chance to succeed at his plan. 
   
  Background: Katin Shiss is a devoted follower, but not of 
  Dagor Thursh and the Church of the Redemptive Flame; he 
  instead follows the elemental lord of ﬁre. Led by his deity, he 
  managed to make his way to Hopespyre with a few other 
  worshipers, including one posing as his sister, for the sole 
  purpose of subverting the villagers to his own ends. He has 
  managed to covertly convert several people, who now work with 
  him as he makes inroads with a handful more who remain utterly 
  unaware of his true intentions.
  
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  System Reference Document: ©2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Authors: Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. 
   
  Village Backdrop: Hopespyre. ©Raging Swan Press 2015; Author: Jacob W. Michaels.  
    
  Village Backdrop: Hopespyre 2.0. ©Raging Swan Press 2019; Author: Jacob W. Michaels. 
  To learn more about the Open Game License, visit wizards.com/d20. 
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  �9
  
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Raging Swan - Gloamhold/Raging Swan Gloamhold/Raging Swan Town, Village Backdrops/Raging Swan Village Backdrop Hopespyre 2.0/Raging Swan Village Backdrop Hopespyre 2.0.pdf