Kesselholm

Ancestral Home of House von Kessel

Population: 1,550 people

Ruler: Countess Constance Kleinkessel

Civil War Allegiance: Mannfred von Kessel

Known For: Iron Mines, Wild Game and Hunting Lodges, Lumber Mills

Sitting at the edge of Lake Dray on a small cliff that protrudes into the bay rests the square stone structure of Kesselholm Keep. A few towers jut out from the large structure into the air and a large stone bridge crosses the opening of the Drann River into the town proper. The town is a modest village of small wooden houses, several shops, a smith, stables, and a few more elegant manor houses. Kesselholm is a quiet place since the civil war ended the Von Kessel family. Now ruled by a distant relation, Countess Constance Kleinkessel, the town has grown drearier. The castle is a looming stone structure that hangs over the small village; the countess is rarely seen outside the keep. The townsfolk are quiet and reserved, and do not get many visitors. Wolves stalk the surrounding woods, while town guards perch in wooden watchtowers to ensure the safety of the nearby farms and townsfolk. The nearby mountains house a few iron mines, while hunters stalk the surrounding woods through the day, and retreat to one of the many hunting lodges just outside the town. Lumber mills frequent the landscape and woodcarvers are a popular pro fession, and often logs are sent down the Drann River to the other cities throughout Westemär. Lately, no one has been leaving their homes at night.

Fassbender Manor.

Home to Burgomaster Lea Fassbender, this stately building has fallen into disrepair, and thick dark curtains are drawn over the tall glass windows. The otherwise headstrong burgomaster has taken gravely ill and can barely tend her duties.

Moose and Squirrel Inn.

Converted from a few cottages renovated into a single building with a large adjoining barn, this establishment offers the only lodgings in town for travelers. It is run by Natasha Winkle and her ornery husband Boris. Chapel of Saint Pauline. The Chapel of Saint Pauline is a bleached-white stone building with a green dome of oxidized copper. The pillared rotunda is set with alcoves bearing marble statues of saints and martyrs. As is custom, the figure of Saint Tarna stands in silent weeping over the crematory gardens and scattering plots surrounded by a wrought-iron fence. The superstitious Flamekeeper Mina nervously tends the chapel with a pair of acolytes, but she dares not share her suspicions about the countess. Lake Dray. Kesselholm is built where the Drann River begins, at the sparkling Lake Dray. Nestled within a rocky valley and surrounded by pine forests, on a clear day one can just make out the crags and tall trees on the opposite shore.