The Mill and Mill Race

Nestled along the eastern bank of the River Chionthar, the Evenshade Mill is one of the village’s most vital pieces of infrastructure. More than just a workplace, the mill embodies the ingenuity of the people, transforming the Chionthar’s shifting waters into steady power for grinding grain, sawing timber, and supporting local trade.

The Mill

The mill itself is a sturdy two-story building of timber and fieldstone, capped with a steep roof to shed rain and snow. Within, great gears and grinding stones fill the air with a constant low thunder, punctuated by the rhythmic creak of the wheel.

• Grain Grinding: Farmers bring their harvest here to be milled into flour.
• Timber Sawing: A secondary sawblade, added in later years, allows the mill to cut planks from logs floated downstream.
• Community Hub: The mill is also a place of commerce and gossip. Farmers, woodcutters, and merchants alike converge here, sharing news while they wait their turn.

The Mill Race

Because the Chionthar rises and falls dramatically with the seasons, a simple waterwheel set against the main current would often sit idle in summer or be destroyed in the spring floods. To counter this, the villagers constructed a mill race—a long, stone-lined channel that diverts a controlled stream of water from the main river.

• Intake Gate: A heavy timber sluice at the upriver end allows the miller to regulate flow, closing the race entirely during floods or ice-thaw.
• Channel: The mill race runs for several hundred yards, narrowing and deepening as it approaches the wheel. Its stone banks are reinforced with timbers and mossy iron fittings to withstand years of current.
• Tailrace: After driving the wheel, the water spills back into the Chionthar through a second channel, carrying away foam and spray like a silver ribbon.

The mill race allows the waterwheel to turn steadily year-round, regardless of the river’s moods.

Role in Village Life

The mill stands as a symbol of Evenshade’s cleverness and resourcefulness. Without it, the village would depend entirely on Berdusk or Iriaebor for flour and cut timber—an unacceptable reliance for a people who prize independence.

The Watch of the Scroll keeps a close eye on the intake gates, since sabotage or neglect could cripple the village economy. During storms or floods, mill workers are often seen rushing to the sluice, battling spray and thunder to keep the channel safe.

Adventure Hooks

• Sabotage in the Sluice: Smugglers or Zhentarim agents block or damage the mill race and intake gates, disrupting food supplies and trade.
• Secrets Beneath the Wheel: Rumors speak of an old Ar-Garalyn mechanism buried beneath the mill foundations, older than the village itself.
• Flood Season: When the river rises beyond its banks, the race becomes a roaring torrent—rescuing stranded workers or repairing the sluice could be a dramatic challenge.