Crystalcombe

Crystalcombe is a small village of 50-60 people located within a forest valley of the Southern Wildlands. It is generally self sufficient, but engages in some small amount of trade with a handful of nearby communities. Crystalcombe’s unique and primary commodity is an incredibly strong yet flexible and soft silk which it harvests from the caves found within the valley walls. The silk is used for all manner of purposes, from use in fabrics, to construction and small industry.

The silk is a natural creation of a singular creature that they call the Spinner. The Spinner is a very large arthropod resembling something akin to an elongated spider with more legs, or a more segmented centipede. The village coexists peacefully with the creature, providing it with food (predominantly roots and vegetables) and respecting the privacy of its warren of tunnels. In return, it allows the village to harvest the silken threads it creates from the most accessible of its tunnels.

Many villagers have what they consider to be a good relationship with the Spinner, able to approach or even touch the creature at times, and have on occasion provided some level of extra care for it, such as tending an injury.

Crystalcombe also has a semi-permanent shelter set up within the caves for emergencies, such as natural disasters or bandit raids, though its historical use is fairly rare.

Notable Occupants

Crystalcombe is home to the renowned investigator Columbus, the region's foremost expert on collapsed cave systems, though Crystalcombe has notably only experienced a single cave-in of its own during his lifetime.