30. Veyne's Mill

The Grinding Stone in the Temple’s Shadow

Southeast of Nulb, where the Gnarley’s edge meets open pasture, Veyne’s Mill turns with the slow, steady rhythm of the stream. The creak of the waterwheel is the heartbeat of the Veyne family’s livelihood — and a sound that Temple agents and Nulb’s power players have learned to keep an ear on. Grain is ground here for much of the village, which means the mill’s owner, Thadric Veyne, stands at a quiet crossroads between sustenance and subjugation.

The Millhouse A Center of Industry and Intrigue

The Millhouse stands as a functional yet modest structure surrounded by open fields and forested edges.

• Construction: A sturdy, rectangular building with walls coated in yellowish plaster.
• Waterwheel: The mill’s wheel creaks as it turns in the slow-moving stream, its rhythmic sound a constant in the area.
• Interior: The main floor houses the milling equipment, while the upper level contains a small living area for Thadric and his family.
• Political Alignment: Officially neutral, but increasingly pressured by the Temple cultists growing influence.

"The mill’s stone grinds grain, but it also grinds people down. That’s life in Nulb." - Thadric

Political and Factional Interests (579 CY)

Madame Selentis (Nysera Krivaltis)

• Uses the mill’s flour output to provision Temple-bound convoys, arranging collection via Valegrave’s wagons.
• Keeps quiet pressure on Thadric to prioritize Temple orders over civilian needs.

Feldrin (Temple Logistics Commander)

• Sees the mill as part of the logistical chain leading to the Hunting Cottage and the Temple’s tunnel.
• Coordinates with Selentis for grain shipments, but keeps a man in Nulb watching the mill to ensure quotas are met.

Romag (Earth Temple Prophet)

• Seeks to divert part of the mill’s output to his own Earth Temple stores, bypassing Feldrin’s control.
• Occasionally sends Dick Rentsch to make subtle offers of “protection” in exchange for priority supply.

Valegrave’s Farmstead

• Works closely with Selentis to funnel harvested grain to the mill for Temple supply runs.
• Valegrave’s team acts as the main hauler, giving him leverage over both Thadric and Selentis.

Key Relationships

• Thadric Veyne & Madame Selentis – Business under duress; she holds the power to cut him off from the village’s grain supply chain.
• Thadric & Feldrin – Indirect contact, but Feldrin’s men enforce production quotas on behalf of the Temple.
• Thadric & Romag – Tempted by offers to deal directly with Earth Temple agents, but refuses to cut Selentis out entirely for fear of reprisal.
• Gavrin Veyne & the Thorne Boys (Thorne’s Cottage) – Allies in small acts of resistance, sharing information about Temple movements.

Current Tensions

• Quota Strain – Feldrin demands larger shipments, but Romag pushes for a separate supply line; Thadric risks being crushed between them.
• Potential Blockade – If Valegrave’s farm or Selentis’s convoys are disrupted, the mill could be starved of raw grain entirely.
• Quiet Resistance – Gavrin and Edric Thorne have begun hiding small sacks of flour from Temple quotas, a dangerous act if discovered.

"The temple says the mill is theirs, and I’ll not argue. The last man who did isn’t around to tell the tale." - Thadric

Community Perception

• Resentment from Some Villagers: Certain villagers view the family’s loyalty to temple cultists with suspicion.
• Support from the Church: Old Faith cleric see potential in Thadric’s dedication.

"I’ve seen the cultists. Joining their cause isn’t just about faith—it’s about survival." - Thadric

Dungeon Master Only: Secrets and Hidden Lore

Adventure Hooks for Players

• Millhouse Defense: Bandits or lizardfolk threaten the millhouse, and the party is hired to defend it.
• Investigating the Previous Miller: What led to the former miller’s demise? Clues in the millhouse may reveal a darker truth.
• Church Trials: The family’s initiation into the elemental cult may require a test, potentially drawing adventurers into a cultist plot..

"The forest whispers danger, the swamp murmurs secrets, but here at the mill, it’s just the steady creak of the wheel."

Adventure Hooks for DMs

• Cult Corruption: The family becomes unwitting pawns in a larger cultist scheme, drawing players into a web of intrigue.
• Treasure Hunt: Players discover hints about a hidden stash of resources or relics tied to the elemental temple.

Conclusion

The Millhouse stands as a cornerstone of Nulb’s industry and a focal point of its political and supernatural intrigue. Thadric and his family’s struggles, ambitions, and secrets offer rich opportunities for storytelling, creating a dynamic setting for adventurers to explore. Whether defending the family from threats, uncovering hidden truths, or navigating the murky waters of loyalty and survival, the Millhouse provides a compelling backdrop for any campaign.

Plot Hooks

• Selentis’s Quiet Quota
  Selentis leans on Thadric to “prioritize civic needs,” which really means Temple convoys. PCs who shadow the wagons find Valegrave’s men hauling flour on her schedule, not the village’s. If they disrupt it, she notices.
• Feldrin’s Watcher
  Feldrin treats the mill like one gear in his supply chain to the Hunting Cottage; one of his men is always nearby to count sacks and whisper threats when the numbers dip. PCs can flip that watcher—or feed him false tallies.
• Romag’s Side Deal
  Romag wants a slice diverted to his Earth Temple stores, using Dick Rentsch to float “protection” in exchange for priority grind. If the party poses as new intermediaries, they can sting Rentsch—or string Romag along.
• Choke the Source
  Valegrave’s farm steers raw grain to Veyne’s Mill; a single bad week in the fields starves the stone. PCs who pressure or expose Valegrave can throttle Temple throughput without ever drawing steel at the mill.
• Flour in the False Wall
  Gavrin Veyne and the Thorne boys salt away small sacks off-quota—a tiny resistance with big risk. If the party helps hide or move the flour, they make friends; if caught, they make enemies.
• Two Masters, One Stone
  Feldrin demands more; Romag pushes a parallel pipeline. Thadric is being ground between them. PCs can broker a truce (for a price), play them off each other, or set the wedge that breaks both lines.

Short Quest: “The Sacks That Sang Too Loud”

Premise. The mill’s tally slips don’t match the flour on hand. Feldrin’s watcher suspects theft; Romag’s man swears skimming; Selentis just wants her numbers. Thadric begs the party to make this… go away. (He won’t say how frightened he is, but his wheel creaks faster when he talks.)

Objectives.

• Trail Valegrave’s next wagon from farm to mill; verify grain weight vs. delivered flour.
• Identify who’s siphoning: Feldrin’s counter, Romag’s cutout (via Rentsch), or a third party using the Thorne kids’ caches as cover.
• Decide the leak’s fate: expose, exploit, or protect the quiet resistance.

Complications.

• Quota Snap: If numbers drop again, Feldrin orders a “quiet correction”—night blades at the millhouse.
• Earth Tremor: Romag’s envoy arrives with muscle and a better offer that smells like a trap.
• Supply Starve: Any move against Valegrave threatens to starve the stone—villagers will blame the party when bread runs thin.

Resolutions & Rewards.

• Balance the Books: Forge a passable paper trail and nudge weights so everyone “wins” this week; earn Thadric’s trust and discreet access to mill records.
• Cut a Gear: Feed Feldrin proof that Romag’s siphoning (or vice-versa) to buy breathing room for the Veynes; gain a favor from one faction and the enmity of the other.
• Feed the Quiet Fire: Shield Gavrin/Thorne caches and route a sliver of flour to Old Mavrek’s after dark; the village remembers who kept them fed.

“The mill grinds what you bring it,” Thadric mutters, hands on the warm stone. “These days, that’s mostly nerves.”

Selentis Brigands Dialog

You smell damp grain and hot stone before you hear the boots—hard heels on the mill’s threshold. Two of Selentis’s temple brigands fill the doorway, rain-dark cloaks beaded with chaff.

The wheel groans on. Thadric Veyne doesn’t look up from the hopper.

Brigand #1 (soft, official):
“Afternoon, miller. Numbers don’t match the sacks. The Lady wants her count right.”

Thadric (even):
“The stone grinds what’s brought. You want more flour, bring more grain.”

One brigand lingers near the ledger; the other prowls between stacked sacks, knifepoint teasing seams. Overhead, on the low eaves, two shapes flatten against shingles. Edris Veyne, fourteen and hawk-eyed, mouths numbers as if weighing the room. His older brother steadies him with a hand on his back.

Brigand #2 (bored):
“Missing three fulls and a half. Your tallies hum one song, the bins sing another.”

Brigand #1 (polite menace):
“We’re not here to take. We’re here to find. Someone’s siphoning. Name them and we’re gone.”

Thadric:
“Your boots muddy my floor, not my name.”

The prowler flicks a seam. A trickle of flour spills, then a tap of the blade finds twine dyed a faint, sickly green where the seam was re-stitched.

Brigand #2 (snorts):
“Cute. New thread on an old sack.”

He squats, wipes flour on a slate-gray glove, presses a finger to the side: two neat chalk pricks under the tally sigil.

Brigand #1 (to Thadric):
“Double-dot mark. Not ours. Whose?”

Thadric (still):
“Marks come and go. Bread stays.”

Above, Edris leans to your side of the roofline, whisper barely a breath.

Edris (whisper, to you):
“Double-dots are Earth Temple—Waterside men. They scratch the seam with a nail and rethread in green. Romag’s crew. Da won’t say it. They’ll open him like a sack.”

The prowler noses deeper: a broken saddle-letter tucked behind the ledger, stamped with river mud. The wax smear isn’t Selentis’s red; it’s a dull brown-green that crumbles at the edge.

Brigand #2 (holds it up):
“Who delivers by saddle to a mill, eh?”

Brigand #1 (smiles without heat):
“You’re being squeezed, Veyne. Greater Temple counts… and so do other hands. We tidy this, or someone tidies you.”

Thadric (finally looks up):
“The wheel turns. I stand where it doesn’t crush me. That’s all.”

Brigand #1 (steps close, voice low):
“Stand right, then. We’ll search.”

They fan out. One taps the false board under the stair with the flat of his knife (hollow thump), cocks his head, moves on. The other rolls sacks and checks seams, looking for nail scratches at the bottom edge.

On the roof, Edris’s lips move—counting, always counting.

Edris (whisper, to you):
“False board hides nothing today. We moved the good flour last night. But the marks are there. If they ask, tell them Romag’s men—tell them… no, don’t. Da will pay the difference in teeth.”

The ledger snaps shut. The polite one tucks the broken saddle-letter back where it was, just crooked enough to show he knows.

Brigand #1 (pleasant):
“Here’s what happens, miller. We’ll walk your yard for a spell. If we find Earth chalk outside your door, the Lady calls this theft. If we don’t… you owe her tomorrow’s grind first and fast.”

Thadric (quiet):
“You’ll get what’s due.”

Brigand #2 (already moving):
“And what’s overdue.”

They step out into the drizzle, circling toward the sheds and the wagon ruts behind the mill.

You feel the roofline soften as Edris exhales.

Edris (urgent whisper, to you):
“They’ll look for clay flecks in the wheel-grease—Earth men track it in from the Waterside yard. If you scuff the ruts, scatter chaff over the clay, they’ll leave without an answer. Or… or you could drop the name Dick Rentsch in their ear. Make them chase him instead.”

A shout from the yard—one brigand has found a green twine offcut snagged on a fence nail.

Brigand #2 (calling):
“Here! Your pretty thread, miller.”

Brigand #1 (to Thadric, almost kindly):
“Next time, tell us first. It’s easier when the truth comes from the mouth that bleeds for it.”

They wait, giving him a last chance to speak. Thadric’s jaw works, but he says nothing.

Brigand #1 (to his partner, turning away):
“Note it. We’ll send a counter tomorrow. Before dawn.”

The wheel keeps groaning. The boys don’t move until the boots fade.

Edris finally looks at you, eyes bright and hard.

Edris (hushed):
“If you want to help, you help quiet. Knock Romag’s chalk out from under us. Make Waterside lose the thread. Don’t make Da choose which blade he swallows.”

Poking Around the Mill (for you to run as they search)

• False Board Under Stairs: Hollow but empty today. (They’ll tap it, move on.)
• Ledger Corner: Crooked saddle-letter with brown-green wax (Earth/Waterside courier; forgery bait).
• Seams & Twine: Re-stitched seams with green-dyed thread; faint double-dot chalk on sack faces (Earth Temple mark).
• Wheel Grease: Gritted with yellow clay, not the local gray loam; points to Waterside yard.
• Yard Ruts: If left alone, show narrow handcart tracks leading to the lane after midnight.

If you intervene openly:

• Name-dropping Dick Rentsch or Romag shifts the brigands’ suspicion to Waterside and buys Thadric a day.
• Botching a lie triggers a follow-up visit with a Temple counter (scribe + two more blades) before dawn.

If you stay hidden:

• You can erase clay flecks (Survival/Stealth) or dust over cart ruts (Sleight of Hand) to muddy the trail.
• Planting a red wax flake (Selentis’s color) risks flipping suspicion back onto the Lady’s own clerks—use with care.