Kirkwood
Description
A prosperous timber town nestled against a dense forest that never seems to thin no matter how much wood comes out of it. The main street is paved in sawdust-packed earth, lined with lumber yards, carpentry shops, and the offices of trade factors who buy wood by the cartload. The town walls are — naturally — the finest timber construction in the region, thick and well-maintained. A wide plaza at the center hosts the daily lumber market, where the sound of haggling competes with the distant rhythm of axes from the camps.
The Glade
Kirkwood’s prosperity comes from its forest — locally called the Glade. The trees have amazing renewing properpties, allowing regrowth to happen at faster rates.
The people of Kirkwood attribute this to the Precursors — ancient magic embedded in the land itself. Scholars and arcanists who’ve studied the Glade either confirm it’s got restorative properties, or oddly enough, have never returned.
Kirkwood’s economy is built entirely around this phenomenon. Timber from the Glade is exported across Restrend and beyond, making this modest town disproportionately wealthy for its size.
Notable Features
- The Glade — the self-healing forest that fuels the town’s economy
- The Lumber Market — the central plaza where timber is bought, sold, and contracted daily
- Industry & Factories — due to the large reliable supply, many factories exist here that produce the product instead of just exporting the raw goods.
- The Lumber Camps — deep-forest lumber camps where the felling crews work and live during cutting season
What’s Known
Kirkwood sits between Astran and Tethermoor, a short distance inland from the eastern frontier. It is well known across Restrend as the source of the continent’s cheapest and most abundant timber. Merchants, builders, and shipwrights all know the name.
The Glade’s success and rumors of magical renewal are mostly known — the specifics of how or why are not. Most people accept the “precursor blessing” explanation and don’t ask further questions.