Nepris-Maps

And here are the complete descriptions:

NEPRIS - The Descriptions

Small Bridge (N1)

You are standing on a small hewn-log bridge, which appears to have been carefully pegged together and lashed with strands of willow. A few peds underneath you the Raven River flows from its western origin in the craggy Mithral Mountains down to the Adanian Sea to your east. Looking east through the thick pines of this area you think you can just catch a glimpse of the grey-blue waters.

To the south the coastal road stretches away, a thin dusty grey line that vanishes into more pines. To the north you see some low buildings clustered along the road’s edge.
To the southwest you see a tiny farmhouse with some plants growing in untidy rows beside it.

Poor Farmhouse (N2-a)

You step into the front yard of what seems to be a very tiny farmhouse. Greying planks are pegged roughly together, and you can see gaps and warps in the walls. A flat thatched roof angles downward over the two front windows, giving the building the air of a sullen lad with his hair in his eyes. Heavy stones are laid here and there along the thatch, presumably to secure it against the ocean winds from the east, which the pines only partly block. You see a few rows of tuberroots, carrots, some sort of scraggly onion tops, and insect-eaten lettuces. The only thing that appears to be flourishing on this farm are the Althz’onn beans which are planted along one side of the house, running up into the thatch and curling their tendrils around the crooked boards.

To the west there is a door leading into the farmhouse. The top half is open, the bottom latched.
To the north is the south bank of the Raven River, thick with rocks and reeds.
To the east is the coastal road.
To the northeast there is a small log bridge.

Inside of Poor Farmhouse (N2-b)

Light comes through two small dusty windows on either side of the door, illuminating a single room, which has been roughly divided with a curtain near the back wall. You assume the curtain hides a bed and washing area. To one side is a small fireplace and chimney, made out of rounded river rocks. An empty spit hangs over the hearth, and an iron kettle sits beside it. A rickety table, two chairs, and a series of shelves, all made from the same warped grey pine, are the only other bits of furniture. Here and there farm implements hang on the walls, but it seems keeping them indoors has not preserved them from rusting in the salt air. On the table is a basket full of wilting lettuce, a small bowl of salt crystals, and a loaf of black bread.

To the east there is a door leading out of the farmhouse.

Prosperous Farm (N3-a)

You are standing in front of a large building with a number of little outsheds and a large, invitingly shady veranda along its front. The stone walls are straight and solid, going up one story to a slanted roof, angled so as to deflect the sea winds upward and out of the yard. In front of the veranda a flock of Taenish are scratching and pecking at some grain which has been scattered for them. Seashells outline areas of the yard in delicate white scallops and traceries, creating an attractive effect on the greyish soil of this region.

To the west the coastal road stretches north and south.
To the east is the farmstead’s veranda.

Farmstead Veranda (N3-b)

The farmhouse veranda consists of several sturdy poles set into the ground, supporting a wooden subroof. Some sort of shade vine is growing up the poles, providing a pleasant scent from little white flowers. An irregular stone paving is cool under your feet, while beside you two sturdy wooden benches on either side of a low table encourage one to sit down. The veranda is well-situated to protect its occupants from the hot summer sun and the biting winter winds alike, and the view to the west looks out on the craggy purple heights of the Mithral Mountains.

To the west the coastal road stretches north and south, beyond the well-kept yard with its fat Taenish hens and borders of seashells.
To the north is another, smaller house, set back from the road.

Thrifty House (N4)

This house is small and tidy, built mainly of bleached pine planks, with a large stone chimney visible to one side. A small ducraer, the fishing boat of the area, lies across two low racks beside the chimney. Two tall poles stand about three peds away from the other side of the house, attached by crosspieces at their tops to the base of the roof frame. Fish netting is carefully draped from the crosspieces, drying out. Like other houses in the village of Nepris, the house roof slants gradually backwards to deflect the winds whistling in off the often-stormy Adanian Sea, and a small shaded area in the protected lee of the house serves as a restplace and veranda. There are clean curtains at the single window, carefully made out of a recycled orebag - you can see the dwarven smith-mark of Tyr Ethran, a stylized lizard’s head, stamped near the top of the righthand curtain.

To the south is a prosperous-looking farmhouse.
To the north is a rough storage shed.
To the west is the coastal road running north and south.

Storage Shed (N5)

This building appears to be a rough shack, and you can easily see inside through the gaps and crannies in the greyish pine wood from which it was constructed. Bundled netting, floats, bits of wood, and other odds and ends of the fishing trade are piled high inside, and you wonder how the village folk open the door without everything falling out upon them.... if they open it at all. It looks as if no one has bothered for months, and a heavy smell of old seaweed hangs around it.
Someone’s firewood, mostly pine logs with the resin still beading on it, is stacked carefully on the south side.

To the south is a thrifty-looking small house.
To the east are tall triangular racks, sitting at the edge of the beach.
To the west is the coastal road.
To the north is another cluster of buildings.

Fish Drying Racks (N6)

A series of tall, triangular frames stand dug into the sandy grey soil here. Crosspieces provide places to suspend the drying carcasses of a number of lean fish. The ocean wind swings the fish bodies to and fro. Some tentacular squid-shapes are pegged to the racks as well, looking as though they were cut out of old yellow leather. Salt crystals catch the light and glisten from the fish scales, and a strong oily aroma fills your nose as you stand there.

To the west is a storage shed.
To the east is the grey-pebbled beach and the waves of the Adanian Sea.
To the northwest are two small huts and a billow of smoke.

Fish Smoking Huts (N7)

The overwhelming smell here is actually appetizing; a strong smoky flavour which makes your mouth water. Two sturdy huts squat side by side, smoke flowing out from the gap at the bottom of their single doors. Firewood, probably oak from the foothills, fills the space between the huts. You guess that this must be where the Nepris fisherfolk process much of their catch.

To the southeast are some triangular fish drying racks.
To the east is the grey-pebbled beach and the waves of the Adanian Sea.
To the north is a cluster of three buildings around a well.

Boats Drawn up on Beach (N

You are standing in the centre of a semicircular cove which sweeps away to the north and south. The treacherously mossy rocks from which this cove takes its name come down into the water on the north side of the cove, while the rest of the beach is formed of a grey, flat pebble shingle that slides and grates under your feet. White foam mounds up at the edge of the water, and the surf grinds and roars about twenty peds out into the bay, where some irregular rocks form a breakwater. Some seemingly unused ducraers, the small fishing boats of the region, lie inverted on low racks near the edge of the beach. Mounds of seaweed are drying or decaying here and there along the shore, giving the salt air just that extra bit of character.

To the east is the blue-grey water of Mossy Rocks Cove.
To the north is more beach, with the rocky headland coming down to meet it.
To the west are some fish drying racks.

Well (N9)

You stand beside a pebble-dashed well, its edge level with your thigh. A wooden cover sits somewhat askew on top, with a coiled rope and damp bucket set carefully to the bench on one side. The well stands in the middle of what might be called a tiny courtyard, although that would be a grand name for a square of trampled sandy soil with some beach grasses growing at the edges, and three houses, one on each of three sides.

To the south are some huts with smoke seeping out from under their doors.
To the west is a small fishing house with the shaded front veranda characteristic of the region.
To the north stands yet another fishing house, its door covered with grey cloth.
To the east another similar house, with a view of the beach and water behind it.

Grouchy House (N10)

This house stands directly at a three-way crossroads. Its sturdy stone and wood walls are planted into the sandy grey soil with a look of permanence. A shady veranda juts out of the east side, while a front door faces directly onto the crossroads to the west. Heavy stones are placed here and there on the slanting thatch, to protect it from the sea winds. A small dog watches you with an expression of distrust from the side of the house.

To the south you can see a storage shed in the distance.
To the west there is a three-way crossroads. The coastal road stretches north and south, and intersects with another road leading directly west towards the Mithral Mountains.
To the east is a small courtyard with a well and two other houses.

Sad House (N11)

You are facing a small fishing house set back into the thick pines. Its beach-rock chimney is not smoking, and the door is covered with a thick grey cloth. The windows are also covered with grey curtains, completely sealing off light into the dwelling. From a small driftwood enclosure at the side of the house a goat bleats plaintively.

To the west the coastal road runs north and south.
To the east the rocky headland of Mossy Rocks Cove comes down to meet the beach.
To the south is a small courtyard with a well and two other houses.

Contented House (N12)

This small fishing house, like the others in the region, is built of stone and grey pine boards. Its roof slants away from the salt winds of the beach on its east. A lot of work has been done with humble materials to make this dwelling look comfortable and homely. Large clumps of beach grasses have been transplanted around the edges of its tiny yard, and rounded boulders sit here and there to form simple seats. A tiny veranda has been constructed from the ubiquitous grey pine and bits of gnarled driftwood have been carefully lashed together to form a decorative railing. A lovely scent as of roast Taenish hen and fresh bread drifts to your nose, oddly mixed with the sea air.

To the west is a small courtyard with a well and two other houses.
To the south you can see some fish drying racks in the distance.
To the east is the grey shingle of the beach, with the waves of the Adanian sea coming in.

Beach (N13)

Here at the far northern end of the beach the mossy rocks which give this cove its name come tumbling down from an aggressive stone headland to the north. Grey pebble shingle grates and slides underfoot, the stones ranging from a fingernail’s breadth to a palm’s span. Huge boulders sit here and there, the height of a man, their tops decked with ancient algae and festoons of seaweed tossed there by storms. White foam rolls back and forth in the wake of the waves coming in from the Adanian sea, and far out over the water you see the purple haze of old stormclouds scudding along.

To the south some ducraer boats are pulled up on racks along the beach.
To the west is a small, tidy-looking house with grasses growing along its back wall.

Three -way Crossroads (good place to begin exploring!) (N14)
You are standing at the place where the road westward through the Mithral Mountains meets the north/south coastal road. Packed greyish sandy dirt forms the surface of both roads, and thick sedge grasses grow along the edge. About a ped or two back from the edge of the road the grass gives way to dense pines, twisted and leaning from the force of the sea winds. North and south the road stretches away along the Adanian Sea coast. Three carved signs stand at a crazy angle, but by tilting your head you can read the names on them.

“Tyr Ethran” reads the arrow pointing southward. “Crazy Woman Pass” says the arrow to the west. “Rentel / Tyr Donion” is carved on the larger arrow pointing north.

The few houses of the fishing village of Nepris are scattered along the eastern side, between the road and the beach which lines Mossy Rocks Cove. A large building sits in the corner formed by the intersection of the two roads, with some vegetable plots opposite it. A carefully painted sign swings in the salty breeze, declaring it to be “The Pines Hostel - wayfarers and wanderers welcome.” A line obviously added later at the very bottom says in pinched script, “Dwarven Ale Served Here”.

To the east is a sturdy fishing house, its door overlooking the crossroads.
To the southwest is the Pines Hostel, surrounded by the very same eponymous trees.
To the west you see a road stretching away to the purple and blue haze of the great Mithral Mountains.
To the north you see a road heading into the twisted pine forests of the coast.
To the south a road meanders through Nepris, down to a little bridge over the Ravenwing River.

Pines Hostel (exterior) (N15-a)

This appears to be the only two-story building in sight, and its wooden clapboards have been painted a soft Gnome green that blends well with the thick conifers around it. A wide porch with several benches and narrow tables is attached to the front of the hostel, and double doors are carefully carved with a pinecone motif. Double chimneys, one on each side of the building, seem to promise a warm welcome, as does the odour of chowder seeping through a window somewhere.

To the north is the westward road to the mountains, with some small vegetable plots on the opposite side, carved out of the forest.
To the northeast is the three-way crossroad..
To the west is a tiny hut about a ped square, with the silhouette of a leaf carved in the door.

Pines Hostel (interior) (N15-b)

You stand inside the Pines Hostel with your back to the door, looking around. A small common room meets your gaze, with more benches and tables scattered around. A hearth with a pot of chowder on it is crackling and sparking to your left. An open staircase on your right goes up to a loft with five doors, probably bedrooms, leading off a narrow balcony. A bar takes up the back wall under the balcony, with a few liquor bottles, flasks, and skins arrayed sparsely on the shelves behind. Three barrels sit prominently on the right side of the bar, with a stylized lizard head burned into their slats, and dwarven runes stamped on the barrel head. Several wooden mugs sit on the bar, and a couple of glass tumblers which have obviously been made out of empty wine bottles.

To the north the double doors carved with a pinecone motif lead out to the road.
To the west a staircase leads to the bedrooms.

Privy (N16)

This tiny building is about a ped by a ped square, and the door is pierced near the top with a cutout in the shape of a leaf. Standing inside with the door closed behind you, a wide bench fills half the space. A bucket of water with a half-gourd dipper in it stands in one corner, over a drain hole. Two oval openings are cut into the bench top, which had at one time been carefully sanded but is now worn even smoother from constant use. Between the two holes sits a large box also divided in two. In one half a whitish powder - lime, you think, from the odour - is heaped, with a small wooden scoop thrust into the pile. In the other half is a generous pile of soft Nybellweave leaves, their beige colour telling you they are far from their tundra origin. If you were of a mind to glance into the holes, you would see that previous users of the privy have considerately sprinkled a scoop of disinfectant lime down the hole after concluding their business, and you resolve to do the same.

Y-Fork (N17)

You are standing at a fork in the road. In the elbow of the fork, a small bench sits under the shade of a tall pine, onto which someone has nailed a piece of wood. Some crude arrows and even cruder letters have been carved into the wood, which you finally decipher as being location markers. It informs you that if you face west towards the Mithral Mountains and the ominously-named Crazy Woman Pass, behind you to the east would be the small fishing village of Nepris. Your other choice would be to turn south, along a small footpath that appears to take you along the base of the Mithril Mountains, towards a lovely waterfall...or so the sign claims.

To the west is the steep ascent through the foothills leading up to Crazy Woman Pass.
To the east is the Pines Hostel Road, going into Nepris.
To the south is a small footpath, and you can hear water faintly in the distance.

Ravenwing Falls (N1

Thuja - perhaps you could write a description here, as you’ve drawn a very clear picture of this area so far? I had to invent the Raven River because the water from the falls must obviously go somewhere! Probably there is a deep cold pool at the base of the falls, which then runs off towards the coast. I made it go southeast and pass under a small bridge on the coastal road before heading due east to the coast and spreading into a little delta at the beach. See the map for further info.

Raven River (generic) (N19-a, c, d)

The Raven River continues to flow southeast. You are following the path alongside the riverbank on the southern shore. The river is fast and rocky, with heavy reedbeds along the mossy banks. The thick coniferous forest lets little light through.

To the southeast is a narrow path along the riverbank.
To the northwest the path continues along the riverbank.

Campsite (N 19-b)

You are standing in a little area of trampled-down grass, with thick pines surrounding you on three sides. To the northeast the Raven River races by over its mossy rocks. There is enough space for a small tent, and someone has gone to the effort of fishing enough river rocks up to make a nice fire circle, even filling it with a hand’s depth of sand. Two fallen logs sit at right angles to each other, serving as crude benches around the firepit.

To the northeast is the Raven River.
To the northwest a narrow path goes away along the riverbank. You can faintly hear the roar of a great waterfall in the distance from that direction.
To the southeast the path continues along the riverbank.

Herbwoman’s (N20)

A small clearing has been carved out of the pines here. Grasses, wild flowers, and a profusion of unfamiliar plants, many with pungent aromas and odd shapes, grow in a colourful mass directly up to the door of a tiny cottage. The building seems, like the plants, to have grown out of the ground, so overwound is it with vines and mosses. You see creepers springing directly from the thatched roof and gourds hanging by the door, still attached to their vines. Several sickles of various sizes are stuck into a chopping block on the front step. Flat stones have been laid as a pathway from the door down to the river, and you see a tiny boat tied securely against the current there, the water lapping at its white-painted sides.

To the northwest a narrow path goes along the riverbank, vanishing into dark green conifers.
To the southeast the path continues along the riverbank.

Coastal Road (generic) (N21-a,b,c,d,e,f,g)

You are walking along a narrow, rutted dirt road which runs north/south. The packed greyish-yellow dirt is firm underfoot but rather monotonous to look at. A heavy sedge-like grass grows along the sides of the road before vanishing under the thick skirts of the pine trees that make up most of the forest on your west. To the east, you see low dunes of the same sandy dirt with houses here and there, and beyond a few more twisted pines, the greyblue waters of the Adanian Sea.

Pines Hostel Road (generic) (N22-a,b,c,d)

You are walking along a packed dirt road which runs east/west. To the west the craggy spines of the Mithral Mountains rise, and you can see a slim silver thread of a waterfall far in the distance. To the east, the road seems to stop at an intersection with another road, and a cluster of buildings. There are a few small market gardens hacked out of the thick pines on either side of the road, but apart from that the scenery is mostly coniferous.

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