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The Village of Camiram
Episode One: Welcome to Camiram
by Stephen Kenson
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We�re trying something new with this installment of the Cliffhangers series, to offer you a complete village to use as "home base" for your adventuring party. The village of Camiram (kam-EE-ram) can serve as a safe haven for a group of low-level D&D adventurers as they set out into the world for the first time, seeking fame and fortune. It also can serve as a location for adventurers to encounter in their travels, but it's primarily intended as a base of operations and an example of how to build similar villages. You can place it in the World of Greyhawk, another D&D campaign setting, or a world of your own creation. To fully develop the village, we will offer updates throughout September and October.
Camiram (village): Conventional; AL NG; 200 gp limit; Assets 5,000 gp; Population 502; Mixed (397 human, 45 halfling, 26 dwarf, 15 elf, 10 gnome, 5 half-elf, 4 half-orc).
Authority Figure: Mayor Elyl Shona, female halfling, Nob4.
Important Characters: Tam Flinder, male dwarf Exp9 (blacksmith); Ynda Rose, female human Com4 (innkeeper); Ekam Relles, male half-elf, War5 (sheriff); Evet Skarm, male human Wiz3; Sister Serka, female human, Mon3; Naj Robel, male human Pal2; Sollek Silver-Axe, male half-orc, Bar3, Vosta the Veiled, female human, Sor2; Jinna Yost, female human Clr1 (Pelor/healer).
Others: Town guards, War1 (6); Adp1 (3); Bar1 (2); Dru1 (1); Ftr2 (2); Ftr1 (4); Exp1 (14); Mon1 (2); Nob1 (2); Pal1 (2); Rgr1 (1), Rog1 (1), Sor1 (1); War1 (18, militia); Wiz2 (1); Com1 (431).
Notes: Camiram is a frontier town on the edge of an expanding civilization, threatened by hostile creatures from nearby unsettled lands. Most recently, the inhabitants of the town have contended with attacks from barbarians and nearby orc tribes, but they have been working to forge a peace with the proud barbarians. The Geography of Camiram
The village is situated in the midst of open, rolling farmland, surrounded by many outlying farms. The majority of the people of Camiram earn their livelihood through farming, raising crops to feed their families then selling the surplus at the open market in the village. This makes the summer and fall seasons the busiest in the village proper, as folk from the outskirts arrive to sell their produce. During the spring, the farmers work busily planting their fields, although many find time to visit the local inn or attend religious services at the temple of Pelor.
The central village is a collection of low stone, brick, and wooden buildings around an open village square. Some of the structures, like the village's wall, date back to the original settlement of the area, while some are more modern, built within the last generation. They include stables, a smithy, an inn, and the hall where the mayor handles village affairs.
The History of Camiram
The site the village of Camiram occupies dates back well over a century, when this area was last inhabited by humans and other good folk. A tide of evil invaders forced the former inhabitants of the area to flee generations ago. Just over thirty years ago, the tide shifted when adventurers helped push back the orcs and people once more moved into the area and settled in Camiram. Some of the buildings in the village are quite old as a result, and their stout stone construction has withstood the test of time. Newer buildings arose on the old foundations, and some scattered ruins of buildings that couldn't be restored still remain, scavenged for building stone and other materials.
Recent History
Since the area was resettled, Camiram has had to fight off raids by bands of marauding orcs, and the village maintains a stout band of guards along with a volunteer militia to help out in times of crisis. Recently, the town has become the focus of human expansion deeper into the unsettled surrounding lands.
This has caused some concern among the orcs, but also among the barbarian tribes living in the region. Some of the barbarians call for the elimination of these "invaders" into their territory. To deal with the matter, the crown has dispatched able negotiators to hammer out an agreement with the barbarians for mutual defense of Camiram and expansion into the area. The barbarians are wary, but they would prefer an alliance with the people of Camiram over the orcs, and they relish the opportunity to bash some orc skulls.
The Cliffhanger
Unfortunately for both the people of Camiram and the barbarian tribes, the orcs are unwilling to allow an alliance to take place. In addition, a more dire threat to the safety of the village is brewing out in the wild frontier lands, unnoticed for the moment�.
Cliffhangers Adventures
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The Village of Camiram
Episode Two: Navigating Camiram
by Stephen Kenson
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The village of Camiram (kam-EE-ram) can serve as a safe haven for a group of low-level D&D adventurers as they set out into the world for the first time, seeking fame and fortune. It also can serve as a location for adventurers to encounter in their travels, but it's primarily intended as a base of operations and an example of how to build similar villages. You can place it in the World of Greyhawk, another D&D campaign setting, or a world of your own creation.
Background
The second episode of The Village of Camiram gives us a tour of the village proper. In "http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DnD_CH_201.asp" we presented a rundown of the area�s geography and history.
The Village Proper
The central part of the village of Camiram is built on and around the site of an older settlement in the area. The buildings follow a style reminscent of the villas of ancient Rome. These structures tend to be low to the ground (two stories at most), with sloping, peaked roofs, usually built in a square shape with an open-air courtyard or garden in the center. The inhabitants use the courtyards to take advantage of the pleasant weather, plant flowers or vegetables, and decorate as they like.
Consult the "http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/city801.jpg" for the locations below.
Area 1: The Gatehouse: The main entrance through the walls of the village is a wide, roofed gatehouse typically manned by two of the Camiram's town guards (human War1). The gates are closed at night, but the guards remain on the watch for intruders or raiders.
Area 2: The Marketplace: Beyond the gates lies an open-air marketplace where farmers from the outlying areas of the village come to sell their produce, meats, and other goods. A few local crafters also set up shop in the market during the day to sell their services, and most of the goods available in Camiram can be found here.
Area 3: The Great Hall: This building houses the Honorable Mayor Elyl Shona (female halfling Nob4), the other officials of the village government, and their families. It also serves as a meeting place for the people of the town, where they gather each month to air their grievances and discuss matters of importance. Meetings over the past few months have been dominated by discussion of what to do about the recent raids on the village.
Area 4: The Archer's Field: This field is a practice area for the village's militia and guards, and usually features a collection of straw archery targets against the far wall.
Area 5: The Sheriff: This building houses the Sheriff of Camiram, Ekam Relles (male half-elf War5), and also serves as the village's armory and (on occasion) jail. The sheriff can usually be found going about his duties, or tending the small herb garden in the building�s courtyard.
Area 6: Villa Ruin: The village government judged this old villa too badly damaged for repair. Officials plan to tear it down in the near future to make way for new homes for the expansion of the village. Local children like to tell tales that it's haunted and dare each other to go inside at night, although there's no evidence of any danger here.
Area 7: The Barracks: These barracks house the village's guardsmen and their families. They're quite spacious, although the sheriff talks about recruiting additional guards, which will reduce the amount of space available.
Area 8: The Merchant's Quarter: This area is a collection of homes for the village's craftspeople, merchants, and others well-off enough to live in the village proper rather than on an outlying farm. Some of the buildings are still being renovated.
Area 9: Romac's Villa: This villa belongs to Romac Eleron, a local merchant, trader, and moneylender. Romac (male human Exp1) is well known as a grumbling old skinflint who likes his privacy.
Area 10: Skarm's Villa: This is the villa of Evet Skarm, Camiram's resident wizard (male human Wiz3) and his various assistants and apprentices.
Area 11: Drujek's Villa: Mos Drujek (male human Nob1) owns this villa. He also owns some of the outlying farmland, bought after he got out of the merchant business. Now he administers his farms and lives off the tenants� rent.
Area 12: The Temple Hostel: A small place for visitors to the Temple of Pelor and poor travelers who can't afford the inn. It is presently inhabited by Naj Robel, Sister Serka, and their companions while they visit the village.
Area 13: The Temple of Pelor: Many of the folk of Camiram attend twice-weekly services at this humble temple to the sun god Pelor. The priestess, Jinna Yost (female human Clr1) attends to her parishioners' needs.
Area 14: The Inn of the Rose: Camiram�s only inn is run by the boisterous Ynda Rose (female human Com4), who always has the latest news about goings on in and around the village. It's two stories tall, clean, and rooms are reasonably priced at 5 sp a night.
Area 15: Tennor's Tack and General Store: This two-story building is the store of Mal Tennor (male dwarf Exp1). It offers all the goods one might expect from a small general store, particularly tack and harness for horses and other mounts. Tennor carries all the goods within Camiram's resources. (See the Dungeon Master's Guide {{link to http://www.wizards.com/catalog/product.asp?TSR11551 }} for details.) He and his wife live upstairs.
Area 16: The Stables: The village's stables provide a place for travelers to board their mounts. The proprietors also breed and raise the village�s horses, some of which are available for sale. During the day the horses are put out to pasture; they're brought back to the stable at sundown or at any sign of trouble.
Area 17: Flinder's Forge: This is the forge of Tam Flinder (male dwarf Exp9). Flinder is renowned throughout the area for his skill in smithcraft.
Area 18: The Bakery: This small shop houses the ovens where the folk of Camiram bake their bread or purchase the loaves baked by the owner, Lianna Furst (female half-elf Com1).
Area 19: The Market Stalls: The crafters and merchants of the village occupy these stalls when the market is open. The farmers set up temporary stalls and tents in the clearing in front of them.
The Cliffhanger
Area 20: The Well: This deep well provides Camiram's water, and people tend to gather around it during the day. At night, it's quieter, and the place where a plot against the people of the village begins�.
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