Lonelywood

Founded by a wealthy family of merchants from the south who saw great things in the settlement's future, Lonelywood today is a quiet town of loggers, fishers, and scrimshanders scratching out a living on the edge of the world. The town's oldest buildings, and a few of its dock posts, bare carvings of familiar monsters - such as dragons, chimeras, and giants.
Roughly half of Lonelywood's workforce trawl the waters of the lake for knucklehead trout, while the remainder spend their days in the forest felling and hewing the trees used for boats and fuel in the rest of Ten-Towns. Every tenday, a cart full of wood leaves for each of the other towns in Icewind Dale, providing a scant lifeline to the cold populace.
For as long as Ten-Towns has existed, Lonelywood has drawn the shadiest of the region's pilgrims, from fleeing thieves to cold-hearted killers. The thick forest looming behind it conceals the dark and sordid dealings that often happen there. Despite its attraction to criminals and miscreants, Lonelywood is not a place where people murder each other in the streets. The realities of survival in Icewind Dale have brokered some sort of peace, demanding that the villagers live and work together, and forget any grudges from the past. A visitor could make many friends here, so long as they do not dig too deep.

Demographics

Majority: Human and Halfling
Minority: Half-Orc, Dragonborn, Drow
Singular: Goliath, Firbolg

Defences

With no wall to protect it other than the natural defense of the thick forest, Lonelywood can call on nearly half its population to take up arms - militia members seem almost eager for a chance to swing a weapon. Four veterans provide a loose organization to their numbers.

Points of interest

The Happy Scrimshander

The little shop faces the docks and sells bone and antler-carved supplies like hooks, tackle, knives, and clasps. Notably, this is one of the only shops in Ten-Towns outside Bryn Shander, Targos, and Easthaven to sell supplies suitable for a Wizard's needs.

The Lucky Liar

Lonelywood's Tavern, the Lucky Liar, is where woodcutters and fishers meet to warm their bones and bellies after a hard day's work. A favorite local pastime is the embellishment of story, the weaver who spins the most ridiculous, outrageous, and compelling tale wins free drinks for the night. Patrons who have had a little too much will sometimes let valuable, dangerous information slip.

Ramshackle

An unfortunately prophetic name for the local inn, Ramshackle closed after its owner hanged himself in the common room, much to the shock of the patrons who came to discover him instead of breakfast. Most townsfolk think the innkeeper's past caught up to him, but no one is willing to dig enough to find out. Now, Ramshackle is used to keep lumber dry.

Architecture

One of the few towns in Icewind Dale where its buildings are made predominantly of wood, carvings of mythical creatures cover much of the beams and supports of the town. The small size of Lonelywood is emphasized by the woods themselves, almost seeming to bend towards the town as the trees reach their peaks, cutting Lonelywood off from the rest of the world.

Population

100

Owner/Ruler

Speaker Nimsey Huddle