Archet

Description

Tree-girdled Archet is the smallest and most insular of thevillages of Bree. The folk there are strange and secretive, and rarely visit the other villages. Even for natives of the Bree-land, Archet is sometimes hard to find, as if the paths around it move sometimes. Of course, Archet is so small that a traveller could walk right by it without noticing; it’s little more than a dozen buildings, mostly wooden ones, clustered around a clearing in the forest. Other houses in Archet are cleverly concealed; some are built atop the tree themselves, others are built Hobbit-fashion among the roots of old trees. There is an inn in Archet, the Woodfellow, that’s also the trading post and common hall for the village, where visitors can stay if they have nowhere else to go. Archet is mostly Big Folk, although there are a few Hobbits there too. The Hobbits fish and catch eels out in the Midgewater Marshes, and have a great knowledge of those swamps. They know certain medicinal herbs and mosses that grow there, as well as which places to avoid.
The folk of Archet are skilled bowmen, and provide hunting bows as well as timber and firewood to the other villages. By ancient custom dating back to the days of the kings, the Royal Forester is chosen by the Men of Archet. This is largely a ceremonial position, but it still carries great importance in town.
The Forester is charged with protecting the game in the forest should the king ever return unexpectedly and wish to go hunting, and with ensuring that no bandits make the wood into their hiding place. These days, the only one of the Forester’s duties that is still of any consequence is his authority over animals in the woods; no one may hunt deer or boars near Archet without his permission.

Location of Archet

Type

Village