Llafnbewgan

Hamlet of the Sword Saints

Within the borders of the Arswydus Union lies the hamlet of Llafnbewgan. On the surface, Llafnbewgan is barely remarkable - a small cluster of homes around a shrine, where the locals revere swordsmanship and martial aptitude as a virtue, not unlike other villages. However, a careful observer would note that the depth of the folk’s reverence holds no peer. Every able-bodied villager owns at least one sword, and a common nightly ritual among the folk is maintenance of such. Especially when the fields need little attention, whole swaths of the village don training garb and practice with singular devotion. In addition to the normal festivals, the people of Llafnbewgan also celebrate Priodasdur - the Steel Wedding - in the heart of midwinter. For most of the participants, the wedding feast is a grand occasion - a fun tournament with low stakes, an enjoyable celebration.
Those who feel they have mastered their art have a separate and more solemn task, however. These select few are the pinnacle of blade arts, masters of their form in life. But the folk of Llafnbewgan have a saying - “Life distracts, perfection is found in the Sanctum”. It is into this Sanctum of the First, under the town’s shrine, where the masters go to perform the trials of the Priodasdur. In this sanctuary, devout ghosts train their mastery of the blade day and night. And on the night of Priodasdur, these ancient masters test the new blood. Those who fall in the bloody trials simply fall - they receive an honored resting place but ultimately pass with little fanfare. But the survivors who pass the trials go on to partake in the steel wedding, binding themselves in singular devotion to their blade and shedding their mortal coil to further their martial art for eternity.

Type

Hamlet

Population

155