Helfurt is situated on a low plateau beneath the ruined pre-Imperial fortress called Mistgarten and won't be found on any map. Higher still up the mountainside sits the comparatively modern Castle Helfurt from which the small barony is ruled. Over the past several years, Baroness Lydia von Carstein has used her dead husband's fortune to refurbish the castle and revitalise the village. However, freshly painted gables and flower boxes cannot mask the disturbing taint lurking beneath Helfurt's facade.[1a]
The focus of the reconstruction efforts are the ancient baths housed below the ruined fortress. Lydia has painstakingly restored the bathhouse to working order but with a sinister new purpose. Lydia hopes to enhance her magical powers by bathing in the blood and tallow of her brainwashed subjects, who actually vie for the "privilege".[1a]
Geographically, Helfurt is situated on a wide mountain plateau overlooking the River Hel. The village features a single main street terminating at a snowy square and town hall. The living residents of Helfurt reside on the main street, and these buildings are well-kept houses. Those still awaiting Lydia's dark invitation live in the older dilapidated section.[1a]
Helfurt is in a heightened state of activity as the villagers prepare for Lydia's upcoming nuptials. Fragrant garlands of Edelweiss adorn every door proclaiming a festive atmosphere. The towns' 50 or so "nobles" work busily amid the town's 100 or so commoners who are cooking, cleaning, building, and decorating for the event.[1a][1b]
Mistgarten[]
The gothic edifice known as Mistgarten is the last remaining wing of a long destroyed pre-Empire fortress dating back to the Styrigen Kings. Built atop a network of natural hot springs, Mistgarten contains a magnificent spa and bathhouse that feature mosaic depictions of a Hart emblem. Forbidden to outsiders since its completion, Lydia has recently opened the doors of Mistgarten to visitors.[1b]
Structurally, the old west wing consisted of a spa, guardhouse, and stables. The spa section has been lovingly restored and is fully functional. The guardhouse and common room have been converted into a warmly appointed tavern. The stables are restored and fully functional. Mistgarten is operated by a cranky innkeeper called Bärzil and his nagging wife Prunehilda, who rank among the "nobility" of Helfurt. Bärzil is a toad-like snob with a pathological desire to please Lydia. Bärzil believes no customers of Mistgarten are actually worthy to stay there. Prunehilda is quite the opposite, and she is grateful when rare guests happen by. Bärzil and Prunehilda bicker constantly but attempt to remain civil in the presence of customers.[1b]
Tavern[]
The tavern was built from the common room of the old guardhouse and features two rows of oaken banquet tables and benches. The tavern is decorated in a hunting theme, and the walls are covered by trophy heads of an exotic assortment of animals and monsters. A poorly stuffed stag head, infested with moths, frequently falls from the wall, and the sharpened tines of its horns become stuck in the floor or in the hapless guest with the misfortune of standing below it.[1b]
Private Rooms[]
The private rooms were built from the old guards' barracks and house up to four guests apiece. The old bunks have been removed and replaced with large antique poster beds and other amenities acquired from Lydia's collection.[1b]
Private Spa[]
The door to the private spa is always kept locked. Those gaining entry to the private baths may spot a hidden door concealed within a basin at the rear. The trapdoor is imperfectly sealed, and small bubbles periodically break the surface of a residual fatty liquid coating the tiles. The trapdoor opens to a rusty metal ladder leading into the pitch-dark escape tunnel below, which in turn connects to the dungeons of Lydia's castle. The largest private basin, stained rust-brown from Lydia's new moon baths, accommodates seven people. Another smaller basin is half-filled with used bathwater.[1b]
Helfurt Square[]
The Square at the centre of Helfurt is a small park featuring an old bandstand and the massive Helfurt Hall. The snow banks around Helfurt Square once provided a popular play area where children built snowmen and had snowball fights. In the snow banks, Lydia has buried 8 Skeletons, which may be raised with Necromantic magic.[1b]
Helfurt Hall[]
Helfurt Square is dominated by the massive stone structure called Helfurt Hall. Helfurt Hall is a multi-purpose structure that serves as a courthouse, public assembly area, and ceremonial hall. Currently, Helfurt Hall is undergoing last minute renovations before hosting the wedding ceremony.[1b]
Wading Pond and Graveyard[]
The pond once served as a popular recreation area for the now-conspicuously absent children of Helfurt. During the winter months, groups of children could be found skating on the ice and playing games, but now the ice is quiet.[1b]
Rumanyik Camp[]
A camp of Strigany wagons and tents are set up at the southern edge of Helfurt. Living in the camp are twenty-three men, women, and children of the Rumanyik line, who trace their ancestors back to the original Qu'rashi nomads. The Rumanyik prefer not to mingle with the locals, knowing they will move on to a different town after Mama Raluca's business concludes. Ahmed and Farouk are both Rumanyik by birth.[1b][1c]