Crucible Town

Welcome to the peaceful Village of
Crucible Town
Description and Location
At the Southeastern edge of the Forest, a quaint lake town with a growing population of roughly 1,700 makes itself a comfy existence. Surrounding the bounds of a short wall of river stone there is a number of rural buildings huddle closely together. Their walls were coated with white lime wash and hazel brown oakwood shingles were made from the nearby forest to shelter the occupants through all four seasons. Farmland hugs the expanse of the town hub’s northern and southern borders, consisting of pastures, crop fields and pastoral homes stretching out into the meadow for as far as the eye can see. The territory itself exudes a deceptively peaceful and friendly atmosphere, welcoming travelers from places far beyond, and races from all over.
The town’s population has grown over time, due to a strange anomaly where visitors from other realms have fallen into the forest, meadows, and streams nearby. Some of this has lead to some rubbing elbows within the community, including a resurgence of the Keepers, who are actively acting to remove all the undead or undead-like races from Crucible.
There is a sizable town square in the center of the village, right in front of the Town Hall, where Boetius guides the town from his position as Town Elder. The town hall is a two story mottled stone building of respectable size, the Hall's glass framed doors and Tudor arched windows allow for plenty of the day's light to enter. A massive dark brown tree of 200 feet roots itself behind the building, its leafy green limbs looming overhead. Subtle magical currents stream steadily into the tree, though the effect is so muted that even the magically keen might not sense it outside of close proximity. The sight of such a tree wouldn't be especially odd in The Forest, but it stands out plainly within the Town's hub.
Boetius, Town Elder
It was about 7 years ago when the elder, Boetius Millicent, had awoken in the Netherworld. Regretful and full of ambition for the future, he didn't waste much time in forcibly evicting what previously passed for Crucible Town’s management. The Crucible Town wasn't entirely prepared for such a conflict, as there wasn't much of a reaction to the development. Though the sentiment changed a bit after Boetius had personally enforced something of a mandatory conscription shortly thereafter to tug an intact fully grown tree he had judged to have potential to become a magical treasure halfway through the massive forest. He had dragged nearly a hundred people into the event that ended up lasting over three months after various difficulties. Said tree being the one that currently hovered over the Town Hall.
He'd also taken personal control over the guardsmen, teaching any promising members and recruits one or two secret arts as well as a cultivation technique that focused on the regeneration of the Qi cycle, [Charybdis Breath], its successive transformations working to support that aspect. Though the technique reached rank 3, Boetius took a note out of the books of sects and would withhold rank 3 from those whose loyalty he found questionable. He could have tried teaching his own technique, but this was done in hopes that studying the 3rd transformation of this technique would help open his own path to rank 6.

Town Living
Society
The acceptance of most races in Crucible has lead it to become a melting pot of cultures and ideologies. What this town lacks in specific flare, it makes up for in its people. While many people find easy employment as farmers or guards; others dabble in all kinds of oddly specific jobs from other realms in their free time, making side jobs a common idea in Crucible. If you can’t find something in the Nether, someone in Crucible might be able to make it for you.
Because of this, many people in Crucible wield items that one might not expect from this realm, who they got as gifts from neighbors or made themselves.
The Keepers
During a particularly long and brutal raid from necromantic forces on the usually peaceful town, before the rule of Boetius, many of the villagers joined together under the guidance of a ‘holy man’ by the name of Earl Greybeard, who formed them into a militant force against necromancy. The forces grew out from city to city, with Crucible as their makeshift headquarters from the mere fact that Earl didn’t want to leave this town.  Overtime, their organization has grown dormant in this town, but recent activity has called the group back to arms. Other sects have been maintained through necessity, but with a resurgence from the Headquarters in Crucible, their numbers are beginning to rise again, which is bad news for the undead. The keepers here are not typically career Keepers, rather using their free time or businesses to support them. Almost 4 out of 5 people in Crucible don’t disagree with the Keeper rhetoric, but that doesn’t mean they are without resistance. Boetius himself has made it somewhat public he doesn’t exactly agree with the tactics used by The Keepers on occasion.
Feuding Families
Due to the fact that there are so many people in Crucible from so many places, it was only a matter of time before some people that were incompatible or previously enemies on other planes made it to the town. People with different preconceived notions on everything from religion to politics--even how certain games ought to be played at the tavern--have entered into long standing feuds, with businesses competing as part of it, drunken brawls in the taverns, people starting up rumors and disagreements. Some of these feuds have been traced back to as far as three generations of people. Some people would note due to the somewhat boring day to day life that these feuds and dramas are a form of entertainment for the people of Crucible, holding onto them much longer than necessary just for dramatic effect.


Features
Crucible Town Tavern
Crucible’s Tavern shares its name with the town, and is one of the more lively businesses in the region. Resting just a street away from the town square, the inn and tavern is owned by a 7’ tall god, whose powers are only accessible within the walls of the Tavern.
Monsignor Memorial Cemetery
Many know of the  necromantic curse that plagued the land of Crucible Town brought on by some ancient evil. A hex was put on the very earth of the place, that no matter how deep the dead were buried or how completely the corpses were burned, the corpses and spirits would haunt and attack those who were close to them in life. It was not until Earl Greybeard, long hidden and previously unknown, came to save the town. Cleansing the land inch by inch, soul by soul, until but one person was left--the carrier of the curse, Vexa Mortias. She was sealed away in a mausoleum where her cursed body still writhes in agony from her sins to this day. Around this specially built Mausoleum, the official graveyard of Crucible was formed, a perfect circle of perfectly flat and treeless land, with soft green grass and ivy vines covering the gravestones. It is sometimes used as a peaceful relaxation place or for candlelit memorial services for the souls lost to Necromancy.
The Town Square
The great expanse of street in front of the town hall is incredibly multipurpose, being turned into everything from a religious meeting ground to bazaars. Any kind of public event is held in this town square. There are many kinds of events to participate depending on the season. During the warm seasons there are sales to be found all over the place, during the cold seasons, the town square’s activity dies down.