Murkheath

At the edge of the Firewisp Swamp lies a small provincial town, enclosed by a towering wooden palisade. That town is Murkheath, a fairly insular town of hunters, farmers, and other assorted folks who depend on the Firewisp Swamp for their living. No other settlement lies as close to the swamp, and Murkheath only survives thanks to the local chapter of the Huntsman's Guild.

Leadership
Mayor Russ Kerden is the undisputed leader of Murkheath, though the title of mayor is largely a formality for him. He came to power after saving the town from a particularly vicious pack of swamp bears, and was elected mayor more or less without being informed of it. His duties are primarily with the Huntsman's Guild, as he runs the town's chapter. It just so happens that the goals of the Huntsman's Guild align naturally with the defense of Murkheath, and Russ has grown fond of his town over the years. He can still be seen regularly patrolling the walls with his celestial falcon, Lightning.

Inhabitants
The citizens of Murkheath come from all races, but elves, humans, dwarves and goblins make up the majority. Regardless of race, the inhabitants of Murkheath pride themselves on their tenacity and stubbornness, as they readily admit that "weaker folk would've moved away a long time ago." The very fact that the citizens put up with a local goblin population should speak wonders of their patience.

Notable citizens of Murkheath include:
 * Mayor Russ Kerden (male dwarf ranger) and Lightning (celestial falcon)
 * Taric Axelbord (male elf inquisitor) - Huntsman Patrol Master
 * Jack Gunderson (male halfling expert) - Carpenter, Craftsman
 * Izeria Tallbough (female elf alchemist) - Herbalist, Alchemist
 * Horseflayer (male goblin... goblin) - Tanner
 * Jens Fletchman (male human cleric) - Priest of Amadan
 * Lady Tenzing (female tengu fortuneteller) - Fortune-Teller, possibly crazy

Important Places
The walls of Murkheath hold a few surprises to the weary traveler expecting to see another sleepy provincial town.
 * The Falcon Gates - The four gates leading into Murkheath are all adorned with carved stone falcons, and each has at least two Huntsmen posted to them at all times. Only one gate is left open at night to allow travelers in.
 * Hunter's Hall and The Aerie - Hunter's Hall is home to, surprisingly, the local chapter of the Huntsman's Guild. It doubles as the town guard barracks, since the Huntsmen protect the town. The Aerie is a tall stone tower where the mayor keeps his office.
 * Hall of Amadan's Rest - The only major temple in Murkheath, this shrine to Amadan doubles as the town's crypt and crematorium. As Jens, the high priest, puts it, "with the foul influences of the swamp so close, the easiest way to ensure the Blissful Sleep is to break down the body."
 * The Firewisp Watcher - An ancient statue in the center of town, features worn away to nothing. It is vaguely humanoid in shape, but none can remember far back enough to know what it originally depicted. Town lore claims the statue existed before Murkheath, and that the town was built around it.
 * The Swarmyard - This wide open lot is set aside for keeping bees and other useful vermin. While some residents disagree over what constitutes "useful", few can argue with the quality wax and honey put out by the local colonies of thunder bees.
 * The Sunken Market - A wide plaza containing most of Murkheath's shope, the Sunken Market is built around an immense sinkhole. Luckily, the sinkhole has stabilized.
 * Turntimber Manor - Once an esteemed manor house, the building was burned to the ground in the kobold siege, and recently rebuilt as a gift to the adventurers who helped defend the town.

Stores and Taverns
Most of the significant businesses in Murkheath can be found at the Sunken Market, but the more... eclectic ones are scattered around town.
 * The Slurk's Tusk - A run-down tavern of fairly low quality. Following the kobold siege, began offering free meals to those displaced by the attacks, until someone burned half the place down.
 * Crow's Flight Tavern - A decent establishment favored by travelers for being fairly cheap.
 * Peatfire Inn - The nicest inn in town, featuring its own distillery.
 * Gunderson's Carpentry - Doubling as a crafting hall and forge, Jack Gunderson and his musket keep a close eye on the merchandise.
 * House of the Quickened Blade - The premiere weapon forge in town, favored supplier of the Huntsman's Guild.
 * Treany - A tannery run by goblins who somehow manage to produce very high-quality furs and skins, even if some of them come out blue.
 * Izeria's Tonics - A shop run by Izeria Tallbough, the town's only alchemist. Draika can often be found assisting Izeria.

The Kobold Siege
Not too long ago, the city was beset upon all sides by a ravenous horde of invading kobolds, who seemed to appear more or less randomly from the swamp. Mutiple days of fighting eventually saw dozens of townspeople injured or dead, but over a thousand kobolds slain. Disposing of the kobolds proved to be enough of a chore that the town briefly considered honoring kobold skin as currency, but the goblins of the Treany eventually converted that surplus into unpleasant but functional stores of leather.

The fact that the town endured the onslaught with minimal casualties (or even at all) is generally credited to the Huntsman's Guild and to a party of adventurers effectively on loan from the Institute of Ascension. The town has remained on high alert ever since the attack.