The Hoar Grocer - The only grocery store in town, operated by the Hoar family. What goods aren't produced in the town come through their store, and they facilitate the export of the town's agricultural product.
Mount Hoar - The greater of the two local mountains, mount Hoar is an intimidating visage that is perpetually snow capped and originates the swift-flowing Swallow River. Named after the Hoar family, whose grey/white hair reminisce of the mountain top.
Mount Bilica - The lesser of the two local mountains, but the far more inviting of the two. The old Shrine is housed here, and a pleasant path leads up to its summit that takes the better part of an afternoon to hike. A paved road does lead up the mountain, but it doesn't reach the summit, is seldom used, and has fallen into a general state of disrepair. The forests of Mount Bilica are tame and friendly by comparison to the dark thickets of the Weeping Sam, and the towering nettles of Mount Hoar. Named after the Bilica family, who initially held prominence over the village at its founding.
The Weeping Sam | The Shaded Grove - The nearby forest, personified by the myth of the lost child Weeping Sam. The forest is gripped by an air of sorrow and darkness, and the half-beaten trails that meander its depths appear to twist and turn as if alive. Superstition grips the place, and the elders of the village have all but abandoned it to the wilds.
The Shrine on Mount Bilica - Established by the early pioneers of New Hope, it venerates the old gods of the countryside. Kept in repair and maintenance by the last of the Fontaine family. The shrine features prominent Japanese Torii gates as well as a prominent guardian spirit statue bearing the likeness of a lion. The Shrine is the center point of most of the village festivals.
Lake Chartreuse - Created by the joining of The Swallow and River Fontaine, Lake Chartreuse offers a rich resource of fishing and leisure to the village. There are a few festivals dedicated to this beloved aspect of New Hope's existence; primarily, the Summer Festival takes place on the waterfront.
New Hope Schoolhouse - A solidly constructed building that doubles as the village's emergency shelter, this building has seen every generation of New Hope pass through its halls since its inception. A flat, one story tall, building with a powerfully dug foundation near to the lakeside. When school is out, or darkness falls, it is tradition for the youths of the village to claim its abandoned halls as their territory.
New Hope Library - A small library catered to by the enigmatic and worldly "Hickory" Earhart. He is a dutiful librarian and sage, and whatever one needs in a literary sense can be acquired here. The stock is cycled regularly, whilst commonly needed books are kept on the shelves- though most just ask the librarian directly for information, as he seems to have read every book in the building at any given time. The library is located high on a hill near the village gathering hall, where its two story construction provides an overlook of the village and lake.
Mencia Bakery - A local bakery operated by Enrique Mencia. Located nearby to the schoolhouse, the pastries and goods produced here have often warmed the hands and stomachs of those who earn their livings or leisure on the lake.
The Moore Clinic - A local clinic, operated traditionally by the Moore family; in recent years, following the death of Edith Moore, the current matron, Bethany Moore, isn't qualified to handle the medical requirements of the job and merely operates as a Pharmacist. The town council has spent much time trying to find a happy middle ground between bringing outside medical assistance into the town, or allowing the under-qualified pharmacist continue to operate unhindered in the village.
The Malcolm Family Café - New Hope's friendly, casual, atmosphere of leisure and caffeine intake. Supplied by the Hoar Grocer and Mencia Bakery, the café brings local flavors into comfortable environs.
New Hope's First Bank - Operated by the widower, Ashton Howard. A simple representation of a complex institution, the Howard family has kept the savings of the village in positive light and represents a safety net against disaster for the community, as well as liaison between the small village and the greater economic system of the country itself.
The cobbled street colloquially called 'Market Lane' begins at a corner, where it splits off the main road up the hill to the Communal Meeting Hall. The prominent structure at this juncture is none other than the Hoar Grocer, with its centuries-old and intricately carved wooden frame. The roof is said to have been the hull of the original wagons brought by the Hoar family in the pioneer days, and over the generations the family has maintained and brought its structure into aesthetic and cultural heritage with carving and painting the heritage of the town upon it.
Other stalls and vendors, in preparation for the Festival, have been erected along this cobbled street in front of homes and the local café. At the far end of the street lies one of the town's two restaurants.
Other stalls and vendors, in preparation for the Festival, have been erected along this cobbled street in front of homes and the local café. At the far end of the street lies one of the town's two restaurants.
Mount Hoar - The greater of the two local mountains, mount Hoar is an intimidating visage that is perpetually snow capped and originates the swift-flowing Swallow River. Named after the Hoar family, whose grey/white hair reminisce of the mountain top.
Mount Bilica - The lesser of the two local mountains, but the far more inviting of the two. The old Shrine is housed here, and a pleasant path leads up to its summit that takes the better part of an afternoon to hike. A paved road does lead up the mountain, but it doesn't reach the summit, is seldom used, and has fallen into a general state of disrepair. The forests of Mount Bilica are tame and friendly by comparison to the dark thickets of the Weeping Sam, and the towering nettles of Mount Hoar. Named after the Bilica family, who initially held prominence over the village at its founding.
The Weeping Sam | The Shaded Grove - The nearby forest, personified by the myth of the lost child Weeping Sam. The forest is gripped by an air of sorrow and darkness, and the half-beaten trails that meander its depths appear to twist and turn as if alive. Superstition grips the place, and the elders of the village have all but abandoned it to the wilds.
The Elm tree was eighty feet tall, by swift estimation. Its rotted state is revealed by the break in the tree's core; the once great deciduous plant had swayed and splintered at a point roughly eight feet off the ground. This meant that a significant portion of the tree had fallen and snapped through the canopy of its nearby brethren, cascading the destruction of its own fall into an avalanche of broken branches and fallen leaves. Such is the way of nature.
The standing portion of its stump is coated in a rising colony of broad-capped mushrooms, climbing atop one another along the north side of the dead tree and forming the facsimile of a staircase up its surface. Considering her familiarity with the region and the timeline of these things, she can ascertain that the rot must have been set in for quite some time and that the mushroom colony had already begun forming before the inevitable collapse.
In this spot of the Weeping Sam, Rowan experiences a strange sensation in the wake of the fallen tree; the canopy, shattered as it is and broken apart by the death of the forest giant, is opened and allows a much greater amount of sunlight through than is typical of the dour forest. Rather than the dappling of visibility through a canvass of leaves, Rowan witnesses the forest floor in plain, unhindered, sunlight. The tumbled Elm further has broken open the earth, and already has begun to reconstitute itself into the forest ecology with the assistance of the mushrooms- as well as other forest entities.
When she first enters the clearing, she seems unnoticed by a female deer who is making great progress in stripping the upper boughs of their moss and lichen. If Rowan had to guess at a cause of the tree's death, it was the seemingly suffocating layer of ivy that had amassed in its upper branches- ivy that was now feeding the herbivores of the forest floor.
The standing portion of its stump is coated in a rising colony of broad-capped mushrooms, climbing atop one another along the north side of the dead tree and forming the facsimile of a staircase up its surface. Considering her familiarity with the region and the timeline of these things, she can ascertain that the rot must have been set in for quite some time and that the mushroom colony had already begun forming before the inevitable collapse.
In this spot of the Weeping Sam, Rowan experiences a strange sensation in the wake of the fallen tree; the canopy, shattered as it is and broken apart by the death of the forest giant, is opened and allows a much greater amount of sunlight through than is typical of the dour forest. Rather than the dappling of visibility through a canvass of leaves, Rowan witnesses the forest floor in plain, unhindered, sunlight. The tumbled Elm further has broken open the earth, and already has begun to reconstitute itself into the forest ecology with the assistance of the mushrooms- as well as other forest entities.
When she first enters the clearing, she seems unnoticed by a female deer who is making great progress in stripping the upper boughs of their moss and lichen. If Rowan had to guess at a cause of the tree's death, it was the seemingly suffocating layer of ivy that had amassed in its upper branches- ivy that was now feeding the herbivores of the forest floor.
The Shrine on Mount Bilica - Established by the early pioneers of New Hope, it venerates the old gods of the countryside. Kept in repair and maintenance by the last of the Fontaine family. The shrine features prominent Japanese Torii gates as well as a prominent guardian spirit statue bearing the likeness of a lion. The Shrine is the center point of most of the village festivals.
Lake Chartreuse - Created by the joining of The Swallow and River Fontaine, Lake Chartreuse offers a rich resource of fishing and leisure to the village. There are a few festivals dedicated to this beloved aspect of New Hope's existence; primarily, the Summer Festival takes place on the waterfront.
New Hope Schoolhouse - A solidly constructed building that doubles as the village's emergency shelter, this building has seen every generation of New Hope pass through its halls since its inception. A flat, one story tall, building with a powerfully dug foundation near to the lakeside. When school is out, or darkness falls, it is tradition for the youths of the village to claim its abandoned halls as their territory.
New Hope Library - A small library catered to by the enigmatic and worldly "Hickory" Earhart. He is a dutiful librarian and sage, and whatever one needs in a literary sense can be acquired here. The stock is cycled regularly, whilst commonly needed books are kept on the shelves- though most just ask the librarian directly for information, as he seems to have read every book in the building at any given time. The library is located high on a hill near the village gathering hall, where its two story construction provides an overlook of the village and lake.
Mencia Bakery - A local bakery operated by Enrique Mencia. Located nearby to the schoolhouse, the pastries and goods produced here have often warmed the hands and stomachs of those who earn their livings or leisure on the lake.
The bakery was alive with a panoply of scents. It was a wonderful exclamation point in the dry smells of the summer air; the warmth and softness of the bread smell rushed out the door as David opened it. The inside of the bakery was lit by hanging lantern lights (electric, not hand-lit) that were holdovers from past renovations of the building. The foyer had a comfortable atmosphere to it, with its wide windows and display shelves- though seating was limited, a gentleman's agreement to keep the nearby cafe as a dedicated gathering spot with the bakery merely being a stop on the way for the locals.
The Moore Clinic - A local clinic, operated traditionally by the Moore family; in recent years, following the death of Edith Moore, the current matron, Bethany Moore, isn't qualified to handle the medical requirements of the job and merely operates as a Pharmacist. The town council has spent much time trying to find a happy middle ground between bringing outside medical assistance into the town, or allowing the under-qualified pharmacist continue to operate unhindered in the village.
The Malcolm Family Café - New Hope's friendly, casual, atmosphere of leisure and caffeine intake. Supplied by the Hoar Grocer and Mencia Bakery, the café brings local flavors into comfortable environs.
New Hope's First Bank - Operated by the widower, Ashton Howard. A simple representation of a complex institution, the Howard family has kept the savings of the village in positive light and represents a safety net against disaster for the community, as well as liaison between the small village and the greater economic system of the country itself.
