[All Patrons] Just Passing Through Extended Edition - Fairmeadow (and Orcs of the Dreary Wood)

A cheerful village on the plains, shadowed by a graveyard far too large.

You emerge from the shadow of the dense forest into a wide, grassy plain scattered with wildflowers swaying in the breeze. Ahead, a cluster of thatched roofs rises around a bustling town square, the cheerful clamor of voices and market stalls carrying faintly on the air. The scene feels warm and inviting—save for the large cemetery on the village’s outskirts, its weathered stones and dark boundary starkly at odds with the otherwise cozy charm of the settlement.

Fairmeadow is a quiet and hardworking village, tucked between the Dreary Forest and the grassy plains beyond. Its people live simple lives, tending to fields, herds, and crafts, with little taste for the intrigue and politics that swirl around Dornwych and the greater kingdom. The village is governed by a council of elders, drawn from respected families and chosen for their wisdom and even temper. This small body handles disputes, organizes labor for planting and harvest, and serves as the voice of the people when outsiders come calling. Unlike many of its neighbors, Fairmeadow has never had a resident lord or lady.

Yet that independence is being tested. The fortified mining settlement of Ironcliff has begun to push for independence from Dornwych and Aurenvale, hoping to carve out its own destiny apart from the kingdom’s heavy taxes. To achieve this, Ironcliff has reached out to the largest villages in the region, including Fairmeadow and nearby Sunfield, seeking support for their cause. So far, Fairmeadow has firmly opposed the proposal. The elders know that siding with Ironcliff would draw the ire of Aurvenvale, and though they are fiercely independent, they are not blind to the dangers of standing against the crown. Still, pressure builds with each passing season, as emissaries from Ironcliff return again and again, offering promises of wealth and protection in exchange for loyalty.

Adding to Fairmeadow’s peculiar identity is its large cemetery, located on the village’s outskirts. The graveyard is expansive, far larger than might be expected for such a modest settlement. Its weathered stones and quiet rows give the village a somber undertone that contrasts with the otherwise cozy cottages and lively square. Travelers often remark on the strange prominence of this burial ground, though locals insist it is simply part of life in Fairmeadow—a place where generations have come to rest, and where the dead outnumber the living many times over.

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Lacking time to create content for your Tabletop RPG game?

Players love going "off mission", exploring side paths, or wandering around your sandbox. Creating everything you need for a village without making it feel too vague or undercooked is impossible. Those detours require detail. 

Even if you have useful tables, you don't want to bog down your sessions by rolling on random tables and taking notes just to answer simple questions like "where can we sleep?" or "where is the blacksmith?'

Published Adventures feel too restrictive or not useful?

Published adventures offer interesting locations but sometimes feel restrictive or too closely tied to a campaign. Perhaps they're written just to serve as a catalyst for the main adventure, making it feel less like a breathing, living village and more like a video game prompt.

Does homebrew take too long?

Homebrewing villages takes hours for what often amounts to only a few minutes of gametime interaction. Even if you use AI (yuck), you have to spend time generating those questions. Plus, you have to know what questions to ask the generator. 

And even then, those answers are probably relatively weak, lacking proper continuity!

The Solution: Drop-in Villages and Towns

Just Passing Through is the perfect toolbox for the Gamemaster who lacks adequate time to prepare. 

32 Detailed Settlements

These two books offer a total of 32 settlements, complete with:

• Read-aloud descriptions of each location

• Fully detailed maps

• A handful of interesting NPCs to serve as helpers, quest-givers, and even enemies

• Important locations in each settlement offering places to stay and purchase things, as well as mysterious locations to explore, which may lead to quests

• A rules-agnostic adventure that you can easily insert into your campaign

• Random encounter lists for day and night

• Additional adventure hooks

Lots of Bonus Content

The books will also contain:

• Historical information on Euro-medieval villages and towns if you want to strive for historical accuracy

• Lots and lots of random tables

• Information on how to easily adjust the settlements to better suit your campaign world

• Notes on rules system adaptation (5e, OSR, and so forth)

100% Rules Agnostic

These books are 100% rules agnostic. That means you can use any tabletop role-playing game ruleset you prefer—Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons (2014 or 2024), Old School Essentials, Mork Borg, Dungeon Crawl Classics, and so forth.

The content is drop-in, flexible, and endlessly reusable.

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