Villages

Scattered settlements dotting the rugged frontier beyond the rebels' cave. The villages exist as fragile pockets of civilization in contested territory, their survival dependent on shifting allegiances and the whims of warlords. Woodsmoke curls from crude chimneys, mixing with the acrid tang of cooking fires and the damp earth beneath unpaved paths. Light spills weakly through cracked shutters or open doorways, revealing cramped interiors where families huddle around flickering lamps despite the lingering threat of raiders. The villages cling to the edges of survival, their people caught between loyalty to the rebels and the crushing power of the Tower's forces.