Holthusen

Holthusen, sometimes spelled Holthausen, is a town in western Reikland.

Holthusen is located on the River Schilder, along the primary trade route between the wine-production center of Eilhart and the major trade city of Marienburg. Holthusen's best known export are its barrels, such as the Holthusen Hogshead. The products of Holthusen's coopers are reputedly sturdy enough to protect its alcoholic contents even when put under direct cannon fire. Most brewers and vintners use barrels of Holthusen origin to ferment their products in; some keep them in partially subterranean warehouses designed to keep them cool.

Despite its several wooden palisades, Holthusen is a target of frequent Beastman raids. Some in the town believe that the Beastmen have an insatiable thirst for wine, but others whisper that their thirst is truly for blood. Regardless, the townsfolk have resorted to placing casks of cheap wine outside the walls, in hopes of appeasing the beastmen. However, this is only likely to continue until the Witch Hunters hear about it.

A few miles to the northeast of Holthusen is an arbor known as The Rime Tree. This pine tree is notable for the fact that it is covered in snow and ice all year round. Snow constantly falls from its limbs, and its trunk is covered with an impenetrable layer of ice. The Cult of Ulric claim that the tree is a holy site, and it has become one of the major pilgrimage destinations in Reikland. The Magisters of the Colleges of Magic are also interested in the apparently magical properties of this tree, but tend not to investigate directly, for fear of raising the ire of the Ulricans.