Thirty-Third Edition, Revised & Expanded
The Sensible Visitor's Guide to Evenshade
For Pilgrims, Scholars, Travelling Merchants, and Other Persons of Peaceable Curiosity
Section I
Evenshade is a village of modest size and immodest learning, situated on the southern bank of the River Chionthar within comfortable distance of Berdusk. Visitors arriving by road from Scornubel or Iriaebor will find it pleasant, well-maintained, and rather more interesting than its reputation suggests—which is itself rather more interesting than most villages earn.
The village is arranged around a central market and a temple that has, over the generations, quietly accumulated more influence than most temples twice its size. Trade and scholarship coexist here with unusual warmth; it is quite possible to spend a morning arguing the nature of ancient contracts and an afternoon watching timber ferries navigate the Chionthar, and to find both equally satisfying.
Evenshade welcomes all travellers of peaceful intent. Come with questions, but leave with better ones!
Section II
Those arriving by road from Berdusk will enter the village past Marna's Elbow on the left and The Rusted Crown on the right—a coincidence of geography that has shaped the character of many a visit before it properly began. Both are recommended. The order is left to the traveller's constitution.
Carts and pack animals may be stabled at the western yard near The Market. There is a modest fee. The stablekeeper does not negotiate, but she does occasionally offer advice on local road conditions that proves more valuable than the fee.
Section III
Section IV
Evenshade observes certain customs which visitors may find unusual, but assuredly, none of them are onerous. Most of them make sense once explained.
Greet knowledge, not rank. Titles are acknowledged in Evenshade; they are simply not the point. Ask someone what they're working on, what they've read lately, or what they think about a contested idea, and you will have a friend for the evening. Arrive trailing your noble lineage, military rank, or hard-earned professional title, expecting doors to open, and you may get an eye roll, smirk, and gentle snort as a reward. Locals here admire authority by way of knowledge and expertise, and have little appreciation of authority by fiat. The village has had centuries to develop its priorities, and they are fairly settled on this one.
Do not read over someone's shoulder. In most places this might be considered at most merely impolite; in Evenshade, it lands somewhere between an intrusion and a small violation of the sacred. With the Temple-Library a short walk from anywhere in the village, and half the population either reading, writing, or quietly composing something in their head, the contents of a page are treated as a private matter until the author or reader chooses otherwise. If you find someone reading something interesting, the correct move is to ask what it is. They will almost certainly tell you, and possibly at considerable length.
The Quiet Nod. At some point during your time in Evenshade, you will notice locals pausing as they pass the Temple-Library: just for a moment, just a small acknowledgment, before carrying on with their day. It requires no particular faith, no formal gesture, and no explanation. It is simply what people do here, the way one might tip a hat to an elder or step aside for a procession. Visitors are under no obligation to join in this particular ritual. It has been observed, however, that those who do may subsequently be offered better seats, longer conversations, and on at least one occasion, a second helping of Quiet Stew.
Lamps before dark. Evenshade residents light their doorway lamps before sunset, not after; while the sky still holds enough light to see by, while the flame is a choice rather than a necessity. A lit lamp means the household is present and going about ordinary business. A dark doorway at dusk means the residents are away, or prefer not to be interrupted. The custom is rarely explained to visitors, but it has a name in the village's memory: the Night of Silent Flames, DR 1426, when fire found Evenshade Manor in the dark and the family inside had no warning at all. The lamps have been lit early ever since.
Debate is hospitality. If a resident of Evenshade disagrees with you at the Rusted Crown, congratulations: you have said something interesting enough to engage with! This is genuinely meant as warmth. The village has six centuries of practice treating the exchange of ideas as a social good, and a well-argued position, even a wrong one, is more welcome here than a tepid one that gives nobody anything to work with. Accept the challenge in the spirit intended, hold your ground if you believe it, and concede gracefully if you don't. Storming out is remembered, but a good argument is remembered more fondly.
The page-mark custom. A folded marker left in a library book means its reader intends to return and that the book is, by local understanding, occupied. The marker carries the owner's name, so there is no ambiguity about whose promise it represents. Borrowing rules may technically permit removing such a book; Evenshade custom does not, and Evenshade custom has the longer memory. Also, the Temple-Library's scribes are meticulous record-keepers in all things, and visitors would be encouraged to bear this in mind!
Section V
Evenshade maintains a modest but considered local cuisine. The following are recommended without reservation:
Section VI
The following guidance has been assembled by the Watch of the Scroll in cooperation with the Temple-Library. It is offered in the spirit of hospitality and with every expectation that it will be heeded.
Do not enter structures older than the village without invitation, escort, or a considerably better reason than curiosity. If you are uncertain whether a structure qualifies, it does. Please stay clear of the old tower at the south end of the village. It is quite pretty, but it may be dangerous, due to its considerable age.
Do not mistake the Watch of the Scroll for ceremonial guards. Their tabards are scholarly, their bearing is calm, and their rounds are deliberately irregular: a patrol that runs on a schedule is a patrol that can be anticipated. They are courteous and surprisingly well-read, but also disinclined to repeat themselves. Law-flaunting visitors who treat them as decorative are invariably surprised, and not in a way they tend to enjoy.
Do not say "just a village" within earshot of residents. They won't argue. Rather, they'll simply begin talking, and you will still be there an hour later, having learned considerably more about Evenshade than you had planned to, and finding, if you're honest, that they might have a point!
If a resident offers to walk with you somewhere, accept. In a village where greeting knowledge is more valued than greeting rank, the walk is rarely just a walk: it is an opportunity, and Evenshade residents are constitutionally incapable of wasting one. They will know the shortcuts, the protocols, the small social details that make the difference between a good visit and an awkward one. Of course, they may also know one or two things about the village that didn't make it into any official record. They won't volunteer this immediately, but centuries of accumulated local knowledge has to live somewhere, and it tends to come out on walks.
First-time visitors who feel they have been somewhere in Evenshade before are encouraged to mention this only to the Temple-Library staff, and only during daylight hours. This is not as unusual a feeling as it might seem — Evenshade is an old place, and old places have a way of feeling familiar to certain people. The Temple-Library staff are experienced with these reports, interested in them, and the right people to speak to. The daylight hours detail is practical rather than mysterious: a visitor who mentions the feeling in the afternoon can be gently oriented before nightfall. A visitor who mentions it after dark has often already had a worse night than necessary, and the scholars prefer to prevent that where they can.
Section VII
The following itinerary may be completed comfortably in a single day by visitors in reasonable health. Modifications are possible but should be discussed with someone who knows the village before being attempted independently.
Welcome to Evenshade
Evenshade is a village of modest size and immodest learning, situated on the southern bank of the River Chionthar within comfortable distance of Berdusk. Visitors arriving by road from Scornubel or Iriaebor will find it pleasant, well-maintained, and rather more interesting than its reputation suggests—which is itself rather more interesting than most villages earn.
The village is arranged around a central market and a temple that has, over the generations, quietly accumulated more influence than most temples twice its size. Trade and scholarship coexist here with unusual warmth; it is quite possible to spend a morning arguing the nature of ancient contracts and an afternoon watching timber ferries navigate the Chionthar, and to find both equally satisfying.
Evenshade welcomes all travellers of peaceful intent. Come with questions, but leave with better ones!
—⚞ ✣ ⚟—
Section II
Arrival by Road or River
The Watch has recorded forty-seven instances of visitors ignoring "unnecessarily emphatic" signals. The river has also recorded forty-seven instances of visitors ignoring "unnecessarily emphatic" signals. These are the same instances.
So written, Watch of the Scroll ⚔
The river approach is recommended for those who enjoy a proper entrance. The River Harbor offers two main piers—one for trade traffic, one for ferries—with an active signal system operated from the Harborhouse. Travelers are advised to watch for the lantern signals upon arrival and to obey them promptly. The signals are clear, the harbormaster is patient, and the river is quite cold. The River's Roam is the delightful, tree-lined path from the River Harbor to the village proper, terminating at the The Market. Many locals find delight in a picnic lunch or romantic dinner just off the path, and we invite you to enjoy your Market treats along the Roam. Just please be sure to collect your rubbish!
Practical note
Travellers arriving after dark are advised to obey all lantern-signals from the Harborhouse, even when they appear unnecessarily emphatic. And perhaps especially when they appear unnecessarily emphatic.
Mira's road assessments have saved three merchant caravans, one wedding party, and at least two people who were definitely not fleeing anything. Her fee is, in retrospect, very reasonable.
— A Grateful Caravan Master ⚖
Those arriving by road from Berdusk will enter the village past Marna's Elbow on the left and The Rusted Crown on the right—a coincidence of geography that has shaped the character of many a visit before it properly began. Both are recommended. The order is left to the traveller's constitution.
Carts and pack animals may be stabled at the western yard near The Market. There is a modest fee. The stablekeeper does not negotiate, but she does occasionally offer advice on local road conditions that proves more valuable than the fee.
—⚞ ✣ ⚟—
Section III
Places Not to Miss
The upper stacks are not a food court! I will recommend you for time in the stockade should I find you dining there.
So written, Archivist Pelwyn, Temple Librarian ✦
The spiritual and intellectual heart of Evenshade. The public reading room is open to all visitors in good standing, and the current exhibition is invariably more interesting than the placard suggests—ask the duty archivist, who will tell you more than you expected and leave you wanting the rest. The upper stacks require a letter of scholarly introduction, a persuasive case, or sufficient patience. The noon carillon rings on Fourthday; its seventeen bells have not repeated a sequence in recorded memory. Pilgrims will find the quiet chamber to the left of the main hall suitable for reflection.
The best establishment in Evenshade for conversation, debate, local lore, and the assessment of your cleverness! The common room runs a bit warm in all seasons, the company is variable in the best sense, and the Quiet Stew has a reputation that precedes it even into nearby Berdusk. The music is exceptional and constant: a consequence of Evenshade drawing so many bards that performers here play not for coin but for the rather more demanding currency of peer approval. There is no stage; bards emerge from alcoves and corners as the mood takes them, which means the evening's entertainment is always a surprise and occasionally a revelation. Be mindful that a local who engages with your ideas is not being aggressive, and a local who does not engage at all may simply be busy formulating an idea of their own.
Three separate guests have dreamed, independently and in accurate detail, the location of a cellar that does not appear on any village map. Tilver finds this charming, but The Watch finds this worth monitoring.
This I overheard at the Rusted Crown: Rannil Teoram ⚖
The recommended lodging for visitors who enjoy their sleep enriched by history, and possibly by the lingering presence of Marna Evershed herself, whose portrait still hangs above the hearth with her elbow cocked and her opinions at the ready. Rooms are named rather than numbered, beds are placed where they feel right rather than where they make sense, and the writing desk in each room comes stocked with half-finished sketches left by previous guests. Vivid dreams are common. Please note: the room known as The Map Without North books up quickly.
The Market and Shopping District
The baker's mood may be assessed in advance by observing whether the east stall awning is blue-side or green-side out. I offer this tip freely and without prejudice. Please do keep in mind that the availability of the lapis honey cakes is heavily influenced by said mood.
— A Well-Informed Regular ⚖
The Market Pavilion opens at dawn with the toll of a bell and the Guildmaster's Merchant's Oath, and is worth arriving for early, particularly if the east corner stall is your destination, where lapis honey cakes appear on many mornings in quantities that are, let us say, finite. Visitors are advised not to ask about bulk purchase. This may result in a decrease in the availability of said lapis honey cakes. You will find the Market is well-stocked for a village of its size: fresh provisions, local crafts, imported goods from Berdusk, Iriaebor, and Baldur's Gate, and a reliable if informal survey of village opinion on any topic currently under debate. The limestone columns are etched with quotations from Oghma's Book of Silent Wisdom, and an ancient mason's mark is said to be hidden somewhere in the brickwork--those who find it are considered touched with fortune. At least one column is hollow, which is either a construction curiosity or none of your business, depending on whom you ask.
Excellent for watching trade ferries arrive from Berdusk, particularly in the late afternoon when the Harborhouse signal mast is at its most active and Harbormaster Tidewalker's crew demonstrate what efficiency looks like when it has something to prove. The South Pier affords the finest view of the Chionthar bend and the hills beyond; the North Pier is where the serious work happens, and visitors are welcome to observe from a respectful distance. Fishing from the wooden docks in the evening is a local tradition open to all. The early morning fish auction under the South Pier awning is worth the hour if you are the sort of person who enjoys a great bargain for very fresh food. Swimming near the harbor is inadvisable in all seasons--the current is deceptive, the water is cold, and fishermen tell stories about what follows loaded barges after dark that are probably exaggerated and possibly not.
Please do not play with the ballista harpoons. They are not decorative and the winch mechanism is considerably more enthusiastic than it appears.
The Riverside Lycaeum is, depending on who you ask, a conservatory, a vocational academy, a schoolhouse, and a lecture hall; the correct answer is all four simultaneously! It is the sort of place that makes visitors wish they had grown up here in Evenshade. Its octagonal central hall--red brick rising to a domed lantern, daylight flooding the performance platform below--hosts recitals, lectures, and rhetorical debates open to any visitor who raises a hand and can finish a sentence. The north wing smells of woodsmoke and rosin; the east wing smells of iron and machine oil; the south and west study chambers overlook the Temple-Library gardens and smell, pleasantly, of old books. This is not accidental: the Lycaeum exists at the intersection of Milil's song, Gond's craft, and Oghma's scholarship, and takes all three with equal seriousness. It is also, practically speaking, the village school, which means that on any given morning the same building contains children learning their letters, adults learning clockwork fundamentals, and Headmaster Elyndra Seren, the halfling devotee of Milil they call Voice of the Lyre, doing something with a rehearsal that sounds, even from outside, entirely wonderful.
Evenshade Manor sits on a gentle rise, its pale stone and dark timbers looking as though they grew there which, given six centuries of additions and renovations, is not entirely inaccurate. Tours of the non-residential areas run on the first and third Tenday of each month. The guides will show you the terraced gardens--concentric rings of silver sage and rosemary sacred to Oghma, converging on the Fountain of Pages--and the family crypt, lined with effigies of past Barons, Baronesses, Lords and Ladies who look, collectively, like people who knew rather more than they said. Questions about the passage behind the West Study Tower are received warmly and answered not at all. The Council House next door operates under the family motto, The Truth Speaks Quietly, and the carved owl above its doors has presided over six centuries of debate, taxation, and the occasional Silent Vote; a tradition by which certain matters are decided in complete silence, written ballots sealed in the archives, and never read aloud. The Whispered Gallery upstairs is where observers watch the official proceedings; it has also become, over the years, where the unofficial ones happen. Both buildings are older than they look, which says something about their timeless architecture and the enduring care taken to maintain them.
—⚞ ✣ ⚟—
Section IV
Local Customs
Evenshade observes certain customs which visitors may find unusual, but assuredly, none of them are onerous. Most of them make sense once explained.
Greet knowledge, not rank. Titles are acknowledged in Evenshade; they are simply not the point. Ask someone what they're working on, what they've read lately, or what they think about a contested idea, and you will have a friend for the evening. Arrive trailing your noble lineage, military rank, or hard-earned professional title, expecting doors to open, and you may get an eye roll, smirk, and gentle snort as a reward. Locals here admire authority by way of knowledge and expertise, and have little appreciation of authority by fiat. The village has had centuries to develop its priorities, and they are fairly settled on this one.
Do not read over someone's shoulder. In most places this might be considered at most merely impolite; in Evenshade, it lands somewhere between an intrusion and a small violation of the sacred. With the Temple-Library a short walk from anywhere in the village, and half the population either reading, writing, or quietly composing something in their head, the contents of a page are treated as a private matter until the author or reader chooses otherwise. If you find someone reading something interesting, the correct move is to ask what it is. They will almost certainly tell you, and possibly at considerable length.
The Quiet Nod. At some point during your time in Evenshade, you will notice locals pausing as they pass the Temple-Library: just for a moment, just a small acknowledgment, before carrying on with their day. It requires no particular faith, no formal gesture, and no explanation. It is simply what people do here, the way one might tip a hat to an elder or step aside for a procession. Visitors are under no obligation to join in this particular ritual. It has been observed, however, that those who do may subsequently be offered better seats, longer conversations, and on at least one occasion, a second helping of Quiet Stew.
Lamps before dark. Evenshade residents light their doorway lamps before sunset, not after; while the sky still holds enough light to see by, while the flame is a choice rather than a necessity. A lit lamp means the household is present and going about ordinary business. A dark doorway at dusk means the residents are away, or prefer not to be interrupted. The custom is rarely explained to visitors, but it has a name in the village's memory: the Night of Silent Flames, DR 1426, when fire found Evenshade Manor in the dark and the family inside had no warning at all. The lamps have been lit early ever since.
Debate is hospitality. If a resident of Evenshade disagrees with you at the Rusted Crown, congratulations: you have said something interesting enough to engage with! This is genuinely meant as warmth. The village has six centuries of practice treating the exchange of ideas as a social good, and a well-argued position, even a wrong one, is more welcome here than a tepid one that gives nobody anything to work with. Accept the challenge in the spirit intended, hold your ground if you believe it, and concede gracefully if you don't. Storming out is remembered, but a good argument is remembered more fondly.
The page-mark custom. A folded marker left in a library book means its reader intends to return and that the book is, by local understanding, occupied. The marker carries the owner's name, so there is no ambiguity about whose promise it represents. Borrowing rules may technically permit removing such a book; Evenshade custom does not, and Evenshade custom has the longer memory. Also, the Temple-Library's scribes are meticulous record-keepers in all things, and visitors would be encouraged to bear this in mind!
—⚞ ✣ ⚟—
Section V
Food and Drink
Evenshade maintains a modest but considered local cuisine. The following are recommended without reservation:
Oghma's Knots
Braided savory rolls sold near the Temple-Library, traditionally eaten while reading. Warm, dense, and faintly herbed. We have been encouraged to ask you to avoid taking them into the upper stacks of the Temple-Library.
Chionthar Trout
Served with brown butter and river herbs. The local preparation has been refined over generations and has, at last count, no notable weaknesses.
Inkcap Tarts
Dark mushroom-and-onion hand pies, popular with scribes and the night watch. Filling, portable, and considerably better than they look.
Lapis Honey Cakes
Small blue-glazed cakes whose color owes something to the lapis lazuli worked in the local mine. Sold at The Market on very good mornings. When available, buy two.
The Quiet Stew
The Rusted Crown's house dish, named not for its mildness--it has none--but because people stop talking when it arrives. This is not considered impolite.
The following dish is listed in the interests of completeness:
Oh, I absolutely dare entreat you. And please, have someone fetch me to watch you greet you personally! Cordially, Janna Vo ✦
Dock-Eel in Vinegar
A local tradition beloved by exactly the sort of person who insists visitors must try it. The Harborhouse serves it on Highday, both as a matter of custom and as part of a larger process of eel population control. You have been informed warned.
—⚞ ✣ ⚟—
Section VI
Cautions for the Sensible Visitor
The following guidance has been assembled by the Watch of the Scroll in cooperation with the Temple-Library. It is offered in the spirit of hospitality and with every expectation that it will be heeded.
Do not enter structures older than the village without invitation, escort, or a considerably better reason than curiosity. If you are uncertain whether a structure qualifies, it does. Please stay clear of the old tower at the south end of the village. It is quite pretty, but it may be dangerous, due to its considerable age.
Do not mistake the Watch of the Scroll for ceremonial guards. Their tabards are scholarly, their bearing is calm, and their rounds are deliberately irregular: a patrol that runs on a schedule is a patrol that can be anticipated. They are courteous and surprisingly well-read, but also disinclined to repeat themselves. Law-flaunting visitors who treat them as decorative are invariably surprised, and not in a way they tend to enjoy.
Do not say "just a village" within earshot of residents. They won't argue. Rather, they'll simply begin talking, and you will still be there an hour later, having learned considerably more about Evenshade than you had planned to, and finding, if you're honest, that they might have a point!
If a resident offers to walk with you somewhere, accept. In a village where greeting knowledge is more valued than greeting rank, the walk is rarely just a walk: it is an opportunity, and Evenshade residents are constitutionally incapable of wasting one. They will know the shortcuts, the protocols, the small social details that make the difference between a good visit and an awkward one. Of course, they may also know one or two things about the village that didn't make it into any official record. They won't volunteer this immediately, but centuries of accumulated local knowledge has to live somewhere, and it tends to come out on walks.
First-time visitors who feel they have been somewhere in Evenshade before are encouraged to mention this only to the Temple-Library staff, and only during daylight hours. This is not as unusual a feeling as it might seem — Evenshade is an old place, and old places have a way of feeling familiar to certain people. The Temple-Library staff are experienced with these reports, interested in them, and the right people to speak to. The daylight hours detail is practical rather than mysterious: a visitor who mentions the feeling in the afternoon can be gently oriented before nightfall. A visitor who mentions it after dark has often already had a worse night than necessary, and the scholars prefer to prevent that where they can.
Please avoid the tower. If traveling around the south end of the village, may we recommend the Scrivener's Weir or the Mill?
Best regards, Watch of the Scroll ⚔
A note on the southern hill
The structure visible on the hill south of the village is not featured in this guide. Visitors who ask about it at the Temple-Library will be referred to a pamphlet, which is currently out of stock and has been for some years.
—⚞ ✣ ⚟—
Section VII
A Recommended Walking Tour
The following itinerary may be completed comfortably in a single day by visitors in reasonable health. Modifications are possible but should be discussed with someone who knows the village before being attempted independently.
Morning
Begin at the market. Purchase Oghma's Knots while they are warm. Note the east corner stall and inquire, if you are inclined, about the lapis honey cakes. Collect provisions for the midday; the afternoon is long and the harbor stalls close early.
Midday
Visit the Temple-Library. Spend as much time as you have in the public reading room; the current exhibition repays attention. If your timing allows, remain for the noon carillon on Fourthday. Speak to the duty archivist—briefly or at length, according to your temperament and theirs. Both outcomes are at least instructive, when not also entertaining.
Afternoon
Walk to the River Harbor. The eastern pier offers the best view: the bend of the Chionthar, the hills rising beyond, a pleasing arrangement of sky and water. The trade ferries from Berdusk arrive in late afternoon, and the harbor signals will be active. Watch the harbormaster's crew work. They are worth watching, but please do not attempt to assist!
Evening
Dine at The Rusted Crown. Order the Quiet Stew. Participate in conversation as much or as little as your energy allows; the room will carry on either way. Stay as late as seems wise, and enjoy the music.
Night
Retire to Marna's Elbow. The innkeeper, Tilver Dane, will likely have something to say about the day if you are amenable. The beds are very good. The dreams, if any, are your own affair.
—⚞ ✣ ⚟—
Evenshade welcomes all travellers of peaceful intent: pilgrims, merchants, scholars, artists, wanderers, and those who have not yet decided which of these they are.
Come with questions. Leave with better ones.
Come with questions. Leave with better ones.
Printed by the Temple-Library of Oghma · Thirty-Third Edition · For Free Distribution to Persons of Peaceable Curiosity
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