Liam's Hold

Liam's Hold was a small hamlet about a day's travel south of Daggerford along the Trade Way.

"This seems like a quiet little village nestled by those cliffs. What could possibly be of interest here for the bold adventurer?"

- Purfbin Doogrick

Description
Liam's Hold was a friendly little settlement standing on the eastern side of the Trade Way. It catered to the travelers and caravaners that moved along the Trade Way. The small outcropping of buildings was encircled by a low stone fence and metal gate, surrounded by welcoming bright-colored flowers. A sign by the entrance gate cheerily read: "Welcome to Liam's Hold!"

By the late 15 century, the hamlet became a small fortified and walled village that surrounded the tower of The Holdfast Inn. A sizable field was located by the tower that served as a parking and loading area for caravans that traveled across the Trade Way.

Geography
The most notable feature of Liam's Hold was the two-acre-wide flat-topped tor of rock that overlooked the area. The village of Liam's Hold was crammed on the tor's top and surrounded by walls. The southern part of the village was punctuated by an ancient crumbling keep tower of the Holdfast Inn.

To the east of the village laid cultivated lands and grazing fields. To the south was the pasture for the passing caravans' camping and their livestock feeding.

Sunder Halyndliam's crypt and final resting place for the wizards and his magical treasures was located under the hamlet's tower. The crypt was spell-guarded but by 1372 DR, an entrance into the subterranean structure opened up in the tor's cracked wall but remained hidden from casual eye. Sunder's body was said to be locked in a casket along with his spellbooks, enchanted staff, magic blade, and numerous ensorcelled rings. However, almost no grave robber successfully plundered the crypt because it was hidden, guarded by planar beasts and locals of the hamlet, who denied entrance to all would-be adventurers.

Government
The township's leader was the Mayor, who made sure the trade flowed smoothly through the area and took care of any brigands or criminals via adventurers and mercenaries. The Mayoral position was elected by the inhabitants of several small villages along the Trade Way.

Trade
Liam's Hold's economy was supported by countless caravans that moved along the Trade Way and was home to crafters and artisans who sold their goods to traveling merchants and traveled to the city of Baldur's Gate to fetch better prices. Some of the goods exported out of Liam's Hold were textiles.

History
The hamlet was named for the mighty warrior and wizard Sunder Halyndliam, whose tower stood at the site and later became the hamlet's main attraction - the Holdfast Inn. As time passed, Sunder Halyndliam's name was shortened until it became just "Liam."

During the Time of Troubles of 1358 DR, the monastery, later known as the Stronghold, was discovered to house a villainous Bhaalist sect and a temple to the evil deity in its undercroft. An adventuring dard hero from Waterdeep discovered the monastery's secret after it was mysteriously abandoned by its inhabitants during the Time of Troubles. The hero left the key to the empty keep with the town's mayor - Wilsey.

By 1367 DR, Volothamp Geddarm featured the hamlet of Liam's Hold in one of his popular guidebook series. At the time of it being penned, the population of the hamlet was at 50 inhabitants.

Sometime before 1368 DR, a gang of kobolds dug their way into Holdfast Inn's basement. However, that incident was quickly resolved with the aid of traveling mercenaries.

The population of Liam's Hold grew steadily albeit slowly due to the village's humble size. By 1374 DR, the hamlet's population reached the whooping number of 62 residents.

Rumors & Legends
It was believed that Sunder Halyndliam, the hamlet's namesake, still guarded his home as a silent armored wraith armed with a chilling magical blade. This belief was only reinforced as six thieves were found tossed off the tor's top to their death in the night over the hamlet's history.

The inhabitants of Liam's Hold claimed that plundering the old dead wizard's crypt would result in the tower's collapse and hamlet's destruction as the magic of the crypt was the only thing that held the structure together. However, that was likely just an excuse to keep the crypt under the Holdfast Inn undisturbed.

Notable Locations

 * The Holdfast Inn: the main attraction in the hamlet, ran by Ivus and Nuli Barbarak circa 1372 DR.
 * Nell's Pie Shop: a humble bakery ran out of Nell Kirschtorte home and specialized in cherry pies, eccles cakes, and toffee apples.
 * The Stronghold: the grim-looking stone structure across the Trade Way from Liam's hold that once housed seemingly peaceful monastery, secretly a lair of villainous Bhaalist sect.

Notable Inhabitants

 * Hevesar Dimpet: the elected speaker of the farmers who tended to cattle and fields south of Liam's Hold circa 1372 DR.
 * Kellen: a young werewolf, kidnapped from Liam's Hold and settled with many other lycanthropes in Barovia of the Domains of Dread.
 * Lashar: a friendly and eloquent half-orc merchant who set his stall up in the center of hamlet circa 1372 DR.
 * Rab Bitnez: a garlic-obsessed gnome author of the seminal work of the 101 Garlic Recipes.
 * Twinkin: Mayor Wilsey's busy secretary circa 1372 DR.
 * Wilsey: the middle-aged and busy lady Mayor of Liam's hold circa 1372 DR.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle
 * Curse of Strahd
 * Novels
 * Baldur's Gate
 * Video Games
 * Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford
 * Video Games
 * Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford