Longsaddle

Longsaddle is a small but storied hamlet nestled along the Long Road in the Savage Frontier of northwest Faerûn. Despite its modest population and remote location between the Crags and the Evermoors, Longsaddle holds an outsized reputation in the Realms due to the presence of the eccentric and powerful Harpell family—a clan of wizards whose magical experiments and unpredictable behavior have defined the settlement’s identity for centuries. The Harpells’ influence has brought Longsaddle membership in the Lords’ Alliance, giving this rural outpost an unlikely seat among the powers of the North.

The surrounding grasslands support herds of cattle and sheep, providing the town’s simple but steady exports of beef and mutton. While Longsaddle remains a place of pastoral calm on most days, it is also home to dangerous magical mishaps, bizarre transformations, and the sort of cheerful chaos that follows wherever the Harpells tread.

Geography and Setting
Longsaddle sits on a lonely stretch of the Long Road, a trade route running north to south across the Savage Frontier. To the west lie the rocky heights of the Crags; to the east stretch the treacherous moors known as the Evermoors. Between them lies open ranchland—a sea of green where cowherds graze their animals and travelers pause to rest. The air is fresh and carries the smell of wet grass and distant rain. The horizon is broken by rolling hills and the occasional plume of smoke from homesteads or wizardly experiments gone awry.

The hamlet’s center is little more than a collection of cottages, inns, stables, and magical workshops clustered around a crossroads. The heart of Longsaddle is Ivy Mansion, the sprawling residence of the Harpell family, whose enchanted architecture seems to shift from day to day. Around it, more ordinary buildings—such as the Fuzzy Quarterstaff inn or the Gilded Horseshoe—provide rest to visitors both brave and foolhardy enough to linger.

Government and Society
Longsaddle’s governance has traditionally rested in a council of elders, though the Harpells’ influence makes them the de facto rulers. As of the late 15th century DR, Dowell Harpell served as the settlement’s representative to the Lords’ Alliance. The people of Longsaddle are mostly human ranchers, herders, and tradesfolk who have learned to coexist—sometimes uneasily—with the unpredictable magic that saturates their town. Many families have lived here for generations, carrying surnames such as Beliver, Dostril, Emmert, Feldryn, Irimari, and Suldivver.

Life in Longsaddle balances ordinary labor with extraordinary events. It is not uncommon for residents to wake to find livestock walking on ceilings, rain falling upward, or the occasional visitor turned into a frog by stray enchantment. Yet for all the hazards, the people of Longsaddle are famously patient, practical, and kind—perhaps the only way to survive so close to a family of wizards who consider a cow turning into a griffon merely “a fine Tuesday.”

History
Longsaddle was founded in 1042 DR, the Year of the Reaching Beacon, by Shardra Harpell—an escaped Calishite slave who fled north to build a home free from tyranny. The settlement remained small but independent, shaped by Shardra’s descendants into a haven for the odd, the brilliant, and the eccentric. Over the centuries, the Harpells became known across Faerûn for their reckless experimentation and whimsical approach to wizardry, making Longsaddle as feared as it was respected.

In 1376 DR, the Year of the Bent Blade, Longsaddle faced a bizarre crisis when two rival sects of Malarites—a faith devoted to the Beastlord—attempted to establish temples by the shore of a magically created lake. Their feud quickly descended into violence until the Harpells intervened. Unable to drive the cultists out peacefully, the wizards transmuted the most dangerous offenders into rabbits, ending the matter to everyone’s satisfaction except the Malarites.

By 1479 DR, Longsaddle’s nearby woods were haunted by the descendants of Bidderdoo Harpell, cursed werewolves known locally as “the Bidderdoos.” Though feared, these creatures offered some protection against greater evils prowling the Savage Frontier, and an uneasy coexistence took root. Around the same time, the reincarnated Catti-brie—heroine of Mithral Hall—lived in Longsaddle under the name Delly Curtie, studying magic under the Harpells at Ivy Mansion between 1479 and 1482 DR.

Through it all, Longsaddle survived monsters, magical accidents, and time itself. Its population has hovered around a few hundred residents within the hamlet proper, and roughly a thousand including surrounding ranches.

Inhabitants and Culture
The people of Longsaddle are hardy folk, accustomed to danger and wonder in equal measure. While most residents are farmers or artisans, the Harpells dominate local culture and folklore. Generations of these eccentric wizards have contributed to the town’s reputation as a place where magical absurdities are part of daily life. The Harpells are equal parts geniuses and hazards—one day saving the town from marauding orcs with a spell that summons spectral cattle, and the next accidentally turning the mayor’s hat into a screaming toad.

Despite this, the Harpells are beloved by many. They have used their power to defend Longsaddle from bandits, monsters, and political interference. They have also provided magical education to promising locals, creating a tradition of homegrown apprenticeships.

Outside the Harpells, Longsaddle’s people are practical and rustic. They raise livestock, trade leather and meat, and provide rest to travelers along the Long Road. They are proud of their independence and wary of outsiders—especially those who mock their magical benefactors.

Economy and Commerce
Economically, Longsaddle thrives on ranching. The surrounding plains provide ample grazing land, and the town’s exports—primarily beef and mutton—supply nearby settlements. Caravans traveling the Long Road often stop to purchase meat, leather, and feed, while adventurers come seeking Harpell-made goods or employment from traveling companies such as the Blue Sigil mercenaries based at nearby Mog’s Keep.

Shops in Longsaddle are small but curious. Bristle and Brettons sells fine clothing and costumes, while Jasper’s Ring of Bells is known for exquisite bellcraft. Nalathar’s Fine Stirrups & Spurs caters to ranchers and riders, and Sixhorns Select Wares serves as the town’s general store. The Rolling Wheel provides supplies for travelers, and Perfectone Mercantile contracts expensive guards in partnership with the Seven Suns Trading Coster.

Even the slaughterhouse has a story—Ostever’s Slaughterhouse nearly went out of business after being caught selling goblin meat. It survived only through a Harpell “reputation-mending spell” that unfortunately made its cows speak fluent Elvish for a week.

Notable Locations
Longsaddle’s landmarks reflect its blend of homely charm and magical chaos:

Ivy Mansion: The sprawling, enchanted home of the Harpells. Its layout changes constantly, and it is filled with living furniture, self-cleaning halls, and rooms that occasionally drift into other planes. It doubles as a research hall and an academy for young mages.
Fuzzy Quarterstaff: A cheerful inn and tavern run by the Harpells themselves, famous for self-pouring ale mugs and a bar counter that occasionally attempts to dance.
Gilded Horseshoe: A comfortable inn favored by merchants and adventurers seeking quieter lodgings than those run by the Harpells.
Horn and Hoof: A rowdy tavern where ranchers gather to drink, argue, and exchange stories of “the time the Harpells turned my horse invisible.”
Gambling Golem & Night Cloak: Two competing festhalls offering games, drink, and distraction for travelers who have survived a day in the strange town.

Notable Families
Longsaddle’s long-standing families are a tapestry of ranchers, tradespeople, and minor nobles who have learned to coexist with the Harpells’ magical eccentricity. Names like Beliver, Cadrasz, Dostril, Emmert, Feldryn, Gosstal, Kromlor, Mammlar, Ostever, Sharnshield, Silverhand-Arunsun-Maerdrym, Stormrider, Suldivver, and Zelorrgosz appear throughout local history. Among them, the Harpells stand as the most famous—if not infamous—family, their bloodline stretching back nearly five centuries.

Legacy and Modern Era
By the late 15th century DR, Longsaddle remained much as it had always been: a small, self-reliant, and deeply peculiar hamlet. Dowell Harpell’s membership in the Lords’ Alliance ensured its political safety, while the Bidderdoo werewolves guarded its borders from wilderness threats. Longsaddle is known throughout the Sword Coast as a place of wonder, danger, and laughter—a microcosm of Faerûn’s unpredictability.

It has appeared in tales, legends, and even major events of the Realms. Catti-brie’s rebirth there, the Malarite curse, and countless Harpell experiments have each secured the hamlet’s place in history. Travelers who come seeking safety or knowledge may leave with new scars—or perhaps new tails—but few ever forget their time in Longsaddle.