Thimbleway

Classification: Repeating roadside hamlet; structural anomaly
Location: Northern approach routes, between marked trail forks and the false basin ridge
Usage Status: Inhabited; turnover rate unusually high
Known Inhabitants: Pilgrims, minor cults, seasonal detachments; no permanent residency

Thimbleway is a roadside village in the northern Sundrown Wilds consisting of approximately a dozen timber structures, most of them one-room dwellings arranged along a shallow curve in the terrain. The buildings appear to be chapels, shrines, or rest-stops depending on the viewer, though all follow the same basic layout. Each contains a door, a central room, and a narrow exit path that leads back to the outer edge of the hamlet. No cellar, loft, or second story has ever been recorded. Furnishings are minimal and inconsistent between visits.

The hamlet is occupied year-round but never permanently. Pilgrims, wayfarers, and low-structure cult groups pass through frequently, often believing they have found shelter near the edge of the Wilds. Some claim to have built or rebuilt the structures themselves. Others speak as if returning after long absence. In nearly all cases, individuals in Thimbleway report difficulty recalling how they arrived or how long they’ve stayed.

Observers have noted an architectural pattern in the buildings: while materials and surface details vary, the internal layout remains exactly the same from one structure to the next. In rare instances where a doorframe has been destroyed or removed, the room behind it remains intact and accessible from outside. It is unclear whether this is a trick of perception, a forest-generated anomaly, or some form of defensive stabilization. There are no known instances of collapse or decay.

Thimbleway does not appear on formal maps, but is referenced in at least seven field logs and a number of recovered travel guides. In most accounts, the hamlet is described as a place of “return,” where every door leads to a familiar room and no one seems to notice. A few travelers have remarked that the path into Thimbleway always feels longer than the path out, even when distances are fixed. One report states that a warband stayed there for three nights and woke each morning in a different structure.

There are no known hostile events associated with Thimbleway. However, extended stays are rare, and groups who linger tend to dissolve or fragment shortly after departing. Whether this is the result of internal pressures or environmental factors remains under investigation.