Once entering this sleepy village from the north, you'll see there is a large manor house and a market to the right of the village entry (marked by high hedges). Towards the Widow's Wash there is a small watermill and dominating the little cluster of buildings ahead is an old stone church.
Ryeturn is home to the only standing church to Famil Dandurrin. In ancient times, this used to be a gathering ground for the Halflings of the region to give thanks for the harvest. Over time, they built a shrine to honor Famil, and eventually, when the humans came, they constructed a church over the shrine. It is still a very holy place for the worshipers of The Many-Faced. As the King's Road was built, this became a natural rest stop for travelers headed to the coast or the Wheatsea. And so, the community grew up around it quickly.
The original Inn built to accommodate these travelers was the SparrowWheel. However, in the last 150 years or so, there was a second inn built to better serve the halfling travelers who nearly got trampled by the humans (who had not yet truly learned to live with them). It still stands, more humble and smaller proportioned and it's known as The Fainting Farmer.
Of other interest is the structure by which the village is managed. Instead of a regent's appointment, the citizens cast lots for one of many halfling families in the area. The top five families then settle in the "Five House", a sort of dormitory and court, where they hear the grievances of the area, settle disputes, and regulate other governing functions of the village. However, they must ALL agree on the solution, which can sometimes take a very long time to resolve.
The population of the village is about three-quarter humans with the rest being mostly halflings. There is a Dwarven smith of some fame called Sangdarl Strikesfear; his surname from his ability to focus his rage when he needs it at just the right time. TWICE he has saved the village from attack, so is greatly respected.
It is the last village in the Shire of Plainfield, no longer disputed because the Five Families decided that this would be so and can never come to an agreement about transferring allegiance to Westhold. The strongest factor in staying is they are currently under the protection of the Maresworth family which translates to lucrative contracts in the Wheatsea.
RECENT EVENTS: In the last year there has been a rash of burglaries and the villain has yet to be caught. There is a reward of $50 gold from the Five House for the person or group that can catch the scoundrel, deemed "The Scourge of Ryeturn". Some think it's a capricious group of fey taking revenge for old crimes, others call on the name of Shaketail and swear it's his tribesmen (a popular opinion), and some even believe it's a doppelganger among them, causing the village folk to become very suspicious of each other. Nightly watches have doubled and some adventurers have even camped nearby to catch the fiend.