Rude Village

Biodata

Geography and Layout

• Approach: The village lies at the end of the road in the opposite direction from the forest shown on Elhart’s map 48.
• Settlement: A few dozen houses stand on relatively flat, open ground between two hills. Gravel paths connect the buildings, many of which double as household shops 55 84.
• Outlying homes: Some residents live beside the surrounding fields, close to where the later Calamity Wave appears 83.
• Defenses: The village has stone walls, but neither these nor the thin walls of its houses withstand the Wave’s monsters 84 85.

Notable Locations

Economy and Daily Life

• Dependence on mining: Families have mined for generations, selling rare ores to visiting merchants. The chief explains that they know no alternative means of supporting themselves 62.
• Limited commerce: Most household shops sell ore. The village has neither a pharmacy nor a dedicated materials-buying shop; even low-quality potions must be obtained from traveling merchants 55.
• Elhart’s purchases: Elhart normally buys a batch of ore each month for his weapon shop. During the infestation, lords and larger merchants purchase most of the reduced supply before he can obtain it 48.
• Financial hardship: Mining pays more than other local work, but steep territorial taxes and household expenses leave families with little savings. Just over half a month without production threatens their ability to buy food 62 63.
• Mining methods: Workers dig with pickaxes and carry ore in wicker baskets, using animal-fat lamps for light. There are no mine carts or rails, although mining skills increase the amount of rock extracted per strike 64.
• Attitudes toward combat: Miners prefer their established profession to dangerous adventuring. They regard protection as the responsibility of the lord’s Knights Order and trust summoned heroes to stop the Waves 64.
• Transport: Villagers raise Filolials to pull wagons and carriages. These animals flee before the Wave’s attack and later return, leaving local transportation largely intact despite the destruction 70 93.

History

Mine Infestation and Reopening

Surviving monsters from an earlier Calamity Wave occupy the mine and ambush workers in its dark tunnels. Production dwindles, ore shops close, and miners report wounded adventurers and a dead miner. Their requests for official assistance receive no effective response 48 55 62.

Elhart asks Chuan Wenwu to resolve the infestation. Chuan arrives with Bruce and Raphtalia, and roughly one hundred villagers gather the following morning to see them enter the mine. The party searches the tunnels and kills the lurking beasts, then brings out their corpses—including a two-headed demon hound—as proof that mining can resume 48 55 57 62.

Recovery and the New Ore Vein

The villagers celebrate with a feast and provide the party with free lodging and meals for the remainder of its stay. To address the chief’s concern about surviving monsters, Chuan Wenwu escorts the miners underground twice without incident before remaining in the village on standby 63 69.

During this stay, Chuan opens a new ore vein, supervises his companions’ language studies, and unlocks shield forms using local materials. Raphtalia treats injured villagers, becoming more comfortable speaking with people outside the party. On their departure, the chief gives them three wagonloads of ore and asks Chuan to encourage Elhart to visit his hometown 67 69 70.

Calamity Wave and Evacuation

The next Wave appears near Rude Village while its residents are still unaware of the approaching danger. Chuan Wenwu, Bruce, and Raphtalia undertake the evacuation while Motoyasu Kitamura, Ren Amaki, and Itsuki Kawasumi lead their companions toward the Wave’s boss 83.

Chuan and Bruce hold back the monsters as Raphtalia directs residents toward the mine, supports their escape with magic, and repels creatures that break through. Inside, miners barricade the entrance with boulders while Raphtalia lights the tunnels and heals injuries. The village is destroyed, but her final report confirms that no villagers died during the evacuation 84 85 91.

Rebuilding

After the Wave ends, the residents emerge to find that not a single house remains intact. The chief insists that survival gives them the opportunity to rebuild. Chuan and his companions help erect temporary shelters, while the villagers ration their remaining grain into thin barley porridge 91 92 93.

Kingdom knights arrive with an order for Chuan Wenwu to attend a victory banquet in the Royal City. He leaves with Bruce and Raphtalia after the villagers thank them and pledge their support 93.

Massacre and Survivors

At the banquet, Aultcray accuses Chuan Wenwu of allowing Rude Village’s residents to die during the Wave. The other heroes contradict this account. The king then presents a recording crystal showing the village’s burning shelter and a shield-bearing figure apparently murdering its inhabitants. Raphtalia states that Chuan has remained with his companions since leaving, and Itsuki questions whether the footage has been altered 96 97.

Returning to the village, Chuan’s party finds murdered residents and the burned shelter. Bruce follows scents toward the mine, whose entrance has been collapsed by explosive magic. Fourteen survivors, including a swaddled baby, are subsequently found. They describe mounted attackers in black robes who killed indiscriminately, pursued fleeing villagers, and blasted the mine entrance rather than entering it 98 99.

Chuan presents the recording to the survivors and argues that the king is implicated in an attempt to frame him. Some initially resist believing that Melromarc’s rulers would attack a human village. With their families dead and further pursuit feared, Chuan invites them to join his effort to oppose oppression. Their decision is not recorded in the supplied account 100.

Associated People

• Village chief — Long-serving leader who organizes the celebrations, rewards Chuan’s party, and directs rebuilding after the Wave 63 70 92.
• Elhart — Native of Rude Village and a regular ore customer. He left after disagreeing with his parents over becoming a blacksmith rather than a miner. His parents died in a cave-in; painful memories kept him from returning, though he later agrees to visit 56 62 70.
• Chuan Wenwu — Clears the mine, opens a new vein, leads the Wave evacuation, and helps begin rebuilding. Villagers initially know him as a helpful adventurer before learning that he is the Shield Hero 62 67 85 93.
• Raphtalia — Heals residents during the party’s first stay and later protects them in the mine. Their kindness helps her regain confidence around humans 69 85.
• Bruce — Participates in clearing the mine and defending the evacuation; his sense of smell reveals that some villagers may have escaped the massacre 62 84 98.

Notable Quotes

“As long as we’re alive, there’s hope. That’s what Raphtalia taught us. We also believe that as long as the villagers of Rude Village are still alive, we can rebuild our village.”
— Village chief 92