Bullet06320
2015-10-08, 03:26 AM
as originally posted on the WOTC boards by zavia on Feb 19, 2008
http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-general/threads/1163956
I'm currently attempting to populate a 5000 pop city. (from a nicely drawn map)
So, why not ask your help in populating the market place. I'm looking for shop names for any kind of commerce. (night markets, black markets, merchant quarter, adventurer's district etc.)
If its possible, can you add a few lines after it if possible?
1. Shining Lanterns-This gnome-operated shop sells all kinds of home lighting equipment, brightly lighting the street every night.
2. Religious Tracting Guild-Usually found in an area with many temples, they provide tracting services of leaflets, brochures and advertisements mostly for the Temples to populated areas and residential areas.
3. Silk's Den This hole in the ground is inhabited by an inteligent Spider(excuse my lack of monster knowedge) who makes the best ropes upon order. Her ropes are said to be as strong as metal. Her prices tend to be favors, knowedge and items instead of gold, seeing how precious even a coil of Silk's Strings are. The only condition on making an order is having your payment ready and to her satisfaction. Many a person has gone in presuming they have something she values or are stronger than her. None came out except their screams that lasted weeks. Thus only those in the know and who are prepare that ever get to walk away with any Silk's Strings.
4. Squekly Cleen A gnome sits in an ally betweent two shops on a leather mat, a bunch of tools and mechanical equiptment spilling from the boxes around him. He specialises in repairing and cleaning various equiptment and metalic doodaads including traps.
EDIT:
Pls add in the category of your business in ITALICS below the name of the business. If it doesn't fit any of the below types, pls make a new one.
Trades, Exotic:
Alchemist, art dealer, calligrapher, costumer, imported goods dealer, magic armor dealer, magic item dealer (general), magic weapon
dealer, pet merchant, potion dealer, rare wood merchant, scroll merchant, soap maker, spice merchant, trapmaker, wand merchant.
Trades, Upscale:
Antique dealer, bookbinder, bookseller, candy maker, clockmaker, cosmetics
dealer, curio dealer, dice maker, distiller, fine clothier, gemcutter, glassblower, glazier, goldsmith, inkmaker, jeweler, mapseller, papermaker, perfumer, pewterer, sculptor, sealmaker, silversmith, slave trader, toymaker, trinkets purveyor, vintner, wiresmith. Also found here are average trades performed at fine quality and increased cost (masterwork).
Trades, Average:
Armorer, baker, bazaar merchant, blacksmith, bonecarver, bowyer, brewer,
butcher, carpenter, carpet maker, cartwright, chandler, cheesemaker, cobbler, cooper, coppersmith, dairy merchant, fletcher, florist, furniture maker, furrier, grocer, haberdasher, hardware seller, herbalist, joiner, lampmaker, locksmith, mason, merchant, music dealer, outfitter, potter, provisioner, religious items dealer, roofer, ropemaker, saddler, sailmaker, seamstress, shipwright, stonecutter, tailor, tapestry maker, taxidermist, thatcher, tilemaker, tinker, weaponsmith, weaver, wheelwright, whipmaker, wigmaker, woodworker. Also found here are poor trades performed at fine quality and increased cost (masterwork), and upscale trades at lower quality and lower cost (80% of normal).
Trades, Poor:
Bait & tackle dealer, basketweaver, brickmaker, broom maker, candlemaker, charcoal burner, dyer, firewood seller, fishmonger, fuller,leatherworker, livestock handler, lumberer, miller, netmaker, tanner. Also found here are average trades performed at lower quality and lower cost (80% of normal).
Services, Upscale:
Animal trainer, apothecary, architect, assassin, banker, barrister, bounty hunter, cartographer, dentist, engraver, illuminator, kennel master, masseur, mewskeeper, moneychanger, sage, scribe, spellcaster for hire, tutor.
Services, Average:
Auctioneer, barber, bookkeeper, brothel owner, clerk, engineer, fortuneteller, freight shipper, guide, healer, horse trainer, interpreter, laundress, messenger, minstrel, navigator, painter, physician, public bath owner, sharpener, stable
owner, tattooer, undertaker, veterinarian. Services, Poor: Acrobat, actor, boater, buffoon, building painter, burglar, carter, fence, gambling hall
owner, juggler, laborer, limner, linkboy, moneylender, nursemaid, pawnshop, porter, ship painter, teamster, warehouse owner.
Lodging:
Almshouse, boarding house, hostel, inn.
Food:
Club, eatery, restaurant, tavern.
Temples and Shrines:
Any deity, or sometimes a group of allied or related deities. Most cities in civilized lands have few obvious temples to evil deities, but exceptions do exist. List your shrines and temples as either one of them.
editor's note: I'm adding this link as I thinks its useful for the types of services available in a medieval setting
http://arcana.wikidot.com/list-of-medieval-european-professions
The Milk of Paradise: An opium den
The Silver Swan Imports: A small shop specializing in unusual foreign goods (spices, fabrics, clothing, and so on), possibly catering to an immigrant community.
The Golden Alembic: Alchemical supplies, apothecary, and herbalist
Gwardle and Snagswyck: Purveyors of Fine Scribal Supplies: fairly self explanatory
The Honorable Society of the Brazen Bell: A merchant consortium with offices in numerous cities and towns, dealing in large scale trade, deal brokering, and negotiations. Rumored to be involved in slave trading and smuggling.
The Crusty Cabin: A small inn, garanteed to leave you feeling crusty yet homey! :P
The Rust Monster: A more government sponsored program that takes your old wornout equipment and turns it into currency by crushing down the metals, in exchange you get a few gold pieces, depending on how much metal you offer. (Obviously the gold amount is less then your metal heap can be worth)
The Lord of the Rings: A jewlery shop.
Red Hill - Plain and ordinary in almost every respect, Red Hill is a shop that sells any cheap, legal goods the owner can get, some weeks he sells dry biscuits while some weeks he sells blank scrolls and perhaps, on a good day, copper helmets. What makes the place worth visiting is that the owner is a collecter of rare masks, many of which are said to be magical in nature.
King Mayfly's Castle - A rundown shack at the edge of the city, a group of theives store stolen goods here. When the password is spoken, a rag-covered elderly man may, if he is in the mood, appear and offer you some of the goods for a price or store something for you, again, for a price. The old guy is the quiet type, but for a price he might name some of the cities criminals.
Mother of the Million Black - A tiny tavern with only room for twenty people and even thats pushing it. Everyone inside are regular customers but are amazingly friendly to travellers. No one is quite sure why its named such, the bartender bought the place years ago after it stood empty for years.
The Shield Shop - Reguardless of the stories, it really is just a shop that sells shields. The silent figure behind the counter will hand over a shield for the alotted price, no bartering. There is a forge in the corner that may be used freely, you will reseive no instructions or aid from the shadowy person behind the counter.
Nazarog's Head - Eyesore is a word to describe it, the polite might call it artistic. Nazarog's is a potion, creams and oils shop built inside the head of a ancient beast that was dragged from the sea by sailors years ago. The owner of the shop is the wife of the captain that found it and her shop is often visited by sailors of all kinds, from common fishers to rather imposing pirates.
Bear Prince's Brewery - A local beer making company and known for paying its staff very well. Tales tell that a little band of nixies made a habit of sneaking into the brewery and taking beer, so now at the end of each day six little cups of beer are put out for them. The cups are empty by morning.
The Gibbing - A downright weird store owned by a flamboyent duo, "The Nik" and Rasc'el, two elves who claim to be older than the city. This may be true. They can fit a suit to any man, fix torn clothes so they are better than they used to be and are said to, for a payment other than mere money, cast magics that can change a person's looks.
Though outwardly strange, they are a very moral people and have been known to go out of their way to insure the safety of those around them. Everyone from maids to barons own them a favour.
The Days of Thunder - A heavy set orc, Jabbles, owns this simple, run-down instrument store. Jabbles himself is a master of no instrument and can often be caught attempting to play a simple tune on a guitar or flute. He closes the shop every few months to search of a bard to tutor him, none have aided him so far.
The Mask Stall - On a long, wooden table near a alleyway rests piles and piles of masks. Some are ancient, stolen from tomes by the three saleswomen while others are barely more than bark with eye-holes. The three ladies are playfully called "The Banshees" by the populace for their shrill voices and guant, pale skin.
Once their was four Banshees, but the sisters say she died in a attempt to gain a powerful mask crafted by a long dead tribe of moon worshipers. Some say however, she did find that mask, and left the other sisters.
Hanging House - Connected by thick metal coils from other buildings is a small stone hut suspended in the air, it appears covered in carvings that tell some fable and the tiny door has the face of a paladin on it. Getting into the house is difficult, the visiter needs great climbing skills, or perhaps magic, and be of the owners size, a ex-adventuring halfling. Those that do enter will find the fellow mumbling about "deep dwellers", if questioned he'll tell you about the strange mind-destroying dwarves he fought long ago and might teach the visiter how to fight them.
The Gate of Ixibar - A elderly couple, known as false seers by everyone but foolish travellers, tell anyone willing to pay what they want to hear. Apart from that they also sell much loved childrens toys, so skillful are the couple they have begun their own collectable range of figures based on heroes and villians. Their best selling pieces are the Prince Elix and his savage slave Hurgath.
Howling Cathedral - Ages ago a monk reached a powerful inner state, his soul now inhabits the shrine. Later a terrible demon was lured to the shrine and imprisoned there with the masterful monk. Wind blows through the Catherdral constantly, filling trumpet like objects causing a awful music. It is sometimes called the Breathing Cathedral or the Calling Cathedral.
It is said the tepid water that flows through the place gives anyone strength and a number of people hang around trying to sell the stuff, often quite forcefully.
Frog and Toad Tavern - Welcoming to strangers, but locals get the drinks cheaper and most of the seats are already taken by off duty guards and aging thinkers and their students, more and more of which are the daughters of aristocrats wishing for them to be more learned. It makes for a very interesting climate, with the thinkers and civil servants having battles of wit across the room while the noblewomen eat up any idea they come across, having more questions than anyone could answer.
The tavern is famous for being the meeting place for a great and heroic band, the Wayfolk. It is said their leader is a man that can speak to the city like a druid can to nature.
Nanwon's Night Market - A series of stalls that seem to appear after dark, each store is covered in bite-size food and cups of strong spirits. Its a fast paced place, with bards prancing around the customer while the stall salesman shout out prices and points at each piece of food at lightening speeds. Everything, including the cloth covering the stalls, can be bartered for.
Nanwon died years ago, the stalls are now run by his son-in-law, something he never wanted. It is claimed by some that his spirit still lingers on in the form of a eyeball on legs, that hops around the stall at exactly midnight, for a moment. His son-in-law, Mombia, a man from a far off land, says people are just exactly drunk by that point and are seeing things.
Tik Tak Low - A disused but clean shack "owned" by around twenty kobolds, no one knows for sure as they rarely make idly chit-chat.
The kobolds offer their selves as chimney sweeps, maids, boot polishers and anything else involving cleaning. They are cowardly, none of them are willing to fight, though more than one of them is a sorcerer focusing on vanishing tricks.
They have worked in every place in the city at one time or another, from Halashu Stable to Mirage. The Crusty Cabin offended them once and many think they pour durt and dust through the chimney at night.
Horgath's Anvil - A plain, wattle-and-daub building that houses a half-orc swordsmith. He's an absolute artisan, but is incapable of performing magic to enchant the blades, and is on the outs with the local mage's guild. If it's a sword, or sword-related, odds are you can pick it up here for a reasonable price.
Connor's Dry Goods - A small general store that stocks farm equipment, seed, grain, tack, and generally everything that a small farming community might need, plus plenty that it probably doesn't. As an authorized Smythe-Robards outlet, all catalogue sales for the area are made here, and are delivered straight to the store when a home delivery isn't an option (which is usually the case).
Helmutsund Books and Gourmet Sausage Works - The latter obviously outweighs the former. While the presses are proudly displayed, there is only one long shelf of fresh-printed books here; the rest of the vast store is devoted to beautiful, gourmet sausages of every imaginable composition, from beef and pork to owlbear. The owners constantly push their "Gourmet Sausage of the Month" club to whomever will listen.
Briplip's Fine Throwables - A grumpy kobold alchemist has opened his shop at an abandoned, tumbledown shack at the edge of town. He specializes in thunderstones, tanglefoot bags and the like, but he can be convinced to mix up just about anything. Except Alchemist's Fire - for reasons he won't reveal, he refuses to touch the stuff.
The Rotten Crate - A pawnshop, pure and simple. The owner is unnervingly calm, even when dealing with someone that's attempting to sell obviously-cursed items. Most of his stock is mundane jewelry, but everything from plows and bridles to fine statuary is counted in his stock. The only item in the shop marked "Not for sale" is a huge gnomish contraption in one corner, a combination water clock and indoor fountain.
Awlin's Roaster - A small carry-out restaurant operating from an outdoor booth, offering roasted nuts and vegetable kebobs. The owner, Awlin, is a vegan, and refuses to serve anything that might have had any form of intellect at some time. His kebobs sell poorly, although everyone seems to love his roasted almonds.
The Feathered Fool - Easily recognized by the signature signboard, depicting a jester with several dozen arrows sprouting from his back. The Feathered Fool isn't a pub or inn, despite the fanciful name, but rather the workshop of Vargus the fletcher. A tall, willowy old fellow, Vargus' best arrows are supposedly superior even to Elven make; he does craft cheaper, standard-grade arrows, but that makes up only a tiny segment of his business. Unlike other fletchers, Vargus does not deal in crossbow bolts - he considers the crossbow to be "a twisted perversion of the beauty that is the bow proper".
Extracts and Vital Humors - A tiny cornerstore packed with bottles of pickled... parts... of creatures. Eyeballs, and lymph nodes, and livers and kidneys and whatnot are all shown proudly on display, with plugged earthen jars beneath boldly labeled with their contents, invariably some sort of bodily fluid from the creatures catalogued above. The shopkeeper, an elderly gnome with a permanently-frazzled disposition, is a bit of a quack. He considers most of what he sells to be of medicinal use, and most of the time he's only half-right. Potentially a good place for adventurers to sell off monster corpses, but the gnome is also evidently a tightwad; he'll likely only fork over a few coppers for full corpses.
The Fleabag Inn - One of several dozen inns with the same name and makeup that have popped up over the countryside over the last few years, the Fleabag is essentially a converted stable. It's a bit drafty, the cot-like beds are only marginally better than sleeping on the ground, and you can hear just about everything that happens in the tiny room next to your own tiny room... but the locks on the doors work, and it's the cheapest place in town to stay, by far. A few of the Fleabag's current residents are beggars, who would be homeless but for those well-worn walls.
Pots - This unimaginatively named storefront sells just that - high-quality iron pots, pans, and other cookware. The owner, Kirgus Stonewall, is a quiet, calm fellow who rarely speaks when a shrug, nod, or gesture will do. Having just inherited the place from his late father, Kirgus hasn't made any changes yet, but rumors suggest that he'll soon start stocking stainless steel wares beside the current cast-iron.
Vaclav's - Only open twice a month, the wagonfront store known as Vaclav's holds something different every time. Vaclav is something of a huckster; he picks up oddities on the cheap when he travels, and unloads them at unreasonable markups when he returns to his old home. Last time he was open, he was selling an assortment of pennywhistles, lutes, and harp-like instruments... before that it was do-it-yourself divination boards, darfalii candles, and fine incense.
The Tin Buckler - A large inn on a narrow side street just off the center of town, the Tin Bucker is lit warmly, with large, comfortable booths and quiet, muted music, further muffled by large tapestries. It has become quite popular with the well-off and elderly, for its excellent (if inexpensive and predictable) cuisine. Drinks are restricted to water, the house ale (which tastes horrible), and a fair-to-decent wine cellar. The wait staff will always seat their regulars almost immediately; locals that visit rarely have the usual wait for a table ahead of them. Outlanders can expect to be in the waiting area for over an hour, if they're ever seated. Curiosly, the owner, one Miss Larine by name, is never seen in her own establishment. She runs the place entirely through her managers.
The Blank Label - A small stand on the edge of town that sells broadsheets, penny dreadfuls, and guild journals for a few coppers a piece. It seems to change ownership frequently - the current proprietor-operator is a young man who people call "Speckie". Speckie does most of the work himself, but has a kobold run broadsheets to individual houses as a subscription service a few times a week.
The Sultan's Den - At one time, this was a rather infamous house of ill repute. But cleaner, safer, cheaper, and/or better staffed places came, and the former vice-den folded. Now the old building, just outside of town, has been occupied by an opium-addled old timer, who hawks austere foreign antiques. Occasionally, a confused stranger with an out-of-date guidebook will wander in, looking for a good time.
The Menagerie of Bottis the Orange: A penthouse suite in a large boardinghouse that is open to the public most hours of the day, the Menagerie is a huge room lined with cages of various shapes, sizes, and contents. Within each cage is an exotic animal of some sort; most of them were custom-bred by Bottis, a mad transmuter of uncertain race obsessed with the creation of new life forms. It's said that Bottis has a creature for just about any purpose you could wish, although most are so bizzare and impractical that their best purpose is novelty. A good example of this is the Parrotmonkey, a take-off of the owlbear that was supposed to be able to do recon and then tell its owner what it had seen. Unfortunately, the first one died a few weeks after its creation; all it would eat were banana flavored crackers, and in the words of Bottis, "Does hyu know how hard eet ees to get bananer flav'red crachkers around heere?"
The Last Resort: A moneylender's office. The small upstairs storefront is well-kept, neat, and somewhat minimalist in decor. The owner, Kir, is a diviner of some small bit of skill whom grew tired of telling fortunes for idiots. He claims that the name of his business is something of a joke, and that he's not really that bad. Truthfully, he isn't; to the genuinely destitute, he's considered a godsend. To the average businessman, he's thought of as an ocassionally necessary evil. To those that can afford it, he's a ruthless tactician who knows when those that borrow from him can afford to pay it back... and you never, ever want to be in debt to someone who can scry your darkest secrets.
Gadrison's Tack A small, well-stocked repository of saddles, bits, reins, and other necessary items for riding animals. Large signs posted on just about every support structure in the building read "PLEASE DO NOT HANDLE THE WARES YOURSELF - WAIT FOR AN EMPLOYEE TO TAKE THEM DOWN FOR YOU". While there are plenty of pre-made saddles, Gadrison - a surprisingly hefty, muscular half-elf gentleman with a rather bushy mustache - is proudest of his custom work. While polite, intelligent, and a generally amiable fellow, Gadrison is unreasonably paranoid about thieves, and tends to give the evil eye to anyone who starts picking things up for any reason.
"The Respectable Businessman" hangs on a sign above the door. As you enter you see a tall lean man dressed in dark clothes with long black hair that is tied up. Robert Mann always seeks power but rarely for himself. He deals in negotiating power for others and seeks out those eager or foolish enough to accept his high paying jobs. It is well known that his largest paying open contract is to kill a group of adventurers. Robert blames these adventurers for the death of his only son.
The Brawling Bear is a dark run-down inn-tavern off the boardwalk. Its patrons are typically those hiding from the law or just not wanting to attract attention from the local populace. It is run by a well known Bug Bear crime family but to date the authorities cannot prove their illegal activities. At times fiends have been known to stay at the inn. The cops are weary about a raid on the establishment for fear of those inside.
Keystone is a famous bar for adventurers. Its owner is a Dwarf by the name of Torn Ironhart. Other than attracting strange clientel there is nothing out of the ordinary about the establishment. Torm has a fine collection of rare and exotic drinks including the planar delight Abyssal-Hell Water. Torm likes to say that he built the Keystone when the city was very you but those who have been around for about 400 years know that a Grey Elf named Walt used to own the place.
Tater Salad's- Tavern frequented by jesters and bards that can tell a funny tale. Good place to put that Perform: Oratory skill to good use. DC15 or lower depending on how drunk the crowd is. Might be a good place to get info or pick up little extra coin. (Owner: Ron the White)
Traveler’s Rest – The largest, most comfortable inn in town, mainly because it’s run by clerics of Fharlanghn. Adventuring troupes passing through the city tend to gravitate towards it, not only because it has secure storage facilities for their gear, but also due to its excellent ale. For the latter reason, worshippers of Olidammara often make their own appearances.
Kioko’s Armory – A blacksmith’s shop run by Kioko, a retired samurai who moved in a few years ago. She specializes in exotic wargear from far-away lands—katanas, o-yoroi armor, and the like—and only sells goods of masterwork quality, many of which she has patiently made herself. Though an old woman, Kioko has been a nasty surprise for three groups of would-be burglars.
Red Drake Tavern – This dingy, smoke-filled bar mainly serves the ne’er-do-wells of the community, people who prefer a place where the drinks are cheap and it’s easy to get in a fight. Any strangers passing through town looking for an inexpensive place to sleep with no questions asked head towards the Red Drake, which offers a series of unpleasant bedrooms on the second floor. The tavern’s owner, Jaral Duerten, is a surly dwarf frequently at odds with the local authorities, who (accurately) suspect that plenty of criminals and contraband find their way into the Red Drake. The tavern gets its name from the stuffed and mounted head of the red dragon that attacked the town eight years ago, which menaces those who sit under it at the bar.
The Interplanar Materials Company – One of many stores owned by an international (and interplanar) trading group. The IMC specializes in rare and wondrous substances such as raw Entropium, the golden silk of celestial moths, and metals ranging from Solanian Truesteel to Morghuth Iron. They view Material Plane substances as beneath their notice and sneer at offers of mithral ore, but the store occasionally carries extremely rare goods such as Blue Ice or Lightforge Iron. The IMC’s clientele consists of wealthy adventurers, aristocrats, and governments.
Arnac’s Shop of Mystical Wonders – A magical goods store heavy on mystical ambience but light on useful supplies. Arnac is a rare sedentary mercane who was evidently exiled to the Material Plane for his trade practices, which were unsavory even by his race’s standards. His goods include crystal balls that mainly show the viewer’s reflection, amulets to ward off “shmarls,” salves to defend against dragonfire (“if not completely satisfied, return in person for a full refund”), and the dreaded “Bargain Bin,” a crate full of items that work, but have yet to be identified. On at least one occasion a customer was turned into a pineapple just by handling Arnac’s merchandise, but once in a great while, something useful is found lurking on a back shelf—his favorite story concerns the time a questing paladin found the Chalice of St. Tristan standing innocently among an array of potions years past their sell-by dates. Several times Arnac has had to relocate his business, shop and all (via a powerful teleportation enchantment), but the locals tolerate the mercane because he mainly preys on out-of-towners, and for the entertainment value his shop provides.
The Golden Squealer – This seedy tavern’s name comes from its mascot, a chimp-like creature with a pig’s head and tail, a third arm emerging from between its shoulder blades, and rich golden fur. The owner, a grizzled half-orc named Jak Martin, claims that his animal companion (and bouncer) is only a runt. His bar doesn’t carry any fancy ales, though it does keep plenty of kegs of orcish kragg and goblin thudrud for its patrons, which can charitably be described as “rustic” and “colorful,” or uncharitably as “lowlifes” and “criminal scumbags.”
Forge of Three Smiths – The original Forge was founded by a dwarven rune expert, an elven enchanter, and a human magus from the southlands, all master blacksmiths. Since then, the franchise has spread across the continent, providing high-quality arms, armaments, and enchantments that combine the three races’ strengths and styles. In many cities, the Forges have to operate under a waiting list system, as high demand means that they develop hefty backlogs.
Custom Companions – This cozy little tinker’s shop is run by a gnomish maester artificer, Ueli “Nimblefingers” Sheppenickel. Much of his work consists of repairs to clockwork items or other intricate devices, but his real calling is in crafting animals: mechanical squirrels, effigy cats, and even clockwork steeds. These “pets” behave much like the real creatures they’re based off of, but Ueli can also include “special features” for clients willing to pay for them, such as illusions to hide their artificial nature, or even offensive magical abilities. His niece Haydee sometimes visits the shop to try to pick up the skills of the trade.
Tomes of Enlightenment – A musty but homey bookstore run by Staas Bartholomeus, a silver-haired aasimar and religious scholar. The store specializes in religious books from almost every faith, even those Staas disagrees with, as well as divine spell scrolls and clerical spellbooks (though Staas disposes of any that provide spells with the Evil descriptor or of the Necromancy school). Like most shops of its type, it’s easy to get lost within the twisting stacks and narrow aisles, and the owner tends to emerge out of nowhere to startle shoppers.
Cold Comforts – Not a store, but a cart wheeled around by Dalal Sa’ida, a jann entrepreneur with a penchant for ice sorcery. She specializes in cold treats, ranging from ice cream to frozen custard to frosty beverages, all kept cool in her cart, the interior of which is lined with sheets of blue ice. Although her best business comes during the hot summer months, Dalal can easily make a few silver pieces just by walking around—her jaw-dropping good looks mean that most men she favors with a wink need something cold almost immediately.
Fine Smokeables – This stately building is a tobacconist’s shop, run by Benito “Benny” Rodríguez, a sleazy, foul-mouthed, kleptomaniac, chain-smoking gambler who happens to be an expert on cigars, cigarettes, pipeweed, hookahs, and generally anything a person can set on fire and inhale. His shop stocks flavors and varieties of tobacco from across the globe, as well as incense, opium, and even (in a hidden basement) stashes of devilweed, dreammist, and mushroom powder. Benny doesn’t touch the “hard stuff” after a traumatic past addiction that he only got through with the help of a cleric, but he doesn’t mind selling it to customers lacking his experience. Despite his obvious character flaws, Benny is a popular figure among townspeople, who consider him “evil, yet loveable.” If Benny's spending a few days in the town jail for some petty crime, his cousin Sal minds the shop.
Halashu Stable – Located on the eastern side of town, the Halashu Stable is run by the elf Kordaril Verideth. Kordaril is a recent addition to the community, and arrived only two years ago. He quickly bought out the dingy old building that used to serve as the city stable, and after months of labor turned it into the grand structure that stands today. It is said that a week’s worth of care in the elf’s stables is worth a month’s stay at any competitor’s business. Truly, Kordaril seems to enjoy looking after the animals, and will often spend hours in his stables with them, or out in the fields around town exercising the horses. Despite this high reputation among equestrians, however, Kordaril remains introverted. He rarely speaks to other townspeople, outright ignoring some occasionally, and refuses to explain where he came from. Thus it is also said that Kordaril gets along better with horses than people
Pieter Zdravko, Emissary to the Far Country – This dignified office seems more suited for a lawyer than a mystic. Zdravko is a middle-aged human who specializes in necromancy, but in what he is quick to point out a “benevolent application:” he uses magic such as Speak With Dead to help family members get in touch with departed loved ones. Aware of well-founded suspicions towards necromancers, Pieter has allowed local churches and law enforcement to closely monitor his activities, and they have grudgingly conceded that he is more of a grief counselor than a diabolical necromaster.
The Serpent of the Emerald Eye – Most people assume this boarded-up and near-derelict apothecary tucked away in a back alley is closed, but its sign, a golden snake with a green eye coiled around a potion, indicates that the shop is open for business. Inside the gloomy store are shelves full of vials of strange ichors and weird tonics, but its owner, a humanoid of unknown species who answers to Sodro, keeps a back room supplied with his primary merchandise: poisons, venoms, and other dangerous toxins. No thieves have been stupid enough to rob the shop—the owner is an imposing figure wrapped in thick robes, who whispers with a hissing lisp to his pet, a yellow-scaled python longer than a horse that can usually be found coiled around a rafter, staring lazily down at customers.
Harland’s House Of Good Grub – A successful restaurant owned by Harland Troubleseeker, a portly halfling who has retired from his race’s nomadic lifestyle to pursue his life’s dream of gorging himself on good food until he can’t fit through the front door. Harland’s House specializes in the type of food Harland likes to eat—boar ribs, crispy bacon, fried chicken, and so forth, all served with good beer—provided in large quantities for a low price. This results in buffets that aren’t particularly nutritious, but are hearty, stick to your ribs, and leave you wanting more. Hard-working humans, dwarves, and halflings make up most of Harland’s patrons, but it’s obvious from the owner’s expanding waistline that he is his own best customer. Harland’s House is special in two other ways: if adventurers slay an unusual creature such as a basilisk or wyvern, Harland’s team of chefs will do their best to cook the monster and throw a free victory feast for the town. Additionally, the local halfling-run thieves’ guild operates out of a hidden room in the beer cellar.
Visions – This tent is pitched under a shady tree in the market quarter, its name written on a simple wooden placard standing by its entrance. Its exterior is unremarkable, while its interior is filled with hanging curtains and strange incense. Curious customers are admitted one at a time to visit Madam Vadoma, a woman of indeterminate age who wraps herself with silken veils, leaving only her inscrutable eyes showing. Vadoma will then consult her crystal ball and give her guest cryptic warnings about their future, advice such as “when you find spears facing your front, beware of the knife at your back” and “the dragon’s greatest treasure lies not in its hoard.” Then she may ask for payment, which can be coins, or sometimes other goods, or sometimes an undefined favor in the future—or she might not ask for anything at all. Visitors usually leave shaken and confused, but many claim that the woman’s vague counsel saved their lives at some point or else prevented some catastrophe. Those who are asked to do the woman a favor typically end up performing a seemingly pointless task, such as moving a chair at a restaurant or standing around a certain place at a certain time—but those who refuse to render such payment often fall victim to freak accidents. Madam Vadoma is never seen outside of her tent, and no one in town can remember her not being there.
Mirage – A high-class establishment in a seedier part of the city, Mirage is a nightclub run by Osric Wynnstan, a charismatic half-elf with a good head for business. Mirage (not "the Mirage," just "Mirage," Osric insists) offers plenty of alcohol and snack foods, as well as card games and gambling in a side hall, but the main attraction is of course the female performers. Humans make up the bulk of the showgirls, but Osric tries to cater to his multiethnic patrons and hires females of other races--and owing to his sense of humor, in one instance he surprised (and horrified) his customers with an ogre named “Lily.” A thoughtful fellow, Osric also sets aside one night each week as “Ladies’ Night,” when he invites male performers on stage. Though not a respectable business, Mirage is certainly an upper-class enterprise: Osric treats his workers with fairness and dignity, he keeps some well-dressed half-orcs, ogres, or minotaurs as bouncers, and he cooperates with the local Watch to the extent that they generally leave him alone, but are still willing to come to his aid if things get out of control. The second floor consists of well-furnished rooms rented by the hour—none of Osric’s employees are required to be prostitutes, but he does allow other women (or men) of negotiable affection to ply their trade on his premises, taking a modest percentage of their earnings in exchange for a safe place to work.
The Secret Grove – The storefront for this unusual business is little more than a wall with a door in it. Beyond that, one can see the true premises, a large lot in the center of a square of buildings, overgrown with trees and bushes of all sorts. The Secret Grove is looked after by a druid named Eoghan, a wild-looking man who is responsible for the plants’ prodigious growth. Customers wander his garden picking fruits from the trees and vegetables from the ground, all of which seem to regrow overnight. The fruits are particularly good—it is rumored that Eoghan’s trees are scions of the great orchards of Arcadia. Gossip also suggests that one of the trees is home to a dryad, Eoghan’s lover.
Precious Memories – A most unusual store, Precious Memories is a place where customers can buy and sell thoughts. Velvet-draped shelves hold hundreds of silvery, softly-glowing spheres, each containing a psychic recording of someone’s memory. The shop’s owner, a xeph telepath named Minu Shahrazad, uses her psionic abilities to copy up to an hour’s worth of memories from a seller, then inscribe the information in a specially-crafted sphere. These spheres can then be used in a psychic ritual to transfer the information into a buyer’s mind, or taken home with the customer so they can replay the perfectly-preserved memory on command. The offered memories range from first dates to a professor’s lecture to famous battles, though Minu also offers psychic surgery to remove unwanted memories as well. Precious Memories is currently under investigation by the local authorities—the Watch captain is suspicious that Minu has been swiping people’s security information during her sessions and selling the results to burglars and con artists.
Abaddon’s Shack – An unusual venue, in that it offers no goods or services, only a terrifying experience. The Shack is a foreboding, decaying house owned by Sebastian Metod, who inherited it from a distant relative. No one has lived in the building for close to thirty years due to the palpable aura of dread that seems to hang over the structure like a fog. More specifically, no one has spent more than five minutes in the building due to the malevolent force that lurks within, which unfailingly sends people screaming for their lives after a few moments inside the front door. This fearsome reputation prompted local youngsters or “tough guys” to dare each other to enter the building, and once Metod came into its possession, he hatched a way to make a little money off the otherwise condemned lot. After giving a few silver pieces to the guard at his kiosk across the street, the Shack’s front door is unlocked and the customer is allowed to enter, only to be expelled in pants-wetting terror shortly afterwards by the force within, referred to as Abaddon by the locals (for no other reason than they like the sound of the name). Metod is well aware that he could easily hire a cleric or priest to exorcise whatever demon or spirit possesses the building, but it has become something of a local landmark; and besides, he’s making a tidy profit off of it.
Professor Nekkenbokker’s Phantasmal Circus (“Exciting! Educational! Extraordinary!”) - This old barn was spruced up and converted into a amphitheatre by the gnome wizard Gereon Nekkenbokker (who has not earned any sort of degree). Twice each day, once in an afternoon matinee and once at night, the “Professor” and his assistants put on a show, using potent illusions to simulate an incredible circus. Patrons can watch dragons fight, owlbears juggle, and darkmantles drop out of the rafters onto their heads. Nekkenbokker wants to enlighten as well as entertain, and therefore spends at least a third of each performance giving an enthralling (and occasionally accurate) lecture on the habits and abilities of one featured creature. He takes his job seriously, and will often pay adventurers consultation fees for first-hand accounts of their encounters (often referring them to Precious Memories so he can acquire a "copy" for reference). So far the Phantasmal Circus is doing well, enough for Nekkenbokker to consider opening a similar franchise devoted to historical events and famous people.
Treasures from the Grotto – Located right on the water’s edge in the harbor district, this ramshackle building looks as though it was assembled from driftwood, which is entirely possible. Its owner is Morcant, a kindly sea kin who spends his afternoons out in the waters before returning at nightfall to manage his shop. The Grotto sells knickknacks and oddities Morcant salvages on his daily maritime explorations, as well as interesting undersea rocks, corals, shells, and sometimes pearls. Morcant also acts as a part-time guide if any adventurers want to make an underwater expedition nearby.
Applied Sciences – This newly-built brick building stands in front of a sprawling backlot filled with forges, workshops, and junked devices, though all are part of the same company. The owners, the gnomish duo Henryk Smythe and Dominic Weston, entered a partnership a few years back in order to concentrate on their work—things that go boom. Both are chemists, blacksmiths, and engineers, and spend much more time in The Yard tinkering than they do in the office building out front. The team sells gnome-made gadgetry such as parachutes, inflatable decoy soldiers, automated lockpicks, and instant coffee machines, but their passion is for blackpowder weaponry. Their biggest seller remains the humble hand grenade, but their flintlocke pistols and muskets are beginning to get attention from adventurers. It’s just as well, since the flamethrower project has been put on hold until they can convince the city council to overturn their injunction following last year’s fire.
The Roving Eye The place of business for The Seer. Upon entering the shop patrons are greeted by a well dressed assistant with no visible body hair. He will negotiate the seer's pricing and services. When the time comes to meet with Tynan the Seer, patrons are required to bathe and dress themselves in clean linen robes, slippers and hairnets provided for them. The Seer's audience chamber has several chairs and small tables covered with crisp linen dropcloths and is bisected by a very finely made veil of fabric thin enough to be seen through. The Seer is a small dwarf who, like his assistant, is completely shaven due to his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder regarding personal hygiene. A gifted Clairsentient, he will stop several times during the session to clean his hands and writing tools.
The Beer Golem A tavern specializing in offering a large number of different fine brews. Run by the Dwarven cousins Rylar and Thyne AxSkjald who also brew many of the beverages offered. This tavern offers a fine venue for many challenges of skill such as darts, throwing axes and the like while spurning the traditional tavern activities of dicing and cards. There is also a ring offered for friendly wrestling or boxing matches. All entertainment is provided by the patrons however and they do not feature organized fights or tournaments.
The Waltzing Werebear A tavern offering primarily fine wines and dancing. The Elven proprietor Talice Silverwain offers classes in formal dancing and etiquette on a regular basis. These classes are expensive and provided along with a tasting session of the finest wines and cheeses available.
Vron's exotic game Butchery The shop is a small office with a very large barn in the back.
Vron has an assistent who does not speak very much, He never gives his name, He only takes orders from Vron. He carrys a very large tome with him at all times. Vron is a large man, rumored to be an ex-ranger. He delights in carving up all sorts of animals from the benign to the dangerous. Every so often the town is awakend by shattering screams of creatures that are thought to be dead, but are not. They are silenced very quickly.
Vron will cut any part of an animal you want. He is also known to supply meats to other shops in the town such as Helmutsund Books and Gourmet Sausage Works.
Imperial Registry of Independent Itinerant Agents
Local Office #886, City of Stonedock
Thabbeus Stone, Senior Registrar
Thabbeus – affectionately known as “Stony” to the locals – runs the Registry House with an efficient, yet casual style. A former adventurer himself, Stony can usually be found either hanging about the office or at Broward’s Tavern across the street. Despite his gruff appearance, Stony is eager to help young ‘agents’ along; he can usually point out the easy jobs and steer them clear of shady jobs or those likely to be too much to handle. He also is ready with advice for novice adventurers. As a Senior Registrar, Thabbeus is paid well, and lives in an apartment above the Registry House.
Those who pay their dues at the Registry receive several benefits:
• Free access to the members’ area.
• Post jobs for free. (usual fee is 1-5 gp)
• For a small fee, they can request a rescue party if they don’t return from an expedition by a specific date. (some restrictions apply here)
Katalina's Place - This shop has no official name, it is known as Katalina's place by those who go there and those who know of it's existance.
The shop is actually the front room of Katalina's house, in which she sells the more expensive and rare spell componants that casters desire.
Say the right words and her assistant my allow you to speak to Katalina herself about more 'interesting' componants, such as metallic dragon hearts and Yugloths Brains amongst other things.
Katalina appears to be a human lady, in her mid twenties. But it is rumoured that she is well into her sixties. No one is quite sure how this could be possible, but she is tolerated by her neighbours, and the authorities are unaware of the other side of her business.
Amaran's Security Services A large building, made of wood and stone sits imposingly in one of the cities many squares. A sign over the door states: "Only the best will be found through these doors."
Amaran's Security Services, is just that, a place to hire trained security for all manner of reasons.
All workers have had background checks, physical and mental tests to make sure they are up to the high standards of Amaran, the owner of the business.
While, one of the pricier security services in the city, the 100% customer satisfaction record justifies the price in the eyes of customers.
All races and classes are employed by Amaran, since he knows that each situation calls for a different solution.
Amaran himself is a male, half dwarf, half bronze dragon ex-cleric of Bahamut, who spends most of his time keeping the business in order. There are currently around 150 employees that Amaran has to look after and assign jobs to.
Mahouken - Translating from Japanese to mean, The Magic Sword, it is run by Kurohime Ito, an elf wizard who specialises in enchanting weapons for a price.
Kurohime buys in weapons from all over the city, but prefers to buy from Kioko’s Armory, due to the cultural links and quality of the weapons.
She will also enchant masterwork weapons that people bring in to her.
If she doesn't have what the customer wants, she can make it on the spot if she has the base weapon availiable, or she'll take an order for the customer.
the last inn - an inn run by the local thieves guild (or any other nasty people), the ale is strong (though very over priced) fights and back stabbings are common, the place is dimly lit and it's not uncommon to find the big burly doorman dragging the ocasional dead/poisoned patron out the back door (some one's got to clean the mess) the local fence works upstairs selling off stolen loot and offering the services of his/her thieves for a price.
the nag's head - I don't know why but every town has to have an inn called the nags head lol
the maison dearrie (ok I admit I was watching the simpsons earlier) your friendly neighbourhood bordello (hey adventures have to unwind after all that killing). you could include subplots involving vampires, succubi, or just give the big bad fighter a nasty itchy rash (yes I'm mean lol)
http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-general/threads/1163956
I'm currently attempting to populate a 5000 pop city. (from a nicely drawn map)
So, why not ask your help in populating the market place. I'm looking for shop names for any kind of commerce. (night markets, black markets, merchant quarter, adventurer's district etc.)
If its possible, can you add a few lines after it if possible?
1. Shining Lanterns-This gnome-operated shop sells all kinds of home lighting equipment, brightly lighting the street every night.
2. Religious Tracting Guild-Usually found in an area with many temples, they provide tracting services of leaflets, brochures and advertisements mostly for the Temples to populated areas and residential areas.
3. Silk's Den This hole in the ground is inhabited by an inteligent Spider(excuse my lack of monster knowedge) who makes the best ropes upon order. Her ropes are said to be as strong as metal. Her prices tend to be favors, knowedge and items instead of gold, seeing how precious even a coil of Silk's Strings are. The only condition on making an order is having your payment ready and to her satisfaction. Many a person has gone in presuming they have something she values or are stronger than her. None came out except their screams that lasted weeks. Thus only those in the know and who are prepare that ever get to walk away with any Silk's Strings.
4. Squekly Cleen A gnome sits in an ally betweent two shops on a leather mat, a bunch of tools and mechanical equiptment spilling from the boxes around him. He specialises in repairing and cleaning various equiptment and metalic doodaads including traps.
EDIT:
Pls add in the category of your business in ITALICS below the name of the business. If it doesn't fit any of the below types, pls make a new one.
Trades, Exotic:
Alchemist, art dealer, calligrapher, costumer, imported goods dealer, magic armor dealer, magic item dealer (general), magic weapon
dealer, pet merchant, potion dealer, rare wood merchant, scroll merchant, soap maker, spice merchant, trapmaker, wand merchant.
Trades, Upscale:
Antique dealer, bookbinder, bookseller, candy maker, clockmaker, cosmetics
dealer, curio dealer, dice maker, distiller, fine clothier, gemcutter, glassblower, glazier, goldsmith, inkmaker, jeweler, mapseller, papermaker, perfumer, pewterer, sculptor, sealmaker, silversmith, slave trader, toymaker, trinkets purveyor, vintner, wiresmith. Also found here are average trades performed at fine quality and increased cost (masterwork).
Trades, Average:
Armorer, baker, bazaar merchant, blacksmith, bonecarver, bowyer, brewer,
butcher, carpenter, carpet maker, cartwright, chandler, cheesemaker, cobbler, cooper, coppersmith, dairy merchant, fletcher, florist, furniture maker, furrier, grocer, haberdasher, hardware seller, herbalist, joiner, lampmaker, locksmith, mason, merchant, music dealer, outfitter, potter, provisioner, religious items dealer, roofer, ropemaker, saddler, sailmaker, seamstress, shipwright, stonecutter, tailor, tapestry maker, taxidermist, thatcher, tilemaker, tinker, weaponsmith, weaver, wheelwright, whipmaker, wigmaker, woodworker. Also found here are poor trades performed at fine quality and increased cost (masterwork), and upscale trades at lower quality and lower cost (80% of normal).
Trades, Poor:
Bait & tackle dealer, basketweaver, brickmaker, broom maker, candlemaker, charcoal burner, dyer, firewood seller, fishmonger, fuller,leatherworker, livestock handler, lumberer, miller, netmaker, tanner. Also found here are average trades performed at lower quality and lower cost (80% of normal).
Services, Upscale:
Animal trainer, apothecary, architect, assassin, banker, barrister, bounty hunter, cartographer, dentist, engraver, illuminator, kennel master, masseur, mewskeeper, moneychanger, sage, scribe, spellcaster for hire, tutor.
Services, Average:
Auctioneer, barber, bookkeeper, brothel owner, clerk, engineer, fortuneteller, freight shipper, guide, healer, horse trainer, interpreter, laundress, messenger, minstrel, navigator, painter, physician, public bath owner, sharpener, stable
owner, tattooer, undertaker, veterinarian. Services, Poor: Acrobat, actor, boater, buffoon, building painter, burglar, carter, fence, gambling hall
owner, juggler, laborer, limner, linkboy, moneylender, nursemaid, pawnshop, porter, ship painter, teamster, warehouse owner.
Lodging:
Almshouse, boarding house, hostel, inn.
Food:
Club, eatery, restaurant, tavern.
Temples and Shrines:
Any deity, or sometimes a group of allied or related deities. Most cities in civilized lands have few obvious temples to evil deities, but exceptions do exist. List your shrines and temples as either one of them.
editor's note: I'm adding this link as I thinks its useful for the types of services available in a medieval setting
http://arcana.wikidot.com/list-of-medieval-european-professions
The Milk of Paradise: An opium den
The Silver Swan Imports: A small shop specializing in unusual foreign goods (spices, fabrics, clothing, and so on), possibly catering to an immigrant community.
The Golden Alembic: Alchemical supplies, apothecary, and herbalist
Gwardle and Snagswyck: Purveyors of Fine Scribal Supplies: fairly self explanatory
The Honorable Society of the Brazen Bell: A merchant consortium with offices in numerous cities and towns, dealing in large scale trade, deal brokering, and negotiations. Rumored to be involved in slave trading and smuggling.
The Crusty Cabin: A small inn, garanteed to leave you feeling crusty yet homey! :P
The Rust Monster: A more government sponsored program that takes your old wornout equipment and turns it into currency by crushing down the metals, in exchange you get a few gold pieces, depending on how much metal you offer. (Obviously the gold amount is less then your metal heap can be worth)
The Lord of the Rings: A jewlery shop.
Red Hill - Plain and ordinary in almost every respect, Red Hill is a shop that sells any cheap, legal goods the owner can get, some weeks he sells dry biscuits while some weeks he sells blank scrolls and perhaps, on a good day, copper helmets. What makes the place worth visiting is that the owner is a collecter of rare masks, many of which are said to be magical in nature.
King Mayfly's Castle - A rundown shack at the edge of the city, a group of theives store stolen goods here. When the password is spoken, a rag-covered elderly man may, if he is in the mood, appear and offer you some of the goods for a price or store something for you, again, for a price. The old guy is the quiet type, but for a price he might name some of the cities criminals.
Mother of the Million Black - A tiny tavern with only room for twenty people and even thats pushing it. Everyone inside are regular customers but are amazingly friendly to travellers. No one is quite sure why its named such, the bartender bought the place years ago after it stood empty for years.
The Shield Shop - Reguardless of the stories, it really is just a shop that sells shields. The silent figure behind the counter will hand over a shield for the alotted price, no bartering. There is a forge in the corner that may be used freely, you will reseive no instructions or aid from the shadowy person behind the counter.
Nazarog's Head - Eyesore is a word to describe it, the polite might call it artistic. Nazarog's is a potion, creams and oils shop built inside the head of a ancient beast that was dragged from the sea by sailors years ago. The owner of the shop is the wife of the captain that found it and her shop is often visited by sailors of all kinds, from common fishers to rather imposing pirates.
Bear Prince's Brewery - A local beer making company and known for paying its staff very well. Tales tell that a little band of nixies made a habit of sneaking into the brewery and taking beer, so now at the end of each day six little cups of beer are put out for them. The cups are empty by morning.
The Gibbing - A downright weird store owned by a flamboyent duo, "The Nik" and Rasc'el, two elves who claim to be older than the city. This may be true. They can fit a suit to any man, fix torn clothes so they are better than they used to be and are said to, for a payment other than mere money, cast magics that can change a person's looks.
Though outwardly strange, they are a very moral people and have been known to go out of their way to insure the safety of those around them. Everyone from maids to barons own them a favour.
The Days of Thunder - A heavy set orc, Jabbles, owns this simple, run-down instrument store. Jabbles himself is a master of no instrument and can often be caught attempting to play a simple tune on a guitar or flute. He closes the shop every few months to search of a bard to tutor him, none have aided him so far.
The Mask Stall - On a long, wooden table near a alleyway rests piles and piles of masks. Some are ancient, stolen from tomes by the three saleswomen while others are barely more than bark with eye-holes. The three ladies are playfully called "The Banshees" by the populace for their shrill voices and guant, pale skin.
Once their was four Banshees, but the sisters say she died in a attempt to gain a powerful mask crafted by a long dead tribe of moon worshipers. Some say however, she did find that mask, and left the other sisters.
Hanging House - Connected by thick metal coils from other buildings is a small stone hut suspended in the air, it appears covered in carvings that tell some fable and the tiny door has the face of a paladin on it. Getting into the house is difficult, the visiter needs great climbing skills, or perhaps magic, and be of the owners size, a ex-adventuring halfling. Those that do enter will find the fellow mumbling about "deep dwellers", if questioned he'll tell you about the strange mind-destroying dwarves he fought long ago and might teach the visiter how to fight them.
The Gate of Ixibar - A elderly couple, known as false seers by everyone but foolish travellers, tell anyone willing to pay what they want to hear. Apart from that they also sell much loved childrens toys, so skillful are the couple they have begun their own collectable range of figures based on heroes and villians. Their best selling pieces are the Prince Elix and his savage slave Hurgath.
Howling Cathedral - Ages ago a monk reached a powerful inner state, his soul now inhabits the shrine. Later a terrible demon was lured to the shrine and imprisoned there with the masterful monk. Wind blows through the Catherdral constantly, filling trumpet like objects causing a awful music. It is sometimes called the Breathing Cathedral or the Calling Cathedral.
It is said the tepid water that flows through the place gives anyone strength and a number of people hang around trying to sell the stuff, often quite forcefully.
Frog and Toad Tavern - Welcoming to strangers, but locals get the drinks cheaper and most of the seats are already taken by off duty guards and aging thinkers and their students, more and more of which are the daughters of aristocrats wishing for them to be more learned. It makes for a very interesting climate, with the thinkers and civil servants having battles of wit across the room while the noblewomen eat up any idea they come across, having more questions than anyone could answer.
The tavern is famous for being the meeting place for a great and heroic band, the Wayfolk. It is said their leader is a man that can speak to the city like a druid can to nature.
Nanwon's Night Market - A series of stalls that seem to appear after dark, each store is covered in bite-size food and cups of strong spirits. Its a fast paced place, with bards prancing around the customer while the stall salesman shout out prices and points at each piece of food at lightening speeds. Everything, including the cloth covering the stalls, can be bartered for.
Nanwon died years ago, the stalls are now run by his son-in-law, something he never wanted. It is claimed by some that his spirit still lingers on in the form of a eyeball on legs, that hops around the stall at exactly midnight, for a moment. His son-in-law, Mombia, a man from a far off land, says people are just exactly drunk by that point and are seeing things.
Tik Tak Low - A disused but clean shack "owned" by around twenty kobolds, no one knows for sure as they rarely make idly chit-chat.
The kobolds offer their selves as chimney sweeps, maids, boot polishers and anything else involving cleaning. They are cowardly, none of them are willing to fight, though more than one of them is a sorcerer focusing on vanishing tricks.
They have worked in every place in the city at one time or another, from Halashu Stable to Mirage. The Crusty Cabin offended them once and many think they pour durt and dust through the chimney at night.
Horgath's Anvil - A plain, wattle-and-daub building that houses a half-orc swordsmith. He's an absolute artisan, but is incapable of performing magic to enchant the blades, and is on the outs with the local mage's guild. If it's a sword, or sword-related, odds are you can pick it up here for a reasonable price.
Connor's Dry Goods - A small general store that stocks farm equipment, seed, grain, tack, and generally everything that a small farming community might need, plus plenty that it probably doesn't. As an authorized Smythe-Robards outlet, all catalogue sales for the area are made here, and are delivered straight to the store when a home delivery isn't an option (which is usually the case).
Helmutsund Books and Gourmet Sausage Works - The latter obviously outweighs the former. While the presses are proudly displayed, there is only one long shelf of fresh-printed books here; the rest of the vast store is devoted to beautiful, gourmet sausages of every imaginable composition, from beef and pork to owlbear. The owners constantly push their "Gourmet Sausage of the Month" club to whomever will listen.
Briplip's Fine Throwables - A grumpy kobold alchemist has opened his shop at an abandoned, tumbledown shack at the edge of town. He specializes in thunderstones, tanglefoot bags and the like, but he can be convinced to mix up just about anything. Except Alchemist's Fire - for reasons he won't reveal, he refuses to touch the stuff.
The Rotten Crate - A pawnshop, pure and simple. The owner is unnervingly calm, even when dealing with someone that's attempting to sell obviously-cursed items. Most of his stock is mundane jewelry, but everything from plows and bridles to fine statuary is counted in his stock. The only item in the shop marked "Not for sale" is a huge gnomish contraption in one corner, a combination water clock and indoor fountain.
Awlin's Roaster - A small carry-out restaurant operating from an outdoor booth, offering roasted nuts and vegetable kebobs. The owner, Awlin, is a vegan, and refuses to serve anything that might have had any form of intellect at some time. His kebobs sell poorly, although everyone seems to love his roasted almonds.
The Feathered Fool - Easily recognized by the signature signboard, depicting a jester with several dozen arrows sprouting from his back. The Feathered Fool isn't a pub or inn, despite the fanciful name, but rather the workshop of Vargus the fletcher. A tall, willowy old fellow, Vargus' best arrows are supposedly superior even to Elven make; he does craft cheaper, standard-grade arrows, but that makes up only a tiny segment of his business. Unlike other fletchers, Vargus does not deal in crossbow bolts - he considers the crossbow to be "a twisted perversion of the beauty that is the bow proper".
Extracts and Vital Humors - A tiny cornerstore packed with bottles of pickled... parts... of creatures. Eyeballs, and lymph nodes, and livers and kidneys and whatnot are all shown proudly on display, with plugged earthen jars beneath boldly labeled with their contents, invariably some sort of bodily fluid from the creatures catalogued above. The shopkeeper, an elderly gnome with a permanently-frazzled disposition, is a bit of a quack. He considers most of what he sells to be of medicinal use, and most of the time he's only half-right. Potentially a good place for adventurers to sell off monster corpses, but the gnome is also evidently a tightwad; he'll likely only fork over a few coppers for full corpses.
The Fleabag Inn - One of several dozen inns with the same name and makeup that have popped up over the countryside over the last few years, the Fleabag is essentially a converted stable. It's a bit drafty, the cot-like beds are only marginally better than sleeping on the ground, and you can hear just about everything that happens in the tiny room next to your own tiny room... but the locks on the doors work, and it's the cheapest place in town to stay, by far. A few of the Fleabag's current residents are beggars, who would be homeless but for those well-worn walls.
Pots - This unimaginatively named storefront sells just that - high-quality iron pots, pans, and other cookware. The owner, Kirgus Stonewall, is a quiet, calm fellow who rarely speaks when a shrug, nod, or gesture will do. Having just inherited the place from his late father, Kirgus hasn't made any changes yet, but rumors suggest that he'll soon start stocking stainless steel wares beside the current cast-iron.
Vaclav's - Only open twice a month, the wagonfront store known as Vaclav's holds something different every time. Vaclav is something of a huckster; he picks up oddities on the cheap when he travels, and unloads them at unreasonable markups when he returns to his old home. Last time he was open, he was selling an assortment of pennywhistles, lutes, and harp-like instruments... before that it was do-it-yourself divination boards, darfalii candles, and fine incense.
The Tin Buckler - A large inn on a narrow side street just off the center of town, the Tin Bucker is lit warmly, with large, comfortable booths and quiet, muted music, further muffled by large tapestries. It has become quite popular with the well-off and elderly, for its excellent (if inexpensive and predictable) cuisine. Drinks are restricted to water, the house ale (which tastes horrible), and a fair-to-decent wine cellar. The wait staff will always seat their regulars almost immediately; locals that visit rarely have the usual wait for a table ahead of them. Outlanders can expect to be in the waiting area for over an hour, if they're ever seated. Curiosly, the owner, one Miss Larine by name, is never seen in her own establishment. She runs the place entirely through her managers.
The Blank Label - A small stand on the edge of town that sells broadsheets, penny dreadfuls, and guild journals for a few coppers a piece. It seems to change ownership frequently - the current proprietor-operator is a young man who people call "Speckie". Speckie does most of the work himself, but has a kobold run broadsheets to individual houses as a subscription service a few times a week.
The Sultan's Den - At one time, this was a rather infamous house of ill repute. But cleaner, safer, cheaper, and/or better staffed places came, and the former vice-den folded. Now the old building, just outside of town, has been occupied by an opium-addled old timer, who hawks austere foreign antiques. Occasionally, a confused stranger with an out-of-date guidebook will wander in, looking for a good time.
The Menagerie of Bottis the Orange: A penthouse suite in a large boardinghouse that is open to the public most hours of the day, the Menagerie is a huge room lined with cages of various shapes, sizes, and contents. Within each cage is an exotic animal of some sort; most of them were custom-bred by Bottis, a mad transmuter of uncertain race obsessed with the creation of new life forms. It's said that Bottis has a creature for just about any purpose you could wish, although most are so bizzare and impractical that their best purpose is novelty. A good example of this is the Parrotmonkey, a take-off of the owlbear that was supposed to be able to do recon and then tell its owner what it had seen. Unfortunately, the first one died a few weeks after its creation; all it would eat were banana flavored crackers, and in the words of Bottis, "Does hyu know how hard eet ees to get bananer flav'red crachkers around heere?"
The Last Resort: A moneylender's office. The small upstairs storefront is well-kept, neat, and somewhat minimalist in decor. The owner, Kir, is a diviner of some small bit of skill whom grew tired of telling fortunes for idiots. He claims that the name of his business is something of a joke, and that he's not really that bad. Truthfully, he isn't; to the genuinely destitute, he's considered a godsend. To the average businessman, he's thought of as an ocassionally necessary evil. To those that can afford it, he's a ruthless tactician who knows when those that borrow from him can afford to pay it back... and you never, ever want to be in debt to someone who can scry your darkest secrets.
Gadrison's Tack A small, well-stocked repository of saddles, bits, reins, and other necessary items for riding animals. Large signs posted on just about every support structure in the building read "PLEASE DO NOT HANDLE THE WARES YOURSELF - WAIT FOR AN EMPLOYEE TO TAKE THEM DOWN FOR YOU". While there are plenty of pre-made saddles, Gadrison - a surprisingly hefty, muscular half-elf gentleman with a rather bushy mustache - is proudest of his custom work. While polite, intelligent, and a generally amiable fellow, Gadrison is unreasonably paranoid about thieves, and tends to give the evil eye to anyone who starts picking things up for any reason.
"The Respectable Businessman" hangs on a sign above the door. As you enter you see a tall lean man dressed in dark clothes with long black hair that is tied up. Robert Mann always seeks power but rarely for himself. He deals in negotiating power for others and seeks out those eager or foolish enough to accept his high paying jobs. It is well known that his largest paying open contract is to kill a group of adventurers. Robert blames these adventurers for the death of his only son.
The Brawling Bear is a dark run-down inn-tavern off the boardwalk. Its patrons are typically those hiding from the law or just not wanting to attract attention from the local populace. It is run by a well known Bug Bear crime family but to date the authorities cannot prove their illegal activities. At times fiends have been known to stay at the inn. The cops are weary about a raid on the establishment for fear of those inside.
Keystone is a famous bar for adventurers. Its owner is a Dwarf by the name of Torn Ironhart. Other than attracting strange clientel there is nothing out of the ordinary about the establishment. Torm has a fine collection of rare and exotic drinks including the planar delight Abyssal-Hell Water. Torm likes to say that he built the Keystone when the city was very you but those who have been around for about 400 years know that a Grey Elf named Walt used to own the place.
Tater Salad's- Tavern frequented by jesters and bards that can tell a funny tale. Good place to put that Perform: Oratory skill to good use. DC15 or lower depending on how drunk the crowd is. Might be a good place to get info or pick up little extra coin. (Owner: Ron the White)
Traveler’s Rest – The largest, most comfortable inn in town, mainly because it’s run by clerics of Fharlanghn. Adventuring troupes passing through the city tend to gravitate towards it, not only because it has secure storage facilities for their gear, but also due to its excellent ale. For the latter reason, worshippers of Olidammara often make their own appearances.
Kioko’s Armory – A blacksmith’s shop run by Kioko, a retired samurai who moved in a few years ago. She specializes in exotic wargear from far-away lands—katanas, o-yoroi armor, and the like—and only sells goods of masterwork quality, many of which she has patiently made herself. Though an old woman, Kioko has been a nasty surprise for three groups of would-be burglars.
Red Drake Tavern – This dingy, smoke-filled bar mainly serves the ne’er-do-wells of the community, people who prefer a place where the drinks are cheap and it’s easy to get in a fight. Any strangers passing through town looking for an inexpensive place to sleep with no questions asked head towards the Red Drake, which offers a series of unpleasant bedrooms on the second floor. The tavern’s owner, Jaral Duerten, is a surly dwarf frequently at odds with the local authorities, who (accurately) suspect that plenty of criminals and contraband find their way into the Red Drake. The tavern gets its name from the stuffed and mounted head of the red dragon that attacked the town eight years ago, which menaces those who sit under it at the bar.
The Interplanar Materials Company – One of many stores owned by an international (and interplanar) trading group. The IMC specializes in rare and wondrous substances such as raw Entropium, the golden silk of celestial moths, and metals ranging from Solanian Truesteel to Morghuth Iron. They view Material Plane substances as beneath their notice and sneer at offers of mithral ore, but the store occasionally carries extremely rare goods such as Blue Ice or Lightforge Iron. The IMC’s clientele consists of wealthy adventurers, aristocrats, and governments.
Arnac’s Shop of Mystical Wonders – A magical goods store heavy on mystical ambience but light on useful supplies. Arnac is a rare sedentary mercane who was evidently exiled to the Material Plane for his trade practices, which were unsavory even by his race’s standards. His goods include crystal balls that mainly show the viewer’s reflection, amulets to ward off “shmarls,” salves to defend against dragonfire (“if not completely satisfied, return in person for a full refund”), and the dreaded “Bargain Bin,” a crate full of items that work, but have yet to be identified. On at least one occasion a customer was turned into a pineapple just by handling Arnac’s merchandise, but once in a great while, something useful is found lurking on a back shelf—his favorite story concerns the time a questing paladin found the Chalice of St. Tristan standing innocently among an array of potions years past their sell-by dates. Several times Arnac has had to relocate his business, shop and all (via a powerful teleportation enchantment), but the locals tolerate the mercane because he mainly preys on out-of-towners, and for the entertainment value his shop provides.
The Golden Squealer – This seedy tavern’s name comes from its mascot, a chimp-like creature with a pig’s head and tail, a third arm emerging from between its shoulder blades, and rich golden fur. The owner, a grizzled half-orc named Jak Martin, claims that his animal companion (and bouncer) is only a runt. His bar doesn’t carry any fancy ales, though it does keep plenty of kegs of orcish kragg and goblin thudrud for its patrons, which can charitably be described as “rustic” and “colorful,” or uncharitably as “lowlifes” and “criminal scumbags.”
Forge of Three Smiths – The original Forge was founded by a dwarven rune expert, an elven enchanter, and a human magus from the southlands, all master blacksmiths. Since then, the franchise has spread across the continent, providing high-quality arms, armaments, and enchantments that combine the three races’ strengths and styles. In many cities, the Forges have to operate under a waiting list system, as high demand means that they develop hefty backlogs.
Custom Companions – This cozy little tinker’s shop is run by a gnomish maester artificer, Ueli “Nimblefingers” Sheppenickel. Much of his work consists of repairs to clockwork items or other intricate devices, but his real calling is in crafting animals: mechanical squirrels, effigy cats, and even clockwork steeds. These “pets” behave much like the real creatures they’re based off of, but Ueli can also include “special features” for clients willing to pay for them, such as illusions to hide their artificial nature, or even offensive magical abilities. His niece Haydee sometimes visits the shop to try to pick up the skills of the trade.
Tomes of Enlightenment – A musty but homey bookstore run by Staas Bartholomeus, a silver-haired aasimar and religious scholar. The store specializes in religious books from almost every faith, even those Staas disagrees with, as well as divine spell scrolls and clerical spellbooks (though Staas disposes of any that provide spells with the Evil descriptor or of the Necromancy school). Like most shops of its type, it’s easy to get lost within the twisting stacks and narrow aisles, and the owner tends to emerge out of nowhere to startle shoppers.
Cold Comforts – Not a store, but a cart wheeled around by Dalal Sa’ida, a jann entrepreneur with a penchant for ice sorcery. She specializes in cold treats, ranging from ice cream to frozen custard to frosty beverages, all kept cool in her cart, the interior of which is lined with sheets of blue ice. Although her best business comes during the hot summer months, Dalal can easily make a few silver pieces just by walking around—her jaw-dropping good looks mean that most men she favors with a wink need something cold almost immediately.
Fine Smokeables – This stately building is a tobacconist’s shop, run by Benito “Benny” Rodríguez, a sleazy, foul-mouthed, kleptomaniac, chain-smoking gambler who happens to be an expert on cigars, cigarettes, pipeweed, hookahs, and generally anything a person can set on fire and inhale. His shop stocks flavors and varieties of tobacco from across the globe, as well as incense, opium, and even (in a hidden basement) stashes of devilweed, dreammist, and mushroom powder. Benny doesn’t touch the “hard stuff” after a traumatic past addiction that he only got through with the help of a cleric, but he doesn’t mind selling it to customers lacking his experience. Despite his obvious character flaws, Benny is a popular figure among townspeople, who consider him “evil, yet loveable.” If Benny's spending a few days in the town jail for some petty crime, his cousin Sal minds the shop.
Halashu Stable – Located on the eastern side of town, the Halashu Stable is run by the elf Kordaril Verideth. Kordaril is a recent addition to the community, and arrived only two years ago. He quickly bought out the dingy old building that used to serve as the city stable, and after months of labor turned it into the grand structure that stands today. It is said that a week’s worth of care in the elf’s stables is worth a month’s stay at any competitor’s business. Truly, Kordaril seems to enjoy looking after the animals, and will often spend hours in his stables with them, or out in the fields around town exercising the horses. Despite this high reputation among equestrians, however, Kordaril remains introverted. He rarely speaks to other townspeople, outright ignoring some occasionally, and refuses to explain where he came from. Thus it is also said that Kordaril gets along better with horses than people
Pieter Zdravko, Emissary to the Far Country – This dignified office seems more suited for a lawyer than a mystic. Zdravko is a middle-aged human who specializes in necromancy, but in what he is quick to point out a “benevolent application:” he uses magic such as Speak With Dead to help family members get in touch with departed loved ones. Aware of well-founded suspicions towards necromancers, Pieter has allowed local churches and law enforcement to closely monitor his activities, and they have grudgingly conceded that he is more of a grief counselor than a diabolical necromaster.
The Serpent of the Emerald Eye – Most people assume this boarded-up and near-derelict apothecary tucked away in a back alley is closed, but its sign, a golden snake with a green eye coiled around a potion, indicates that the shop is open for business. Inside the gloomy store are shelves full of vials of strange ichors and weird tonics, but its owner, a humanoid of unknown species who answers to Sodro, keeps a back room supplied with his primary merchandise: poisons, venoms, and other dangerous toxins. No thieves have been stupid enough to rob the shop—the owner is an imposing figure wrapped in thick robes, who whispers with a hissing lisp to his pet, a yellow-scaled python longer than a horse that can usually be found coiled around a rafter, staring lazily down at customers.
Harland’s House Of Good Grub – A successful restaurant owned by Harland Troubleseeker, a portly halfling who has retired from his race’s nomadic lifestyle to pursue his life’s dream of gorging himself on good food until he can’t fit through the front door. Harland’s House specializes in the type of food Harland likes to eat—boar ribs, crispy bacon, fried chicken, and so forth, all served with good beer—provided in large quantities for a low price. This results in buffets that aren’t particularly nutritious, but are hearty, stick to your ribs, and leave you wanting more. Hard-working humans, dwarves, and halflings make up most of Harland’s patrons, but it’s obvious from the owner’s expanding waistline that he is his own best customer. Harland’s House is special in two other ways: if adventurers slay an unusual creature such as a basilisk or wyvern, Harland’s team of chefs will do their best to cook the monster and throw a free victory feast for the town. Additionally, the local halfling-run thieves’ guild operates out of a hidden room in the beer cellar.
Visions – This tent is pitched under a shady tree in the market quarter, its name written on a simple wooden placard standing by its entrance. Its exterior is unremarkable, while its interior is filled with hanging curtains and strange incense. Curious customers are admitted one at a time to visit Madam Vadoma, a woman of indeterminate age who wraps herself with silken veils, leaving only her inscrutable eyes showing. Vadoma will then consult her crystal ball and give her guest cryptic warnings about their future, advice such as “when you find spears facing your front, beware of the knife at your back” and “the dragon’s greatest treasure lies not in its hoard.” Then she may ask for payment, which can be coins, or sometimes other goods, or sometimes an undefined favor in the future—or she might not ask for anything at all. Visitors usually leave shaken and confused, but many claim that the woman’s vague counsel saved their lives at some point or else prevented some catastrophe. Those who are asked to do the woman a favor typically end up performing a seemingly pointless task, such as moving a chair at a restaurant or standing around a certain place at a certain time—but those who refuse to render such payment often fall victim to freak accidents. Madam Vadoma is never seen outside of her tent, and no one in town can remember her not being there.
Mirage – A high-class establishment in a seedier part of the city, Mirage is a nightclub run by Osric Wynnstan, a charismatic half-elf with a good head for business. Mirage (not "the Mirage," just "Mirage," Osric insists) offers plenty of alcohol and snack foods, as well as card games and gambling in a side hall, but the main attraction is of course the female performers. Humans make up the bulk of the showgirls, but Osric tries to cater to his multiethnic patrons and hires females of other races--and owing to his sense of humor, in one instance he surprised (and horrified) his customers with an ogre named “Lily.” A thoughtful fellow, Osric also sets aside one night each week as “Ladies’ Night,” when he invites male performers on stage. Though not a respectable business, Mirage is certainly an upper-class enterprise: Osric treats his workers with fairness and dignity, he keeps some well-dressed half-orcs, ogres, or minotaurs as bouncers, and he cooperates with the local Watch to the extent that they generally leave him alone, but are still willing to come to his aid if things get out of control. The second floor consists of well-furnished rooms rented by the hour—none of Osric’s employees are required to be prostitutes, but he does allow other women (or men) of negotiable affection to ply their trade on his premises, taking a modest percentage of their earnings in exchange for a safe place to work.
The Secret Grove – The storefront for this unusual business is little more than a wall with a door in it. Beyond that, one can see the true premises, a large lot in the center of a square of buildings, overgrown with trees and bushes of all sorts. The Secret Grove is looked after by a druid named Eoghan, a wild-looking man who is responsible for the plants’ prodigious growth. Customers wander his garden picking fruits from the trees and vegetables from the ground, all of which seem to regrow overnight. The fruits are particularly good—it is rumored that Eoghan’s trees are scions of the great orchards of Arcadia. Gossip also suggests that one of the trees is home to a dryad, Eoghan’s lover.
Precious Memories – A most unusual store, Precious Memories is a place where customers can buy and sell thoughts. Velvet-draped shelves hold hundreds of silvery, softly-glowing spheres, each containing a psychic recording of someone’s memory. The shop’s owner, a xeph telepath named Minu Shahrazad, uses her psionic abilities to copy up to an hour’s worth of memories from a seller, then inscribe the information in a specially-crafted sphere. These spheres can then be used in a psychic ritual to transfer the information into a buyer’s mind, or taken home with the customer so they can replay the perfectly-preserved memory on command. The offered memories range from first dates to a professor’s lecture to famous battles, though Minu also offers psychic surgery to remove unwanted memories as well. Precious Memories is currently under investigation by the local authorities—the Watch captain is suspicious that Minu has been swiping people’s security information during her sessions and selling the results to burglars and con artists.
Abaddon’s Shack – An unusual venue, in that it offers no goods or services, only a terrifying experience. The Shack is a foreboding, decaying house owned by Sebastian Metod, who inherited it from a distant relative. No one has lived in the building for close to thirty years due to the palpable aura of dread that seems to hang over the structure like a fog. More specifically, no one has spent more than five minutes in the building due to the malevolent force that lurks within, which unfailingly sends people screaming for their lives after a few moments inside the front door. This fearsome reputation prompted local youngsters or “tough guys” to dare each other to enter the building, and once Metod came into its possession, he hatched a way to make a little money off the otherwise condemned lot. After giving a few silver pieces to the guard at his kiosk across the street, the Shack’s front door is unlocked and the customer is allowed to enter, only to be expelled in pants-wetting terror shortly afterwards by the force within, referred to as Abaddon by the locals (for no other reason than they like the sound of the name). Metod is well aware that he could easily hire a cleric or priest to exorcise whatever demon or spirit possesses the building, but it has become something of a local landmark; and besides, he’s making a tidy profit off of it.
Professor Nekkenbokker’s Phantasmal Circus (“Exciting! Educational! Extraordinary!”) - This old barn was spruced up and converted into a amphitheatre by the gnome wizard Gereon Nekkenbokker (who has not earned any sort of degree). Twice each day, once in an afternoon matinee and once at night, the “Professor” and his assistants put on a show, using potent illusions to simulate an incredible circus. Patrons can watch dragons fight, owlbears juggle, and darkmantles drop out of the rafters onto their heads. Nekkenbokker wants to enlighten as well as entertain, and therefore spends at least a third of each performance giving an enthralling (and occasionally accurate) lecture on the habits and abilities of one featured creature. He takes his job seriously, and will often pay adventurers consultation fees for first-hand accounts of their encounters (often referring them to Precious Memories so he can acquire a "copy" for reference). So far the Phantasmal Circus is doing well, enough for Nekkenbokker to consider opening a similar franchise devoted to historical events and famous people.
Treasures from the Grotto – Located right on the water’s edge in the harbor district, this ramshackle building looks as though it was assembled from driftwood, which is entirely possible. Its owner is Morcant, a kindly sea kin who spends his afternoons out in the waters before returning at nightfall to manage his shop. The Grotto sells knickknacks and oddities Morcant salvages on his daily maritime explorations, as well as interesting undersea rocks, corals, shells, and sometimes pearls. Morcant also acts as a part-time guide if any adventurers want to make an underwater expedition nearby.
Applied Sciences – This newly-built brick building stands in front of a sprawling backlot filled with forges, workshops, and junked devices, though all are part of the same company. The owners, the gnomish duo Henryk Smythe and Dominic Weston, entered a partnership a few years back in order to concentrate on their work—things that go boom. Both are chemists, blacksmiths, and engineers, and spend much more time in The Yard tinkering than they do in the office building out front. The team sells gnome-made gadgetry such as parachutes, inflatable decoy soldiers, automated lockpicks, and instant coffee machines, but their passion is for blackpowder weaponry. Their biggest seller remains the humble hand grenade, but their flintlocke pistols and muskets are beginning to get attention from adventurers. It’s just as well, since the flamethrower project has been put on hold until they can convince the city council to overturn their injunction following last year’s fire.
The Roving Eye The place of business for The Seer. Upon entering the shop patrons are greeted by a well dressed assistant with no visible body hair. He will negotiate the seer's pricing and services. When the time comes to meet with Tynan the Seer, patrons are required to bathe and dress themselves in clean linen robes, slippers and hairnets provided for them. The Seer's audience chamber has several chairs and small tables covered with crisp linen dropcloths and is bisected by a very finely made veil of fabric thin enough to be seen through. The Seer is a small dwarf who, like his assistant, is completely shaven due to his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder regarding personal hygiene. A gifted Clairsentient, he will stop several times during the session to clean his hands and writing tools.
The Beer Golem A tavern specializing in offering a large number of different fine brews. Run by the Dwarven cousins Rylar and Thyne AxSkjald who also brew many of the beverages offered. This tavern offers a fine venue for many challenges of skill such as darts, throwing axes and the like while spurning the traditional tavern activities of dicing and cards. There is also a ring offered for friendly wrestling or boxing matches. All entertainment is provided by the patrons however and they do not feature organized fights or tournaments.
The Waltzing Werebear A tavern offering primarily fine wines and dancing. The Elven proprietor Talice Silverwain offers classes in formal dancing and etiquette on a regular basis. These classes are expensive and provided along with a tasting session of the finest wines and cheeses available.
Vron's exotic game Butchery The shop is a small office with a very large barn in the back.
Vron has an assistent who does not speak very much, He never gives his name, He only takes orders from Vron. He carrys a very large tome with him at all times. Vron is a large man, rumored to be an ex-ranger. He delights in carving up all sorts of animals from the benign to the dangerous. Every so often the town is awakend by shattering screams of creatures that are thought to be dead, but are not. They are silenced very quickly.
Vron will cut any part of an animal you want. He is also known to supply meats to other shops in the town such as Helmutsund Books and Gourmet Sausage Works.
Imperial Registry of Independent Itinerant Agents
Local Office #886, City of Stonedock
Thabbeus Stone, Senior Registrar
Thabbeus – affectionately known as “Stony” to the locals – runs the Registry House with an efficient, yet casual style. A former adventurer himself, Stony can usually be found either hanging about the office or at Broward’s Tavern across the street. Despite his gruff appearance, Stony is eager to help young ‘agents’ along; he can usually point out the easy jobs and steer them clear of shady jobs or those likely to be too much to handle. He also is ready with advice for novice adventurers. As a Senior Registrar, Thabbeus is paid well, and lives in an apartment above the Registry House.
Those who pay their dues at the Registry receive several benefits:
• Free access to the members’ area.
• Post jobs for free. (usual fee is 1-5 gp)
• For a small fee, they can request a rescue party if they don’t return from an expedition by a specific date. (some restrictions apply here)
Katalina's Place - This shop has no official name, it is known as Katalina's place by those who go there and those who know of it's existance.
The shop is actually the front room of Katalina's house, in which she sells the more expensive and rare spell componants that casters desire.
Say the right words and her assistant my allow you to speak to Katalina herself about more 'interesting' componants, such as metallic dragon hearts and Yugloths Brains amongst other things.
Katalina appears to be a human lady, in her mid twenties. But it is rumoured that she is well into her sixties. No one is quite sure how this could be possible, but she is tolerated by her neighbours, and the authorities are unaware of the other side of her business.
Amaran's Security Services A large building, made of wood and stone sits imposingly in one of the cities many squares. A sign over the door states: "Only the best will be found through these doors."
Amaran's Security Services, is just that, a place to hire trained security for all manner of reasons.
All workers have had background checks, physical and mental tests to make sure they are up to the high standards of Amaran, the owner of the business.
While, one of the pricier security services in the city, the 100% customer satisfaction record justifies the price in the eyes of customers.
All races and classes are employed by Amaran, since he knows that each situation calls for a different solution.
Amaran himself is a male, half dwarf, half bronze dragon ex-cleric of Bahamut, who spends most of his time keeping the business in order. There are currently around 150 employees that Amaran has to look after and assign jobs to.
Mahouken - Translating from Japanese to mean, The Magic Sword, it is run by Kurohime Ito, an elf wizard who specialises in enchanting weapons for a price.
Kurohime buys in weapons from all over the city, but prefers to buy from Kioko’s Armory, due to the cultural links and quality of the weapons.
She will also enchant masterwork weapons that people bring in to her.
If she doesn't have what the customer wants, she can make it on the spot if she has the base weapon availiable, or she'll take an order for the customer.
the last inn - an inn run by the local thieves guild (or any other nasty people), the ale is strong (though very over priced) fights and back stabbings are common, the place is dimly lit and it's not uncommon to find the big burly doorman dragging the ocasional dead/poisoned patron out the back door (some one's got to clean the mess) the local fence works upstairs selling off stolen loot and offering the services of his/her thieves for a price.
the nag's head - I don't know why but every town has to have an inn called the nags head lol
the maison dearrie (ok I admit I was watching the simpsons earlier) your friendly neighbourhood bordello (hey adventures have to unwind after all that killing). you could include subplots involving vampires, succubi, or just give the big bad fighter a nasty itchy rash (yes I'm mean lol)