Sandpoint Cathedral
Easily the largest
building in Sandpoint, this impressive cathedral is also the town’s newest
structure. Built over the foundations of the previous chapel, Sandpoint
Cathedral is not dedicated to the worship of a single deity. Rather, it gathers
under its eaves the six most commonly worshiped deities in the region,
providing chapels for all of these deities in a communal forum. In a way,
Sandpoint Cathedral is six different churches under one impressive roof.
Yet even the previous chapel wasn’t the first
holy site in this location.
The core of both
the original chapel and the new cathedral is an open-air courtyard surrounding
a set of seven standing stones themselves surrounding a circular stone altar.
These stones served the Varisians for centuries as a place of worship; although
they generally venerated Desna
at these stones, the stones themselves have a much older tradition.
The original chapel built here was a
collection of six different shrines, each its own building and connected to the
others by open-air walkways. Desna’s worship was incorporated into these shrines as part
of the peace accord with the local Varisians, but the original builders also
incorporated five other deities as well. Four of these (Abadar, Sarenrae, Shelyn, and Gozreh) were patrons of the
original founders of the Sandpoint Mercantile Consortium, while the fifth, Erastil, was the most popular among the initial
settlers.
When the chapel burnt to the ground five
years ago, Mayor Deverin set into motion a bold
initiative. Not only would the chapel be rebuilt, but it would be done on a
grand scale. A cathedral would be built in place of the chapel, and it would be
made of stone and glass. Funding for this project came partially from the
founding families, partially from Sandpoint businesses eager to earn favor in the
eyes of the gods, and partially from the respective churches. It took years to finish the cathedral, but
the end result is truly impressive. To the south, facing Sandpoint’s heart, are
the shrines of civilization: Erastil and Abadar.
To the west, offering a view of the Old Light and the sea beyond, are the
shrines of Shelyn and Gozreh. And to the east,
offering a view of the Sandpoint Boneyard and the rising sun, are the shrines
of Sarenrae and Desna.
The previous chapel hosted less than a dozen
acolytes, led by a well-loved cleric named Ezakien
Tobyn, who sadly perished in the fire that claimed the church. The new
high-priest of Sandpoint is his most accomplished student, a pleasant man named
Abstalar Zantus. Himself a worshiper of Desna, Abstalar is very open about matters of faith and has
slipped into the role of adviser for worshipers of other gods of Sandpoint with
ease.
Sandpoint Boneyard
Set in the shadow
of the Sandpoint Cathedral and accessible via a gate to the north or from
several doors leading into the cathedral itself, this expansive cemetery
overlooks the Turandarok
River. Stone vaults owned by affluent members of the
town stand near the cemetery’s edges or at its center, while dozens of humble
plots, each marked with a simple gravestone, sit amid trees and shrubberies. The boneyard is well-maintained, kept by a
man named Naffer Vosk, a deformed smuggler Father Tobyn took pity on after his ship wrecked just
north of town a decade ago. Naffer has found
redemption in Sarenrae, and despite a twisted
spine that, from birth, has given him a sinister lurching gait, he’s one of the
town’s most devout citizens. He keeps the boneyard meticulously clean and is
also responsible for ringing the church bells every day at dawn, noon, and
dusk.
Taverns and Inns
The White Deer
A pair of wooden
life-sized deer, carved with painstaking care from white birch, stand astride
the entrance to this sizable tavern and inn. The White Deer commands an
impressive view of the Varisian
Gulf to the north. The
building is new, recently rebuilt after the previous inn at this location burnt
to the ground five years ago in the same fire that destroyed the Sandpoint
Chapel. The new building is a grand affair, three stories tall with a stone
first floor and wooden upper floors with a dozen large rooms that can
accommodate two to three guests each.
A somber and quiet Shoanti man named Garridan Viskalai owns the White Deer and runs the
place with the aid of his family and a few local girls. Although his parents
were members of the Shriikirri-Quah tribe, they abandoned their ties to settle
in Sandpoint. Garridan regrets their choice, but
his love for his wife and family keeps him rooted firmly in town.
Eager to encourage visitors to stay at his
inn, Garridan keeps the prices of his rooms and
board low, matching those of the Rusty Dragon despite the fact that his
accommodations are much cleaner and more spacious. Still, his gruff attitude tends
to make his establishment less popular than the Dragon. Garridan is the brother of Sandpoint’s sheriff, Belor Hemlock, although the two of them are in a
long-running feud stemming from what Garridan
sees as his brother’s complete abandonment of Shoanti tradition.
Risa’s Place
Risa
Magravi operated this tavern for
the first 30 years of Sandpoint’s history, and even now that she’s gone mostly
blind in her old age and has left the day-to-day affairs of the job to her three
children Besk, Lanalee, and Vodger, the
mysterious Varisian sorcereress remains a fixture of the tavern. Known as much
for Risa’s tales of ancient legends and myths as
for its spiced potatoes and cider, this tavern is a favorite of the locals if
only becuase its out-of-the-way location ensures strangers rarely come by.
Fatman’s Feedbag
If the Hagfish is
Sandpoint’s most popular tavern, Fatman’s Feedbag is its most notorious. Bar
fights are common, and Sheriff Hemlock typically has to come down here two or
three times a week to sort them out when they grow particularly violent or loud.
The majority of the clientele here are Varisian scoundrels or less-reputable
sailors.
The tavern is owned by an enormous man named
Gressel Tenniwar.
Food at the Feedbag is relatively cheap
compared to other eateries but the quality is also less and some have been know
to be ill the following days after partaking in generous helpings at the
Feedbag.
The Hagfish
One
of Sandpoint’s most popular taverns, especially among fishermen and gamblers,
the Hagfish is also Sandpoint’s best bet for a good old-fashioned seafood meal.
Owned by a gregarious one-legged man named Jargie Quinn, the Hagfish gets
its name from the large glass aquarium that sits behind the bar, the home of a
repellent hagfish that Jargie affectionately
calls Norah (despite the fact that he’s had
“Norah” replaced dozens of times—hagfish don’t live all that long in Quinn’s
aquarium). Hanging from a nail next to Norah’s tank is a leather pouch bulging
with coins: prize money for anyone who can drink down a single tankard of
“water” scooped from Norah’s tank. It’s a single silver coin to try, but the
trick is that, since she’s a hagfish, the water in Norah’s tank is thick and
horrifically slimy and foul-tasting. Few can stomach the stuff, but those who
do get to keep however many coins have accumulated in the pouch, and then get
to carve their names in the ceiling beam above the bar. To date, there are only
28 names carved there, and the Hagfish has been in business for nearly 10
years.
But there’s certainly more to this tavern
than Norah. Jargie’s game tables are always
well-attended, with games ranging from cards to checkers to dice to darts. Tall
tales are a favorite pastime here, with one popular game called “yarning”
involving seeing how long a local can string along an impromptu fable without
contradicting himself. The most popular subject of these tales is traditionally
Old Murdermaw, the legendary giant red snapper
Cracktooth’s Tavern
A particular
favorite of patrons of the Sandpoint Theater, Cracktooth’s Tavern is always
full after the latest show at the nearby playhouse lets out. A large stage
gives actors, singers, and anyone else the opportunity to show their stuff.
Every night a crowd of would-be entertainers packs the taproom in the hopes of
being discovered. Owner Jesk “Cracktooth” Berinni
might look like a thug, but he’s actually quite well-read and possesses a
scathing wit—nights when he takes the stage to deliver his observations on the
political situations in Magnimar are quite popular.
The Rusty Dragon
This large
structure is Sandpoint’s oldest inn, notable for the impressive
(and quite rusty)
iron dragon that looms on the building’s roof, doubling as a lightning rod and
decoration. Owned and operated for the past six years by the lovely and popular
Ameiko Kaijitsu, the Rusty Dragon is not only
one of the town’s most popular eateries (made so, in large part, by the spicy
and exotic food served here), but also a great place to meet visitors from out
of town, since most newcomers to Sandpoint come upon this inn first, the north
Lost Coast Road being less traveled. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Ameiko’s exotic beauty is more than matched by her
skill at music, and few are the evenings that pass without at least two or
three songs by the talented woman. Some bad blood exists between Ameiko and Cyrdak, and
one never seems to miss a chance to badmouth the other, but no one in town
really understands the reason behind their rivalry.
The Rusty Dragon is probably the most
adventurer-friendly establishment in town, with its ubiquitous “Help Wanted”
board near the bar and Ameiko’s “discount rooms for anyone who tells an
exciting adventure story” policy.
Shops
General Store
Owned and operated
by Ven Vinder and his family, Sandpoint’s oldest
and best-stocked general store has a
little bit of everything—farm equipment, weapons, tack, tools, furniture, food,
and even homemade pies by Ven’s wife Solsta. His
true pride, though, is his daughters, whom he dotes upon. Lately, he’s been increasingly distracted by
what he believes is a budding romance between his daughter Katrine and that no-good Harker
from the lumber mill. Unfortunately, Ven’s
obsession with Katrine’s nightlife has rendered
him all but blind to the actions of his other daughter, Shayliss.
Savah’s Armory
The northeast
corner of this building bears a few scars from the Sandpoint Fire, but
fortunately for its owner, Savah Bevaniky, the
building escaped significant damage. Savah’s
shop sells all manner of weapons and armor, including several exotic weapons like
oriental weapons and special weapons sold off by passing adventurers.
Bottled Solutions
This cluttered
shop is filled with shelves upon shelves of bottles, bags, and other alchemical
containers, some covered with dust and others so new that the pungent stink of
their brewing still fills the air. Nisk Tander
fancies himself a more gifted alchemist and hedge mage. He sells many alchemical items and a few rare
ointments and tonics.
