Festival Marketplace

Hedge Shop Items

Item	Cost	Qty
Charm bracelet	115 gp	2
Poison charm	86 gp	4
Protective charm	230 gp	1
Fire charm	109 gp	2
Alchemist’s fire	23 gp	10
Tanglefoot bag	58 gp	5
Thunderstone	35 gp	12
Healing potion, lesser	173 gp	2
Draught, Hangover Remedy	86 gp	2
Draught, Maidenweed	115 gp	5
Draught, Poison antidote	115 gp	3
Draught, Stamina	144 gp	3
Arrow, flight +1	6 gp	40
Arrow, sheaf +1	8 gp	12
Sling bullet +1	115 sp	15
Healer’s kit	29 gp	2
Healing poultice	XX	XX
Type I	86 gp	7
Type II	144 gp	2
Type III	230 gp	3
Burn Slave	XX	XX
Type I	345 gp	2
Type II	460 gp	2
Harpy Musk	23 gp	10

  

Descriptions

Charms

Charm bracelet: While worn, the character receives +2 to saves vs charm type spells.  This protection lasts for 30 days after the item is purchased.

Poison charm: When the owner is poisoned, this fetish bag releases a magic effect.  The fetish immediately grants the wearer +4 to save vs poison.  However, after this effect the occurs, the poison save bonus fades after one turn leaving the fetish expended.

Protective charm: While worn, the character receives +2 to AC against missile attacks.  The protection from this charm cannot decrease AC below 0, nor does it stack with any magic items.  This protection lasts for 3 weeks after the item is purchased.

Fire charm: When first attacked with a fire spell, this charm’s energy is released.  In a brilliant flash, the charm reduces flame and fire damage by 1 point per die (never less than 1 point per die.)  This charm only functions once.

Draughts

Hangover remedy: This heavy liquid takes 3 rounds to fully consume.  It completely removes all side-effects from heavy drinking the night before.

Maidenweed: This draught prevents pregnancy in females who drink it.  The draught's duration is one month. 

Poison antidote: 50% chance to negate poison or venom.  If failed, allows a second save with -2 penalty.

Stamina: This draught will allow the PC to roll a Con. check to negate all fatigue from the previous day's excersion.  If the roll fails, the PC will suffer normal penalties for fatigue until 8-10 hours rest is gained.

Alchemical

Thunderstone: You can throw this stone as a ranged attack with a range increment of 20 feet. When it strikes a hard surface (or is struck hard), it creates a deafening bang that is treated as a sonic attack. Each creature within a 10-foot-radius spread must make a save vs death or be deafened for 1 hour. A deafened creature, in addition to the obvious effects, takes a -4 penalty on initiative and has a 20% chance to miscast and lose any spell with a verbal component that it tries to cast.

Alchemist’s fire: You can throw a flask of alchemist’s fire as a splash weapon. The max range 20’ (counting as medium range) and within 10’ is considered short range.

   A direct hit deals 1d6 points of fire damage. Every creature within 5 feet of the point where the flask hits takes 1 point of fire damage from the splash. On the round following a direct hit, the target continues to burn, taking an additional 1d6 points of damage. If the target has not performed an action, they can attempt to extinguish the flames before taking this additional damage next round.  The fire only burns for one round after it hits.

   A flask of alchemist’s fire can be poured on a melee’ weapon.  The weapon will inflict an additional 1d4 fire damage for 3 rounds.

Tanglefoot bag: You can throw this round leather bag full of alchemical goo as a grenade-like weapon up to 10’, the bag comes apart and the goo bursts out, entangling the target and then becoming tough and resilient on exposure to air.  An entangled creature suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls and AC (losing Dex. as well.) The entangled character must make a save vs breath or be glued to the floor unable to move.  Even with a successful save, movement is at half speed.

   A character who is glued to the floor can break free with a successful Open Doors roll or by dealing 15 points of damage to the goo with a slashing weapon.  A character trying to scrape goo off himself does not need to make an attack roll; hitting the goo is automatic. If another character wants to help, they also hit automatically but half the damage is applied to the stuck PC.  Once free, a character can move at half speed. A character capable of spellcasting who is bound by the goo must make an Int. or Wis. (as per class) check -3 to avoid a spell surge.  The goo becomes brittle and fragile after 10 minutes (1 turn).

Other

Healer’s kit: These kits grant a bonus to healing if used by someone with the heal or the first aid proficiency  The amount gained varies, depending on which proficiency is used.  The user of either proficiency check will require one turn to effectively use the healer’s kit.  Those with heal, who succeed a prof check, will heal the recipiant 1d3 times the difference of the check and roll.  For example, Airatoth has the heal proficiency and his score is 16.  He uses a healing's kit on Akul and rolls a 10.  The check passes and Akul is healed for 6d3 hp.

   If the user has the first aid proficiency, he may also use a healer's kit, however, the healer's kit is less effective.  The healer's kit provides 1d3 plus the difference of the check and roll.  For example, Linus tries to use a healer's kit on Bellen, his first aid proficiency score is 12.  He rolls a 5, Bellen is healed for 1d3+7. 

    If the proficiency check is failed, either heal or first aid proficiency, the healer's kit is expended and no healing occurs.  This kit cannot negate poisoned or diseased persons.

Healing poultice: On normal wounds, Type I heals 1d3 hp on the following day, Type II heals 2d3 hp on the following day, and Type III heals 3d3 hp on the following day.  Note that some wounds, such as those made by a sword of wounding, are resistant to magical healing. Since poultices are nonmagical in nature, they can help overcome this difficulty.  Only one application for healing can be made per day for healing on the next day.  Also can be used to negate certain poisons (Types A-D).  Typically, there 5 applications per jar.

Burn salve: As it's name implies, burn salve mitigates some of the effects of fire damage, but only if it is applied within 2 rounds of the injury.  If applied in time, type I heals 1d6 points of damage.  Type II burn salve is more potent, it heals 2d6 fire damage.  Neither type can heal damage that was not inflicted by fire.

   A typical jar has three average sized burns applications.

Lesser healing potion: As a standard healing potion except only heals 1d4+1.

Harpy Musk: For all their cowardice and cruelty, goblins have a keen sense of what can kill them, and harpies number among goblins’ most feared predators. Using this knowledge to their advantage, Varisian alchemists have devised ways to recreate or distill the musk of harpies into a potent concoction. If smeared on a surface or used as a thrown weapon (range: 30'), harpy musk fills a 30-foot area for 10 minutes (one turn) before dispersing. Any goblin who enters the area must succeed at a save vs fear or be shaken for 3 rounds, most just flee. Harpy musk affects only goblins - bugbears and hobgoblins are unaffected.

Sandpoint – Places of Interest 2

Goblin Squash Stables

The sign above this door perpetuates one of the greatest fears of the lowly goblin—being trampled underfoot by a horse. Tended by a retired hunter named Daviren Hosk, Daviren’s hatred of goblins is nearly legendary in Sandpoint.  In a somewhat grisly display, over the entrance to the stable’s covered barn is his collection of goblin ears: preserved and nailed to three different rafters, each bearing the goblin’s name burned into the leathery flesh—mostly because Daviren knows that writing down a goblin’s name is one of the worst things you can do to desecrate his memory. The bitter ranger’s pride and joy is a large glass bottle filled with brine in which he’s preserved the body of Chief Whartus of the now extinct (due in large part to Daviren) Bonegrinder Tribe.

The Pixie’s Kitten

Many of Sandpoint’s crasser locals have a much more colorful name for this establishment, but Kaye Tesarani runs the town brothel with class and distinguished grace. She pays her girls and boys quite well, and the three Shoanti bouncers she employs are more than enough to handle troublemakers.

The Way North

As with several other buildings in the vicinity, this one-story structure was recently rebuilt after the Sandpoint Fire. Originally a stable, the building has been converted by its owner, an aged but spry gnome named Veznutt Parooh, into a cramped and cluttered library to house his tremendous collection of maps and sea charts. Maps of local regions, from the immediate vicinity up to the whole of Varisia and the Storval Plateau, can be purchased from him for prices ranging from 50 gp to 1000 gp, depending on the size and level of detail. When not here crafting copies of old maps, Veznutt can usually be found arguing over history with his best friend Ilsoari at Turandarok Academy.

Jeweler

This squat stone building escaped the fire that ravaged northern Sandpoint, much to the relief of its owner, a wild-haired jeweler named Maver Kesk. Maver retains a half-dozen local toughs as guards, but he has a habit of leaving doors and vaults open—a trait his wife Pennae Kesk often berates him for publicly.

Junker’s Edge

Garbage gathered by Gorvi’s boys is routinely dumped over the edge of this cliff to gather on the beach below. Several of the town’s Gozreh worshipers (in particular Hannah Velerin) rankle at this  practice, but until an equally cost-effective and convenient option is presented, the town council is reticent to change its ways. In any event, the sea generally makes short work of the junk, ensuring it never piles up too high.

Sage

The sole occupant of this ancient building is a cantankerous old man named Brodert Quink, a balding expert on Varisian history and engineering. Brodert claims to have spent two decades of his youth studying with dwarven engineers at Janderhoff and three decades as a cataloger at the Great Library of Magnimar, and is continually baffled and enraged that his learning and obvious intelligence haven’t afforded him more prestige. Brodert has been studying ancient Thassilonian ruins for the past several years and has recently become obsessed with the Old Light. No one believes his theories that the tower was once a war machine capable of spewing fire to a range of more than a mile.

Sandpoint – Places of Interest

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. 

Rumors in Sandpoint

As in any small community, gossip accents every business transaction and spices every evening meal. Anyone might hear one of the following rumors, some of questionable veracity.

• Sheriff Hemlock shares a long-running, “secret” romance with Lady Kaye, madam of the town brothel.

• The ghost of the murderer Chopper haunts Chopper’s Isle, just north of town.

• The White Deer Inn used to be the Black Deer Inn, but was tastefully renamed after the fire.

• Ask Ven Vinder at the general store to see the “wine cellar” and he’ll sell you a jug of disgusting but potent orc rotgut.

• Farmer Grump claims the Sandpoint Devil, a horselike monster with bat wings, once flew off with one of his prized sows.

• Old Ilsoari at the museum sometimes wanders the beach at night, looking for treasures.

• Don’t go down to the junktoss after dark: goblins steal the trash at night.

• Solsta Vinder claims Sczarni stole her sheets last week and two cooling pies a week before that.

• The new cathedral is magically protected from catching fire.

• Murdermaw, a giant red snapper big enough to bite a boat in half, lurks in the Varisian Bay.

• The Deverin family was once affiliated with the Chelish resistance, but was forced to flee to Varisia.

Sandpoint Map

Here is a map of Sandpoint

Sandpoint

As one approaches the town of Sandpoint, the footprint of civilization upon the Lost Coast grows more clear. Farmlands in the outlying moors and river valleys grow more numerous, and the blue-green waters of the Varisian Gulf bear more and more fishing vessels upon its surface. Passage over creeks and rivers is more often accomplished by wooden bridge than ford, and the Lost Coast Road itself grows wider and better-kept. Sight of Sandpoint from either approach (south or east) is kept hidden by the large up thrust limestone pavements known as the Devil’s Platter or the arc of rocky outcroppings known as Whistler’s Tors, but as the final bend in the road is rounded, Sandpoint’s smoking chimneys and bustling streets greet the traveler with open arms and the promise of warm beds, a welcome sight indeed for those who have spent the last few days alone on the Lost Coast Road.

   From the south, entrance to Sandpoint is governed by a wooden bridge, while from the north a low stone wall gives the town a bit of protection. Here, the Lost Coast Road passes through a stone gatehouse that is generally watched by one or two guards—the southern bridge is typically unattended. Aside from the occasional goblin, the citizens of Sandpoint have traditionally had little worries about invasion or banditry—the region simply isn’t populated enough to make theft a lucrative business. Hanging from a bent nail at both the gatehouse and the southern bridge is a sign and a mirror—painted on each sign is the message: “Welcome to Sandpoint! Please stop to see yourself as we see you!”

   Sandpoint has faced many hardships but also great prosperity in its 42-year history. A small town on the Varisian Bay, fishermen, farmers, and other simple folk make the community one of the rare truly peaceful havens in Varisia. Yet, while the townsfolk have known dark times in the past, a new shadow has begun to loom over the unsuspecting town.

The Town

A simple, relatively peaceful town with all the color and common oddities one expects from a tightly-knit community, Sandpoint sits at a point on the Lost Coast halfway between Magnimar and Windsong Abbey. Wood buildings and cluttered docks line the town’s natural harbor, while farms and the manors of wealthy citizens dot the surrounding countryside.  During the day, fishing, farming, lumbering, glassmaking, and shipbuilding occupy most of the townsfolk, who commonly retire to their homes by way of Sandpoint’s many taverns. A playhouse and would-be museum make unusual attractions in such a small community, but Sandpoint’s true landmark is the Old Light, a lighthouse of ancient origins that lies in ruins.

   A relatively peaceful town, devoid of many of the dangers of a true frontier town and intrigues of a sprawling city, Sandpoint has nonetheless had its share of troubles. The fading scars of a recent terror still linger, a time most folk refer to as the Late Unpleasantness.

   Just over five years ago, a madman stalked the streets of Sandpoint, killing dozens. Known as Chopper, the killer’s month long terror ended bloodily when an eccentric local artisan was revealed as the murderer and killed during his attempted capture.  Adding to the pain, less than a month later the local chapel burned to the ground in a conflagration that nearly consumed the town’s northern half and left the local priest dead.

The Law

Kendra Deverin has served as Sandpoint’s mayor for the past eight years. Lawmaker, judge, and general peacemaker, Deverin has proven to be both an adept diplomat and stern hand when need be—skills likely honed during her youth in Magnimar and adventuring in the region. With a personal—some say sisterly—style of governing, Kendra holds the abiding respect of most of Sandpoint’s people, charming them with her fiery temper and tenacity for justice (as demonstrated during the Late Unpleasantness). A council of several of the town’s most respected and affluent landowners aids Deverin’s work. While several council members have their own agendas and visions for the town, the mayor’s no-nonsense attitude assures that council decisions ever work toward the common good.

   Meting out the town’s good justice, sheriff and councilmember Belor Hemlock keeps watch over Sandpoint’s people. Held as something of a local hero, Hemlock is lauded with being the man who brought the serial killer, Chopper, to justice. Although rarely faced with misconduct more severe than vandalism and public drunkenness, the sheriff is both a keen wit and a skilled swordsman, and openly proves both when the rare crime requires it. While the town’s chief enforcer, Hemlock knows the difference between the word of the law and its intent, and often gives those under his protection the benefit of the doubt.

   Their sheriff’s work aside, Sandpoint’s people realize they must often fend for and defend themselves, especially on the outlying farms. In the rarest and most extreme cases— and even then thoroughly discouraged—mob justice is sometimes all that satisfies the outraged people.

The People

A welcoming, largely unprejudiced community of colorful locals call Sandpoint home.  Presented here are but a few of the town’s most noteworthy  residents.

Kendra Deverin: Town mayor.

Cyrdak Drokkus: Grandiloquent actor, gadabout, and proprietor of the Sandpoint Theater.

Belor Hemlock: The gruff but protective town sheriff.

Ameiko Kaijitsu: Ex-adventurer and proprietor of the Rusty Dragon inn, rebellious daughter to nobleman Lonjiku Kaijitsu.

Lonjiku Kaijitsu: Stoic noble, owner of the town Glassworks.

Jargie Quinn: One-legged owner of the Hagfish tavern.

Titus Scarnetti: Tradition-minded noble who controls Sandpoint’s bustling lumber trade.

Ethram Valdemar: Oldest of the town nobles.

Ven Vinder: Owner of Sandpoint’s best-stocked general store.

Abstalar Zantus: Sandpoint’s mild-mannered local priest.

Ten Fun Facts About Goblins

1) Horse Hate: Goblins excel at riding animals, but they don’t quite get horses. In fact, their hatred of all things horse is matched only by their fear of horses, who tend to step on goblins who get too close.

2) Dog Hate: Although goblins raise horrible rat-faced creatures called (creatively enough) goblin dogs to use as mounts (and ride wolves or worgs—goblins are quick to explain that wolves are NOT dogs), their hatred of plain old dogs nearly matches their hatred of horses. The feeling is mutual. If your dog’s barking at the woodpile for no reason, chances are he smells a frightened goblin hiding in there somewhere.

3) Goblins Raid Junkyards: Garbage pits, gutters, sewers… anywhere there’s garbage, you can bet goblins are nearby. Goblins are weirdly adept at crafting weapons and armor from refuse, and are fond of killing people with what they throw away.

4) Goblins Love to Sing: Unfortunately, as catchy as their lyrics can be, goblin songs tend to be a bit too creepy and disturbing to catch on in polite society.

5) They’re Sneaky: An excited or angry goblin is a noisy, chattering, toothy menace, but even then, he can drop into an unsettling silence in a heartbeat. This, matched with their diminutive size, makes them unnervingly adept at hiding in places you’d never expect: stacks of firewood, rain barrels, under logs, under chicken coops, in ovens…

6) They’re A Little Crazy: The fact that goblins think of things like ovens as good hiding places reveals much about their inability to think plans through to the most likely outcome. That, and they tend to be easily distracted, particularly by shiny things and animals smaller than them that might make good eating.

7) They’re Voracious: Given enough supplies, a goblin generally takes nearly a dozen meals a day. Most goblin tribes don’t have enough supplies to accommodate such ravenous appetites, which is why the little menaces are so prone to going on raids.

8) They Like Fire: Burning things is one of the great goblin pastimes, although they’re generally pretty careful about lighting fires in their own lairs, especially since goblins tend to live in large tangled thistle patches and sleep in beds of dried leaves and grass. But give a goblin a torch and someone else’s home and you’ve got trouble.

9) They Get Stuck Easily: Goblins have wiry frames but wide heads. They live in cramped warrens. Sometimes too cramped

10) Goblins Believe Writing Steals Your Soul: The walls of goblin lairs and the ruins of towns goblins have raided are littered with pictures of their exploits. They never use writing, though. That’s not lucky. Writing steals words out of your head. You can’t get them back.

Courtesy of Paizo Publishing

Places of Interest in Kleine (addendum)

(I forgot the inn in Kleine)

The Fisher’s Rest
The Fisher’s Rest is the only inn in Kleine, and indeed for miles around (though desperate travellers can often get lodging in a farmer’s barn in exchange for a few coins or a favour).
   The Rest is owned and run by Orikin and his wife, Dortha.  A pair of halflings that have lived in Kleine for over 3 decades.  Whilst not in any way a guildmaster, Orikin is rumored to have some thieving skills but always deflects such questions about his past career.

Melinir environs

Here is the area around Melinir.  The next map shows the area between Kleine and Melinir.  The distance between them, "as the crow flies", is approximately 65 miles.

Also, the party will have down time of about two months in Kleine.  The average expense for this time will be 50 gp per level per month.  Timothy will have an additional 10 gp per month since he is supporting his mother.  Also, the town has become more active as the Festival of Talan draws near.  More travelers arrive to sell their wares in the open market Kleine is known for.  Even some dwarves and elves have come.

Places of Interest in Melinir

Temples

The largest temple in Thunder Rift is in Melinir and is dedicated to Abadar, the God of cities, law, merchants, and wealth.  The Temple of Law is a magnificently adorned building that literally shines in the morning as the sun rises.  The high priestess is Enora, a middle-aged human female.  Although she is head of the temple, Enora is normally very busy and not often found here.  She is quite powerful and still actively adventures with other members of the Quadriel.  The cleric in charge of maintaining the Temple of Law is Martin, a rotund fellow. He is a friendly man, always ready to help a person in need. Since the temple receives everything through charity, there is no charge for the services of the clerics (although a small donation is always welcome).  Martin is aided in his day to day duties by 10 lesser clerics.

            There are also two smaller chapels dedicated to Gozreh, the God of nature, the sea, and weather, and Iomedae, the Goddess of honor, justice, rulership, and valor.  These smaller temples are not in the temple district.  The Crashing Wave (Gozreh’s chapel) is located in the southern portion of Melinir, near the docks.  Iomedae’s chapel, the Hall of Justice, is in the rich section of town, south west of the marketplace.  Each of these chapels normally has 2 clerics at any time.

Inns and Taverns

The Sarcastic Goat Inn

This is the finest inn in all of Thunder Rift. The large, three-story log building holds over 50 rooms. Each room has a comfortable feather bed and quilts woven by Stefan des Herbsts. The common room downstairs is well kept and has a pleasant ambience. This inn is very popular, and the tavern that is part of it serves some of the best drinks in Thunder Rift. The rooms cost 1 gp per night, and with food and drink service the price rises to 3 gp.  The innkeeper, Bediah Bulon, is a half-elf with unkempt hair and beard. He named the inn after a comment a friend made about him. While he is very caustic with his friends and employees, he makes sure his customers are as comfortable as they can be.

The Goat's Stables

The stables of the Sarcastic Goat keep the travelers' horses well fed and groomed, 2 sp per night.  The stable boy, Hodie, is rumored to have a wealth of information, for he overhears everything the wayfarers say and he remembers it.  It’s said he knows nearly every rumor in Melinir, and for a small "tip", he will tell one rumor.

The Poor Dragon

This establishment is near the docks and caters toward mostly sailors.  It is run by Michael Lefthand, a former sailor.  The inn has a reputation has a rough place and most who go there expect trouble.  It is rumored that some press gangs operate out of the Poor Dragon, shanghaiing down on their luck adventurers for their ship’s crew.  Because most of the clientele are sailors, this inn does not have a stable.  Mounts and other animals must be left at the Goat’s Stables.  The common room houses 20 bunks and cost is only 1 sp per night.  There are only two private rooms at the inn and those are usually in use at any time (only 20% chance one private room is available.)  These rooms are usually taken by ship’s captains who are “visiting” lady friends onshore.  Ship captains are always given preference over any other visitors to the inn.

The Dancing Dragon

This tavern lies near the wharfs on the shores of Lake Ganif. It is know as a place where a rougher sort of clientele frequents.  The Dancing Dragon has a deal with the Poor Dragon Inn, it will have a boy “escort” visitors who are too inebriated to get back to their own homes or inn room to the Poor Dragon.  This fills the common room of the Poor Dragon, usually after 2 AM.  This “service” usually costs the “poor sod” most of whatever coin he had left.  Anyone passing out in the Dancing Dragon with no coin left may wake up in a gutter, but more likely will wash ashore a few days later, very dead.

The Sleeping Rooster Inn

The Sleeping Rooster is the most extravagant inn in Melinir.  Cost is 5 gp per night, meals included.  In the Merchant District, this is houses most of the caravan owners as they travel through Thunder Rift.  The owner, Serena, eschews adventurers and prefers not to allow them to stay here.  Most have a reputation for rough housing and Serena is in this business to make money, not waste it replacing furniture and such.  Serena has two bouncers that secure her premises from any trouble and she pays the constabulary extra coin monthly for there prompt response to her emergency bell.  These measures and a few secret ones, make her inn the safest in town, not to mention the most expensive.  

The Quaffing Falcon Winery

This high end tavern is deep in the wealthy section of Melinir.  Most meals are sumptuous affairs of several courses and grand wines.  The meals are very rich and will fill even the heartiest appetites.  Average meals will run a party of four upwards of 25 gp (if dining on the cheap is the point).

The Gauntlin Forest

To the east and south of the Burning Hills lies the Gauntlin Forest. This vast wood covers nearly a quarter of Thunder Rift. The density of the trees and the amount of light filtering through them varies enormously from area to area. The forest can be deep and thick, yet well lit by streaming rays of sunlight (as it is in its southernmost reaches), or it can be sparse, straggly, and dank (as it is on the borders of the Burning Hills).

There are many kinds of terrain within the Forest.  There are jagged hills in the north, rifts and ravines along the riverbanks, flatlands to the west, and pleasantly rolling hills in the southeastern section. To the east, the ravines and hills jumble together, leading to steep bluffs and rocky riverbeds. This is caused by the proximity of the forest to the walls of the Rift, where falling rocks create quite an impact on the environment. There are rumors that a tribe of hill or stone giants has taken control of the eastern forest, finding it very hospitable to their kind.

The southern forest harbors a multitude of creatures, both natural and magical. In the elven-controlled parts of the forest, the animals live in harmony, working through nature's rhythms. Game trails wend their way around the trees, leading to peaceful, reflective pools in the midst of the woods. Birds chirp happily, their songs complementing the other sounds of a forest at rest with itself. The center of the elven lands represents a near-perfect tranquility.

However, in the rest of the forest, disruptive forces play havoc with the natural cycle. In fact, some magical force has recently perverted the very shape of the land so that confusing changes arise around every bend. Streambeds mysteriously flow into nothingness or hills fall away in sheer drop-offs, allowing passers-by to gaze in wonder at the cross sections of earth that lie revealed.

Animals that inhabit those regions of wild magic are even more alarming. Many are dreadful crossbreeds between natural animals. While not all of them are exceptionally powerful, they are all singularly disgusting in appearance. It is in these parts of the forest that many evil monsters dwell.

One of the few exits from Thunder Rift may be found in the Gauntlin Forest. By following a branch of the Drake River east to the wall of the canyon, one can find a narrow goat trail that leads up the steep cliff face. This route is impractical for any but a climber, and downright impossible for a horse or wagon.