GWJ Collaborative Fantasy Town

"The Crooked Smile" Tavern

Spoiler:

This tavern is both a place to enjoy a drink or enjoy the company of a "wench". From the outside, it looks like a large, 2-story home with a semi-circle deck in the front. To the discerning eye, the quality of the carpentry is well above what is seen in the other buildings in the area. A couple round tables rest on the deck, surrounded by 4 or 5 chairs each, and are usually the first ones occupied when the weather permits. Several hitching posts are set into the ground on the west side of the tavern. The tavern roof extends over the posts to offer the horses a little bit of protection from rain. Near the road on a signpost, a large sign with the tavern's name hangs from 2 chains.

Behind the tavern are two buildings:

  • A small 3 room house (4, counting the loft) where Garlug lives by himself.
  • A rectangular building divided into 3 rooms, each having a door to the outside and no apparent door between the rooms.

The proprieter, Garlug Torbkul (Male 1/2-Orc, 49yrs) works tirelessly in his tavern, doing much of the cooking himself, while relying on his 3 regular helpers to serve the customers and provide various levels of entertainment. In the rare instance that Garlug is out of town or unable to work, Nino runs the place, but the kitchen is closed down. On these days, a smaller sign "No Foud Today" hangs below the normal tavern sign out front. "Foud" has been spelled wrong for 28 years.

While working, Garlug is very charming host when he isn't in the kitchen. When he is in the kitchen, he's very focused as he takes his cooking seriously.

Garlug is a decent cook, but rarely makes anything overly exciting. He sticks to tried and true recipes of his that taste amazing. The menu is whatever he decided to make that day, which is based on whatever is available in town. He has a large selection of spices and tends to make soups and stews that he adds stuff to every day. A couple times a year, unannounced, he will cook a whole hog or half of a steer. On those days, the tavern is usually packed and loud. There always seems to be a special performance on the stage those days, too.

When the traveling performers are in town, Garlug likes to hire 3-4 of them to play some music in his tavern on nights they are available. There is a small stage built into the west wall, with a fold down extension that is used to make the stage larger if needed.

Garlug does not tolerate fighting in his tavern. If someone even participates in a fight, they are banned from the tavern for a year, no exceptions. While this has made Garlug a couple enemies, it has worked out well overall.

The tavern employs 3 folk on a regular basis:

  • Nino, Male 1/2-elf, 43yrs. "Subdued flamboyant" is how his attires can normally be described. Long, brown hair and hazel eyes. He has a scar above his left eye he tries to hide with makeup.
  • Anice Linn Fairborn, Female Human, 33yrs. 5' 5" tall. Shoulder-length, straight chestnut hair, brown eyes. Curvy figure. She wears lighter clothing that is always cinched to show off her figure.
  • Jennuh Konbarger, Female Human, 22yrs. 5' 8" tall. Short, very cute pixie-cut dark blonde hair. Medium blue eyes. Very athletic build covered by more work-appropriate clothes - waitress work, not the whoring work.

All 3 are attractive, friendly, and good at their job(s). They work together well, and all look to Garlug as a father figure. He has helped each of them out in various ways to the point where they all feel that they owe him and work for him tirelessly and happily. The three helpers work as servers, entertainers, and pleasurers. The 3-room building out back is used for the latter, with each of them having a specific room that they have decorated themselves. Nino and Anice live in their room, while Jennuh lives with her mildly-abusive boyfriend in a small, tent community north of town in the forest. He is part of a group of bandits. If Garlug finds out for sure that Jennuh's boyfriend is abusing her (he has his suspicions), he will most likely kill the man, quietly and efficiently.

The three of them are all decent singers, with Anice being a standout alto. Nino plays a 5-stringed lute, and Jennuh is able to use just about anything to add some percussion. All 3 will take coin to privately entertain in their room, giving 10% of this extra income to Garlug. This private entertainment is solely at the discretion of the employee - they can choose to take someone's coin or not and turn down folk now and then. Nino and Anice are open to pleasuring anyone, while Jennuh has only accepted offers from males.

Garlug Torbkul

Spoiler:

Garlug Torbkul built "The Crooked Smile" Tavern by hand. He showed up in town 30 years ago, knowing noone, and started building on the site without asking or even talking to anyone in town. He showed up with 4 large wagons full of wood, which he used to set up the bones of his house that now resides behind the tavern. A couple weeks after he started building, he received a load of stone via a trader ship. A small portion of the load was used to build the fireplace in his house. The rest of it was set aside and later used in the tavern.

Normally, someone appearing in a town with carts of wood and building a house without engaging any locals would be incredibly odd, let alone rude. In this case, it wasn't so. 4 years prior to Garlug's appearance, there was a fire that completely destroyed the house that used to stand where the tavern stands, now. An eccentric old man, Indigo Chamberlain, used to live in that house. He was home the night of the fire, but was able to escape unharmed. Soon after, he decided to leave town, and when he did, he told the townmaster that he would be back to rebuild, or someone else would.

When Garlug showed up, everyone assumed he was the person Indigo was talking about. Any time someone would ask Garlug if he was a friend of Indigo's, he would just give them his crooked smile and continue doing whatever it was he was doing.

Over the next couple years, Garlug finished his house, and built the Tavern. He finished his house by himself, but had 2 others that showed up with one of the loads of wood help him with the tavern. They mainly used the wood that was brought in via ship, but did buy some from local loggers, etc.

After the Tavern was up and running, he hired locals to build the 3rd building with the 3 rooms. By this time, Garlug was a regular member of the community. He is very quiet in public, rarely starting a conversation, but never rude when pulled into one. He has brushed off any suggestions of him being part of any local merchant (or other) guild.

Garlug dresses blandly - brown or dark gray clothing, work boots, etc. He stands at 6' 5" tall, has dark skin, dark eyes, and only slightly orcish features. He does have one smallish tuck that protrudes from the left side of his mouth that curves out and up. "The Crooked Smile" tavern was named by the first customer who asked what the name of the place was. Garlug forgot to name it, so asked the customer what he should name it and they suggested "The Crooked Smile" after Garlug's oft-seen crooked smile.

My coworker (who does larps) and I got into talking about this project last night and we ended up entertaining ourselves coming up with a ridiculous plot about a lazy Druid who was living shapeshifted as a stray dog I t eh town.

As the night went in this idea kept getting more and more ridiculous until we had a secret war going on between sentience rats and cats over the control of the docks.

It was a good time.

Good stuff.

I do love the idea of a lazy Druid living as a dog. You should add that under the Misc section of the spreadsheet and give the guy some life in a post here!

-BEP

Water Genasi

Every full moon, a water genasi enters the beach from the ocean and builds an intricate sand castle a few hours before high tide at location 66. After the castle is built, it summons a few water sprites then dances slowly with them around the castle. After approximately 30 minutes of dancing and singing, the genasi returns to the water and the sprites fade out. Not too long after, the castle is destroyed by the rising tide.

The whole time they are there, they appear oblivious to their surroundings, unless someone gets within 100' of them. If that happens, they are startled and dive into the ocean, not to be seen again until the next full moon.

Someone successfully stealthing to get close to the genasi will hear it singing in a quiet, ethereal voice. Anyone familiar with water genasi would be able to tell it looks very sad; someone unfamiliar could make some sort of perception/insight check to determine the same.

The GM can determine the backstory for the genasi. Perhaps the castle is one it once lived in that was destroyed by scrags, merrows, and sahuaghin. Maybe it is recreating a vision it has of a place it wants to go. It could be used as an NPC. Whatever the GM wants, including not having it in the town to begin with.

The genasi's skin is greenish-blue and glistens as if it is wet, even when it isn't. The hair appears to change color slightly depending on the light, going from blondish to light brown to dark brown.

I updated the first draft of the map with some more numbers and added an island for the monastery / vineyard.

I put a link in the spreadsheet for it. too.

Map with More Numbers

-BEP

People still LARP?

just in case you think i'm slacking, i'm trying to put together a more detailed map. It'll probably take me a while, i'm just chipping away at it between other things whenever I get the chance...

IMAGE(https://smackfolio.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/img_20200615_124343486.jpg)

I sincerely hope no one thinks anyone is slacking on this little collaboration. It's just a fun project we can throw a little bit of time at here and there - no deadlines, no stress.

That map is already spectacular.

Unless anyone has a strong opinion otherwise, I suggest that you name the town, Pyxie, since you're doing the cartography on it. If a GM doesn't like the name, they can change it for their game.

-BEP

sure, will try to get through the map first then decide

bepnewt wrote:

I sincerely hope no one thinks anyone is slacking on this little collaboration. It's just a fun project we can throw a little bit of time at here and there - no deadlines, no stress.

-BEP

I've been stressing a little because several of you are just so productive already, meanwhile in my free time I've been grabbing some gaming time (the DCSS tournament just hitting now didn't help!).

pyxistyx wrote:

just in case you think i'm slacking, i'm trying to put together a more detailed map. It'll probably take me a while, i'm just chipping away at it between other things whenever I get the chance...

Oh heavens, you aren't slacking! Your mapwork is beautiful.

Farscry wrote:

I've been stressing a little because several of you are just so productive already, meanwhile in my free time I've been grabbing some gaming time (the DCSS tournament just hitting now didn't help!). :)

This thread is a stress-free zone.

I’ll add things as they come to me and I have time. I’m not going to focus on it, though.

I missed the start of the DCSS tourney, dang it. I would have jumped in.

-BEP

Harbor Master: Reginald Root III and his right hand henchman Noal

Spoiler:

Building 30: Harbor offices and offices for any legitimate import/export businesses.

Harbor Master: Reginald Root III, found at the harbor and city hall. He has a number of employees and sycophants. In the evenings will often be in the company of bankers and merchants at upscale tavern and brothels.

Role: The Harbor Master is a politician in charge of the harbor. Most associate it with the collection of dock fees and taxes on goods both being imported and exported. The Master also oversees the harbors upkeep, guild laborers, security, transportation of goods, matching passengers to ships, and harbor warehouses. This in tales an intimate knowledge of where ships have been and where they plan on going. He directly answers the city magistrate.

Description: He is a Male Halfling, cunning and very charismatic. He has been in this position for about 10 years. Average height for a halfling, but has considerable girth. Most describe him as rotund. Dark hair, clear blue eyes, large smile. Outwardly he is above reproach and leads an honest harbor. There is little there that escapes his notice.

Bio: RR is a career politician currently holding the role of Harbor Master despite never having been on a boat, even going so far as having a disdain for boats and the ocean. After getting on the bad side of city leadership a number of years ago, RR was "promoted" to harbor master. Being the professional he is, RR immediately went about securing the position for maximum personal benefit. RR is cunning and devious while outwardly pleasant and charming. This combination has lead to near complete control of all information coming and going from the harbor district. RR's books are perfect. All taxes and fees are accounted for. Any theft/smuggling/illegal goings on are swiftly and appropriately dealt with, unless they have RR's approval. RR while having complete control of the harbor will not get his own hands dirty. Off the books activity is handled through his trusted #2, Noal. RR takes great pains to be a problem for Ludo the Merchant Market manager. As a politician he does not agree to Ludo's authority, but must begrudgingly accept it which has led to the fisherman's wharf/pier to be the blind spot in is otherwise effective money machine.

Noal - Reginald Root III's right hand man

Description - Half Elf, Slender, Taller than the average human, dark eyes that seem to change hue. Shaggy hair to cover very elf like ears. Appears to be in his mid-late 20's.

Description: Noal exudes a slimy distrustful aura. He is the classic snake oil salesman. Would sell you his grandmother if he could get away with it. Was raised by the local church after being dropped off there as a child. He is found constantly by the side of Reginald Root. He handles all aspects of the harbor that are considered unsavory. He manages RR's contacts on the harbor and will see to the unsavory side of things for those who cross RR. He does not work for RR out of some misplaced sense of loyalty or another type of weakness. Rather RR has Noal trapped. If Noal could ever get out from the thumb, he would but currently the risks are to great. Nature of the trap is to the discretion of the GM. Noal's relationship with RR is profitable for both. As Noal receives smuggler kickbacks an illegal gains for RR, he also receives a cut.

i'm going to relenquish control of the two areas i earmarked earlier- I'm already getting my worldbuilding fix in with my various D&D games, and i think it'll be more fun (and good practice) to maybe look through what people create and add some illustrations / character portraits / more detailed building maps, once i'm done with the big map itself, and just whenever i get any free time to work on non-paid stuff.

...so if you're adding NPC's, if you can include a basic description, what they wear, distinguishing marks, race, etc, that'd be great!

pyxistyx wrote:

...so if you're adding NPC's, if you can include a basic description, what they wear, distinguishing marks, race, etc, that'd be great!

Good idea. Thanks.

-BEP

i REALLY hate that i decided to draw this map at THIS particular angle, but it's getting there!
Just the top left corner to fill out and then i'll add some colour / map markers.

*update. Gaps filled in. Line drawing is pretty much done, now to colour the blummin' thing!
Probably do some tidying up of the drawings as I go as well, some of it is pretty quick n' sketchy

IMAGE(https://smackfolio.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/town-map-update-1.jpg)

pyxistyx wrote:

i REALLY hate that i decided to draw this map at THIS particular angle, but it's getting there!
Just the top left corner to fill out and then i'll add some colour / map markers.

It looks great, Pyx. Thanks so much.

There's a second tab on the spreadsheet that has 3 map requests on it if you have the time:

- Add a number to the building south and slightly west of 26
- Add a number to the building in the north that has an empty square
- Small island South of 19 with grape vines, maybe 2 smallish tool sheds - Monastery.

-BEP

I'll keep that in mind when i go back to colour the map.

I love the depth you put in there. Almost like a drone shot coming in over the town, or an animation intro to the protagonists town.

I'd like to put down a marker for a goblin pawn shop. I'm not quite sure what building to ask for. One in a more rundown part of town.

Sounds great! If you want to be able to edit the google worksheet, let me know your email address (via PM) and I'll get your access added.

If you have a google account, I think someone went to the worksheet and requested access from the sheet itself.

Link to initial land plot planning sheet:
Google Sheet for Initial Land Plot Tracking

If you don't want to deal with it, take a look at the map and let me know what # building you want. If you want a building that doesn't have a number, we can get the number added later - just describe the building's location well enough that we can locate it.

The Map

-BEP

Meleitte and Rodrick, Alchemists:

Spoiler:

When asking after alchemists in Freeport Hamlet, PCs will be told that there are two, recently arrived but uncommonly good for the area. Locals attest that they have never had such skilled alchemists in living memory, right in their own town. It’s great for the town, they say, “once you find them.”

The shop is very easy to find, well and clearly marked and all. Yet when the PCs go by, it appears to be closed.

The alchemists are Meleitte and Rodrick, a pair of young half-elves (equivalent to their mid-20s). Students at a university in the region (somewhere away from Freeport), they have come to town to conduct research, and being both trained in alchemy, set up shop as a means to support themselves. Since alchemy is a critical but low demand service in town, they don’t actually need to man the shop continually, which gives them the chance to run around pursuing their own projects. They aren’t hard to track down (they’re pretty widely known about town), but do need to be tracked down if the PCs want their services.

Though both are distant and scattered in the manner of intellectuals whose concerns and interests are elsewhere, they are agreeable and responsive in dealing with customers, even if they are in the middle of their own business. When approached, and after establishing what the customer needs, one, the other, or both will rush back to the shop to prepare whatever it is that has been requested. Service is prompt (assuming supplies are on hand), pricing is fair, and quality is very high given the size of the town.

The duo are very well trained and practiced in alchemy, and both have very high INT (their only notable stat), so they can easily handle basic and advanced concoctions--they even have a decent chance of knowing some tricks to substitute for exotic ingredients. Anything the PCs ask for, they at least know how to concoct.

The duo are classic young brainy types, speaking a mile a minute and using highly technical language, unaware others might not understand them. Their research, which they are very excited by, proud of, and eager to share about if asked, pertains to the moon, on which they believe they have discovered water canals. When not fulfilling alchemy requests, the duo can be found doing odd-seeming things somehow related to their research--trying to improve their telescopes or their own eyesight, scouting spots with good visibility of the moon, actual observations (done day or night), comparing their findings to irrigation ditches, etc. Both dress simply, but not poor, and are unkempt in the manner of students in the field who don’t spend a lot of time thinking about how they look (though not to the point of being unhygienic).

And

The Ice House and Haft:

Spoiler:

The Ice House is a small, squat, slumped, brick building with a sizable basement where the actual ice is. Homes and establishments that do not have other means keep their meat here, and sometimes buy ice when needed. While the ice house is a community affair, a man known only as “Haft” keeps an eye on things.

“Haft” is a human male, likely in his late 20s to early 30s, muscular and fit with a build suited for adventuring, with very extensive scarring, especially around the neck. One morning 5 or 6 years ago, Haft was found, mangled, bleeding, and quite near death in the markets, having (based on the trail of blood) dragged himself there from somewhere outside of town. While a few locals thought they had seen him among a company of adventurers who passed through a few days earlier, none knew anything about him, not even his name. He was widely (and rightly) expected to die, but managed to recover. While he is, in most respects, in perfectly good health, the damage to his throat was massive, the only sound he can produce a sort of rattling, whispered wheeze—upon waking, it seemed like he tried to say “haft” and the name stuck. Any questions regarding his past, identity, or what happened to him were met with a stern glower, refusing to write or undertake any other mode of communication, and before long the townsfolk stopped asking. With seemingly nowhere else to go, he started maintaining the ice house (mostly keeping track of whose meat was whose), a post he has remained ever since.

Scars aside, Haft seems fine in all other respects. His eyes are bright and sharp (some may call them blazing), and he clearly can hear just fine, he simply refuses to communicate beyond points and nods. He refuses to let anyone examine him, without closer inspection it is unclear what causes his injuries—claws or teeth are most likely, but they may also have a magical source. None of his possible companions have been seen since his arrival, and he’s made no indication that he intends to go anywhere. Haft remains a curiosity to the people of the town.

Farscry wrote:

Before I start coming up with any content for the town, I was wondering if there was still the intent for coming up with some sort of generalized information like town-wide current events or history, or some sort of cultural overview, or any other kind of framing that needs to be kept in mind for consistency?

Here's a start framing the political/historical parts. If I'm way off track, no worries - looking to add some broader references.

Freeport sits at the mouth of the Veldwine river. It's a modest trading route for agricultural goods and some prospect mining further up in the _____ mountains. The lands to the north and south of the river are respectively controlled by two smaller kingdoms that are perhaps more sprawling city-states. They've claimed land and smaller towns around them, but govern with a light hand. Their cautious allies, friendly rivals. Freeport itself is within the northern kingdom but the trade tarrifs through the port have never been high enough to cause serious friction.

Politics -
Governed by the town mayor and an elected council of five.

The governor - the law states it to be an elected position, but he's held the position for 35 years without serious rivalry (yet?) and his father before him held it for 65. He's generally benevolent, preferring to let the council handle the complicate task of governing 150 (?) or so people. He's more of a kissing-babies, shaking hands, letting his palms get greased lay about.

The council consists of two up and coming merchants looking for more direct political leverage to support their enterprise of trade on the river. One of these merchants is old money in the area, but was never part of the regional aristocracy (you know, he's just a glorified tradesman, the horror!). The other is recently settled in Freeport, 3 years, and intent on brining more foreign trade up the river.

One council member is of the old aristocracy, her family retired from the larger kingdom politics to the provincial.

The last two are representatives from the local populace. One "represents" the longshorman, but is widely known to be a mouthpiece for Reginald Root III (see Igneous's post). The other is a local blacksmith that on a drunken dare tossed his name into the hat of a recent special election to replace a passed council member.

(This gives a couple political factions - the local and regional merchant class, longshoreman, the old aristocracy dabbling, hired goons in the night, etc.)

Later on, recent history - past wars, economic prosperity, looming threats! Totally open to changes and expansion that characters can fit into their backstory.

So, this may be a bit off the rails. Let me know if I should dial it back a notch.

"Honest Dibra", pawnbroker

Spoiler:

Honest Dibra is the proprietor of Honest Deborah's. Honest Dibra is a goblin, and is almost certainly not the same individual from visit to visit. While Honest Dibra always wears their dingy grey robes, and long stringy hair which is almost certainly a wig, the rest of Dibra's appearance varies greatly in size, coloration, facial features, and the pronunciation of the name "Dibra". If questioned about this, Dibra pretends that they don't understand you, or didn't hear you. Dibra manages all purchases and exchanges at the store, and is generally a surprisingly adept bookkeeper.

and their assistant, "Dave"

Spoiler:

Dave appears to be the same individual from encounter to encounter, but where Dibra in all their forms, is at least a somewhat competent clerk, Dave is generally incompetent, does not appear to learn from experience, and it is unclear what his role is in the shop, as Dibra does not generally appear to trust him with even menial tasks.

Honest Deborah's, pawnshop

Spoiler:

Honest Deborah's is a pawnshop of sorts. Everyone in town knows it's run by goblins. No one in town is quite certain what to do with this information, or how long the shop has actually been in operation. "There's no rules against just being a goblin," the sheriff says, scratching his head in puzzlement. "Long as they ain't bothering no one, can't say as I can do anything about it. Or want to." On the occasion that some drunkard gets it in their heads to start trouble at Honest Deborah's they usually find that the building itself is completely empty outside of business hours, and has somehow been made extremely sturdy and fireproof.

As a business, Honest Deborah's does operate as a pawnshop, though does not trade in currency, but in goods of similar or greater value. A person might bring a lute to Honest Deborah, and Dibra would offer several items of potential exchange. A shortsword, perhaps, or a necklace. But on occasion, an item is offered that appears to be of far greater value than the item given. Ms. Sputzak reportedly once traded the goblins an old rusted teapot, and received a ruby in return. Though it should be said, it's hard to tell what's truth and what's not when it comes to business at Honest Deborah's. Townsfolk often claim to have received some valuable item from the goblins, when instead it was stolen, or given by an illicit lover, or acquired by some other means best kept quiet. In any case, Dibra does not discuss their business with other patrons. If you wish to reclaim any property you have traded to Dibra, then it is almost always available, although sometimes in a slightly worn condition.

Local legend has it that the pawnshop sits over the entrance to a large and complicated cave system, in which lives a whole tribe of goblins who do commerce with humans for their own strange purposes. This is, of course, ridiculous. The entrance to the goblin warrens lies next door, under Mrs. Tuttlemore's house.

Ravenna Tuttlemore

Spoiler:

Ravenna Tuttlemore is an elderly human woman of an age somewhere between 70 and 100 years old. She largely keeps to herself, and general opinion is that she may have gone a bit dotty. She doesn't speak to many townsfolk or have any relatives in the area and makes strange requests at local stores. And truth be told, Mrs. Tuttlemore is a bit "dotty". Not due to age--she's always been like this. She's an eccentric woman, forgetful, and prone to the occasional inappropriate comment. But her demeanor should not be mistaken for simple-mindedness. Ravenna is quite intelligent, and has only recently taken a step back from her role as what is best described as a paranormal midwife. Mrs. Tuttlemore was a frequent consultant on such complications as lycanthropic births, temporally distorted pregnancies, and planar cross-insemination. Even today, she is occasionally sought after for especially complicated cases which require her hard-won expertise. In addition to this storied career, she's had a notable personal life, including spending some years as the consort to a Prince of the Water Elementals (a subject into which one should not inquire unless one is not easily shocked). And while her students, children, friends, and lovers could stand to visit more often, she's rarely lonely. Who could be lonely when you have discovered that an entire tribe of goblins lives under your house? After all, goblins have far more interesting teatime stories than most of the common folk around here.

In exchange for tea and tiny sandwiches, the goblins have constructed a host of rather ingenious traps to make certain Mrs. Tuttlemore is protected from any would-be intruders. Mrs. Tuttlemore has surreptitiously disarmed many of them, but not all of them. After all, if you break into an old woman's home for who knows what purpose, maybe you deserve to be covered in fire leeches. And several are of such admirable craftsmanship that she can't bring her self to dismantle them. Which is why you should absolutely not remove the latch on the hallway closet. Mrs. Tuttlemore never particularly liked the linens in that closet, and not consider it's loss a great sacrifice.

What's going on here?

Spoiler:

I like the idea of goblins as a society in conflict with the 5E Forgotten Realms culture, but not in their portrayal as "evil". This particular tribe of goblins, the Chexak, are almost congenitally unable to understand the concept of private property. It makes no sense to them that when they cook and eat a sheep because they are hungry, angry men come with swords to do them harm. After all, they had need, and the men had sheep, and why would you deny food to a hungry goblin? In the past, they have been hostile, as have many goblins. If you cannot understand what actions are met with hostility, and which are not, then much of the time you will engage in hostility yourself to pre-empt that of those you cannot understand. But the Chexak have decided that this is not a tenable situation, to be hunted through the poorest lands, always a half step ahead of starvation. Honest Deborah's is a goblin experiment, an attempt to understand exactly how human/elven/orcish/dwarvish/etc. society operates. And as far as experiments go, the results are decidedly mixed. The goblins are no closer to understanding surface society, but a number of the goods they've traded for have proven useful, and they have a thriving fungiculture fueled by compost from the town's dun heap, and catch the occasional fish from the ocean-linked caverns, so they're more comfortable than they've been in many a year.

Ok, but what's with Dave?

Spoiler:

Oh, he's just not very good at any of this, even for a goblin.

Pirate Bob wrote:

Here's a start framing the political/historical parts. If I'm way off track, no worries - looking to add some broader references.

Freeport sits at the mouth of the Veldwine river. It's a modest trading route for agricultural goods and some prospect mining further up in the _____ mountains.

Good stuff.

Where is the Veldwine river in relation to the town?

-BGEP

kazooka wrote:

So, this may be a bit off the rails. Let me know if I should dial it back a notch.

"Honest Dibra", pawnbroker...

Sounds fun to me! If a GM doesn't like the idea, they can axe it or partially use it, etc.

-BEP

bepnewt wrote:
Pirate Bob wrote:

Here's a start framing the political/historical parts. If I'm way off track, no worries - looking to add some broader references.

Freeport sits at the mouth of the Veldwine river. It's a modest trading route for agricultural goods and some prospect mining further up in the _____ mountains.

Good stuff.

Where is the Veldwine river in relation to the town?

-BGEP

Good call, I was reading the early map copy wrong - thought the small inlet was the start of something. Based on the map I'd think just to the north of town. I can try sketching up a regional map later on - name the surrounding features. I was thinking the river wasn't large - enough for small craft and barges to move goods down to the port. Small regional trade to enhance the port rather than a major hub - small town transfer and stopover rather than city scale.

I wasn't sure how broad we wanted to go in the world, if people wanted to plug the town into their own games. Was aiming for something relatively generic, sketch the rough outline that a broader world exists but not push toward huge world-shattering conflict.

- Thirty to forty years ago was the big war with Hammerwall (see Igneous's Hawker) and the larger of the two neighboring kingdoms (and a larger southern one). Ultimately Hammerwall was driven back but it left the regional economy and infrastructure recovering. Freeport itself was mostly spared the heavy fighting other than a few raiding parties. Near the end of the war, the deciding naval battle was fought just down the coast, leaving a graveyard of broken ships along the shore (conveniently a long days walk away for adventurers seeking mystery and enchanted weapons amidst broken hulls).

- Rebuilding after the war took over a decade without much help from the larger kingdom. A certain amount of independence persisted even after the local kingdoms were able to reassert their control. Taxes (and bribes) have been paid though so they haven't pushed for more. A few worn banners around to remind people that they're part of a larger country, but mostly they're just Freeporters. The long period of relative peace has brought general comfort if not prosperity. It's long enough that the newer generations are able to romanticize about distant war, go adventure, or play at mercenary in some local lord's private feuds for a few years. The older generation, and certainly the longer lived races remember the war though.

(queue story beats of old veterans, young bravado's wanting to go off and prove themselves)

- In recent years there has been tension with Hammerwall again - trade disputes or small border skirmishes. Perhaps there are agent provocateur's passing through town to sow discord between Freeport's neighboring kingdoms.

(spies, local political intrigue coming from foreign powers, foiling nefarious plots, etc.)

Pirate Bob wrote:
bepnewt wrote:
Pirate Bob wrote:

Here's a start framing the political/historical parts. If I'm way off track, no worries - looking to add some broader references.

Freeport sits at the mouth of the Veldwine river. It's a modest trading route for agricultural goods and some prospect mining further up in the _____ mountains.

Good stuff.

Where is the Veldwine river in relation to the town?

-BGEP

Good call, I was reading the early map copy wrong - thought the small inlet was the start of something. Based on the map I'd think just to the north of town. I can try sketching up a regional map later on - name the surrounding features. I was thinking the river wasn't large - enough for small craft and barges to move goods down to the port. Small regional trade to enhance the port rather than a major hub - small town transfer and stopover rather than city scale.

I bought Wonderdraft and had planned on giving a regional map a shot, too, when I have time. Mainly to learn Wonderdraft.

If you get to it first, I'll try to replicate what you do in Wonderdraft for the learns. If I get to it first, I'll just mess around and see what happens.

-BEP

A sketch of the region. So far only three named kingdoms:
IMAGE(https://content.chronoclast.com/gwjworld/world_map.jpg)

- Sveck - Generally friendly kingdom to the north.
- Caelleth - The kingdom Freeport is considered part of, although it's more a loose conglomeration of city states. (The only folks they fight more than Hammerwall is themselves!)
- Hammerwall

A closer regional map would be useful, showing the surrounding country and interesting landmarks within a few days journey.

May have got lost in the weeds here, but:

Lady Ardor's Players:

Spoiler:

Lady Ardor’s Players are an acting troupe who regularly visit Freeport Hamlet as part of their circuit (do you, the DM, want them to be in town? Then they are!). They are a primarily tiefling troupe, their arrival eagerly awaited by the locals (given our limitations, I’m assuming they are one of if not the only troupe who visits). As far as the people of Freeport Hamlet are concerned, Lady Ardor’s Players are among the greatest performers on the planet, but they aren’t necessarily wrong: the troupe is quite skilled and eager to share culture wherever they can. Named for their patron of many years, Lady Ardor’s Players are very well traveled--the manor and holdings of the Lady herself are far enough from Freeport, her players are the only way any of the townsfolk know of her.

As is usual for traveling acting troupes, members of the Players are multi-talented and fill a variety of roles--most can act, and also play a musical instrument, and also sing, and also dance, and also juggle or tumble or perform some sort of crowd-pleasing sleight of hand or stage trick, at (obviously) varying levels of skill. They also handle all of their own logistics, though most of these duties are handled by their leader, Tryphon. The troupe maintains as many costumes and props as are required to cover various role archetypes (A King, A Queen, A Knight, etc.). While they cannot compare to theater troupes of large cities, cosmopolitan PCs will recognize the Players as very good for their limitations, and for the average resident of Freeport and its surrounding rural areas, their shows are spectacular, and due to their demographic makeup, exotic (if DMs are feeling cheeky with the social commentary, this may have lead to a local stereotype that tieflings are all well-read and cultured).

A typical cycle has the Players in town for 5 days. On arrival, they spread out and start building hype, busking about common and busy areas (playing music, dancing, tricks, anything to announce their arrival and excite people), culminating in a dusk performance of a “variety show”--songs, skits, dramatic renditions of folk tales, poetry recitations, and excerpts from larger plays, all meant to showcase the Players’ talents and quality. Day 2 is spent on more busking and hype, leading to “preview night,” where intriguing snippets of the main show are performed. Day 3 is reserved for “rehearsal,” which, taking place out in the open, is also a sort of performance intended to hook people (“Now remember, Lord Truvius has not yet learned of the assassin’s presence! He only knows that after the duel.”). Day 4 sees the production of a full folk play, something light and often comedic, often about a local figure or hero (or hastily rewritten to be about one), performed in honor of the (mayor, lord, whoever runs Freeport and let the Players in and is paying them), who is often consulted on what play should be performed. All of this is intended to let word spread as far as it can, and bring in people from as far as they can, for the main show on Day 5, an abridged version of a major play (combining side characters, simplifying the production). Comedies, the bawdier the better, are the most popular, but they also put on Histories and Tragedies given the chance. After each performance, the Players spread throughout the crowd to accept pay (a very “pay what you want” situation).

The Players’ number around 15, and membership fluctuates. The most notable and regular 9 are:
1- Tryphon - Leader and founder of the troupe, a tiefling in his mid 30s. A classic lifer of the road, he loves performing and spreading culture to people who, without the troupe, wouldn’t have access to it. Very protective of the Players, concerned first and foremost with their safety and success, adept at negotiating with local officials. When not in costume, dresses in a way that emphasizes his dashing, leading man good looks. Speaks in a very showy, actorly way. He was, as he says, plucked from obscurity by the great and generous Lady Ardor and given the chance to lead a troupe bearing her name, “so I shall, for the stage is my life, and full well intend I to die upon it!” (flourish, laugh). Usually plays the lead male role.

2- Lyciss - Second in charge, Tryphon’s longest collaborator, a tiefling in her mid 30s, beautiful as befits a lead actor. The two are very alike--she also a lifer of the road, loves performing, loves sharing culture, she was the first recruit to join the group. Lyciss sees to the more practical things (especially divvying out pay), though she can and often does handle local negotiations as well. She also keeps a slightly sharper eye out for trouble and is the more economically minded of the two, favoring the presentation of comedies, which tend to be more successful. If Tryphon is “two for us, one for them,” Lyciss is “two for them, one for us.” Her vagabond life doesn’t exactly allow for much “glamor,” but she still has that air about her.

3- Ariston - A very large, broad tiefling in his 30s or 40s with the musculature of a strongman, fitting as that’s frequently the role he plays among the players. He also has a strongman’s attitude and personality--a big booming voice, a robust and easy laugh, a sense of theatricality and drama, and a kind-hearted patience with children. Ariston is also quite handy in dealing with trouble. While not a trained fighter, his considerable size is more than enough for most situations the Players encounter--most troublemakers would rather not risk fighting him. In performances, he generally plays guards, soldiers, and generals.

4- Ty - a tiefling of around 18, with large doe-eyes, delicate features, and a sweet, trilling voice, she is perfect at playing maidens, ingenues, innocent princesses, and goddesses of love or beauty. She is also stunningly boorish and profane, swearing casually and constantly when she is not on stage. Recruited by Lyciss who noted Ty’s lovely singing, she previously worked her family’s struggling farm--she’s much happier with the Players. She dresses like someone who is still becoming accustomed to having any money at all.

5- Lumet - A human of around 18, a classic pretty boy who plays youths, princes, young knights, and young lovers. Lumet, a gifted prodigy, has been performing since childhood with a theater troupe, and has joined the Players at the behest of his leader to become “more seasoned” (also as a favor to Tryphon). He’s still adjusting to road life and doing without certain comforts a proper theater (and not living as a vagabond) affords, but it’s quite clear he enjoys traveling with the Players.

6- Ranalla - A tiefling woman in her 70s, but still very spry and spritely, genteel and refined (I picture a tiefling Helen Mirren), Ranalla is better known in some circles as Lady Ranalla Naelus Ardor. Lord Ardor passed away 5 years ago, and after some time doing the usual mourning, puttering around her remote manor house and holdings, and planning gatherings with people she did not like, she asked to join the Players who bear her name, leaving management of her estate to her trusted agents. Per her agreement with Tryphon, she lives just like any other member of the Players, though she is not above using her wealth to treat the troupe or replace damaged props and gear, nor leveraging her position when necessary. Her identity is known among the Players, and while not something they bandy about with outsiders, it’s not a closely guarded secret either. Ranalla is not a great performer, but she does well enough with the roles she is given (nurses, witches, elder queens, etc), and the Players all love having her around.

7- Ruulgang - An orc, and thus an often surprising presence to people who have never seen the Players before, but perhaps not as surprising as the awed buzz of those who have. But that awed buzz is warranted: once Ruulgarn takes the stage, he is nothing less than astounding as an actor--raw, heartfelt, nuanced, precise, breathtaking in his power and emotion, perfectly tailored to the needs of the scene and his scene partners. His performances regularly move audiences to tears, or have them crying in laughter. Ruulgarn can play any part, but he usually plays the roles with the most savory monologues or the “show stealers.” Sometimes he takes the lead rather than Tryphon, and when the Players are feeling saucy, he will play the romantic lead. When not performing, he is very serene and internal (which may be a further surprise, depending on how orcs are regarded), in full Act-Or preparation mode.

8- Kosimas - a tiefling in his 70s, the most experienced performer having been on stage for most of his very long life. He was the first teacher of both Tryphon and Lyciss. While Kosimas still acts as mentor and advisor to the pair, he is otherwise retired...from the pressures of leading a troupe, the dealing with locals, the worry about making pay, from everything but the stage, which he still loves. As might be expected, he is a grandfatherly presence among the Players, both paternal and playful. Kosimas is also notable for the pack of 5 miniature poodles of varying color who he has extensively trained to perform feats: flips, tumbling, forming little doggie pyramids, barking out a tune--he will often juggle treats to them. Typically plays old kings, sages, wizards, and fools.

9- Vila - Foundling, a tiefling girl around 8 years old. Perpetually scowly and uncommunicative with strangers, Vila helps with a variety of menial tasks--helping to clean and maintain costumes, feeding the pack animals, running messages between Players. The Players keep her as clean, well fed, and well dressed as any of them. Unrelated to all of them, they simply found one day she had attached herself to them. If approached, she will hide behind any of the Players present and refuse to speak, but keen observers will note she doesn’t appear to be fearful, rather, again, scowly and mistrustful. Vila regularly plays urchins, pages, crowds, and sometimes spirits. On stage she is shockingly brilliant, bold and clear and loud. Rumor has it that her delivery of the crucial speech from “Incensed Urchin” in “The History of King Brion V” prompted a riot—the rumor is true (Vila may have augmented her performance with a bit or Thaumaturgy), and though Tryphon and Lyciss don’t like spreading it, saying it’s bad for their reputation, Ranalla and Kosimas do like spreading it, saying it’s good for business (it is very good for business).

As a troupe with a wealthy patron, and a wealthy patron who happens to travel among them, the Players typically don’t engage in much petty criminality, as they don’t really need to. Similarly, they are not an especially great front for large scale smuggling, except for one exception. Since they travel extensively, and it is not uncommon for the Players to count fresh faces among their number, they can serve as an excellent cover for fugitives, spies, and assassins. Tryphon and Lyciss (and Kosimas) are very well aware of this. They don’t exactly conduct rigorous interviews, but they may charge some suspect figures a “hiring fee,” with the understanding that the more plausible their deniability can be, the better.