Zac's Campaign

All of you people who play in my campaign! There are important things posted here!

I do not, of course, expect you guys to read all of this, however there are some interesting points here for those of you who want to make a stellar backstory.

happy reading.

P.S. make a seperate page for replying. I'm going to use this for future citys and lands as well.

SANDPOINT AT A GLANCE
Most of the buildings in Sandpoint are made of wood, with
stone foundations and wood shingle roofs. The majority are single-
story structures, with a few noted exceptions. The town is
often thought of as two districts by the locals. Uptown consists
of areas 1–12. Most of these buildings are relatively new, and the
streets are open and less crowded. This section of town is also
physically above the rest, situated on a level bluff overlooking
the southern half of town, which consists of areas 13–46. The
majority of the town’s buildings can be found downtown, which
grows increasingly crowded as available space is claimed by new
arrivals. Downtown is built on a gentle slope that runs from a
height of about 60 feet above sea level to the west down to only
a few feet above the waterline to the east and south.
Sandpoint Harbor is a fairly deep natural harbor, 30 feet for
most of its expanse, with sharply rising slopes near the shore. The
languid waters of the Turandarok River wind down from the hinterlands,
skirting Devil’s Platter to empty into the harbor—the
river is often used to transport lumber harvested far upriver down
to the local saw mill. South of town rises another bluff on which
Sandpoint’s most affl uent landowners have staked their claims.
Only a few hundred feet north of town rises an upthrust spur of
rocky land topped with a few trees—this is known now as Chopper’s
Isle, once the home to Sandpoint’s most notorious criminal.
A remote outcropping accessible only by fl ight or by a skilled
climber, locals now believe the isle to be haunted by Chopper’s
ghost. Children often dare each other to go out to the isle’s base
at low tide and touch the barren cliff face that surrounds it, but no
one’s visited the top in years.
The sight that strikes all visitors to Sandpoint at fi rst is the ruins
of the Old Light. The original height of this tower is unknown,
but those who have studied the ancient architecture of the crumbling
remains estimate it might have stood more than 700 feet tall.
Today, less than a quarter of that remains. The Old Light rises from
sea level and is built into the face of a 120-foot-tall cliff , the tower
extending another 50 feet above that level to culminate in ragged
ruins. The remaining shell is yet another reminder that neither the
Chelaxians nor the Varisians are the fi rst settlers of this land, yet
apart from a few badly weathered carvings signifying that the peak
of this tower once held a brilliant light, no insight to the tower’s
true purpose remains.

. 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 diff erent churches under one impressive roof.
Yet even the previous chapel wasn’t the fi rst 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. Unknown to anyone alive today, the seven standing
stones once represented the seven Thassilonian schools of magic
and served as a focus for wizards who wished to direct the destructive
power of the nearby Hellstorm Flume. No one in Sandpoint suspects
the standing stones are anything more than an ancient site of worship.
Varisian oral tradition maintains that the seven stones represent
the seven towers of Desna’s otherworldly palace, but this is merely
a story perpetuated by early Varisian seers eager to hide yet another
bit of their homeland’s destructive history.
The original chapel built here was a collection of six diff erent
shrines, each its own building and connected to the others
by open-air walkways. Desna’s worship was incorporated intothese shrines as part of the peace accord with the local Varisians,
but the original builders also incorporated fi ve 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 fi fth, Erastil, was the most popular among
the initial settlers.
When the chapel burnt to the ground fi ve 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 fi nish 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, off ering a view of
the Old Light and the sea beyond, are the shrines of Shelyn and
Gozreh. And to the east, off ering 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 (CG male human cleric 4). 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.
More information about the six gods and goddesses of Sandpoint
can be found in the Rise of the Runelords Player’s Guide.

2. 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 affl uent 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
Naff er Vosk (NG male human rogue 1/cleric 2), a deformed smuggler
Father Tobyn took pity on after his ship wrecked just north of
town a decade ago. Naff er 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.

3. 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 fi ve years ago
in the same fi re that destroyed the Sandpoint Chapel. The new
building is a grand aff air, three stories tall with a stone fi rst fl oor
and wooden upper fl oors with a dozen large rooms that can accommodate
two to three guests each.
A somber and quiet Shoanti man named Garridan Viskalai (LN
male human expert 4) 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 fi rmly 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 (area 37) 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.

4. 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 (NG male gnome wizard 2/expert 4), 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 5 gp to 100 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 (area 27).

5. Jeweler
This squat stone building escaped the fi re that ravaged northern
Sandpoint, much to the relief of its owner, a wild-haired jeweler
named Maver Kesk (LG male human expert 3). Maver retains a halfdozen
local toughs (LN human warrior 3) as guards, but he has a habit
of leaving doors and vaults open—a trait his wife Pennae Kesk (LN
female human commoner 2) often berates him for publicly.

6. Junker’s Edge
Garbage gathered by Gorvi’s boys (see area 7) 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; see
area 45) rankle at this practice, but until an equally cost-eff ective
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.
Unknown to the citizens of Sandpoint, another reason the
garbage never grows too high is the fact that goblins from the
Seven Tooth Tribe regularly sneak along the coast to raid the
beach for bits of metal, scraps of food, not-quite-broken tools,
and other “valuable” prizes. The Seven Tooth goblins have made
a name for themselves among the local goblin tribes as the best
traders as a result.

7. Gorvi’s Shack
This dilapidated shack is home to one of Sandpoint’s few halforcs,
a fat, heavily tattooed lummox named Gorvi (CN male halforc
warrior 3). Despite the ramshackle look of his home, Gorvi’s
made quite a pretty penny for himself serving as Sandpoint’s dungsweeper,
enough that he employs about two dozen vagrants and
curs who would otherwise be causing trouble along the boardwalk,
paying them regularly in copper to haul one of his distinctive red
wheelbarrows through the streets to collect refuse and garbage.
Sandpoint pays him handsomely for his services, a job that no one
else really wants but everyone wants to see done. Lately, Gorvi’s
been making a menace of himself more than usual, spending evenings
down on the boardwalk, harassing ladies, and raising hackles
at the Hagfi sh (area 33). Mayor Kendra has had to ask him to ease
up on the drinking and carousing more often lately, but Gorvi has
grown content in the belief that he won’t be run out of town as long
as he continues to ensure the streets are clean.

8. Sage
The sole occupant of this ancient building is a cantankerous old
man named Brodert Quink (NG male human expert 7), 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 baffl ed and enraged
that his learning and obvious intelligence haven’t aff orded 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 fi re to a range of
more than a mile.

9. Locksmith
A fl amboyant dwarf named Volioker Briskalberd (LG male dwarf
rogue 2/expert 3) has owned and operated Sandpoint’s locksmith
business since the town’s founding. Something of an institution,
most of the town’s locks were built by Volioker. He’s long been an
enemy of the Sczarni (see area 43), who have used both diplomacy
and intimidation in their attempts to recruit him to their side.
Volioker’s distaste for thievery and scoundrels may have its genesis
in his childhood as a street orphan in Magnimar, although he’s traditionally
close-mouthed about his past. He’s a tremendous fan of
the arts, and never misses a new show at the playhouse.

10. Sandpoint Garrison
This stone fortress serves double duty as Sandpoint’s militia barracks
and its jail. The jail itself is located in an underground wing,
while the above-ground portion houses the town’s guard. Sandpoint’s
town guard consists of a dozen full-time watchmen (human
warrior 2); about twice this many servants and other experts
(smiths, cooks, bookkeepers, couriers, and the like) dwell here
as well. Guards patrol the city alone; there’s generally not much
trouble beyond the odd drunk for them to handle, so usually only
three or four are on duty at any one time.
Sandpoint also maintains a militia of 62 able-bodied men and
women (human warrior 1) who are expected to attend training and
exercise here at least once a week. This militia can be brought to
service in 1d3 hours.
The garrison is currently under the watchful eye of Sheriff Belor
Hemlock (CG male human fi ghter 4), a native Shoanti who inherited
the post of sheriff when the previous holder, Casp Avertin, was
murdered by Chopper. Belor saw the town through that last terrible
night and is generally held to be the man who stopped
Chopper’s rampage. In the emergency
election that followed a week later,
the people of Sandpoint offi cialized
his role, and Belor became the
fi rst Shoanti sheriff of Sandpoint.
Honored and eager to live up to
Casp’s legacy, Belor changed his
last name to its Chelish translation, from
Viskalai to Hemlock, a choice that has
endeared him to Sandpoint’s mostly
Chelish populace but hasn’t sat well
with his brother Garridan (see
area 3). Belor’s not-as-secretas-
he’d-like romance with
Kaye Tesarani (see area 43)
has put further strains on his
relationship with his family.
The jail below the garrison is
generally empty save for a few drunks or
Sczarni doing time for some minor crime.
Murderers and other hardened criminals generally
stay for only a few days before an escort from Magnimar
arrives to bring them to the high court for trial in
the big city. The garrison’s jailor is a heavily scarred brute
named Vachedi (CG male human barbarian 3), a Shoanti
tribesman who hopes someday to earn enough money to buy
back his two sons from Kaer Magan slavers.

11. Sandpoint Town Hall
The majority of the ground fl oor of this two-story building consists
of a meeting hall large enough to seat most of Sandpoint’s
adults, although town meetings have rarely been even half so well
attended. The upper fl oor contains offi ces and storerooms, while
a vault in the basement below has been functioning as the town
bank for decades. Plans to build a proper bank have been stalled
for various reasons since the town was founded. Sandpoint’s mayor,
Kendra Deverin (NG female human aristocrat 4/expert 3), can
often be found in this building, tending to the town’s needs.

12. Savah’s Armory
The northeast corner of this building bears a few scars from the
Sandpoint Fire, but fortunately for its owner, Savah Bevaniky
(NG female human fi ghter 2/rogue 1), the building escaped signifi
cant damage. Savah’s shop sells all manner of weapons and
armor, including several masterwork items and exotic weapons
like a spiked chain, a dozen masterwork shuriken, and a +1 repeating
crossbow with a darkwood and ivory stock that bears the name
“Vansaya.” She’s not sure what the name means—she bought the
weapon from an adventurer on the way to Riddleport a year ago,
and the combination of its high price and complexity has ensured
its semi-permanent stay in her shop.

13. Risa’s Place
Risa Magravi (NG female human sorcerer 4) operated this tavern
for the fi rst 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 aff airs of the job to her
three children Besk, Lanalee, and Vodger
(NG human commoner 2), the mysterious
Varisian sorcereress remains a fi xture
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.

14. Rovanky Tannery
Situated at the edge of town, Larz
Rovanky (LG male human expert 3)
runs Sandpoint’s tannery with ruthless
effi ciency. He expects perfection
from his workers and his products, and as a
result often works long hours on his own during
the stretches when he’s temporarily fi red the
help. His leather and fur goods are of high quality,
enough so that locals generally don’t mind the extra
wait for custom orders while Larz fusses with getting
things perfect.

15. Red Dog Smithy
Named for its owner’s aff ection for large red mastiff s, two to three
of which can always be seen lounging about nearby, Red Dog Smithy
is owned by a bald and powerfully muscled man named DasKorvut
(LN male human fi ghter 1/expert 3). Das’s temper is, perhaps, his
true claim to fame—he has little patience for customers, and even
less for everyone else. Sandpoint suff ers his foul-mouthed attitude
and frequent drunken midnight rants because he really does
know his job. And as long as he’s busy hammering metal, he stays
relatively calm and confi ned to his smithy. The local children have
recently been circulating a somewhat cruel rhyme about Das that
they’ve taken to chanting at hopsquares, a rhyme sure to come to
an end once the smith hears it.
“Here comes crazy-man Das Korvut,
Mad as a cut snake in a wagon rut.
See how his chops go bouncity-bounce?
How many people has he trounced?
One! Two! Three! Four...”

16. The Pillbug’s Pantry
Nestled at the base of a cliff and tucked between several old tenements,
nothing but a painting of a pillbug perched on a mushroom
indicates this building’s anything more than yet another
home. The proprietor of this establishment is a short, rotund
man named Aliver “Pillbug” Podiker (LE male human adept
5), an accomplished herbalist, gardener, and secret poisoner.
Although he’s of mixed Chelish/Varisian blood, the Sczarni (see
area 43) have taken to treating him as a full-blooded Varisian.
While his primary source of income is from legitimate sales of
medicine and potions, he maintains a healthy side-business selling
poison to Sczarni locals as well. Before he’ll even admit to
being a poison merchant, though, a potential customer first has
to ask him, “Have any happy pillbugs turned up lately?”

17. 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 (NG male half-elf wizard 1/expert 2)
fancies himself a more gifted alchemist than he really is—items
purchased from this shop have a 5% chance of not working as
intended, either being subdued, inert, or wildly unpredictable
in their actual effects (such as a flask of alchemist’s fire bursting
in a flash of light that acts as a daze spell in a five-foot-radius,
or a vial of antitoxin functioning instead as a vial of acid). A
DC 25 Craft (alchemy) check is good enough to determine if
something purchased at Bottled Solutions is good or not, but
Nisk doesn’t take kindly to people looking too closely at his
wares before they buy.

18. 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 (NG human male
half-orc expert 3) 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.

19. House of Blue Stones
This long stone building is primarily a single large chamber, the
fl oor decorated with polished blue stones set within winding
pathways of reed mats. This structure was built 10 years after
Sandpoint was founded by a wandering monk named Enderaki
Sorn—today, the monastery is tended by Enderaki’s daughter,
Sabyl (LN female human monk 4), her father having passed away
seven years ago. A worshiper of Irori, the god of self-perfection
and knowledge, Sabyl maintains a large collection of old books
and scrolls in the basement chambers below. She opens both
the meditation fl oor and her library to fellow worshipers, but
others must convince her of their good intentions with a DC 25
Diplomacy check before she’ll let them in. Use of Sabyl’s library
grants a +4 bonus on Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (the
planes) checks.

20. Sandpoint Glassworks
One of the oldest industries in Sandpoint, the Glassworks has been
owned by the Kaijitsu family from the town’s inception. The glassworking
trade has been in the family for generations, and many of
their techniques—perfected in distant Minkai—result in dazzling
and impressive works that fetch top price among the nobles of Magnimar,
Korvosa, and beyond. The Sandpoint Glassworks is detailed
in full in “Burnt Off erings.”

21. Sandpoint Savories
The smells issuing from this bakery fi ght against the salty tang of
the sea every morning except on Sunday. Owned and operated by
the Avertin family for the past two decades, Alma Avertin (LG
female human expert 7) still hasn’t quite recovered from the brutal
death of her son Casp fi ve years ago under Chopper’s blade. Her
twin daughters Arika and Aneka (LG female human expert 2) all
but run the business these days.

22. The Curious Goblin
The sign out in front of this shop shows a wide-eyed goblin reading
a book nearly as tall as him. Inside, this bookshop is a testament to
one man’s obsession with the printed word. Chask Haladan (CG
male human bard 3/expert 3) has maintained his love aff air with
books for nearly 70 years and shows no sign of giving it up any time
soon. His store is surprisingly complete, and while almost all of his
wares are far too pricy for any of the locals to shop here with any
frequency, a nest egg gathered in his adventurous youth combined
with a frugal lifestyle makes the success of his business secondary
to his own satisfaction. Several locals, including Brodert Quink
(area 8 ), Sabyl Sorn (area 19), and Ilsorai Gandethus (area 27) can
often be found here, either chatting with Chask or sitting in one
of several large chairs, reading.

23. Sandpoint Theater
Brand-new cathedrals and ancient ruins aren’t the only incongruities
Sandpoint boasts. This massive playhouse, fi nanced entirely
by its larger-than-life owner, Cyrdak Drokkus (CN male human
bard 6), features one of the most impressive theaters on this side
of Varisia—it certainly competes with the playhouses of Magnimar,
a fact that Cyrdak takes great pride in, since he was forced to fl ee
that city for mysterious reasons he’s eager to hint at but reticent
to expound upon (although they certainly involve another local of
note—Jasper Korvaski). The Sandpoint Theater often showcases
local talent, but it’s the three weekend shows that locals generally
look forward to. Cyrdak uses his contacts in Magnimar to great
extent, ensuring that the most exciting new productions in the big
city are available here as well. Although Cyrdak enjoys fl irting with
all of Sandpoint’s young women, his romantic relationship with
Jasper (area 40) is one of the town’s worst-kept secrets.

24. Carpenter’s Guild
The vast majority of the buildings in Sandpoint were erected by
members of the town’s large and eternally-busy Carpenter’s Guild.
Currently overseen by Guildmaster Aesrick Battlehorn (LG male
dwarf expert 5), a dwarf who left his homeland with a near heretical
fondness for working with wood rather than stone, the Sandpoint
Carpenter’s Guild has recently been
accepting a growing number of projects
in the outlying farmlands as well
as work about town. The guild
has been in a minor feud with the
Sandpoint Shipyard (area 46)
for years, one that most often
fl ares up over which guild has
claim to the best lumber
from the mill.

25. Sandpoint
Lumber Mill
This long building was one of the
fi rst to be built when Sandpoint was
founded. Owned by the industrious
Scarnetti family, daily operation of the
mill has recently been left more and
more to a penny-pinching businessman
named Banny Harker (NG male
human expert 3) and his partner Ibor
Thorn (NG male human expert 2). Neighbors
have been complaining that the two have
been running their insidiously noisy logsplitter
into the wee hours of the night as they rush to keep
up with demand in the face of an increased availability of
lumber from Magnimar, but Harker’s infl uence with the Scarnettis
has so far kept any mandates against operating the logsplitter
from coming to pass.

26. General Store
Owned and operated by Ven Vinder (LN male human commoner
7) and his familiy, 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 (LG female human commoner 4). Ven even keeps a
shocking supply of alcohol in his basement, although a customer
has to ask to see the “wine cellar” before Ven’ll admit to his
special stock. Ven has a particular fondness for harsh bitter grog
and rotgut imported from places as far as the orc city of Urglin.
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 (NG female
human commoner 1) 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 (CN female human commoner 1), whose reputation as
“easy” is growing by the month.

27. Turandarok Academy
As families thronged to Sandpoint, the town founders quickly
came to realize that they needed somewhere to handle the education
of children, a place to house unfortunate orphans, and somewhere
to busy older children to keep them from becoming delinquents.
The answer was the Turandarok Academy. Part school,
part orphanage, retired adventurer Ilsoari Gandethus
(LN male human wizard 4/rogue 2)
volunteered to be the academy’s
headmaster if he could have the
basement of the two-story
building to himself. The
town agreed, and today, the
rooms below the Academy are
almost a museum of the strange
things and trophies Ilsoari has
collected over his years. He
keeps these chambers locked, but
the children who attend classes on
the ground fl oor and the orphans who
live on the upper floor have countless
stories about what’s down there, ranging
from a goblin farm to a nest of phantom
spiders to the Sandpoint Devil itself.
Although the contents are much less sinister
(Ilsoari is all too happy to show off
his collection of exotic weapons, strange
maps, and monster trophies to anyone who
asks nicely), the old wizard does nothing to
dissuade the children’s tales.

28. Madame Mvashti’s House
Although from outside this appears to be an ancient, decrepit
manor house with several rooms, only one person lives in this
old building—ancient and mysterious Niska Mvashti (N female
human druid 3/sorcerer 4/mystic theurge 1). Old even when Sandpoint
was founded some 40 years ago, Madame Mvashti (as she
prefers to be called) is a Varisian historian and seer, part of a long
tradition of oracles in her family. As with many seers, the current
age’s unexpected departures from established prophecies have left
her with a lifelong sense of brooding worry. She performs most of
her readings with cards or carved bones but seems only very rarely
to enjoy casting her predictions.
Madame Mvashti had long complained that the yearly travels of her
extended family hurt her bones, and when Sandpoint was founded, as
part of the accord with the Sandpoint Mercantile League, the local
Varisians demanded a large manor house be built for their respected
elder. Once she passed away, the house was to revert to the town’s
property, but Madame Mvashti has proven exceptionally tenacious
and long-lived. She survives primarily on support and volunteer help
from local Varisians, although she spits and curses at those she knows
belong to the Sczarni. Druids from the hinterlands make weekly
visits to her home, often helping her along on the long walks she still
enjoys in the nearby countryside.

29. Grocer’s Hall
This building’s facade is open to the air where it faces the market.
During the day, bins and trays and tables here are heaped with
produce brought in that morning from the outlying farms. Near
the back of the store are tools, seeds, feed, tack, and other supplies
useful for farming. The other half of this building is fi lled with living
quarters, meeting halls, fi le rooms, and storage. Olmur Danvakus
(LG male halfl ing expert 4) took up the post of guildmaster
here after the previous guildmaster was murdered by Chopper.

30. Vernah’s Fine Clothing
Rynshinn Povalli (NG female half-elf expert 5) has owned and
operated this clothing shop for the last fi ve years. The only daughter
of a kindly woman named Vernah, Rynshinn never knew her
father, Iremiel, only that he was
killed by goblins less than a
week after she was born. At
the time, Vernah’s tempestuous
aff air with the mysterious
elven bard was the talk
of the town. Every year
on the anniversary of Rynshinn’s
birth, a small package
of elven coins, medicine,
and toys mysteriously appeared
somewhere in the upper fl oors of this building.
Vernah always claimed the gifts were
placed by Iremiel’s ghost, but locals generally
believe the gifts were granted
by one of his living relatives.
Rynshinn, for her part, holds out
against hope that her father somehow
survived and that it’s not his
ghost but him who leaves these
mysterious birthday presents.
Since her mother’s death five years ago
during Chopper’s murder spree, Rynshinn has
used much of the money from those gifts to expand
her mother’s tailoring business, and even founded a guild that
brings together dozens of quilters, crafters, sewers, and tailors
so they can sell their wares here. She’s looking into opening a
shop in Magnimar as well, but has yet to find a partner there
whom she trusts. A number of Sandpoint’s young men idly court
Rynshinn, who many hold to be the town’s most beautiful citizen,
but to date, the lonely woman has politely eschewed all
possible suitors for reasons she has not shared.

31. Wheen’s Wagons
A lanky man named Bilivar Wheen (N male human expert 3) owns
this workshop. Bilivar is a down-on-his-luck wheelwright who’s
lately been spending more time at various taverns (especially the
Hagfi sh—area 33) than here working—ever since his daughter
Tanethia drowned in the Mill Pond last year, his wife Vorah (LN
female human commoner 1) has grown more and more shrill and
paranoid that her remaining two children’s days are numbered as
well. Bilivar’s been heard to mutter about packing up and skipping
town to some of his drinking buddies at the Hagfi sh, but no one
thinks he’ll really follow through on this plan.

32. Scarnetti Mill
As with the Sandpoint Lumber Mill, this building is owned by
the Scarnettis. All of the fl ower and grain produced here is supplied
by local farmers. Mysterious fi res have claimed the Soggy
River Mill, the Biston Pond Mill, and most recently the Cougar
Creek Mill, leaving this mill the only functioning grain mill in
the region. Accusations of Scarnetti-sponsered arson have been
fl ying high, but the manager of this mill, constantly worried and
sneezing Courrin Whesterwill
(NG male human expert 2), has
gracefully lowered the prices for
its use to record lows until the
outlying mills can be rebuilt,
a gracious move that has
alleviated, to some extent,
extensive public outcry.

33. The Hagfi sh
One of Sandpoint’s most popular
taverns, especially among fi shermen
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 (CG
male human rogue 2/expert
2), the Hagfi sh gets its name
from the large glass aquarium
that sits behind the bar, the home
of a repellent hagfi sh that Jargie aff ectionately
calls Norah (despite the fact that
he’s had “Norah” replaced dozens of times—hagfi sh
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 hagfi sh, the water in Norah’s tank is thick
and horrifi cally 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 Hagfi sh 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 snapperwho might or might not dwell in the depths of the Varisian Gulf.
Jargie himself is quite an accomplished yarner, with the everchanging
story of how he lost his leg being his favorite starting

point for his tales.
34. Valdemar Fishmarket
Like the Grocer’s Guild across the market, the facade of this long
building is open to the air. Here, locals can shop among the day’s
catch, picking out cod, salmon, tuna, shellfi sh, and even the odd
octopus for the evening’s meal. Turch Sterglus (LG male human
rogue 1/expert 5), a retired fi sherman with a lazy eye and a wild white
beard, runs the fi shmarket in a lovably crochety manner, constantly
complaining about the weather or the day’s catch or the antics of
local youth, but always packaging his customers’ purchases with a
smile and a wink. The fishmarket itself is owned by the Valdemar family,
but most locals act as if the building and business were Turch’s,
often tipping the loveable old man a few extra coins. Turch’s five
sons, each smarter than the next, have made a career working for
their father as fi sh cleaners, haulers, and even cooks.

35. Sandpoint Market
On most days, Sandpoint’s marketplace is empty save for the odd
group of children who enjoy using the wide-open area to play whistleball
or other games. Twice a week, the market fi lls with vendors.
At the start of each week, the farmer’s market radically increases
the daily selection of goods available at the Grocer’s Hall, while
all day at the end of the week merchants from Magnimar, Galduria,
Nybor, Wartle, and beyond take part in the Town Market. Goods
purchased at the Town Market adhere to Sandpoint’s 800 gp limit,
but prices are generally 75% of the regular asking price.

36. Sandpoint Meat Market
Local butcher Chod Bevuk (NG male human expert 3) runs the
Sandpoint Meat Market. Half of this building doubles as a slaughterhouse,
with the meat itself put on display for sale in the front half
of the market. Most of the meat processed here is from livestock
or animals caught by hunters. Chod still claims to this day that he
encountered Chopper several days before he was ultimately caught
and that the two of them fought, leaving Chod with one less fi nger,
but most locals believe that the wound was self-infl icted in an
attempt to get attention. Chod’s penchant for lies and exaggeration
in all matters not relating to his business don’t help lend credence to
his version of how he lost the little fi nger of his left hand.

37. 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
(CG female human aristocrat 1/bard 3/rogue 1), 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 fi rst, 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.
Of greater concern to Ameiko is the long-running feud with her
family—leaving town to become an adventurer scandalized her
family enough, but when she returned, rich and successful (and
with a seemingly endless supply of eccentric hairstyles), with a
desire to purchase and renovate Sandpoint’s oldest tavern, her
family offi cially took to shunning her. Ameiko claims not to care,
but becomes evasive when anyone asks her why she returned to
Sandpoint when she was obviously doing well as an adventurer.
Some believe she has a secret lover in town, while others theorize
that something happened on her last adventure that took the bravery
out of her. In any event, 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.

38. 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 (N male human ranger 4),
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
diff erent rafters, each bearing the goblin’s name burned into the
leathery fl esh—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 fi lled
with brine in which he’s preserved the body of Chief Whartus of the
now extinct (due in large part to Daviren) Bonegrinder Tribe.

39. Two Knight Brewery
While Sandpoint’s taverns serve a wide variety of spirits, they
all proudly serve the mead, ale, and rum brewed here at the Two
Knight Brewery. Established almost 40 years ago by two brothers
(both worshipers of Abadar and cousins of Mayor Deverin) only a
few years after Sandpoint was founded, their expertise at brewing
has only increased over the years. Tragically, Wade Deverin was
one of the fi rst of Chopper’s victims, a murder that has shaken
his brother Gaven’s (LG human male paladin 2/expert 3) faith.
Locals whisper that since Wade’s death, the brew from here simply
hasn’t tasted as good, but they would never say something to
this eff ect to Gaven’s face.

40. Sandpoint Mercantile League
This large building serves many purposes. One can book passage
on a ship bound for other ports, arrange for caravans or
carriages for overland travel, or send messages to folk in town
or as far away as Korvosa or even Riddleport. Inquiries into land
ownership, building construction, and founding new businesses,both in Sandpoint proper and in the surrounding hinterlands,
must begin their processes of offi cial foundation here. Although
ownership of the league remains split evenly between Sandpoint’s
four noble families, few of them take part anymore in the actual
day-to-day business, leaving such matters in the capable hands of
Sir Jasper Korvaski (LG male human paladin 3/expert 1). In his
younger years, Jasper was a paladin of Abadar, and although he’s
long since given up the more dangerous lifestyle of a crusader, he
remains loyal and devout. Despite his best eff orts, his romance
with Cyrdak Drokkus (area 23) has become one of Sandpoint’s
worst-kept secrets. The Scarnettis, easily
Sandpoint’s most conservative family,
fi nd the rumors of this relationship
scandalous and off ensive, but it’s
unclear if they’re more off ended
by the relationship itself or the
fact that the majority of Sandpoint
is so accepting of it. In any event,
the Scarnettis have been doing their
best to make things diffi cult for Jasper
in an attempt to not-so-subtly convince
him to move back to Magnimar, but the
support of the other three families has,
so far, kept the Scarnettis from becoming
too obnoxious.

41. Sandpoint Boutique
This large boutique and shop sells all manner
of clothing, weapons, toys, artwork, books,
and tools imported from throughout the
world, although most of the wares here are
Varisian in nature. The place is owned by Hayliss
Korvaski (LN female human cleric 2/expert 2), who
is, like her brother Jasper, a devout worshiper of Abadar.
Yet unlike her brother, her temper isn’t braced by a desire
to keep everyone happy. Hayliss isn’t afraid of making enemies
and wears her disdain for the Scarnettis on her sleeve. She’s even
gone as far as sometimes upcharging her goods for members
of the Scarnetti family, in spite of Mayor Deverin’s repeated
requests to keep the peace.

42. Fatman’s Feedbag
If the Hagfi sh is Sandpoint’s most popular tavern, Fatman’s Feedbag
is its most notorious. Bar fi ghts 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.
Most believe this tavern is owned and operated by an
enormous man named Gressel Tenniwar (CN male human
rogue 2/expert 1), but in fact the owner is a lanky thug named
Jubrayl Vhiski (NE male human rogue 7), one of the Feedbag’s
regulars. Jubrayl is also the leader of the local gang of Sczarni,
an extended network of Varisian thieves, highwaymen, con
artists, graverobbers, smugglers, and murderers. Nearly
two dozen of the Varisians in Sandpoint are members of the
Sczarni, all cruel and self-serving men and women who take
care to maintain respectable jobs as laborers, fishermen,
and hunters, but who draw their true income taking part in
various illegal Sczarni scams and stunts. Sheriff Hemlock
suspects that Jubrayl is the local leader, and would like
nothing more than to bring him in, but the Sczarni are experts
at walking the line between legalities and taking the blame
for their direct superiors. So while Sheriff Hemlock’s sent many
of Jubrayl’s boys to jail over the last several years, he’s never
come close to the ringleader himself, much to Jubrayl’s
continued amusement.

43. The Pixie’s Kitten
Many of Sandpoint’s crasser locals have
a much more colorful name for this
establishment, but Kaye Tesarani (CG
female human rogue 3/sorcerer 1) runs
the town brothel with class and distinguished
grace. She pays her girls and boys quite
well, and the three Shoanti bouncers she
employs (CG human male barbarian 3) are
more than enough to handle troublemakers.
Although prostitution isn’t illegal in
Sandpoint, the Scarnettis have long lobbied
for it being outlawed, viewing the Kitten
as a place where vice and criminal activity
can take root. Certainly, Jubrayl has tried
for the last fi ve years to get in on the brothel
business, but Kaye’s not-so-secret friendship
(and romance) with the town’s sheriff make this
a delicate, long-term goal for the Sczarni at best.

44. The Feathered Serpent
This cramped and cluttered shop smells of a strange
mixture of incense, spice, and dust. Its sole proprietor,
Vorvashali Voon (LN male human wizard 2/rogue 2/expert
2), an exotic-looking character with bright blue eyes, long red
hair, and almost bronze-colored skin, is gregarious and excited
about every customer. Not everything in his shop is for sale, rendering
it part museum in its eclectic collection of strange relics,
statues, and monument fragments. Vorvashali’s stock changes
constantly, as his dozens of contacts from Magnimar come in
weekly to buy and trade stock. Adventurers seeking magic items
and other tools of the trade can fi nd what they’re looking for here
more often than not.

45. Hannah’s
While Abstalar Zantus (area 1) does his best to take care of
Sandpoint’s truly sick and needy, he can’t help everyone. For
minor aches, pains, and illnesses, most of Sandpoint’s citizens
depend on Hannah Velerin (NG female elf cleric 3/expert 1).
Hannah spends most of her mornings out in the surroundingwilds, gathering herbs or simply enjoying Gozreh’s bounty. In
the afternoons, she returns to her shop and home here to prepare
medicines and receive patients. Hannah’s ironically the one to go
to when either one wants to end a pregnancy or needs a midwife
to aid in a birth; Hannah encourages all of the women she sees
to carry to term, and advises the use of pinberry extract to young
women as a way to prevent unwanted pregnancies from happening
in the fi rst place, but in cases where there’s no other option, her
other services are discrete and confi dential.

46. Sandpoint Shipyard
The southern facade of this long building is open to Sandpoint
Harbor, allowing its small army of shipwrights, ropemakers, and
sailmakers to work their trade in one of four drydocks right on
the shore. The shipyard is owned by the Valdemars, with Belven
Valdemar (NG male human aristocrat 1/expert 5), old Ethram’s
eldest son, overseeing the constant work here. Belven is a handsome
and quite available bachelor, but his dedication to his craft
and family have so far left him little time to entertain the dozens
of young women who’ve been trying to catch his eye for the past
several years.
47. Valdemar Manor
This manor house commands a breathtaking view of the town of
Sandpoint and the harbor below, as befi ts the family most connected
to the town’s shipbuilding and fi shing industries. The family
itself remains under the patriarchal rule of old Ethram Valdemar
(NG male human aristocrat 5/expert 2), the only one of the original
members of the Sandpoint Mercantile League still alive. Ethram’s
years are numbered, though, for the old man has a lung infection
that keeps coming back, no matter how often the family pays to
have it cured.

48. Scarnetti Manor
Perhaps Sandpoint’s most notorious noble family, many of Sandpoint’s
elderly Varisian locals still haven’t forgotten or forgiven
Alamon Scarnetti’s assault on their people more than 40 years
ago, even with Alamon 20 years in the ground at the Sandpoint
Cemetery. The Scarnetti family, now headed by Alamon’s only
surviving son Titus (LN male human aristocrat 6), controls
Sandpoint’s mills and the lumber industry. The control of the
lumber the Valdemars need for their enterprises is not lost on the
Scarnettis, and they use this fact as often as possible to leverage
Valdemar support. The Scarnettis are easily Sandpoint’s most
traditional family, who cling to old Chelish values that are, in
many cases, outdated today.

49. Kaijitsu Manor
This manor is the smallest of the four noble houses overlooking
Sandpoint, yet the Kaijitsus are perhaps the richest family
in town. What this manor lacks in stature and size it more than
makes up for in the exotic and impressive furnishings within.
Lonjiku Kaijitsu (LN aristocrat 3/expert 2) has carried on his
father’s proud work as glassmaker, and the Sandpoint Glassworks
is perhaps the town’s most prosperous business, with its products
regularly shipped as far as Korvosa. Lonjiku’s accomplishments
are all the more impressive when one takes into account that he
and his family are newcomers to Varisia, the survivors of an exiled
family from Minkai sent over the crown of the world a half century
ago for unknown crimes. Lonjiku was born in Magnimar and
has never visited his motherland, but he carries memories of its
wonders in the form of stories told to him by his now deceased
parents. Yet for all of his success at business, Lonjiku has found
the role of father to be one he’s particularly ill-suited for. His
eldest son Tsuto, in addition to being proof of his wife’s aff air
with an unknown elf, left the region several years ago after an
argument that resulted in Lonjiku striking his son with his cane.
His eldest daughter Ameiko shamed him not only by becoming
an adventurer, but by opening and running a tavern and fl ophouse—“
hardly women’s work,” he’s fond of telling anyone who’ll
listen. Of course, those who know Lonjiku know his short temper
is his real problem.

50. Deverin Manor
Living within the largest manor, the Deverins have traditionally
held the role of “leader” in Sandpoint. Old Amos Deverin served
as the town’s mayor for its fi rst 23 years, and his son Fenchus served
for the next 11. Both Deverins perished to unfortunate accidents
(Amos to a runaway horse on Festival street and Fenchus to a snakebite
while on a boar hunt), leaving Amos’s youngest daughter as the
heir to the family fortune and a likely candidate for mayor. Kendra
Deverin (NG female human aristocrat 4/expert 3) didn’t initially
want the job, but after she was nominated for the role by her close
friend Casp Avertin, she won the election by a landslide, something
her primary opponent in the election, Titus Scarnetti, has never
quite come to terms with. For some time there was talk of her and
Casp becoming wife and husband, but Casp’s death at Chopper’s
hands cut that short. Kendra’s recovered now from the shock, but
has put aside all interest in romance for politics. She shares this
manor with her brother’s rather large family, and although her sister-
in-law Vana constantly complains about needing even more
space and luxuries, Kendra has done a saintly job so far in keeping
her temper under control.

There ya' go, Sandpoint at a glance.

https://media.photobucket.com/image/rise%20of%20the%20runelords%20sandpoint/Gark01/Rise%20of%20the%20Runelords/SandpointMap.jpg

here is a numbered picture.

Alright. This is Thassilon.
INTRODUCTION TO
THASSILON
The sprawling empire of Thassilon was powered by conquest and its
sophisticated rune magic. That magic defi ned the empire’s rulers
and included various forms of blood sacrifi ce, powerful glyph-laying,
and dimensional warping. Without rune magic and the binding of
the rune giants, the Thassilon legions would never have conquered
their vast lands. With them, though, they were unstoppable.
The Laying of Runes
The early empire was not founded by the runelords who later grew
to dominate it, but rather by the First King Xin, who was honored
in the names of the empire’s seven capital cities. More than
11,000 years ago, Xin established lawful orders of knighthood and
wizardry, endowed monastic traditions, and devoted donations of
the kingdom’s wealth to charity and the end of hunger. Yet, more
than a benevolent ruler, Xin was a visionary. In seeking to create
a paradise of civilization within the span of his own lifetime,
he called out to beings from beyond reality and bargained with
ancient dragons. These mysterious accords granted Xin an understanding
of rune magic—said by some to be the written language
of creation—and brought the worship of the mysterious goddess
Lissala to Thassilon. Inscribing his orders, contracts, and writs
with these symbols of power, he regulated trade, established
justice, and arranged his ever-growing lands into seven great
domains with an effi ciency inspired by magical aid and compulsion.
Xin’s just, magic-suff used decrees became known as the
Rune Law, and brought about incredible works, empowered the
servants of the domain, and compelled the creation of wonders,
all of which motivated Thassilon’s swift ascendance in power and
infl uence. This was called the Celestial Age of the Empire.
Runelords and Rune Giants
Xin outlived his creation in some ways. Unable to keep track of all
his swiftly growing empire’s provinces, taxes, armies, and subjects,
he appointed governors, favoring arcanists for their knowledge and
the ease with which they could be bribed with insights into rune
magic. The greatest of these magistrates were the seven runelords,
powerful wizards who showed especial skill and passion for the use
of runes and the imperial arcana, which would later be known as
sin magic (see sidebar). Yet, as these wizards’ powers increased,
they grew discontent with servitude and living at the whim of the
First King. In secret, they forged their own pacts with mysterious
extraplanar powers, covetous dragons, and the devious aboleths.
From these bargains, the fi rst rune giants were born, 40-foot-tall
paragons of strength and obedience that could in turn control the
other giant races. With these armies of giant slaves the runelords
erected not just roads and walls, but immense monoliths and statues
in honor of—at fi rst—the empire, but later, their own images.
Over time, the emperor’s generals, advisors, and runelords saw
that Old Xin (as he was called in his dotage) could not maintain his
mastery of the realm or his potent magics. After ruling 110 years,
Xin’s magic consumed him in a confl agration of scarlet fl ames
that destroyed much of the imperial palace, and left no remains
of the First King. Careless of their emperor’s mysterious end, the
runelords seized their domains for themselves, subjugating Xin’s
most powerful generals and viziers and leaving his eldest son a puppet
emperor in the city of Xin—a small mountain prison where he
could be controlled. The runelords themselves turned to greater
plans, furthering their own control of the runes in hopes of subjugating
their peers. Each meant to claim the empire for himself,
master the runes as Xin had, and reap the wealth of the nation to
fuel magics beyond any the First King had ever imagined.

Ways of the Empire
At its height, the Empire of Thassilon covered an area more than
a thousand miles wide, from the oceans to soaring mountains,
over deserts and along rivers—a region vast in scope and natural
riches. This empire’s fi gureheads were the sons and daughters of
Xin, but they were almost powerless. In practice, Thassilon was
ruled by the seven powerful runelords, maniacal arcanists who
used magic to fuel their own decadence. It’s unclear from records
whether the same seven extended their lives over hundreds of
years or their apprentices took their names and titles upon their
masters’ deaths.
Virtues of Rule: Stemming from the teachings of First King Xin
and the goddess Lissala, the runelords held that wealth, fertility,
honest pride, abundance, eager striving, righteous anger, and rest
were the seven virtues of rule—rewards one could enjoy for being in
a position of power. But the runelords soon abandoned the positive
side of these traits and embraced greed, lust, pride, gluttony, envy,
wrath, and sloth as the rewards of rule. Since the fall of Thassilon, the
original seven virtues are remembered as the great sins of the soul,
although only a few scholars who have studied ancient Thassilon
know of their true sources.
Castes: Thassilon had two castes of people: the militia and the
providers. The militia followed martial pursuits, and they praised
battle and the simple pleasures in life. The providers were the
farmers, miners, artists, and skilled craftsmen who were more
mystical and, as a rule, less content under the runelords’ yoke.
Today, the descendants of the militia caste exist as the Shoanti
barbarian tribes of the Storval Plateau, while the descendents
of the provider caste, the Varisians, are a nomadic people who
still practice mystical traditions from Thassilonian times. Both
peoples remember the tyranny of the empire—if not the wizards
themselves, nor even the title “runelord”—in their histories and
legends. Barbarian tales, passed on by storytellers for thousands
of years, remember the runelords as the Azghat, a larger-than-life
pantheon of war-bringers and punishers of the dishonorable. The
Varisians remember the rulers of Thassilon as demons and speak
of them only in hushed tones.
DOMAINS OF THE EMPIRE
Thassilon consisted of seven individual domains, each of which
was ruled by one of the seven runelords. Under distinct and
exploitive law, each domain embodied its ruler’s favored virtues
of rule. Each runelord had a capitol city that shared the name of
his domain, but was prefaced by the word “Xin”—ancient Thassilonian
for “imperial” and “throne of,” after the fi rst emperor.
Thus, the capitol of Shalast was called Xin-Shalast.
Bakrakhan, the domain of wrath, shared its eastern border
with Shalast, and the two domains were locked in an enduring war
until Bakrakhan was destroyed and sunk under the sea during the
cataclysm that precipitated Thassilon’s fall. Bakrakhan was a place
of many warring tribes who all served the runelord but hated each
other. They raided Shalast constantly, stealing gold and mithral
ore from caravans, plundering small settlements, and loosing
their rage on anyone who dared oppose them. Bakrakhan’s thick
forests were said to be home to hundreds of tribes of sinspawn
and humanoids, with goblins, gnolls, and bugbears chief among
them. Enslaved forest giants were common in Bakrakhan.
Cyrusian, the domain of pride, was traditionally the most
powerful domain and de facto capitol of the empire. Its great
river connections and centralized location allowed it to exert
power over trade routes and communications, and its cities were
larger and more numerous than the outlying provinces: names
like Corveilles, Xin-Cyrusian, and Justnoque are remembered,
though Torandey is the only great Cyrusian city still inhabited.
At the same time, its rune giants and enslaved dragons built more
and greater monuments to Cyrusian glory than any other domain.
The dragons that fl ew through Cyrusian’s skies were signs both
of its power (for many were tamed) and its boundless arrogance,
as many dragons were allowed to pillage outlying lands as they
pleased in reward for work well done.
Edasseril, the domain of striving ambition and envy, was rich
in timber, precious gems, and iron, as well as in enslaved giants,
powerful horses, bisonlike aurochs, and large herds of sheep.
In other respects, it was less blessed: wild elves raided from the
forests, as did ettercaps and ettins. The marshy river city of Xin-
Edasseril suff ered frequent plagues, despite the best eff orts of
the priests of Desna, and in modern times has been gutted for
stone to build the city of Melesa nearby, on higher ground.
Eurythnia, the domain of fertility and lust, was largely built
on its sea-going traffi c and trade with distant lands, counting
on spices and brothels to fi ll its coff ers. Lust for exotic lovers
also brought the slave trade to Eurythnia,
making it the onlydomain to import slaves, especially elves, from over the sea. Its
people were often disturbed by ghosts and will o’wisps along the
shores, where ships frequently wrecked and sailors drowned.
Raids from sahaugin were also a regular danger for the coastal
domain, though in the years of the empire, enslaved ocean giants
guarded Eurythnia’s shipping from piracy.

RULERS OF THASSILON
Although the great and wise First King Xin forged the realm that
would become Thassilon, the division of his empire and the cruel
decadence of his governers, the runelords, are the only memories
that remain of this once-great land. Each of these megalomaniacal
rulers reshaped their fraction of the empire as they willed,
scarring the land with monuments to their glory and shapes of
their boundless corruption.
The symbols of the runelords were as pervasive as their graven
images. As each ruler became associated with a particular virtue of
rule, so too did their images imply mastery of a certain school of
arcana and one of seven weapons of rule. Although arcanists fi rst
and foremost, each ruler was regularly depicted bearing an imperious
looking ceremonial pole arm, which once marked him as a guardian
of the Thassilonian empire and defender of Xin himself. Although
these symbols became meaningless in the face of the runelords’
varied depravities, each ruler retained his traditional, scepter-like
weapon as a public reminder of his connection to the Celestial Age
and as a physical embodiment of his mastered magic.
Alaznist, Runelord of Wrath, was a powerful, blood-cloaked
wizard and raging arcane knight. Her magic-, drug-, and mutationenraged
legions carried her thunderbolt-lance blazon and terrorized
the neighboring lands of Shalast. Known for her charisma (some
would say her ability to terrify her followers), she ruled Bakrakhan
and seemed close to forcing a humiliating peace treaty on Karzoug
when the world shook and her entire kingdom sank below the
waves. Stories occasionally tell of coins of Bakrakhan being drawn
up in fi shing nets. Alaznist was said to wield an ancient ransuer of
charred adamantine—impaled with the skull of the fi rst Runelord
of Wrath—as her weapon of rule.
Belimarius, the Runelord of Envy and the Queen of Edasseril, was
a bitter and poisonous politician, consumed by her magic to always see
her peers as scheming and fl ourishing beyond her reach. As a result,
she stewed and plotted against all of them with intrigues, poison, and
assassins. It’s unclear how her kingdom functioned; almost all records
of it are clearly written to show only a completely false paradise of
perfect rulership, perfect harmony, and perfect arcane skill. According
to the offi cial accounts, nothing ever went wrong in Edasseril. The
other runelords seem to have avoided discussing her. She was a
heavyset woman who looked to be the eldest of the runelords and
always carried a wand of ebony and a speaking mirror—an antique even
in those ancient times—with which she often consorted. Her halberdlike
weapon of rule was said to be capable of stealing memories but was
rarely used in battle by the paranoid queen.
Karzoug, Runelord of Greed, was a wizard known for his
calculating mind and utter mercilessness. Rumored to be either
half-vampire or descended from draconic stock, absolute greed
powered his every action. Certainly Karzoug was covetous and
deeply corrupt—famed for ordering the immolation of an entire
city for its tax collectors’ shorting of a few silvers—but that was
the reward granted him by the runes for his power and dedication
to magic. He long fought the silent war of assassins, mage-poison,
and demon-fetches against Alaznist, the queen of Bakrakhan. In
the end, something sank her kingdom below the waves, even as the
Thassilonian empire fell. Karzoug was enough of a master of the
arcane that many suspect his hand in triggering the murder of an
entire kingdom. His weapon of rule was a burning glaive, studded
with priceless meteoric gemstones.

Krune, Runelord of Sloth and Lord of Haruka, was the least
active of the Runelords, as his reward for rulership was apathy
and pleasant indolence. Krune is remembered as a mild runelord,
unconcerned with war, and yet powerful when attacked. He was
the chief priest of the rune-goddess Lissala, and his mastery of
the runes was complete. His weapon was a rod marked with all the
secret runes of the priesthood and his fl esh was said to be inscribed
with the symbols of a hundred secret spells. This might explain his
survival over time—few runelords wished to confront the one of
their number who could potentially turn their runic powers against
them. He enjoyed the defense of his weapon of rule, a dragon tooth
longspear capable of moving and attacking of its own volition.
Sorshen was the Runelord of Lust and Lady of Eurythnia.
She always wore red and white garments of the richest and most
enticing design and carried a slim, lewdly-shaped staff made
entirely of mithral. In battle, she was said to wield a doubleheaded
guisarme, marked with masculine and feminine ends and
said to be capable of summoning two seductive guardians. Her
skill at magic was said to be matched only by her beguiling voice.
With song, glance, and touch, she seduced and betrayed all of
the other runelords over the years. Although they knew she was
treacherous, they trusted her time and again, as her propositions
always seemed eminently reasonable (though they invariably gave
her the advantage in every future dealing). In her private life,
stories agree that Runelord Sorshen was a whore, rutting with
anything that took her fancy. Accusations of rape, perversion, and
violent outbursts might have been exaggerated by her enemies,
but if so she was remarkably consistent in her outrages. The one
person’s privacy she took seriously was her own; the servants
who worked in her private palace were all blinded and most were
mute, communicating through fawning touches.
Xanderghul, the Satrap of Cyrusian and Runelord of Pride,
was the devoted keeper of the Peacock Throne and a master of the
body, mind, and spirit. The only one of the runelords to follow the
Peacock Spirit, he claimed that his lands were the ancient capital
of the empire and he was fi rst among equals. The amazing thing
is that he was probably right. His features were said to be severe
and imperious, marking him as a descendant of kings. He prided
himself on single-handedly holding the empire together, and
thus created his realm to be a paradise for the nation’s most elite
and affl uent citizens, guarded over by legions of enslaved angels.
Among the runelords, he took great pride in avoiding political
squabbling and warmongering, seeing himself and his kingdom
as above such things and saving his angelic armies for truly great
causes. A master of diplomacy and the arts, he carried a feathered
staff of lignum vitae. In wartimes, though, he displayed incredible
prowess with his godscepter, a polearm like a lucerne hammer
said to have been created by Xin himself. In many respects, he
was the closest runelord to those of the Celestial Age, though his
arrogance grew greater every year.

Zutha, the Lord of Gluttony, hungered for myriad exotic
vices, but none more so than pure life energy. As ruler of
Gastash, he controlled fertile lands and rich seas. His body,
however, required constant renewal befitting his unique,
undead state. Still capable of experiencing all the sensations
of life, it was said the morbidly obese runelord never supped on
the same meal twice and imported exotic foods and meal-slaves
from across the world. Despite his disconcerting nature, he was
a clever merchant, often described as “more deadly with a pen
than with a pike”—his favored weapon was a set of magical rings
and ioun stones, whose resonances he had mastered in some
way that no other wizard understood, preferring these even to
his scythe-like weapon of rule. Zutha’s domain sold supplies
and foodstuffs to every side in every war; those who crossed him
soon found their copper, tin, wool, oil, wheat, rye, and other
supplies running thin.
FAITH IN THASSILON
Most of the runelords were not very religious and discouraged
the worship of the gods among their people, other than the cult
of Lissala. They generally crushed religions that threatened their
rule, but the people of Thassilon (particularly those of the provider
caste) still worshiped in secret.
Lissala
Lissala was the goddess of runes, fate, and the reward of service,
a goddess of harsh duty and obedience, but also of generous
bounty. Her faith reinforced the belief in a ruler’s price, but also
the belief that all workers receive their due, that all works are
rewarded, and that faith is an answer to adversity. Her stoicism in
the early years of the empire turned to harsher practices in later
years; her cult is remembered for its fl agellation, mortifi cation
of the fl esh, and extravagant “Feasts of Sigils” on high holidays.
Though Lissala’s faith is dead, some believe her runes and their
power may yet be restored.
The Peacock Spirit
God of mind, body, and soul, the Peacock Spirit was worshiped
by mages, scholars, and ascetics, and was well-known for
sponsoring the runelords’ knights of the Order of the Green
Feather. Difficult to understand, neither male nor female, and
never depicted as more than an eye or feather in illustrations
or statuary, the true nature of the spirit-god was deliberately
hidden under many veils. The god’s hidden name and extensive
mysteries were known only to initiates and priests, and these
secrets seem to have died out with the sect itself. The followers
of the Peacock Spirit often displayed remarkable powers of
mind and body, and the end of their faith was a great loss. The
early emperors were all initiates of the Peacock Spirit, and its
symbols were drawn upon their thrones.

CYCLOPEAN MONUMENTS OF
THASSILON
With their enslaved giant armies, the wizards of Thassilon built
massive tombs, enormous magical constructs, and staggering monuments
that survive today, mute testimonies of a mysterious age
long past. Many of these monuments still exist, built to an inhuman
scale, as befi ts the works of rune giants and stone giants. For all of
them, their meaning and true purpose is lost to time. A few of the
most famous include:
The Black Squares of Ungevick
Desgard’s Thousand Columns
The Dome Hive
The Falling Runewheel
The Great Temple of Lissala
The Green Spire of Lemriss
Hollow Mountain
The Irespan
The Lady’s Light
Minderhal’s Anvil
The Obelisk Forest of Mundatei
The Rune Mausoleum
The Storval Stairs
The Sunken Queen
Ygrath’s Pier
THE FALL OF THASSILON:
GLORY AND DECLINE
Why Thassilon fell remains a mystery, but as the end drew near,
the seven wizard kings of Thassilon retreated into the depths of
their greatest monuments, entombing themselves with orders for
their minions to release them later to reclaim their empire. Alas,
Thassilon’s minions defi ed their orders, were enslaved, or were
slaughtered. With no one left to waken them, the wizard-kings of
Thassilon slumbered for countless ages. The few scholars who
research the ancient empire maintain three
common theories for its collapse.
The Aboleth’s Revenge: One theory is
that aboleths destroyed the empire in a longdelayed
retaliation for the runelords’ theft
or corruption of aboleth glyph and lifecreation
magic. The invasion is said to
have come from the sea, driving inland
along the rivers and lakes, and ultimately
subverting and destroying anyone who professed
allegiance to the runelords. Evidence for this theory
is sketchy at best, as most scholars are unwilling to
consult primary sources among the aboleths.
Thassilon and Beyond: In time, the law and charity of the early
empire gave way to corruption, cronyism, and the summoning of
aberrations from beyond the planes. These included the shining children,
the scarlet walkers, the inverted giants, and the Oliphaunt of
Jandelay, a creature so powerful and yet so diffi cult to control that it
was summoned only once to destroy an invading army—and even so,
dismissing it afterwards destroyed a quarter of the Peacock Legion.
This theory holds that the madness of these unknowable creatures
warped all they touched, turning the rune magic of Thassilon into a
mockery of its former glory. Without its magic, inherently corrupted
Thassilon fell apart into squabbling fi efdoms, none potent enough to
restore a central throne. Unfortunately, no one can prove a change
in the quality of the empire’s magic, which is long since lost.
Revolt of the Giants: This theory holds that the rune giants
who served the runelords and secured their power revolted against
their masters one summer just before the harvest, setting fi elds
and forests ablaze, tearing down monuments they had built, and
devouring every soldier, every priest of Lissalaa, every monk of the
Thassilonian Order, and every wizard and sorcerer they could fi nd.
They destroyed every sign of the Rune Goddess and the Peacock
Spirit, and forbade anyone from learning or using the runes ever
again. After destroying the ruling class, the rune giants wandered
into the north, never to return. Some scholars claim this was a
symptom of the empire’s fall, not its cause.

Well thats what I have for Thassilon history. Do you guys want general society, codes, polotics etc.? make a thread to respond.

Just asking for wishlists. What do you want from our game?

Magic item wise... Simon don't even bother posting, I've already figured you next few out... *evil smile*

Making a new thread for your response.

Anyway guys congrats on the full party wipe.
I will be posting some info on Fort Tath where you will be starting the campaign. Remeber, level 8 characters, 16000 starting gold, why you are here.

Quote :

Please don't post on this thread...

Problem fixed by Zandarak.

Fort Tath

Of the six Frontier forts along the Taqisis Desert, Fort Tath is both the largest, and most aggressive. Tath can boast nearly three thousand fighting soldiers as well as three units of Champion Auxilaries. These decorated warriors are responsible for pushing the Taquine boders back to the true desert and away from the fertile 'civil' lands of the north.

Recently the old Commander Genik, a grizzled and whining but nonetheless brilliant Dwarf, passed away. 150 years of fighting trogs, The Order of Faith, and Fire Elementals finally catching up to him. His funeral is being held the day after tomorrow. The next candidates for Commander shall be given the oppourtunity to prove their worth after the funeral.

Baric Fenok, Genik's cousin, is the most likely candidate. He has put out that he is looking for Adventurers and has an offer none can refuse.

Greth, a Half-Orc sired in a raid has a great deal of support with many of the lowly grunts. It is rumoured he also seeks adventurers.

The last main candidate is Hansel Megnsk. A mage who is rumoured to have need of treasure seekers.

Tath is more than a Fort though. A small city has sprung up around it's stone-and-wood ramparts. Taking advantage of the Fertile lands taken from the Taquine. While many of these Frontier dwellers are simply out for the land and their family. Many swelter in the heat for the chance at a new life. On the run from one thing or another, the night time streets and filled with vangabonds with no where else to go.

Barbaric Gnoll wrote:

Fort Tath

Of the six Frontier forts along the Taqisis Desert, Fort Tath is both the largest, and most aggressive. Tath can boast nearly three thousand fighting soldiers as well as three units of Champion Auxilaries. These decorated warriors are responsible for pushing the Taquine boders back to the true desert and away from the fertile 'civil' lands of the north.

Recently the old Commander Genik, a grizzled and whining but nonetheless brilliant Dwarf, passed away. 150 years of fighting trogs, The Order of Faith, and Fire Elementals finally catching up to him. His funeral is being held the day after tomorrow. The next candidates for Commander shall be given the oppourtunity to prove their worth after the funeral.

Baric Fenok, Genik's cousin, is the most likely candidate. He has put out that he is looking for Adventurers and has an offer none can refuse.

Greth, a Half-Orc sired in a raid has a great deal of support with many of the lowly grunts. It is rumoured he also seeks adventurers.

The last main candidate is Hansel Megnsk. A mage who is rumoured to have need of treasure seekers.

Tath is more than a Fort though. A small city has sprung up around it's stone-and-wood ramparts. Taking advantage of the Fertile lands taken from the Taquine. While many of these Frontier dwellers are simply out for the land and their family. Many swelter in the heat for the chance at a new life. On the run from one thing or another, the night time streets and filled with vangabonds with no where else to go.

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