| Thald' s Location: Res-Bus district, seedy neighborhood Exterior Description: Two-story stone townhouse, indistinguishable between any other on the block. Admittance: The toughest part about getting into Thald' s is knowing of its existance. After that finding out the passwords for the week and the exact location are difficult tasks as well.(its all about who u know) After aquiring this knowledge, PC' s must knock on the alleyway door at the rear of the building and whisper the first password. After that they must go to the front of the building through a narrow (3'), filthy walkway between Thald' s and the adjacent building.(NOTE: There are two walkways, if they take the right one they are carefully screened by sentries stationed in the alley and nearby buildings. If they take the wrong one they recieve a crossbow bolt in the back.) After reaching the front of the building a second password must be given. Once gaining entrance thugs/goons/miscreants pat them down for weapons. They don' t take them they just want to know what they might have to deal with. Interior Description: The interior of Thald' s is modestly decorated and very somber. The front door is guarded by 4 men(these are the shakedown guys) all of which bear the hard demeanor of veteran swordsmen. The front door opens onto the lounge which is furnished with several comfortable chairs and a few tables. In the northwest corner of the room is a staircase leading to the second floor. The north wall has two doors one leads to a kitchen the other to a small guard room where the alleyway door is located. The second story of the building is divided into 12 private meeting rooms each furnished modestly with a table and a few chairs. Services: Thald' s serves as a gathering place for the underworld community. Typical things that one might witness here are the sale of stolen goods, trafficking of illegal goods or substances, assassination contracts signed, shady buisness deals, etc. etc. For the privacy Thald' s provides to its guests it only asks a small (5%) cut from the profits of any deal/contract. Proprieter: Someone pays the bills at Thald' s but few people if any know who. "Thald" is obviously an alias for someone. Many have claimed to meet the legendary Thald but they always seem to disagree on his/her sex,age,race,appearance. Herb and Plant Emporium Location: Central Market, southern part. Description: A sign with a green leaf is painted on the door. Inside, the smell of different aromatic plants and herbs is almsot toxical. Strange fumes and smokes are always in the air. Plants of all kinds and places decorate the shop, and the roof is made of glass so the plants recieve light all the day. There's a small storage room with stored herbs inside, and a stair leads to the second floor, where the owner lives. There's a table in the owner's room with chemical products and herbs over it. There're some small, ivory boxes over it, all of then with names of aromatic herbs and essences written on then. These boxes have secret compartiments with poisonous herbs. Services: The owner, and elven woman called Erewa Coldleaf, is an expert herbalist, and she knows how to make any kind of unguent or salve. Poor adventurers buy healing salves here, since magical healing potions are much more expensive. She's also an expert perfume maker, and noble ladies come here to buy essences made by her. What most people don't know is that she's also one of the best poison makers in Parmakia, and that most assassins of Dalemport use her poisons. Notes: Erewa Coldleaf was a great assassin in her younguer days, but she left her job after killing an important noble and set a shop with the money sherecieved. Her vision of life is completly neutral, explaining the fact that she sometimes sell healing salves to people that will be killed by her poisons. She's extremely beautiful and charming, and, when someone falls on her good side, she makes shure that no assassin will kill him with her poisons. The Honorable Guild of Guides of Dalenport Location: halfway between the SE entrance and the Central Market on the main street. Description: the central building is big, with three stores. The sign despicts a map of Dalenport. There're a lot of people in front of this central building, most of then guides from the Guild, althought some freelancers stay near so they can pick a custumer going to the Guild. But it is very easy to identify Guild members, since all of then dress in bright red and yellow, and people use freelancers because it takes a lot of time to find guild members that are avaliable. The building has a lot of activity in the ground floor, with guides going to one place to another. The first and second floors are full scribes writing the messages (see services, below) and archives with information about Dalenport. Services: apart from the guides, the guild also delivers messages to people within Dalenport and nearby cities (it has a small office in each of those cities), and they're very good in their job. Guides are always armed with maces and daggers, and are trained to use then in case of beeing atacked by people that want their messages. During times of war, the "Guides of the Guild" form a small company of soldiers and act as light infantry. They can be deadly using guerrila tactics on Dalenport and its sorroundings, since they know these places very well. Other: the Guild has no owner, beeing directed by a Council formed by senior guides, althoght very serious things are decided by votation of all guides. Today, the most influential senior member is Warthon Vadrat, a retired adventurer who explored Chi'lore in his younguer days. Men & Swords Location: Northern part of the Res.-Bus. area. Description:The building is a small castle, with high walls made of stone sorrounding a central courtyard, four towers where each wall connects with other, and a big construction near the northern wall, with it's main door in front of the yard. The entrance is a big portal in the southern wall. The main building is full of rooms for the soldiers, having also an armory, a main dining room, a big kitchen and a library full of tomes about military history, tactics, fighting styles and others. The central yard is used as a training ground. There's also a stable if horses exist in this world. Services: Men & Swords is one of the most important mercenary companies in Parmakia, and offers a lot of servies for its clients. Common services include bodyguards for the rich, providing security for caravans in the nearby areas, training warriors that can pay their prices, letting people use their library (for a price) and others. But it's main service are those related with the battlefield: scouting, skirmishing, surprise attacks and others. The best heavy infantry in the realm is theirs. Other: Men & Swords patrols a big zone of Dalenport for free, and that's why the King permits a company better trained than the army to reside in the capital. Also, M & S sends a company of heavy infantrymen and one of crossbowmen to fight side by side with the King's army (for free) in times of war. All mercenaries of M & S dress in black and dark blue, the heraldic colors of the company's owner, duke Marton Vadenmor. Lord Vadenmor is not noble by birth; he was a powerful adventurer, and he and his companions all recieved a noble title when they saved Dalenport in one ocasion. He always dresses in black and blue, and his magical two-handed sword "Heartreaper" is always hanging on his back. He's now old and wise, but stronger than any person 20 years younger then he. He secretly aids the church of Wenvardor, since one of his former adventuring companions was a wizard that saved his life more times that he can count. Dalenport Library Location: Within the government sector Description of the Buildings: A very old 2 story stone gothic-styled building with a vast basement. Description of Services: Anyone is allowed to view the library that can show that they can read. Thoughout the building, there are peepholes so the visitors can be monitored. The underground vaults are not open to viewing. Other: This library is one of the largest on the continent of Parmakia (second only to Darkhaven). It contains every topic from ant life to theories on the evolution of the Mysteene. Though there are no books covering the how-to of magic, there are books on the theory of magic and how to neutralize its effect. Bank of Dalenport Location: In the government land, about 3 blocks from the border to the Central Market. Description of the Building: An wealthy looking building, with marble walls and ivory pillars, with a glass roof consisting of 100 smaller pieces of glass, joined together by 18 iron beams, 9 running lengthwise, and 9 running the width. The inside is massive, about 2500 square feet with a 20 foot ceiling, with a small balcony about 5 feet from the ceiling. A staircase leads up to the balcony which is the sleeping quarters of the manager. Behind a long marble bar which behind of which the bankers work, there is a 2 foot thick iron door which has to be opened by turning a large crank six rotations clockwise, three counterclockwise, and two more clockwise. After that, there will be a click, and the door can be pulled open to reveal the large, iron-walled vault. Description of Services: The Bank of Dalenport performs banking operations from loans to storing money. The interest rate is 4% yearly, although it has been known to fluctuate. Unpaid loans have an interest rate of 3% monthly, although it has also been known to fluctuate. The bank also handles residentials, such as house buying, as well as mortgages. Rytal's Goods Location: Anywhere inside the Central Market. Description of the Building: A flat, box-like building with a low roof but plenty of open floor space. Inside there are no walls, only counters and racks. There is one entrance and another exit for emergencies. The building itself is made of stone walls and peaked wooden roof. It is only one story. A sign with Rytal's Goods written nicely in white paint over a picture of a coiled rope rests above the single door entrance. Description of Services: Rytal's Goods is the common mans armory and adventuring supply shop. It holds weapons and arms of the commonist variety and make. Its prices are the lowest in town, and it quality is fine, but nothing to brag about. However, like tools, Rytal's Good can get the job done. It sells leather goods, clothing, non-leather clothing and padding, ropes, lanterns, etc. Some are second hand, but all work as needed. Although, one climber is known to have died from a falty rope bought at Rytal's, although the uproar's been lived down since then. Rytal's as sells some rather poor rations, of army quality, that keep a desperate adventurer alive but little else. However, the rations are extremely compacted and sealed for long life and easy storage. To one side of the building rests a common clothing store which offers uncut fabric and sewing supplies for the general populace with a wide range of selection. Other: Rytal Dindor is a former human adventurer of little success who inherited his money, buying and supplying the store with all of it and living happily off of the profits. Divine Location: Central Market, close to the royal gate. Description of Building: An all wooden, one-story building of rare and finely stained wood built by a master craftsmen. Like a ballroom, the open floor space is arrayed with fine gowns, although on racks. At the back of the shop a long counter fills up half the wall, and the other half extends into and extension which is the beautique in all its glory. All the jewelry is on display inside the counter mentioned before, which is made of glass. Just before the counter and along one wall rest lighted displays of even more expensive jewelry arrayed like fish in a fish tank. The lanterns hanging from the ceiling are all properly vented and filted through pink glass to give the place a sensuous feel. No less than four fireplaces are present to heat the place snuggly during the colder times. Description of Services: Divine, named for the perfume it also sells, is a beauticians heaven. Ninety percent of the stores clothing that is for sell is silk of the finest quality. A man wouldn't be caught dead in it unless he's purchasing a ring or an image conscious businessman, politician, or royal attendent. Only the rich can afford to breath even the air of the store, for the prices here would give a poor man a heart attack. The finest cut stones, jewelry, silk and clothing of other costly materials of the highest quality and fashion to be found, accept in the royal treasury, perhaps. Make overs, waxings, make up, hand held fans and expensive ball masks can all be found here among similar materials. Dainty, snubish women flock here like vultures to a corpse if ya' know what I mean. The White Swan Location: Anywhere in the residential area. Description of the Building: Two buildings with a narrow alley in between and side doors facing one another, in addition to the front entrances to both, so that access to both is easy. Both are lined with private booths for private business while eating or for private gambling overseen by some administrator. Music is constant in both places due to the constant hiring of skilled bards to sooth patrons. Tables for more public eating or gambling fill the central floor spaces of both building. At the back of the eatery rests the kitchen, at the other a sort of short bank and window for exchanging money for tokens which is guarded by two skilled swordsman. Bouncers abound in both places, for alcohol is readily sold in both at large bars to one side or the other. Description of Services: The White Swan supplies gambling and chief made food. Five chiefs of great expertise cook fine dishes here, while next door the rich gamble away their money in all manner of devices and games. The Temple of Oolidil Location: Residential Area Description of Building: A large stone monestary type building built like a castle with a large chapel area taking up most of the space under the structure's single flat, stone roof. large windows are arrayed around the building near the roof in large arched portals of colored glass which display scenes from legends of Oolidil prophets. This large chapel area is lined with a single continous bench that surrounds this wall to wall chapel area, drawing all attention to a large statue of much rumor that depicts a faceless figure surrounded by highly detailed wind wiped clothes. This statue is seen clutching the neck of a large black snake whose body wraps massively around one arm and the waist of the figure, whose other arms holds a dagger which has peirced the body of the snake only to penintrate the other arm of the figure beneath the snake and out the other side. initiates and priests alike claim to know little or nothing of its me ning, whom only the head of the church seems to know. The southern wall of the chapel ends short of the exterior wall. The space between the two southern walls is filled with housing, a large mess hall, and other multipurpose rooms for use by the resident priests and initiates, including Hunuen (see Other). At the base floor, for although the chappel contains no upper stories but the roof, the southern residential section contains five stories, rests a large basement for even more storage. Description of Services: The only service offered is healing by the higher priests, who can undo the damage of a wound by erasing its occurance in time, a powerful spell that is used only for great need, although performed on anyone who asks if it is life threatening. Unlike the temple of Synad, minor wounds are not healed, but a wound that might be unhealable to them is healable by the priests of Oolidil if healable at all. The cost of the healing is not money, but a promise to perform some service, sometimes in the future. Other: The head of the temple is a prophet who rarely makes his presence available to others and often disappears for days, weeks, even months at a time. His name is Hunuen, and his powers are greatly respected at the temple, and all priests defer to his decisions. He is a human male who appears middle aged, but his past is unknown, for he simply appeared one day and asked for shelter, which the priests readily supplied. The Temple of Yodinnay Location: Near the docks. Description of the Building/Services: There is no real building, just a garden surrounded by a ring of marble columns two stories high. Dirt paths lead into the garden, which is full of lush evergreen trees of great height. At the gardens center rests a large wading pool or crystal water that leaves the adventurous no choice but to walk on stone lily pads to the pools center, where a large stone gazeebo awaits for prayer, meditation, and conference with a priest or initiate who can get you a priest, usually to acquire their magical services (ship captains often hire a priest for journeys). The priests have no healing powers to offer though. A playful breeze is felt throughout the place, which can quickly turn angry to unwanted interlopers. There is one instance where a priest was attacked, only to be saved by a stroke of lightning which fell from a cloudless sky and killed the assailant instantly. Other: The head priest here is Jeshall Kratulla, a fairly youthful human female of striking looks who is often seen wearing stormy blue robes. The Temple of Talthazar Description of Buildings/Services: This temple is
really little more than a small chapel next to a boarding
house for traveling warriors, a stable for horses, and a
residence for the head priests and five initiates, all
surrounding a grass courtyard used for many purposes and
even weapons training. There is a kitchen where a hired
cook works, which is attached to the boarding house, but
no mess hall. The travelers either eat outdoors (there
are wooden tables and wood/stone benches of the the
correct size and shape) or in their rooms. All who stay
here must pay for both food and board, but the fee may be
lessened or waived if the head priest so decides. Other: The head priests is Gannon Erdune, an accomplished battle wizard and healer among his flock. He personally oversees the initiations of the boys who come to him, and he's even initiated a a young woman, which is a much rarer occurance. |