General Worship Taverns/Inns NPC's/Shops |
Takanal is a small farming and quarrying community near the headwaters of the Turan River. There are only a couple of docks on the river, for transporting feed, grain, leathers, and the best marble in all Rakore downriver, and bringing in luxury goods and metals upriver. The center of the town is a statue of Thravord Amorse, with a bleeding rock fountain pouring from his hands held before him, cupped. Thravord was a farmer turned warrior who beat back the last of the bandits in the region, nearly a century before. Around the town square is the old count's manor, the main smithy, the Temple of the Trees church, and the Seven Sisters inn. The tannery and the Rabid Plant inn are located along the stream the river becomes, to the north of the city. Most of the buildings are of stone and wood mix, with steep roofs of wooden half-logs and wattling. The town has had the occasional stirge infestations, that crop up in the summer months -- at which time, mercenaries are often employed to thin them out.
General Characteristics Population: 1,500 (64% Slate, 18% Amarans, 18% hill dwarves) Spending Limitations: 8,000 silver maximum Economy: Takanal's primary industry is agriculture, with farming, ranching, and fur-hunting being the primary support of the city. The hill dwarves -- mainly Wirebeards and Grimhammers -- quarry high-quality marble, and do stone-work around the city. Some trade goes on in Takanal, as it lies on an old east-west cross-road that goes from Firland on the western coast, to Kashin further to the east. Rulership: The town is ruled over by Baron Cardovar Thespulae, who takes considerable advice from the lead priests in the region, Father Thomalis and Mother Tia. The baron is a rather shrewd, cautious man that only moves or decides on an issue after considerable research and discussion. He's capeable of action when necessary, but slow to start it, having once run a mercenary company in his past. The last of his mercenaries helped establish Takanal as a safe-haven from the wilds of the Rakoran forests, and also serve as his reeves and knights.
Baron Cardovar Thespulae: male slate human Ftr7; CR 7; Size M (5'6", 175lbs, balding gray hair, pinched expression); HD 7d10; hp 45; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (+5 chain); Attack +10/+5 melee (Rakoran longsword, 1d8+3, crit19-20x2), or +7/+2 ranged; SV Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +2; AL LN; Str 16, Dex 11, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 11. Languages Spoken: Common. Skills and feats: Climb +11, Handle Animal +9, Hide +0, Intimidate +10, Listen +2, Move Silently +0, Perform (Oratory) +3, Spot +2; Alertness, Blind-Fight, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Sunder, Persuasive, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longspear). Possessions: for emergencies, he keeps a burnished suit of full plate +3 and a large shield +2 in the manor; otherwise, he carries chainmail, and his Rakoran longsword. Alignment: The town has taken on a Lawful Good mentality, due to the meshing of the mercenaries, and the Temple of the Trees' dedication to Whalin and Barith. Defense: Takanal has 15 knights that serve as full-time soldiers. They're led by Sir Antolin Tirod -- Cardovar's senior enlisted man during their mercenary days.
Sir Antolin Tirod: male slate human Ftr4/Rog2; CR 6; Size M (6'3", 230lbs, aging but able and very shrewd); HD 4d10+4 + 2d6+2; hp 38; Init +3 (+3 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (+3 Dex, +2 leather armor); Attack +8 melee, or +8 ranged; SV Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +3; AL LN; Str 16, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 15, Cha 11. Languages Spoken: Common. Skills and feats: Balance +6, Bluff +3, Climb +9, Disable Device +5, Handle Animal +5, Hide +3, Listen +2, Move Silently +3, Ride +9.5, Sense Motive +7, Spot +2, Swim +8; Blind-Fight, Deflect Arrows, Diligent, [Evasion], Improved Unarmed Strike, Self Sufficient, Snatch Arrows, Weapon Focus (greatsword). Possessions: leather armor, greatsword, lock picks. If mobilized, the Wirebeard and Grimhammer dwarves can all be considered 5th-level fighters, and all the Amaran tribesmen can be considered 3rd-level rangers. Roughly five-hundred of the town's slate inhabitants are members of the militia, and the armory contains enough chain-mail, spears, shield, and shortswords to outfit them all as 3rd-level commoners and 1st-level warriors.
Worship The altar to the two gods at the heart of the Temple of the Trees is a black basalt outcropping from which an underground stream emerges. The catch pools for the altar hold water that can cure poison and cure disease. The use of the water to feed the gardens and the Temple of the Trees itself makes it a specially consecrated ground (such that all Healing and Nature spells cast within the temple do so as though the caster were +3 levels). The temple also sells a special form of peppermint with considerable healing qualities. Each spring of peppermint from the Temple of the Trees has three leaves, and each leaf heals 1d8+5 damage; a whole sprig can be ingested at once, as a potion. The healing peppermint is only given as a gift, and cannot be purchased.
Father Thomalis Engrin: male human Clr5(Whalin)/Mnk3; CR 8; Size M (5'8", heavily jowled and quite jolly fat man at 235lbs); HD 5d8+5 + 3d8+3; hp 43; Init +2 (+2 Dex); Spd 40 ft.; AC 16 (+2 Dex, +4 Wis); Attack +7 melee, or +5/+5 monk, or +7 ranged; SV Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +11; AL LG; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 18, Cha 11. Languages Spoken: Common, Dwarven. Skills and feats: Balance +5, Climb +3, Craft (Alchemy) +9, Craft (leatherworking) +3, Craft (Sculpting) +9, Heal +14.5, Hide +8, Knowledge (Arcana) +7, Knowledge (Religion) +3, Knowledge (local) +9, Listen +4, Move Silently +2, Spot +4; [Deflect Arrows], [Evasion], [Improved Grapple], Improved Turning, [Improved Unarmed Strike], Self Sufficient, Skill Focus (healing), Weapon Focus (hands). Cleric Domains: Healing, Good. Cleric Spells Per Day: 5/4+1/3+1/2+1.
Mother Tia Engin: female human Drd7: CR 7; Size M (5'4", plump matronly woman as sweet as can be -- until she gets irked); HD 7d8; hp 44; Init +3 (+3 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (+3 Dex); Attack +7 melee, or +8 ranged; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +10; AL NG; Str 14, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 11. Languages Spoken: Common, Druidic. Skills and feats: Concentration +5, Craft (sculpting) +4, Diplomacy +10, Handle Animal +7, Hide +3, Listen +13, Move Silently +3, Spellcraft +7, Spot +6, Use Magic Device +2; Brew Potion, Enhanced Plants, Iron Will, Self Sufficient. Druid Spells Per Day: 6/5/4/3/1. A treant tends the Temple of the Trees, and only makes itself known during festivals and holidays -- leading most to believe that it's an aspect of Mother Tia's work, and not necessarily a separate, living tree. The small maple was raised by Mother Tia as though he were a son, although a whole-together different kind of son.
Krish: huge plant (maple, 30ft tall, 4,500lbs); CR 8; HD 7d8+35; hp66; Init -1 (Dex); Spd 30ft; AC 20/7/20 (-2 size, -1 Dex, +13 natural); BA/G +5/+22; Attack +12 melee (2 slams, 2d6+9, crit20x2); S/R 15ft/15ft; SA animate trees, double damage against objects, trample 2d6+13; SQ damage reduction 10/slashing, low-light vision, plant traits, vulnerability to fire; SV Fort +10, Ref +1, Will +7; Str 29, Dex 8, Con 21, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 12. Skills and feats: Diplomacy +3, Hide -9/+16, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (nature) +6, Listen +8, Sense Motive +8, Spot +8, Survival +8/+10, Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Power Attack. There are also anywhere from 3-5 accolytes -- priests in training -- at any given time at the Temple of the Trees. Druids, clerics of Barith, and clerics of Whalin all come to study at the temple, before moving on to more formal education elsewhere. Other: There are several altars to other gods, found on the grounds of the Temple of the Trees.
Taverns and Inns
Joseph Candor: male human Exp3; CR 2; Size M (5'7", 170lbs, 42y); HD 3d6; hp 11; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Attack +2 melee, or +2 ranged; SV Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +3; AL CG; Str 10, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 10. Languages Spoken: Common. Skills and feats: Climb +5, Concentration +2, Craft (wine) +5, Craft (beer) +5, Craft (barrels) +6, Decipher Script +1, Gather Information +4, Hide +0, Jump +3, Knowledge (Geography) +4, Listen +2, Move Silently +0, Perform (jokes) +6, Spot +2; Alertness, Skill Focus (Gather Information), Skill Focus (Perform (jokes)).
The Seven Sisters (tavern and inn): Andra Modar runs a posh, upper-class restaurant that caters mainly to the few merchants in Takanal, and to the travellers going to the Star's End Monastery northwest of the town. Andra is an understanding, yet snooty sort of woman, but the facilities at the Seven Sisters is well worth the extra money: hot baths, luxurious beds, great maid service, excellent food, wondrous stables, and more. The lighter colors draw minstrels and those needing a change-of-pace from the Rabid Plant. Many suspect that Andra and the Seven Sisters are a front for the Star's End, because the monastery is devoted to the study of languages, and Andra knows quite a few.
Andra Modar: female human Exp5; CR 4; Size M (5'3", 125lbs, 36y); HD 5d6; hp 26; Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 11 (+1 Dex); Attack +3 melee, or +4 ranged; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +4; AL LN; Str 11, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 11. Languages Spoken: Karatikan, Common, Sholin, Dwarven, Elven, Celestial, Ogran, Amaran, Vridaran. Skills and feats: Appraise +6, Craft (Trapmaking) +2, Disable Device +8, Hide +1, Listen +2, Move Silently +2, Perform (Comedy) +8, Perform (Oratory) +7, Perform (Wind Instruments) +1, Profession (Hunter) +2, Sleight of Hand +4, Speak Language +8, Spot +2, Use Magic Device +2; Alertness, Skill Focus (Perform (Oratory)).
NPCs
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