Sandpoint
Small Town conventional (mayor); AL NG
GP Limit 800 gp; Assets 49,600 gp
Demographics
Population 1,240
Type isolated (90% human, 3% halfling, 2% dwarf, 2% elf, 1% half-elf,
1% gnome, 1% half-orc)
Authority Figures
Kendra Deverin mayor (NG female human aristocrat 4/expert 3);
Belor Hemlock, sheriff (CG human male fighter 4); Abstalar
Zantus, town priest (CG male human cleric 4); Titus Scarnetti,
nobleman (LN male human aristocrat 6); Ethram Valdemar,
nobleman (NG male human aristocrat 5/expert 2); Lonjiku
Kaijitsu, nobleman (LN aristocrat 3/expert 2)
Map of Sandpoint
1. Sandpoint Cathedral
Easily the largest building in Sandpoint, this impressive cathedral
is also the town’s newest structure. Built over the foundations of
the previous chapel, Sandpoint Cathedral is not dedicated to the
worship of a single deity. Rather, it gathers under its eaves the six
most commonly worshiped deities in the region, providing chapels
for all of these deities in a communal forum. In a way, Sandpoint
Cathedral is six different churches under one impressive roof.
Yet even the previous chapel wasn’t the first holy site in this location.
The core of both the original chapel and the new cathedral is an
open-air courtyard surrounding a set of seven standing stones themselves
surrounding a circular stone altar. These stones served the
Varisians for centuries as a place of worship; although they generally
venerated Desna at these stones, the stones themselves have a much
older tradition.
The six Dieties are:
To the south, facing Sandpoint’s heart, are the shrines of civilization: Erastil and Abadar.
To the west, offering a view of the Old Light and the sea beyond, are the shrines of Shelyn and Gozreh. And
To the east, offering a view of the Sandpoint Boneyard
and the rising sun, are the shrines of Sarenrae and Desna.
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 affluent members of the town stand near
the cemetery’s edges or at its center, while dozens of humble plots,
each marked with a simple gravestone, sit amid trees and shrubberies.
The boneyard is well-maintained, kept by a man named
Naffer Vosk.
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 five years ago
in the same fire that destroyed the Sandpoint Chapel. The new
building is a grand affair, three stories tall with a stone first floor
and wooden upper floors with a dozen large rooms that can accommodate
two to three guests each. A somber and quiet Shoanti man named Garridan
Viskalai owns the White Deer and runs the place with
the aid of his family and a few local girls.
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, 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.
5. Jeweler
This squat stone building escaped the fire that ravaged northern
Sandpoint, much to the relief of its owner, a wild-haired jeweler
named Maver Kesk.
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
7. Gorvi’s Shack
This dilapidated shack is home to one of Sandpoint’s few halforcs,
a fat, heavily tattooed lummox named Gorvi.
8. Sage
The sole occupant of this ancient building is a cantankerous old
man named Brodert Quink, a balding
expert on Varisian history and engineering. Brodert claims
to have spent two decades of his youth studying with dwarven
engineers at Janderhoff and three decades as a cataloger at the
Great Library of Magnimar, and is continually baffled and enraged
that his learning and obvious intelligence haven’t afforded him
more prestige. Brodert has been studying ancient Thassilonian
ruins for the past several years and has recently become obsessed
with the Old Light. No one believes his theories that the tower
was once a war machine capable of spewing fire to a range of
more than a mile.
9. Locksmith
A flamboyant dwarf named Volioker Briskalberd has owned and operated Sandpoint’s locksmith
business since the town’s founding.
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; 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 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, a native Shoanti.
11. Sandpoint Town Hall
The majority of the ground floor 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 floor contains offices and storerooms, while
a vault in the basement below has been functioning as the town
bank for decades. Sandpoint’s mayor, Kendra Deverin, 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, the
building escaped significant 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 operated this tavern for the first 30 years of Sandpoint’s history, and even now
that she’s gone mostly blind in her old age and has left the day-to-day affairs of the job to her
three children Besk, Lanalee, and Vodger, the mysterious Varisian sorcereress remains a fixture
of the tavern. Known as much for Risa’s tales of ancient legends and myths as for its spiced
potatoes and cider, this tavern is a favorite of the locals if only because its out-of-the-way
location ensures strangers rarely come by.
14. Rovanky Tannery
Situated at the edge of town, Larz Rovanky
runs Sandpoint’s tannery with ruthless
efficiency. 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 fired 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 affection for large red mastiffs, 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 Das Korvut.
Das’s temper is, perhaps, his true claim to fame—he has little patience
for customers, and even less for everyone else. Sandpoint suffers 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 confined 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, an accomplished herbalist & gardener.
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 is the alchemist in charge, and store owner.
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 might look like a thug,
but he’s actually quite well-read and possesses a scathing wit—nights
when he takes thestage 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
floor 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, her father having passed away seven years ago.
A worshiper of Irori, the god of self-perfection
and knowledge, Sabyl is very generous and kind.
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.
21. Sandpoint Savories
The smells issuing from this bakery fight 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 Avertinis a morose sad woman.
Her twin daughters Arika and Aneka all but run the business.
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 has
maintained his love affair 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, financed entirely
by its larger-than-life owner, Cyrdak Drokkus, 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 flee that city for mysterious reasons he’s eager
to hint at but reticent to expound upon. 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 flirting 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, 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.
25. Sandpoint Lumber Mill
This long building was one of the first 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 and his partner Ibor Thorn. 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 so far they have kept
any mandates against operating the log splitter from coming to pass.
26. General Store
Owned and operated by Ven Vinder 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.
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 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 floor 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.
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.
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 filled with living
quarters, meeting halls, file rooms, and storage. Olmur Danvakus
took up the post of guildmaster here after the previous guildmaster
was murdered.
30. Vernah’s Fine Clothing
Rynshinn Povalli has owned and operated this clothing shop for the
last five 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.
31. Wheen’s Wagons
A lanky man named Bilivar Wheen owns this workshop. Bilivar is a
down-on-his-luck wheelwright who’s lately been spending more time at
various taverns than here working.
32. Scarnetti Mill
As with the Sandpoint Lumber Mill, this building is owned by
the Scarnettis. All of the flower and grain produced here is supplied
by local farmers. Mysterious fires 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
flying high, but the manager of this mill, constantly worried and
sneezing Courrin Whesterwill, 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 Hagfish
One of Sandpoint’s most popular taverns, especially among fishermen
and gamblers, the Hagfish is also Sandpoint’s best bet for a
good old-fashioned seafood meal. Owned by a gregarious one-legged
man named Jargie Quinn, the Hagfish gets its name from the large glass
aquarium that sits behind the bar, the home of a repellent hagfish that
Jargie affectionately calls Norah. Hanging from a nail
next to Norah’s tank is a leather pouch bulging with coins: prize
money for anyone who can drink down a single tankard of “water”
scooped from Norah’s tank. It’s a single silver coin to try, but the
trick is that, since she’s a hagfish, the water in Norah’s tank is thick
and horrifically slimy and foul-tasting. Few can stomach the stuff,
but those who do get to keep however many coins have accumulated
in the pouch, and then get to carve their names in the ceiling
beam above the bar. To date, there are only 28 names carved there,
and the Hagfish has been in business for nearly 10 years.
But there’s certainly more to this tavern than Norah. Jargie’s
game tables are always well-attended, with games ranging from
cards to checkers to dice to darts. Tall tales are a favorite pastime
here, with one popular game called “yarning” involving seeing
how long a local can string along an impromptu fable without
contradicting himself. The most popular subject of these tales
is traditionally Old Murdermaw, the legendary giant red snapper
who 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, shellfish, and even the odd
octopus for the evening’s meal. Turch Sterglus, a retired fisherman
with a lazy eye and a wild white beard, runs the fishmarket 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. Turch’s five sons, each smarter than
the next, have made a career working for their father as fish 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 fills 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 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.
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,
the Rusty Dragon is not only one of the town’s most popular eateries (made so,
in large part, by the spicy and exotic food served here), but also a great
place to meet visitors from out of town, since most newcomers
to Sandpoint come upon this inn first, the north Lost Coast Road
being less traveled. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Ameiko’s exotic
beauty is more than matched by her skill at music, and few are the
evenings that pass without at least two or three songs by the talented
woman.
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, Daviren’s hatred of goblins is
nearly legendary in Sandpoint. In a somewhat grisly display, over the
entrance to the stable’s covered barn is his collection of goblin ears:
preserved and nailed to three different rafters, each bearing the goblin’s
name burned into the leathery flesh. The bitter ranger’s pride and joy
is a large glass bottle filled with brine in which he’s preserved the body
of Chief Whartus of the now extinct (due in large part to Daviren) Bonegrinder Tribe.
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 only a
few years after Sandpoint was founded, their expertise at brewing
has only increased over the years.
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 official foundation here.
41. Sandpoint Boutique
This large boutique and shop sells all mannerof 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.
42. Fatman’s Feedbag
If the Hagfish is Sandpoint’s most popular tavern, Fatman’s Feedbag
is its most notorious. Bar fights are common, and Sheriff
Hemlock typically has to come down here two or three times
a week to sort them out when they grow particularly violent or
loud. The majority of the clientele here are Varisian scoundrels
or less-reputable sailors. Most believe this tavern is owned and operated by an
enormous man named Gressel Tenniwar.
43. The Pixie’s Kitten
Many of Sandpoint’s crasser locals have a much more colorful name for this
establishment, but Kaye Tesarani runs the town brothel with class and distinguished
grace. She pays her girls and boys quite well, and the three Shoanti bouncers she
employs are more than enough to handle troublemakers.
44. The Feathered Serpent
This cramped and cluttered shop smells of a strange
mixture of incense, spice, and dust. Its sole proprietor,
Vorvashali Voon, 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 find 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. Hannah spends most of her mornings
out in the surrounding wilds, 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 first place, but in cases where there’s no other
option, her other services are discrete and confidential.
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, 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.
47-50 Manor homes overlooking Sandpoint
