Resting in a natural cove along the cliff-lined Lost Coast region of Varisia, on the edge of the Varisian Gulf, Sandpoint is a medium sized town that exemplifies the varied people of the land. While only about fifty miles northeast of the city of Magnimar, and technically under its rule, Sandpoint benefits from its isolated location in its ability to remain fairly autonomous. The most notable feature of the town is the ruined lighthouse that stretches high above the coastal bluffs, a testament to the ancient empire of Thassilon which existed here centuries before the current town was settled.
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As one approaches Sandpoint, the footprint of civilisation upon the Lost Coast grows clearer. Farmlands grow more numerous in outlying moors and valleys, and the blue-green waves of the Varisian Gulf bear ever more fishing vessels. Creeks and rivers are increasingly crossed by wooden bridges rather than fords, and the Lost Coast Road grows wider and is better kept. The first glimpses of Sandpoint are hidden from either approach (south or east) by the large upthrust limestone pavements known as the Devil’s Platter and the arc of rocky outcroppings and lightly forested hilltops that rise up just east of town. As the final bend is rounded, Sandpoint’s smoking chimneys and bustling streets greet the traveler with open arms and the promise of warm beds, a welcome sight indeed for those who have spent the last few days alone on the Lost Coast Road. From the south, a wooden bridge governs entrance to Sandpoint, while from the north, a stone wall offers the town a bit of protection. Here, the Lost Coast Road passes through a stone gatehouse that is generally watched by one or two guards; the southern bridge is typically unattended. There has been an increased number of adventurers to Sandpoint, visitors who would do well to heed a quirky sign and mirror hanging from a bent nail at both the gatehouse and the southern bridge. Painted on each sign is a message: “Welcome to Sandpoint! Please stop to see yourself as we see you!”
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Most 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 the northern portion of town. Most of uptown's buildings are relatively new and the streets are open and less crowded. This section of town is physically above the rest, situated on a bluff overlooking Downtown.
DOWNTOWN: The majority of the town's buildings can be found in 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 north, down to only a few feet above the waterline to the southwest.
Sandpoint Harbour is 30 feet deep for most of its expanse, with sharply rising shores.
The languid waters of the Turandarok River wind down from the Hinterlands from a still undisclosed source, skirting Devil's Platter to empty into the harbour; the river is often used to transport lumber, harvested far upriver from Tickwood and the edge of Mosswood down to the local sawmill (SANDPOINT LUMBER MILL, 120 River St, mill operator: human male, Ibor Thorn).
The sight that proves most striking to visitors of Sandpoint a first is the ruins of the Old Light (MYSTERIOUS RUINED TOWER, located at the west end of Tower Street). The stone tower's original height is unknown, but those who have studied the ancient architecture of the crumbling remains estimate it might have stood more than 700 feet tall. Presently, only a fragment of that remains. The Old Light rises from sea level and is built into the face of a 120 feet tall cliff, with the tower extending another 50 feet above that level to culminate in ragged ruins.
