This, and my Traveller Career Bibliography, are going to be works in progress. I may take each to make a document from, but until then, I'll just update these posts and, when I have another post, will keep things updated. But I have added a Windemere tag, so you should be able to search for them now by tags. Going to go ahead & hit publish on this one, but I'll come back to it as I expand it out. In ways that will probably never get used by my players, but hey, I do like to world build. I can at least live in some of these places in my own mind.
I tried to play a bit with Campaign Cartographer's City mapping but that will take a LOT more practice to get anything close to what I want. In the meantime, this site (Watabou) makes some really cool random things, and I've always liked the medieval cities it can generate. After a few random hits, this one came up that does have the east/west route as well as a southern route back into the mountains. And about the right number of buildings.
We do know that a few of the buildings are outside the walls, including the tanneries due to the smells. I'll have to look a bit closer at the various shops we have and place them in the map. The central plaza there is the marketplace with a central fountain of some sort. I'll see about a color coded map for the places I expand out here, and try to note the color and number in the description.
Northern Gatehouse from D'Architect (yes, a KS I backed as it has some really nice pictures!)
We need our list of what is available, as well as whatever additional info to make the shops a bit more interesting. Though honestly I've yet to make some of that role playing come across well. It is like the mapping: what is in my head does not seem to come out the same way. The answer to that is the same answer to most things: practice, practice, practice!
I am also using a few other resources I've picked up to help flesh out Windemere Crossing. I'll note where those come from as well.
And onwards to the shops and services listing. The notes in the parenthesis are number of help and the general quality. I = Individual, T = Team, G = Guild.
General Store (I, Good), Zrag's Mercantile. Green building 1. Owned by the diminutive Goblin Jesp Zrag, Zrag's Mercantile has a central and large building just off the market place. Carrying a wide quantity of goods, the overall quality is good to respectable: while you won't find the Lenu'r Bow here, the equipment and wares are of good quality, no bent swords here! With a not insignificant amount of traffic on the Ocean Trade Route, Jesp manages to maintain his shop with all the necessities. On occasion he has been known to trade for more exotic fare as well, but like all the Zrag Goblin merchants, you will never know what you may find. Often you find what you need without knowing you will need it. Located facing the market place, a sign with handcart hangs above the door. Three short steps open into the store, wide, well-stained planks on the floor holding shelves of equipment and gear. Behind a wide, low table is Jesp, usually cleaning some object or another and seated on a stool so he can see over the counter. Behind this table are barrels and shelves of rations and food stores. Prices are within the normal range, though Jesp does enjoy some bargaining. While he takes various currencies, he prefers to keep with the standard coinage of the Respeth Kingdom. He will direct patrons to the bank and exchange to exchange different currencies, gems and artifacts for coinage of the realm for those he won't take. He often purchases textiles, leathers and furs from the local shops and crafts them into serviceable if not great clothing.
Wealth Common
Prices Normal
Security 25% chance of something every 30 minutes
Influence little local influence
Goods decent but average arms, adventuring goods (ropes, pitons, packs, etc), basic clothing, whatever you may think of in an old west style of general merchandise store but fantasy flavored.
Services directions via a range of maps, supplies
Disposition Open to all
Favored adventurers who do good (neutral or good aligned). Somehow the Zrag clan seems to just know what adventurers have been up to though they only imply things.
Tanner / Taxidermy (I, Fine), Durdro's Tanning Yellow building 2. Located outside the city walls near the south gate. Where Jesp gets most of his leather for the better items. Durdro is a small man with stained hands and stained teeth from the chewing tobacco he chews. He lives above the tannery, which consists of several vats, drying racks and a store room full of various salts. Some of the salts come from the Eastern Ocean, as he has a regular caravan bring him supplies. While he does not create many goods from the various leathers, the quality of the hides is very good. He may also have other creature hides available as well. Rumors from the Silver Pirate talk about a dragon hide he has been working on for months now is in a back room.
Magic Shop (I, Fine) Alore Edris' Shoppe, Red building 3. A well maintained 2 story building on the corner, the lower part of the building is dug a few feet into the earth to give tall ceilings. The height is taken up by several 12 foot tall bookshelves, with a rolling ladder to access the higher shelves. Books, containers, scrolls and interesting hats are on the shelves. The floor itself has sections for various types of clothing, from fine ball gowns to sturdy adventuring clothing. Alore Edris is a tall, thin wizard who is always messing with cauldrons of dyes and magic where she creates her magical clothing. She wears what many on town consider exotic clothing, with a silk kerchief about her neck and creased trousers, a high buttoned starched white shirt and odd looking shoes. While most of her clothing is non-magical, it is all finely made, with neat stitching of intricate designs. Clothing here is almost twice as expensive even before any magic may get applied. Some of the magical garments include clothes that are always clean and immaculate, or can repair themselves after being damaged. She also has tunics and leggings that are the equivalent of stone flesh and provide the same amount of protection. Her Cape of Innocuousness gives the wearer a +2 on being noticed. All of her clothing has a hidden tag with her signature embroidered in it. Some of the clothing is hanging by itself in mid-air with no visible means of support. Shoplifters never get far - a jacket by the door will capture any would-be thieves as they exit. How it knows they are stealing is a question asked by more than one thief!
Wealth Prosperous
Prices prices start at 25% above normal and go from there based on the enchantment
Security very high with a 5% chance of something happening every 30 minutes
Goods excellent made clothing, minor potions (10-100 gold, priced per rules), magic scrolls and books
Services clothing repairs, new clothes. fashion notes
Disposition Adore welcomes most guests with a brief smile, and asks that they look around unless they are looking for something special.
Favored magic users as she loves to chat about spells, potions and magic in the world.
Tailor (T, Poor) blue 4 If the players cannot afford Alore Edris' shop, Keze Briarlegs shop may be more affordable. Clothing there is not particularly well made but does the job. Costs are 75-100% of the normal cost of clothing. The building is almost a hovel and not well cared for, located against the wall to the west side of town.
Butcher (I, Poor) lavender 5
General Store (G; Poor) pink 6
Tanner / Taxidermy (G, Good) orange 7
Wainwright (G, Fine) Brown 8
Rare Libations (I, Good) Maroon 9
Herbalist (G, Good) gold 10
Bank and Exchange (T, Poor) gold 11
Smith (I, Good) green 12
Textile Production (I, Poor) light blue 13
Smith (T, Poor) brown 14
Inn (G, Good) Pink Building 15 The Nimble Priest Inn. A large 2 story building with a basement below the main floor, The Nimble Priest is run by the acolytes of the Fair Lady. Fellow clerics and acolytes get a good discount, everyone else pays fair coin for the rooms. Rooms range from a few coppers to sleep in the stable above the riding mounts, 5 silvers for a shared room and breakfast, 1 gold for a single room and breakfast. The Fair Lady is a deity none of the characters would have heard of before.
Tavern (T, Fine) red 16 The Silver Pirate, run by half-Elves who used to be pirates on the Eastern Ocean. There will be tales of the Rainy City and Wex's Drift as well as plying the savage ocean currents. Occasionally one will hear rumors of Amazons but the other Elves will quickly make a sign and change the topic of conversation. Many of the regulars here are from the Ocean, and talk of the coastal cities they have been through, and the joys of the living in the salt air. When asked why they are here now, they look to the owner, Nomehi Wirididae, tending the bar. The half Elf has a scar across her face that disappears down her neck and she will scowl as the conversation quiets for a moment. The crew of her ship will stick by her, but she was banished from the open water to live her life near the desert sands by a curse. And so she took over Windemere Crossing almost a year ago. The tavern offers great drinks as well as some sea faring favorites. The near constant flow of merchants and caravans keeps her kegs full and spirits from across the world get here. While not as fine a wine selection as the Sarap Evi in Ceawla (see this post), there are some fine drinks and foods available.
Hired Help (I, Poor) tan 17
Soothsayer (I, Fine) yellow 18
Doctor / Apothecary (T, Good) blue 19
House of Leisure (I, Fine) yellow 20
Bath House (G, Good) yellow 21
Barber (G, Fine) Purple 22
Stable (T, Good) line green 23 Lurbuk's, run by an Orc family. The Lurbuk family is a close-nit family, the only Orcs in a town of mostly human and half-Elves. Lurbuk is an Orc of few words. Standing near 7 feet tall and as wide as the proverbial barn door, Lurbuk has few issues with animals in his stable. Located outside the eastern game, Lurbuk's Stables consist of actually 3 stables and two houses. Two of the stables house horses, with the third houses more exotic fair and is also something of a vet clinic for his eldest daughter Rush. Horses of good or better quality are available here for sale, as well as stabling for those who want a bit more than a stall or corral for their mounts. And more than horses may be found here. While camels, mules and ox are not uncommon, there is a pen with a couple of giant goats in the back, and an elephant is almost healed in one of the out buildings. If asked and Lurbuk trusts you, he will confide that he can get other riding animals. He has another stable a few miles south in the foothills, where more of his family lives.
