Hooks and Folks

Hooks

1.               Villains have taken over the keep on the hill. Someone needs to rescue the prisoners. Do they storm the front gates or sneak in the back?

2.               There’s a plague in Willowville and someone needs to deliver 20 potions of vitality to the town post haste. There are trolls controlling the only bridge between here and there, and with word of their vulnerability spreading like wildfire, there may be more trouble on the road. Can you make it through with enough potions intact?

3.               Doppelgangers have been infiltrating the temple of [diety here], and the town cleric wishes for assistance in locating and destroying them. And what happened to the original priests?

4.               Good money is being paid out for proper potions supplies. Check the list and gather what you dare?

5.               The drow have set up a temple to Lolth in the abandoned abbey outside the ruins of Bainbridge. This abomination must be eradicated, and the temple purified.

6.               Ghosts have begun disturbing the monks of North Oakvale, and they have issued a call to town for assistance in discovering why they have become active, and who could be behind it.

7.               Many travelers have reported weird things from the old shore road between Town and Ocean Point. It’s hard to know what is true, with so many different stories floating around. Perhaps speaking to someone at the church will give a better idea. You might also try to ask the travelers directly at Whisper Inn. Someone at the church might have a keener insight into the history of Ocean Point and the paths between here and there.

8.                

Who’s Who in Town

•         Jenny Baker – raised in her father’s inn, spending long hours throughout her young life in the kitchen helping prepare everything from morning bread and pastries to traveling fare and evening desserts, Jenny more than learned the art of baking, she mastered it. Since reaching her adulthood, she has opened her own shop across the street from her father’s inn and never looked back. Bustling through a haze of flour, she is a first-class source of information on anyone in town. And her cakes aren’t bad either.

•         Wally Baker – local innkeeper, he’s everybody’s friend, everybody’s worst enemy. For years the only place in town to spend the night, find a drink, spread some gossip, or meet companions, the inn has recently found competition from a new establishment on the outskirts of town, on the road into the mountains. Still the place to be on the river, the Swallow Inn has been around long enough to develop a more family friendly environment. Wally is set in his ways, loved by regulars, but difficult to get to know. Still, he’s no fool, and will be gracious enough to good paying customers. And with four decades in business, he is a wealth of local information. The difficulty is in pinning him down to carry on a conversation, and keeping him focused on continuing it.

•         Elwyn Bowyer – the new kid in town, Elwyn has been opened a new inn on the road leading to the mines that keep the city prospering. A half-elf from the northern forests, Elwyn first came to town five years ago and opened the Miner’s Delight two years ago. He has made no friends with the Bakers, and primarily serves miners and tradesmen dealing with the mines. As such, the Miner’s Delight caters to a rougher crowd and a more dangerous client base. He knows many things about the wild and has understands the politics of the mines and mountains. He doesn’t know much about the townsfolk, but is an astute judge of character, and has formed sound opinions of many, though he is difficult to pry for info. He is a master at the craft himself, and will pick up on lazy attempts to pump him.

•         Bellamy Boys – many of the town guards come from the Bellamy clan, enough so that they are referred to as the Bellamy Boys. Owen Bellamy is the head of the clan, and the head of the guards. He’s no great shakes for info or conversation, but knows how to use his head – in a fight. There are a number of Bellamys on the guard, and all are slow but tough. Nat Thorn and his cousin Mark Janus are the exceptions to the rule. They have only been in town for the last six or seven years, and earned their way into guard duty with their skills in a brawl, but they are slick, and often follow their own agenda in any circumstance. They can outthink the rest of the guard combined, and can be bought for many reasons. Be on your guard around them.

•         Nellie Bright – runs the general store. Any supplies for hiking, fishing, or adventuring can be found in her store. She doesn’t stock any weapons beyond daggers, hunting knives and archery equipment, but knows what’s good or bad. She used to be quite an adventurer herself in the old days, rumor has it, but a bum knee turned her into a merchant. She is close-mouthed about her past as a rule, so no one in town knows more than gossip about her, but she misses the thrill of the wild and the scent of blood on blade, so she will open up to worthy adventurers. She keeps some “special” supplies in her basement (select magic items and weaponry), and will barter with the right clients.

•         Jaimie Bellamy – runs the local forge. He can create any kind of metalwork given enough time, and owns the outright patent on Bellamy brains. It is illegal to sell weapons in town, but it is common knowledge that Jaimie can construct them, and he does well supplementing his day wages by dabbling in the black market trade of arms. He lives on a farm five miles out of town, and has a forge there that he uses to craft weaponry. He supplies townspeople and miners alike, as well as anyone willing to pay his inflated prices. His wife Nan runs the farm and keeps all-comers honest while Jaimie is at his forge in town. Rumor is she’s a witch or mage, but no one alive knows the secret. They know to stay away unless ready to trade honestly. She’s also suspected of enchanting her husband’s weapons, so they carry better bonuses and powers. Few alive have ever seen her close up, and she is rumored to have survived a terrible fire at some point in her past and to be horribly scarred or disfigured. She takes great care to conceal herself whenever out in public. Of course there are others who believe she is descended from Drow.