Contents
Large town, ~150 miles east-southeast of Drylake.
Caledas is a town of almost 5,000 people, standing on the joining of two rivers. It is a center of trade for this region; merchants come from a hundred miles away and more, to ply their wares here.
Most residents of Caledas are human, with a small contingent of half-orcs, and even a handful of hobgoblins. The people of Caledas are fairly tolerant of outsiders, as they’ve seen a few odd people pass through the town from time to time.
In addition to the town guards, Caledas hosts a garrison of the king’s troops, stationed here to guard against incursions of barbarians and orcs from the south. There has been little activity of that sort lately, though, and the soldiers tend to be bored most of the time. Military service is seen as a good (and not very dangerous) way to earn a decent living, and—for the ambitious—a way to rise through the ranks of society.
People
- Pelorite clergy:
- Nobility:
- Don Valencio, a wealthy noble
- Don Silvio, a noble
- Don Bosco, a noble
- Don Marco, a noble
- deceased
- Don Celino, a wealthy noble; commander of the king’s troops
- Residents of the tower of Modestus:
- Others:
Locations
1. Don Valencio’s estate
A sprawling residence standing on the river bank, ringed with high walls of imported stone, elaborate ironwork, and painted stucco—the picture of opulence.
2. The Coral House
An expensive tavern; a gathering-place for rich, bored noblemen and their hangers-on.
3. Temple of the Revelation
Pelorite temple. A beautiful structure of white marble, airy and full of light.
4. Citadel
The contingent of the king’s troops stationed in Caledas are garrisoned here. The guardhouse of the town guard also occupies a wing of this riverside fort.
5. The Nodding Rooster
A cheap, low-class tavern; a real dive. It features several private back rooms, each of which has a separate back entrance, which open onto separate paths through a densely thicketed grove behind the tavern. For this reason the Nodding Rooster is a favorite haunt of shady characters of all sorts.
6. Nulrenak’s residence
The hobgoblin alchemist Nulrenak lives here, and his alchemical laboratory is located here as well, occupying an oddly-shaped, vaguely cylindrical building. The residence is ringed on all sides by high, forbidding walls. Empty lots and abandoned houses surround the place.
7. “Orcland” (a.k.a. “the Pit”)
Called “Orcland” by the human residents of Caledas, and “the Pit” by those who congregate here, this is the gathering place for the half-orc community of Caledas. It’s a walled outdoor park at the south end of town, about three dozen acres in total, with a large fire pit in the middle, and a number of tents set up all about. The Pit regularly features singing, dancing, fighting, performing, socializing, food and drink vendors, assorted other merchants and artisans, as well as a variety of questionably-legal services.
8. Renzo’s house
A bookbinder’s shop occupies the bottom floor of this modest structure. Renzo, a young archer in the king’s troops (and a student of the wizard Modestus) lives above the shop with his father (the shop owner).
9. Don Marco’s estate
This somewhat shabby six-acre estate in the middle of the nobles’ neighborhood of Caledas once belonged to Don Marco. A typical member of the town’s “idle rich” class, Marco was tragically killed in the prime of his life (an event about which swirl all manner of implausible rumors). In the wake of the noble don’s death, Marco’s wife sold the estate (and the rest of her husband’s holdings in Caledas) and moved to the capital. The estate is now owned by the late Marco’s friend, Don Valencio.
10. Assembly hall
This building is used by the town council to conduct official business. A sizeable audience chamber allows a good chunk of the town’s residents to attend public hearings, trials, holiday feasts, etc. Public records offices and the like are also housed here.
11. Mortuary
Overseen by the somber Father Idris, funerary rites are performed here for the town’s deceased. Of particular interest to adventurers is the fact that the mortuary provides (for a fee, of course) corpse preservation services (allowing the body of a fallen comrade to be kept from decay while his party mates look for a way to resurrect him).
12. Don Celino’s estate
This walled estate covers a mere ten acres or so—surprisingly modest for the man whom rumors call the wealthiest in Caledas. Don Celino is rarely to be found here; he takes his duties as commander of the king’s troops seriously, and spends most of his time in the citadel, training troops and otherwise ensuring the garrison’s readiness for battle.
13. Jonas’s estate
Jonas, ranger-captain in His Majesty’s Forestry Service, resides here, as far removed from the town’s nobles geographically as he is distant from them socially. A modest house stands on the grounds; most of the estate is given over to kennels, stables, an archery practice range, etc.
14. Don Bosco’s estate
The estate of Don Bosco is quite similar to that of his neighbor and friend, the late Don Marco. After Marco’s death, the gates of this place now open only rarely, and the estate sees no visitors.
15. Don Silvio’s estate
Though slightly larger than the estates of his friends Don Bosco and the late Don Marco, the house and environs of Don Silvio’s estate show the same lack of upkeep. Like Bosco, Silvio has become withdrawn and paranoid after Marco’s death, and the estate has not seen visitors in some time.
16. Abandoned building
To the north and east of Nulrenak’s residence (adjacent and across the street) stand houses which, it is said, were abandoned by their residents after the fumes and odors emitted by the alchemist’s workshop became intolerable.
17. Tower of Modestus
(Not shown on map.)
Standing a mile outside of town, to the east, this is a classic mage’s tower, straight out of the stories. Tall, imposing, and grim, this structure radiates a palpable sense of dread. The wizard Modestus lives here with his two apprentices and his beautiful daughter Alba (who, it is said, is also a wizard in her own right).