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| Valley of Fire, Nevada [Wikimedia Commons] |
Lormond, pop 21,000. Not so much a town as the largest major city in the
Badlands. Lots of stuff to see and do, and plenty of trouble to get into. More later.
Scarletton, pop 2,500. Famous
for its hospitality. Lots of great inns and restaurants, including—
·
The Barbarian’s Alehouse (14
g.p./night), famous for herb-encrusted goat shanks
·
The Screeching Carp (12
g.p./night), famous for its fish beer and bacon-wrapped-bacon
·
Newt’s Nest, a bawdy tavern
where men of rank or privilege go slumming
·
Skull Market, where orc-tribes
come to trade openly with the human population
Scarletton is centrally
located between Lormond and several smaller communities, so it’s a natural
trade center.
Hurstmouth, pop 5,800.
Originally built to exploit easy access to a freshwater stream, Hurstmouth is
now a gateway to the Underworld. Law enforcement hasn’t kept up with the influx
of new faces, and Hurstmouth is a dangerous place where unwary people lose
their fortunes and their lives with startling regularity.
·
Donna Portia’s Magick
Emporium, selling high-priced treasures to Underworld expeditions and wealthy
tourists from Nyctopolis*
·
A lawfully-inclined constable
named Rossdell Post, leader of a recently-formed town militia, has begun
imposing fatal punishments for a variety of poorly-defined crimes.
·
The Paladin’s Rest has a
reputation for being the best whorehouse in the Badlands.
Central Bluff, pop 740. Built
around the tower of the mysterious Crystal Maiden, this little community is
largely isolated from the outside world. Its people are whispered to be “wild
eyed” and unpredictable. Its major industries are mining and the harvesting,
preparation, and sale of rare gems.
·
The Crystal Maiden is an
unpredictable creature who wields magical authority over ice and snow. She
appears in different guises to those who seek her, but most say there is
something “insect-like” about her form. If she has a name besides the Crystal
Maiden, none in Central Bluff will share it with outsiders.
 |
| Wild Nevada [S4:E1] |
Verdant Grove, pop ?? (est. 80-120).
Due to some long-held custom of belief, the people of Verdant Grove wear only
green clothes. It’s otherwise an unremarkable backwater full of loggers,
skinners, trappers, and leatherworkers, who [some say] practice odd religious
rites under the full moon.
Vandarbarton, pop ?? (est.
80-100). Poor farmland, a misty forest full of scrawny predators, some
ramshackle huts, and a medium-sized herd of cattle. Also, a bar: Barren
Crossing, where you can buy whiskey or beer, and the locals throw in suspicious
glares for free.
Slattenby, pop ?? (est. 20-60).
A flooded, miserable little hovel of a village, built in the shadow of
Deathfrost Mountain** amid the Howling Forest on the shores of Barnacle Lake.
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| Badlands at the Blue Gate, Utah [Wikimedia Commons] |
*,**: Names borrowed from the works of Zak Sabbath, James Raggi, and/or Patrick Stuart.
