Candlekeep Forum
Candlekeep Forum
Home | Profile | Register | Active Topics | Active Polls | Members | Private Messages | Search | FAQ
Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

 All Forums
 Forgotten Realms Journals
 Running the Realms
 Hardbuckler Update

Note: You must be registered in order to post a reply.
To register, click here. Registration is FREE!

Screensize:
UserName:
Password:
Format Mode:
Format: BoldItalicizedUnderlineStrikethrough Align LeftCenteredAlign Right Horizontal Rule Insert HyperlinkInsert Email Insert CodeInsert QuoteInsert List
   
Message:

* HTML is OFF
* Forum Code is ON
Smilies
Smile [:)] Big Smile [:D] Cool [8D] Blush [:I]
Tongue [:P] Evil [):] Wink [;)] Clown [:o)]
Black Eye [B)] Eight Ball [8] Frown [:(] Shy [8)]
Shocked [:0] Angry [:(!] Dead [xx(] Sleepy [|)]
Kisses [:X] Approve [^] Disapprove [V] Question [?]
Rolling Eyes [8|] Confused [?!:] Help [?:] King [3|:]
Laughing [:OD] What [W] Oooohh [:H] Down [:E]

  Check here to include your profile signature.
Check here to subscribe to this topic.
    

T O P I C    R E V I E W
TheIriaeban Posted - 08 Jan 2020 : 23:14:44
I do not remember how or why this update was decided on but some of you might find this useful. I tried to stick to as much canon information as I could find but there really isn't that much. Also, as a personal choice, a mentioned canon NPC dies. This made sense to me since having everyone live forever is a real immersion breaker. I understand that exceptionally long life is a possibility but there has to be some people who simply do not want that (if interested, I have come up with a back story as to why the NPC decided to NOT extend his life and provides a bit of motivation for the character). If I can find someplace to host the pdf, I will place it there and put the link here.

The update is divided into two sections: Visitor Information and The Facets. Visitor Information contains stuff that players can know or even pick up from others that have been to Hardbuckler. The Facets contains the information that the DM and most of the residents would know (the dwarves in the smithy, for example, would not know all of this).
11   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
TheIriaeban Posted - 02 Apr 2020 : 02:25:21
The completed version is now available at http://www.mediafire.com/folder/um3liz6tqsf5n/Documents .
Fellfire Posted - 11 Jan 2020 : 01:52:27
Thank you very much for sharing. Great stuff.
TheIriaeban Posted - 09 Jan 2020 : 18:22:30
Thank you. I will see if I can find a copy of that somewhere. I didn't recognize the name and had to look it up in the FR Wiki.
Cards77 Posted - 09 Jan 2020 : 17:14:27
quote:
Originally posted by TheIriaeban

I was originally going to have a centralized storage but canon has it that each family has their own storage caves. So, to make sense of that, I came up with the Consignment Store. So, while each family owns their own storage caves, you have to go through the Consignment store where storage contracts are handed out round-robin style. Whomever has a big enough storage available for the request that is nearest the top of the list gets the contract. If no one has enough (for a really big request), then multiple locations are given with each family getting an equal slice of the fee. That will be in the Trade section when it is complete.


There are some magical protections outlined in the Magic section of the pdf. That will be expanded upon after I get the Trade section completed. I already know that, given the thickness of the cave walls, divination magic is useless for the contents of the storage caves. There will be a spell in effect that is similar to the spell Wall With No Doors. Prismatic walls, walls of force, walls of stone, spell engine-like effects provide enhanced defenses. And, if things are looking bad, as mentioned, Cordliri can temporarily send the entire village to a pocket of the plane of shadow.



yes I see I'm reading the guide to the sword coast material now.

I think there are a number of concepts you could meld into your system from Eds

See pages 121-123. Elminster's Forgotten Realms
TheIriaeban Posted - 09 Jan 2020 : 01:39:51
I does fly in the face of normal gnome conventions but that is what is in Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast. I had to come up with a reason why gnomes would create a mostly gnome village in the open when they would rather stay hidden. The major elements for the village (gnome village out in the open, each family has a guest house and storage caves, expensive booze, free water) are from Ed. I just tried to work within that framework.
TheIriaeban Posted - 09 Jan 2020 : 01:23:02
I was originally going to have a centralized storage but canon has it that each family has their own storage caves. So, to make sense of that, I came up with the Consignment Store. So, while each family owns their own storage caves, you have to go through the Consignment store where storage contracts are handed out round-robin style. Whomever has a big enough storage available for the request that is nearest the top of the list gets the contract. If no one has enough (for a really big request), then multiple locations are given with each family getting an equal slice of the fee. That will be in the Trade section when it is complete.

There are some magical protections outlined in the Magic section of the pdf. That will be expanded upon after I get the Trade section completed. I already know that, given the thickness of the cave walls, divination magic is useless for the contents of the storage caves. There will be a spell in effect that is similar to the spell Wall With No Doors. Prismatic walls, walls of force, walls of stone, spell engine-like effects provide enhanced defenses. And, if things are looking bad, as mentioned, Cordliri can temporarily send the entire village to a pocket of the plane of shadow.
Cards77 Posted - 09 Jan 2020 : 01:02:27
This is good. Is there any opportunity or desire to flesh out the storage system? It's seems a bit scattered and some things don't make sense to me.

All the storage is decentralized with each gnome family in the town? Can you elaborate on the system they use to track who owns what?

Can you elaborate on the wards and protections? What prevents the town from just being raided by a large group?

Maybe try reading Ed Greenwood's different articles on "Manycoins" Services. It gives some good insight into how something like this would actually work.

I've used these same sorts of storage arrangements in my game.


What exactly are the defenses?

How and what are these special wards?

How are the wards effected now that the wizard has died?


Also, this seems to fly in the face of normal gnome conventions.

They are not staying hidden, and must have wards to protect the storage but the storage is just items and crates kept by individual gnome families in a decentralized manner?

I find the whole thing really confusing and not that feasible frankly.

Are you interested in working together to flesh this out? I have some ideas about the actual storage system that may be interesting to you.
TheIriaeban Posted - 09 Jan 2020 : 00:01:14
Per TBeholder's suggestion, a pdf can be found at https://www.mediafire.com/folder/um3liz6tqsf5n/

If what I have here interests you, the 50 page pdf is at the above link (I had no intention of putting all 50 pages here :) )
TheIriaeban Posted - 08 Jan 2020 : 23:39:45
The Facets
Gnomes live and continue to thrive because of obfuscation and secrecy. The information from here on may be discovered through extended interactions with the residents of Hardbuckler but it will only be very general information and nothing specific. People asking too many questions are likely to be run out of town as a spy.

The True History of Hardbuckler
As far has non-gnomes know (and even most gnomes not from the area), the history outlined above IS all there is to it. This, however, is far from the truth as gnomes know that the only way they will survive is to keep things as hidden or obscured as possible. Gnomes are known as the Forgotten Folk because gnomes take care for it to be so.

Gnomes had lived in the area of the Trielta Hills, Northdark Wood, and Reaching Woods for centuries untold in small numbers. It was during this time that a series of natural caves had been found under the largest hill near the south edge of the Trielta Hills. The caves were soon dedicated to Segojan Earthcaller and the surface entrance was well hidden as gnomes were wont to do.

With the rise of Netheril and their decision to enslave gnomes, it was more important than ever for the gnomes of the area to make sure things stayed hidden. Even the influx of gnome refugees fleeing from the Netherese was not allowed to disrupt their hiding. Some communities grew too big to be hidden to the gnomes’ satisfaction so whole communities of gnomes abandoned their current settlements and moved to areas that would allow them to hide themselves better. This is why there are so many “gnome ruins” in the area.

By -3520DR, the elves recognized the plight of the gnomes and began helping the gnomes that escaped get out of the area near the Netheril Empire. Most were directed south and east towards Cormanthyr but some were also sent into the Trielta Hills to stay with their brethren. The numbers were no so great as to cause any mass relocations this time.

Everything changed again in -3150DR with the creation of the Trail of Mists. This was done by the elves and a very few, select gnomes that had been taught magic by the elves (very few gnomes seemed to be able to learn magic because of their distinctly non-magical natures). The Trail of Mist’s first destination, by way of many nexus, was the Sunrise Mountains. By the end of the next year, so many gnomes had been efficiently and quickly relocated that the hidden gnome kingdom of Songfarla was founded.

One of the most monumental moments in gnome history happened in -3095DR. A gnome illusionist/thief called Rhilmohx Sha’Quessir (obviously not his real name) aided a small group of elves to steal a set of the Nether Scrolls. It was at this time that he read a small bit of one of the scrolls and that unlocked the proper method of teaching magic to gnomes. This information was quickly distributed out to the elves and already trained gnome illusionists. Because of this, there was a huge jump in the number of gnomes that were able to learn and practice magic.

Over the following centuries, the Trail of Mists was expanded by both the elves and the gnomes. Rescued gnomes were being sent further and further away from Netheril so that the closest communities were no longer being threatened with growing too quickly. Gnomes also started using the Trail as a means of conducting trade between their communities.

Then, two things happened in relatively quick succession: the Illefarn mantle was jointly developed by the gnomes and the elves in -2555DR and the Netheril Empire freed all the gnome slaves in -2387DR. Some gnome scholars have linked the two since it was only a little over a 150 years after their mantle was developed that the Netherese ended gnome slavery. Other gnome scholars believe this is complete poppycock and the ending of gnome slavery was due to multiple factors that may or may not have anything to do with the development and usage of their mantle spell.

Over the next 2,000 years, gnome life settled down into a new normal. Certainly, there were local events that affected those gnome communities but as a whole, the gnomes entered a slow but steady expansion period. Magic gained more penetration in gnome society. The gnomes of the Treilta Hills may not have forgotten about their slavery but they were able to adjust and thrive in their new freedom.

That changed abruptly in -339DR. The nature of magic itself changed due the event known as Karsus’ Folly. The result was that many of the spells the gnomes had developed for themselves ceased working including their Illefarn mantle. Another painful casualty was the trail of mists spell. Current Trail of Mist nexus were still functional afterwards but the demise of the spell meant that no new nexus would be able to be created.

Gnomes settled down into this new state of affairs afterward. Other means were looked into to cope with this loss of magical power while their most proficient wizards tried to find ways to adjust the existing spells so that they would work again. The researchers at the Den of the Great Badger attempted to use the Netherese artifacts they had to try and gain the necessary knowledge to fix the spells. Unsuccessful in their attempt, new spell books excluded these non-working spells so over time the spells were no longer included in the training of new illusionists. Research into making them work also fell off so that the spells were generally lost and only mentioned in historical works.

Things would have likely stayed that way if it hadn’t been for Fitzmilliyun Sparkledrim. While studying some of the works of his friend Ecamane Truesilver in 818DR, Fitzmilliyun had a sudden flash of inspiration on how to fix the legendary lost spells of the gnomes. He quickly gathered his supplies and traveled to the Den of the Great Badger, a location known for its research activities and preservation of items of historical significance. The first legendary spell to be fixed was the trail of mists spell. Within a year, Fitzmilliyun was able to also fix the Illefarn mantle and thereby guarantee that his name will be remembered by all gnomes as one of their greatest wizards to have ever lived.

The period afterwards of comparative quiet prosperity was brough to a halt in 1090DR by the threat of massing humanoids to the northeast of the Trielta Hills. The gnomes of the area made some quiet preparations in case of invasion. The security at the Den of the Great Badger was increased and plans were put in place to collapse the entrance to protect the community there. Happily, for the gnomes, the Battle of the Bones ended the threat.

Over the next 150 years, there were a couple of events that caused an increase in traffic through the area: the death of the bandits living in Farkeep and the completion of the major trade roads of the Sword Coast that connect Waterdeep to Calimport. In 1095DR, the bandits in Farkeep were slain by an adventuring company, the Wildmen of the North, led by Brundar Tigerbane. He renamed the castle the Wild Hold and refortified it (he and most of his followers eventually fell in battle). By replacing the bandits, Brundar and his followers caused an increase in the Vale population by actively hunting creatures in the area that were attacking the residents of Sunset Vale. A larger Vale population combined with the completion of the roads in 1182DR lead to an increase in trade traffic through the area as more and more goods were produced in the Vale and then transported to destination cities on the expanded trade route.

This increase in trade traffic abruptly ended in 1235DR when the largest orc horde in history had massed in the North and was working its way down the Sword Coast on its way to Amn, Tethyr, and Calimshan. The orc threat essentially halted all trading going on in the Vale and preparations were started for when the orc horde came through the Vale. In the end, the orc horde didn’t invade the Vale because of Baim Hardbuckler.

Baim Hardbuckler and his band of dwarves happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time (although, Baim looked at it as him being in the right place at the right time). They were just passing through the area to the south of the Trielta Hills when he happened upon a fringe of the orc horde heading through the area on the way to Sunset Vale. The Hardbuckler’s Hurlers, as the group was known, defeated a larger group of orcs (including some camp follower bugbears). This defeat deflected the orc horde away from the Vale, saving countless lives and preventing the destruction of Vale commumities.

Realizing the strategic importance of the location, Baim decided to build a fort on the largest hill in the area of the fight. The palisade was constructed of wood initially since it was the most readily available material of the area. Before long, a wooden hall had been built so that the Hurlers wouldn’t have to sleep in tents anymore and they dug a well for a steady water supply. It was to this simple set of structures that the first gnome refugees showed up.

The orc horde and associated camp followers displaced several gnome clans out of the Trielta Hills. Even after the horde was destroyed, the remnants continued to push the gnomes out of their homes. The displaced gnomes headed to other, better hidden gnome communities but they quickly filled up. With no other place to go, most of the remaining gnomes headed for the Den of the Great Badger. They were surprised to find a dwarf and his fort sitting practically on top of the Den.

Baim had not expected that his fort would end up being at the heart of a community of gnomes but no true dwarf could have turned any of the refugees away. Each group as they arrived was welcomed and offered food, water, and a place to rest (Baim always seemed to offer water first which is why, to this day, water is provided to all visitors freely). In return, a vast majority of the gnomes (even the ones that knew of the Den of the Great Badger) decided to stay and help Baim and the growing community of gnomes.

The winter of 1235DR could have been really bad for Hardbuckler’s Fort (as the area was soon to be called). The combined work of the dwarves and gnomes was barely able to get sturdy and warm shelter constructed for all ere the first snows of winter started to fall. There were concerns from some there about there being enough food for everyone over the winter. However, in the end, no one went hungry as there always seemed to be enough food for everyone (courtesy of the Den of the Great Badger).

The raids from the horde remnants started in the spring while the ground was still mostly mud from the melting winter snows. Seeking food and other goods, they would randomly come out of the hills and attack the community. Baim and his Hurlers were always able to push them back but it was still taking a toll on the community. Some of the gnomes even decided to move on to other locations that would be more peaceful. Most, however, decided to help support Baim in his crusade to clean the area of these humanoid hooligans.

Over the next few years, more refugees arrived, plans were made to give the community the defenses it needed, and raids were performed to thin the numbers of the humanoids infesting the area. The steady growth meant a larger and larger workforce available to build the needed stone walls. Baim’s raids cleaned out more and more of the area near the fort leading to more safety and stability. Overall, what had started out as a refugee camp quickly developed into a real community.

Baim, his dwarves, and the gnomes had actually become more of an extended family by the end of 1243DR. The gnomes were able to get the stone walls completed and a great party was planned in celebration of their achievement for when Baim returned from his last planned raid of the year. Unfortunately, that celebration was not had as originally planned because Baim and his band were caught in an early blizzard and killed. The gnomes sent scouting parties out to try to find him but they weren’t successful until the spring when his remains were located.

Baim’s death broke the community’s heart. The only dwarf that decided to remain afterwards was the blacksmith Anbryn Silverhammer. The rest decided to return to their clan’s stronghold with Baims remains so that he could have a proper dwarven burial. In Baim’s honor, the community officially adopted the name of Hardbuckler and a life-sized statue of Baim was placed in the fort’s main hall.

Hardbuckler slowly grew over the following decades. The community was kept safe by the walls and other defensive measures. The raids from the humanoids had decreased to a manageable number thanks to Baim’s counter raids. The village’s food supply was provided by small gardens and the mushroom and lichen caves dug out underneath the gnome’s homes. Coins started to come to the community as the gnomes started producing locks and other storage necessities of such quality that merchant caravans started purchasing them for sell in other cities and towns. It was during this time, after one too many fights at the Pipe and Ivories got out of hand, that the gnomes decided to not have inns or taverns but would instead build guest houses to house anyone needing to stay in town overnight.

The next large changes for Hardbuckler was the removal of Baim’s fort and the loss of the village’s long-time blacksmith. By 1272DR, the village had grown enough that Baim’s fort had to be removed to make more room for more homes. The only structure kept from the fort was Baim’s hall that contained his statue (it was renamed the Pipe and Ivories after Baim’s favorite pastimes). This coincided with the completion of Urand Stonefist’s 25-year apprenticeship with Anbryn Silverhammer. Anbryn announced that it was time for her to return to her clan’s stronghold so Urand decided to become the new village blacksmith.

It wasn’t until 1314DR to 1315DR that Harbuckler gained what it is famous for today: secure storage and Aldiber Inchtawurn. With the Zhentarim’s defeat of Varalla at The Darkhold (something that gained the Zhentarim a goodly amount of positive goodwill at the time), the merchant traffic through Hardbuckler increased to where the gnomes came up with the idea of providing secure, long-term storage via caves dug deep beneath the village. This had only started to be offered when Aldiber Inchtawurn retired to Hardbuckler and helped the village have even more security by utilizing his magical prowess.

Hardbuckler’s reputation rapidly grew as a safe place to store valuables. By 1340DR, dozens of adventuring groups and almost as many merchant companies had started using their facilities with confidence. Thanks to the ingenuity of the gnomes and Aldiber’s wonderous wards, no one had been able to steal anything from the Hardbuckler secure vaults. However, it was this sterling reputation that was almost the town’s undoing.

In 1341DR, Griglier Goridan, the self-proclaimed Bandit Lord of the Sword Coast, began recruiting an army of like-minded individuals to raid Hardbuckler and grab some of what had to be very valuable items stored there. Over the course of the spring and summer, he assembled a force of nearly 1,000 men and marched on Hardbuckler. Griglier and his men were confident that they would be able to practically walk over the silly little gnomes of Hardbuckler. What he encountered was not expected by anyone.

It was a bright morning in the month of Marpenoth of that year when Griglier and his men came riding towards Hardbuckler. They expected to find a small village, ready for plunder. What they found was a sight to behold: at least a hundred adventurers who either had items in storage in Hardbuckler or were hired by merchant companies to help defend the village. The resulting fight was so short and one-sided that, to this day, anyone that even suggests getting an army together to raid Hardbuckler is either told to shut up (if they are lucky) or beaten on the spot.

Relative calm and stability returned to Hardbuckler after Griglier’s Folly (as it was being called) but it didn’t last. Within a mere 15 years, the Devils of Dragonspear Castle began marauding their way around the Sword Coast. It seemed to be that Tymora was once again on the side of the gnomes as the devils and their forces seem to concentrate to the south and west of Dragonspear Castle and didn’t come as far east as the Trielta Hills.

This was just too much for the leaders of Hardbuckler. The village had been under a serious threat twice in under two decades. Obviously, something had to be done to increase the defenses of the village to make it more self-sufficient for its own survival. Meetings were held, plans made, and new defensive strategies were tested. The outcome of this year-long re-evaluation was a series of short- and long-term plans to harden the defenses of Hardbuckler. Unfortunately, time is needed for any plan to come to fruition and the gnomes of Hardbuckler didn’t know that they would have problems of a more divine nature in less than a handful of years.

The Year of Shadows (1358DR) began like any other recent year but soon became something no one expected. The appearance of Segojan Earthcaller’s avatar in the Den of the Great Badger caused quite a stir in Hardbuckler as his presence was looked upon as a great honor. It was soon after that the avatar of Urdlen and a rag-tag army of his followers then attacked the Den of the Great Badger (primarily) and Hardbuckler (since it has tunnels that connect to the Den below). It was only though calling in help from gnomes living in the area that Hardbuckler did not fall (this was one of the plans developed during the re-evaluation of village security just a few short years earlier). Sadly, there were several warriors lost due to be infected with lycanthropy by the weremoles following Urdlen.

Urdlen’s attack revealed an unthought of weakness and the continuing, random attacks of his followers and weremoles had sped the implementation of magic and procedures to address it. The number of defenders had been substantially increased while even more powerful magic had been developed to improve security in general. Things were progressing well until Aldiber Inchtawurn quietly passed away in the winter of 1365DR.

For the gnomes that could remember the passing of Baim Hardbuckler, the passing of Aldiber Inchtawurn was just as painful. Aldiber was given the traditional gnome burial reserved for great gnome leaders. His gem-encrusted body was lovingly and reverently placed in his burial cave off the Impregnable Den and sealed as custom required. In his honor, a permanent illusion of him graces a podium in the main meeting cave under Hardbuckler. This illusion, enhanced and protected by Baravar Cloakshadow himself, shows him smiling down on any gnome that enters the cavern as he so often did in the past.

So, in the time since, Hardbuckler has adjusted to a new reality for itself. While the village tries to be as welcoming as it has been in the past, a pervasive wariness has permeated those living there. Certainly, joy can be found in Hardbuckler but the long stretches of peace that the village had seem to now be something of the past.

TBeholder Posted - 08 Jan 2020 : 23:35:53
Mediafire? Sync? DM Guild?
TheIriaeban Posted - 08 Jan 2020 : 23:22:21
Visitor Information

Overview
This small, fortified village of 2,000 residents (almost all of them gnomes) stands midway between Triel and Hill’s Edge on the Dusk Road. Most people who frequently travel on the Dusk Road, especially merchants, consider Hardbuckler to be their favorite stopover. Some of these travelers love it so much that they will spend the winter here. The more adventuresome of these individuals will even help defend the village against raiding orcs, bugbears, trolls, hobgoblins, and any hungry animals.

Besides offering a safe place to stay, travelers will also find other resources to help them on their journey. The dwarven blacksmith Urand Stonefist can help with repairs or new horseshoes. Wheelwright Daggasir Tilnilranmin is available for wagon repair. If various and assorted supplies are needed, a stop by the consignment shop in the Pipe and Ivories should provide those. Just remember that the village prides itself on its cleanliness, organization, and happy prosperity so anyone aiming to upset that should expect a strong reaction from both the village guard and most other visitors.

However, the most widely known and prolific service offered by Hardbuckler is storage. This storage is confidential and secure. In fact, it is so confidential and secure that dozens of merchants and their companies/associations use it to store their particularly valuable items. That being said, the largest group to utilize this secure storage is adventuring bands (it is much safer to have their valuables here than traipsing across the countryside with all their hard-earned loot with them). This confidence in security is bolstered by the fact that Hardbuckler’s resident wizard has warded both the town and the storage vaults as an additional guard against theft.

Hardbuckler also has a brisk trade on goods the village produces for the transportation and storage of goods: crates, high-quality locks, and sealing wax. Crates are made in different sizes with options for metal reinforcement or decoration. The locks are offered in different sizes and complexities. The sealing wax is of a special formulation that can indicate if it has been tampered with.

History
Hardbuckler is named for a long-fallen dwarf adventurer who made his home here after he won a spectacular battle on this spot leading his small axe-throwing band, Hardbuckler’s Hurlers, against a bugbear host. It was right after that, about 150 years ago, that the gnomes got together and built Harbuckler on the site of the battle. It has been a stopover for merchants ever since.

A little over 50 years ago, the increasing merchant traffic gave the gnomes the idea to include secure storage as part of the offerings of the village. This was helped by the arrival of the mage Aldiber Inchtarwurn. Between the gnomes’ mundane security processes and Aldiber’s magical wardings, Hardbuckler has gained the reputation of being one of the most secure storage locations on Faerûn.

Description
Located on the highest hill of the area between the Northdark Woods and the Reaching Woods, the village is circular and surrounded by a wall that is 30 ft high with 40 ft towers roughly 150 feet apart (that makes the village almost a quarter mile across). There are two sets of iron-bound wooden gates, one on the east side and one on the west, that are 30 ft tall and are between two of the 40 ft towers. The village is bisected by two cobblestone roads, one north-south and one east-west with an additional road that runs along the inside of the city wall.

Hardbuckler mostly consists of small stone cottages with slate roofs. The cottages are seemingly set at random within its walled enclosure, each having a little garden patch. These gardens are fenced to prevent wondering livestock from grazing them bare. Beyond the roads mentioned above, there are only winding paths available between the previously mentioned cottages and gardens (it has been described as “one big alley”).

There are only four buildings that are not a small stone cottage. They are each in a different quadrant off the village center: The Pipe and Ivories, the village’s gathering hall and supply store, in the NW quadrant; the Archmage’s Tower in the NE quadrant; the House of the Wheel, the village’s wheelwright in the SW quadrant. The corresponding area of the SE quadrant is a simple pen about the size if the Pipe and Ivories for temporary holding of horses or other livestock. Attached to the pen is the village blacksmith’s shop.

In the very center of the town is a large, hand-cranked pump that provides free water to anyone who needs it. There are two, semi-circular troughs around the pump that the water can be diverted into for providing water to livestock. The water is always fresh and clean and the pump is protected from freezing in even the coldest of winters.


Amenities
As previously mentioned, Hardbuckler offers the merchant or other traveler several services. It costs 1 gp per person with an additional 1 sp per animal to enter the village. Large herds of animals are not allowed due to the mess they will create (there is a small pond about a mile east of Hardbuckler that is used by anyone moving a herd of animals through the area). The entrance fee does entitle the traveler to have access to free water for them and free fodder and water for their animals.

One notable exception is anything that would involve the village’s resident archmage. Aldiber came to Hardbuckler to retire and offers no services nor training to anyone beyond what he already does for the community as a whole. Visitors are warned not to bother him and, due to the magical wards Aldiber has placed around the village, to not wonder out of the public areas lest they trigger one of these wards.


Blacksmith
Urand Stonefist, a shield dwarf, has been the village blacksmith for 100 years. Over the years, he has trained several apprentice blacksmiths but growth of the village and the increase in traffic has required him to add more help to where he now has two apprentices: Ovgunn Oregleam, a female shield dwarf in her 14th year of apprenticeship, and Banlere Lansgibblin, a local rock gnome youth who has only been with Urand for 3 years.

Urand generally has enough premade metal goods (at standard prices) to answer the normal needs of the village for a couple days. Special requests are accepted and he can produce just about any non-weapon/non-armor metal item. Urand cannot repair any weapons or armor.


Pipe and Ivories
The only structure in town left standing from the original fort, the Pipe and Ivories is the social and business hub of the village. It is here that you can get a drink, do some gambling, see a bard’s performance, purchase supplies, or arrange for lodging and storage.

Consignment Store
The Consignment Store takes up about a third of the Pipe and Ivories. Business is handled through a barred window with a list of services and their standard costs posted next to it. The store is open every day from sunrise to sunset and is typically staffed by the Felndar family. All services outside of the blacksmith or wheelwright are arranged at the window.

Dining and Quarters
Since there are no inns or taverns in the village, travelers seeking these services are directed to the Pipe and Ivories. There, they can purchase a high-quality meal at sunrise, highsun, or sunset. The cost is 3sp for all-you-can-eat served buffet-style in a small passage off the main hall. Water is free and provided by the pitcher on a side table of the main hall. Ale is about 10gp per hand keg and wine is 5gp per bottle — priced so to discourage overindulgence (it also has to be imported since there are no local breweries or wineries).

To compensate for the fact that there are no inns in Hardbuckler, each gnome family runs its own guesthouse, which serves good, though simple, meals, running to lots of spiced potatoes, onion bread, and strong cheese. To secure quarters, a traveler makes an inquiry at the consignment store and is then directed to a guesthouse somewhere in the village. The cost is 1gp per night per person or 75gp for the winter per person. This gains the traveler comfortable quarters for up to 4 people with an interior water pump, bath, indoor garderobe, and all meals.

Storage
Much like those seeking quarters for the night, anyone wishing to utilized Hardbuckler’s famous secure storage is directed to the consignment store. After providing how much storage space they need and for how long, they are directed to the home of a gnome family that has the amount of space available. No village gnome will work with a person seeking storage. All requests MUST go through the consignment store.

Once the customer has reached the designated location, the number of crates needed for how long is determined. The crates are provided to the customer in a private setting (if desired) where they can place the items inside and then close them up. The gnomes come in afterwards and use the locally produced sealing wax so that the customer will be able to tell if the crate has been opened in their absence. The customer informs the gnomes at this time what has been placed in each crate (metal items, cloth, minerals, magically enchanted items, etc.) It is at this point that the crates are taken underground via an elevator system.
Storage terms are for a set period with payment made in advance with the standard end date of the Feast of the Moon (short term storage is available but is negotiated on a case by case basis). Information is requested for where the customer can be reached as well as a secondary contact. If the contracted period expires, the owner and secondary contact are both attempted to be contacted. If no one claims the items by Midwinter, the items are considered the property of the storehouse owners.

Supplies
It is at the consignment store that most any general supply item can be bought at normal prices. A limited number and selection of weapons are available at slightly over list prices (5%) due to them having to be shipped in from Hill’s Edge. Metal hardware, however, is purchased directly from the blacksmith’s shop.

The gnomes of Hardbuckler make and export elaborate locks, sturdy wooden crates, and a distinctive green seam-sealing wax sold in cloth rolls. Locks range in price from 3 gp for a small, simple thing to 100 gp for a massive quadruple lock, or 75 gp for a tiny, gold-plated locket lock used in many pieces of jewelry or on purses.

Crates range in price from 1 sp to 25 gp, depending on size and construction. Exterior bracing and copper- sheathed corners are always 5 gp extra. Most small coffers are 1 to 3 sp, and most larger boxes go for 2 gp, with a removable lid and one tube of seam-sealing wax included in their price. One person can carry a larger box alone for short distances, but these boxes also have rope handles thoughtfully included in their design to make them easy for two people to carry over a long haul.

Seam-sealing wax is 1 sp a tube. To use the wax, unroll one end of the cloth, squeeze the other, and force the wax out in a smooth cylinder along the edge of a box to seal a seam. A recent improved version is 1 gp a tube and is guaranteed to be reusable if oil is hand-worked into it every spring. It turns purple if any enchantment is laid on it—and if the magic is disturbed by an attempt to break the wax, alter the spell on it, or lay another spell atop the first, the wax turns green again, giving positive indication of tampering.

More rare items such as objects of art or magic items, are also available. They are not kept in the store but rather a separate storage vault under the Pipe and Ivories. Travelers interested in making this kind of purchase need only ask if any of the desired items are in stock.


Wheelwright
Daggasir Tilnilranmin and his three gnome apprentices (Mikkin Nakkannar, Gigrig Smirrus, and Ardragnos Plargenk) are available to perform any needed repairs on wagons, chariots, or any other wheeled conveyances at standard prices. They also build and repair the small rail carts used by the village’s storage facilities. For conveyances too damaged to repair, they usually have a handful of various sized wagons as well as a dozen or so of the rail carts.

Candlekeep Forum © 1999-2024 Candlekeep.com Go To Top Of Page
Snitz Forums 2000