The Town of Shoal is located on the Great River, exactly halfway between Old Albany and New Avalon.
Some History
Current News
Kimbeaut is killed by the Eternals. Most of his cronies are captured and ousted. Tim Zoltan takes over as head Monk and Judge.
Judge Tim establishes a rule over Shoal. He is stern, like Kimbeaut, but more fair. He becomes known for tolerance and moderation. He encourages hard work and cleverness. He delivers punishments to criminals that fit their crimes - primarily through work crews. The people of Shoal thrive under his rule.
Details about Shoal and the Rule of Kimbeaut
The stronghold was kept by Lord Kimbeaut, an ex-patriot of New Avalon. He broke with tradition and separated himself from his family, friends and world. Lord Kimbeaut ruled Shoal with an iron fist. He was Lawful Evil, which means, as a ruler, cruel but just. Justice is exact. The punishment for most minor offenses is either jail time, indentured servitude, a stiff monetary fine, and/or time in "The Chair" (see below). The punishment for most felonies is death.
In addition to ruling this section of the waterways and the town proper Kimbeaut's stronghold also served as a martial arts monastery. Kimbeaut was a 9th level New Monk with enough xp for 10th level (he was effectively level 10 during his challenge of Tim Zoltan). He found a worthy opponent in Tim.
Residents of Shoal
There are 452 permanent residents: 60% Avaloners, 30% Jungle People, 10% demi-humans. The main business of the town is shelter and protection of river-bound traffic. Shoal offers protection and is the only safe stop between Albany and Avalon. Trading and fishing are the next major economic forces.
Features of the Shoal
The following is a letter-code guide to the map of Shoal.
A - Town Hall. Where taxes are paid, land is bought, complaints are made.
B - Sheriff Office, Jail. Sheriff's Office/Jail/Gallows - LK's twins run the local law (they are both LE 4th level New Monks) and have 8 full-time deputies (3 2nd level LE New Monks and 5 2nd level fighters all LN). They run the show in town and sniff out law-breakers with a passion. They enjoy beating up the troublemakers and they enjoy beating up the locals. But Lord Kimbeaut decides upon the true justice and true punishments. These deputies also are in charge of patrolling the town's wall.
C - Fireman Squad
D - Stable and feed
E - PAPER AND INK
F - Private girls school, LG religion
G - Furniture Store
H - Small Park w/troll statue. Small, after all the town itself is in the jungle, but safe. There is a weird statue of a troll there. An actual real troll that was turned to stone.
I - Libraries
J - Flowers & Candles (aviary and flower garden in back).
K - Messenger service, w/ stables.
L - In-town monastery club house. Rough-house for monks outside the monastery grounds. The monk's clubhouse was a location were the older students could go and get away from things at the monastery. That building is the property/wall and chapel of our newly developing LE Old Empire Church. It needs to be marked on the map.
M - Public Food Hall.
N - Shoes.
O - Cobbler
P - Wainwright & Portrait Painter.
Q - Town Circle, location of Chair of Ugliness. The Chair - A once fountain has been filled in with stone and mortar. Upon this makeshift daises is a elaborate, metal-bound wooden chair permanently secured to the stone platform. The chair is magical.
The Chair of Ugliness - The Chair of Woe: When someone sits in it, it lowers the victim's Charisma to 3, immediately. Charisma returns to normal in 24 hours later or if a Remove Curse is applied. However the victim must make a saving throw vs. spell with a -4 penalty to the roll or be stuck fast in the armchair. The chair and the victim may be carried about (if somehow safely detached), but any attacked suffer on the seated person is +4 to hit and no dex bonuses. Also a -4 on all saves. Once the victim is stuck the chair becomes immune to all but a Wish. If a remove Curse is cast it will only take effect if done so by a 26th level caster. Lord Kimbeaut used this as a form of punishment to all transgressors of minor crimes. It works well for keeping the rabble in line.
R - Cafe Ella. A pleasant place to have some tea and watch someone getting "Chaired" or hung (across the way, in front of the Sheriff's station).
S - Barber & Dentist.
T - Tarot Reader & Brothel (in back) - Jilly's.
U - Clothing Shop.
V - Private warehouses.
W - Shoal Inn.
X - Fish Market.
Y - Tavern. The Cerulean Horse - food.
Z - BREWERY. Shoal's River Summer Brew.
AA - BANK
AB - JEWELRY
AC - FURRIER
AD - BOOKS AND BINDINGS
AE - WHITEWASH AND STAIN
AF - BUTCHER
AG - TAYLOR
AH - RIVER PASSAGE OFFICE & SHEDS
AI - GLASS, beads to windows to cups.
AJ - VET, ANIMAL DOCTOR
AK - OLD WORLD FOOD - RESTAURANT
AL - TRADER'S CORNER
AM - Blacksmith
AN - Fisheries
AO - Rope Maker
AP - Dock Master. Docks into a small inlet or river cove - Most ships going upstream and downstream always stop at Shoal. Dock fees applied by Dock Master Duke (3rd level fighter): Merchant vessel 1 % cargo or cargo worth per stop Up to 1 week stay; Warship 100 gps/night or stop; Transport / pleasure craft 10 gp/night or stop; Other 1 gp/night or stop; Houseboat/Local Fisherman free.
AQ - Ship builder/Boat Maker
AR - Carriage Maker
AS - Tavern. Green Toggy - food.
AT - Carriage/Taxi
AU - Water Taxi - Across the river, local water journeys to Bottom Town.
AV - CEMETERY
AW - YOUTH HOSTEL
AX - Playhouse
AY - POST OFFICE, letters to New Avo or Albany.
AZ - The Old Fortress. Run down. Mostly local kids play here.
BA - Kimbeaut Stronghold/Kimbeaut Monastery - This monastery is one of two known Newcomer Monk facilities on the New Continent. His ways differ from that of traditional monks. There is the main mansion, the Judge's House. The various buildings for the school; training rooms, dormitory, library, food hall. The is a training tower. The is a pond with stream. Elsewhere there is a monk-weapons making facility. Many of the training exercises include running the perimeter of the town (which also doubles as a patrol for the town), expeditions into the jungle and demonstrations in the town circle.
BB - Lawyers and accountants.
BC - Town Records, Archives & Treasury.
BD - Proposed site for Army barracks. Kimbeaut had the idea and resources to propose the construction of these facilities. Have a standing force of 30 (with the capacity for 100) full time troops. He envisioned expanding outward and populating more of the region surrounding Shoal. These troops would take care of dangers of the jungle. Kimbeaut had dreams of ruling a whole county some day. Lord K tried to make Shoal a self-sufficient town. His attitude was that if New Avalon did not exist tomorrow, it would not effect the lives of anyone in Shoal.
BE - Small farm - Currently owned by Lord John Whorfin.
BF - Lumber mill.
BG - Mason.
BH - A jungle peoples drug store.
BI - A Avo Chemist.
Kempson Farm - A retired general from the old empire lives on a small farm. His name is Machin G'ivair. He is a 17th level fighter, NN. He often trains those who come to him, the fee being twice the training time as farm helper. He has 1-4 of these "helpers" at any given time. Because of his unique hobby, he has been forced to purchase the surrounding woods around his farmland because of all the noise he produces. Machin (MG for short) knows the secret of gun-powder. He makes it in a secret bunker under his farm. He tests batches of his powder and always has several muskets loaded at all times. He has cannon as well. MG often has dealings with the miner dwarfs for raw materials. MG sometimes deals with the Wizard TAE. MG has very large funds to draw upon if need be. He does not get involved in local politics unless it prevents him from farming or his hobby. See GM: MB for details.
Tower of TAE - Is located outside the town wall. A source for chemicals and unusual raw materials. The wizard, is very high level and is almost never home. See GM MB for details.
Dwarven Miner Rail Road System - Several families of dwarfs live in town and have obtained permission from Kimbeaut to construct a railroad line through town to the hills to the NW. They mine Tin and Silver. The RR helps bring in stone from a quarry and lumber from the jungle. Kimbeaut also thought it could help get deputies and troops and material across town more quickly. A small RR car was made with a catapult and 2 ballista and stands ready. Another line is planned next year.
More Notes
Minor roads and paths are not marked.
All other areas not identified within the boundaries of the town are 50% farmlands (with standard structures) and 50% medium dense woods. The areas outside the town walls are considered medium to heavy jungle.
Town Square & Merchant Area - Usually becomes busy when a new ship docks. In the last 5 years or so Shoal has become somewhat a "tourist" town. Though travel from Avo is still a trip full of danger from the monsters of the wild jungle, some individuals will take the journey up and stay in town a while.
Warehouse & Granaries Sections - Charge customers a storage fee. Also a place for storage of town's surpluses and Kimbeaut's graft profit.
75 homes within the low-walled town.
30 Farms - a few people still insist on developing farms here even though most of food is fished, imported or gathered from the jungle forest. Most of the farms are located inside this walled town.
Bottom Town is located across the Great River from Shoal, a 500 foot span. It is a small walled area that does not come under the jurisdiction of Shoal. Bottom Town could not exist without Shoal. Bottom Town is where the more rougher ruffians and criminals hang out. Gambling, whores and knife fights.
If Tim Zoltan stays and effectively handles the standard, mundane problems of the town then he can expect a profit of 2D4 x 100 gps per month profit. If Tim Zoltan initiates and maintains a wise capital investment then it is reasonable that profits may rise. Should TZ decide to leave the administrative duties to another (and say go off adventuring for extended periods of time) then profits most likely will suffer. Also, the people of Shoal are use to having a strong (if cruel) and visual present Judge in own. Not only are there repercussions due to the shift from LE to LN, there may be additional effects if the Judge is gone for part of the year.
Should other problems arise, plague, famine, invasion, Tim will have to provide effective solutions to the problems or risk loosing this profit. During the first 6 months of office, Tim Zoltan will not see any profits. He must learn the ropes.
Under the conditions of an absolutely binding legal arrangement, Mr. Fivish Finkle of the Hamlet of Dunn-Bevy (12 miles North of Shoal) is entitled to 25% of all and any of the Judge Arbiter (formerly Lord Kimbeaut, now Tim Zoltan) for the next 75 years. Shoal is also locked into arrangement to provide a certain amount of military support and protection to Dunn-Bevy should the need arise. Fivish arrived not to long after Tim claimed the Judgeship. He was the extremely Charismatic, Intelligent, Wise, Graceful individual who came by to inform and remind Tim of the Contract.
Dunn-Bevy Hamlet - 12 miles North of Shoal. It is a small community consisting of about 40 farming families. Fivish Finkle has been leader of this isolated community for nearly 20 years. The towns main attractions are its caves and wonderful natural hot and cold springs. Many a rich, important and powerful person has made the trek from Shoal and beyond to partake of the springs natural invigorating effects. See GM: MB for details.
Notes on Tim Zoltan's Followers gained after obtaining the Monastery
The Monk Jabidakk-a-Razz, a 4th level LE New-Monk, who formerly worked for Lord K has decided to switch alignments to LN, loose a level and become Tim Zoltan's high level follower. Razz has a +1 spear and a potion of super monkish heroism. He has been helping Lord K run this school for the last 5 years.
In additional, in accordance with the rules of a 1st edition Monk, TZ gains 3 1st level traditional Monks that join him at his school. Their names are Gelimill-e-Farach, Zhajakk-i-Perisitt, and Geffer Simons (two of local ethnicity and one who comes from noble stock back in the Old Empire).
Also, others attend the school, students who are not followers. Local people who wish to slowly gain levels. You also have the frequent monk "who needs training for level advancement". These come mostly from New Avo, but occasionally you get a strange eccentric or three from the Bush.
About 17 students at any one time. The money that is made from the students (non-followers) and training and the weapons factory maintains the estate. The real money comes from the town's taxes and dock fees.
A note to Zoltan - Nomad may be of great help in certain aspects of martial arts. Even if it is the infrequent visit from a unusual specialist.
Site Map | 14 April 99
copyright © 2001 by Michael Moran Alterio, Michael Babriecki, Harry Ching, Stephen Martin, and Donald R. Parrish III (all rights reserved)